I am starting to be triggered by another word that frequently pops up in discussions of why there is so much more participation in USTA League play than in Adult tournaments. It is the idea that League provides better “value” for players. The economic model of USTA League is based on what may be the biggest scam ever perpetrated against tennis players.
The ironic thing is that I don’t actually disagree with the sentiment that it isn’t a good value for a player to travel to a tournament to play less tennis than what is available to them in local league play over the same timeframe. “How Much is Enough? (Never Say Never)” provided a direct comparison of the local matches I recently gave up to travel to a National Level 1 tournament. Going back to 2020, “Tennis Tournaments: Deciding to Play a Cat 1” reveals that, unlike many other topics, my thinking along the match play “value” claim has been relatively consistent.
When people speak of the value proposition of League play, they almost always mean the entry fee. The cost of both formats of sanctioned play varies from place to place. In my area, it is usually around $35 to register for a League. Usually, the perception is that it costs a player about $100 to enter a tournament. However, that number is not necessarily accurate. For example, the Trophy Husband played in a local tournament at the Las Colinas Country Club last weekend, and the entry fee was $50.
Still, that is $15 more than a League registration. However, value isn’t just the sticker price. It is also what you get for the money. I made the following table to compare the benefits players usually receive in exchange for the cost of entry in USTA Leagues and tournaments.
| Benefit | Tournaments | League |
| Balls | Yes | No |
| Court Fees | Yes | No |
| Scheduling | Yes | No* |
| Rain Recheduling | Yes | No |
| Match Play | 2+ | 2+ |
| Officiated Matches | Yes | No* |
Examining the disparity, it really makes me wonder why people think that tournaments are a better value. While some quibbling is possible on two USTA League “No” cells with asterisks, even if those columns are flipped to “Yes” with exceptions, the value differential between the two formats of play is still striking.
Some USTA Leagues might claim they provide the scheduling, but that really only consists of creating the head-to-head matchup between teams. It is on the home facility to allocate the court time and then on the captains to coordinate the players for the match. Additionally, sometimes there are officiated matches in playoffs. However, one of my local USTA League sponsoring organizations has recently stopped providing officials at playoffs.
We have now reached the point in the debate where people start stammering about the cost of travel “required” to play in a tournament. That was the subject of yesterday’s post.
USTA League is simply not a better value than tournaments. The registration fees are lower, but what do players really get for the money? That is why I think the USTA League’s economic model may be the biggest scam ever perpetrated against tennis players.
Basically, the registration fee buys you NTRP-rated matches and a chance to go to Sectionals and Nationals, which involves expensive travel on your own dime. It’s not much when you think about it.
