NTRP strikes again!

[gopokes]

About 4 years ago, I managed to get moved up to 4.5 at the end of the year. I haven't played any league or NTRP since then, so my 4.5 rating has lapsed. I've still kept playing as much as possible, which is admittedly less now that I have 2 kids running around, but such is life. So I got a call today from a local guy that just got bumped to 4.0 as a result of this big bump. He wants me to play on his 4.0 team since I don't have a rating anymore. I'm not crazy about this because I've seen this happen several times where folks kind of use the system to reel in a ringer, not that "I'M a ringer, but you know what I mean...
Anyway, many of the guys that I played at 4.0 several years ago got bumped to 4.5, and these were the guys that I had to beat all the time to get to 4.5 in the first place. I live in a pretty small place, and my dilemma is that i don't think it's fair to play 4.0 even though I'm not Federer or anything, and I'm going to articulate that to this guy as best I can. I just hope that they don't take it like I think that I'm too good for them or something. I don't like NTRP snobbery at all. I just don't think it's right to play in this case, especially since guys that I used to beat regularly are slugging it out at 4.5. I wish I'd kept my rating now...This ever happen to you? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance -

 

[OrangePower]

About 4 years ago, I managed to get moved up to 4.5 at the end of the year. I haven't played any league or NTRP since then, so my 4.5 rating has lapsed. I've still kept playing as much as possible, which is admittedly less now that I have 2 kids running around, but such is life. So I got a call today from a local guy that just got bumped to 4.0 as a result of this big bump. He wants me to play on his 4.0 team since I don't have a rating anymore. I'm not crazy about this because I've seen this happen several times where folks kind of use the system to reel in a ringer, not that "I'M a ringer, but you know what I mean...
Anyway, many of the guys that I played at 4.0 several years ago got bumped to 4.5, and these were the guys that I had to beat all the time to get to 4.5 in the first place. I live in a pretty small place, and my dilemma is that i don't think it's fair to play 4.0 even though I'm not Federer or anything, and I'm going to articulate that to this guy as best I can. I just hope that they don't take it like I think that I'm too good for them or something. I don't like NTRP snobbery at all. I just don't think it's right to play in this case, especially since guys that I used to beat regularly are slugging it out at 4.5. I wish I'd kept my rating now...This ever happen to you? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance -

There's not much to think about here. You're a 4.5, based on your past rating and based on the current ratings of players you are equal to or better than. The fact that your rating has lapsed is not material. If you start playing league again, you should self rate as a 4.5. Meaning that you can't play on your friend's 4.0 team.

To your credit, you recognize this, and have said as much yourself. So what was your question again?

 

[bodieq]

That's honorable of you.

That team-captain should understand/realize that if you're still at the 4.5 level, and you self-rate at "4.0" and play adult-league on his team, there's the risk you can be DQ'd during the season which means your scores get reversed and could potentially hurt the team (especially in the league-matches in which your team wins "3-2" which now turns into a team loss).

I'm sure you'll find a diplomatic way of explaining it to the captain. (Or if not, you can simply just tell him that since you're a 4.5 you're oozing with awesomeness and all 4.0 players suck).

 

[decades]

you are 4.5. you have my condolences.

 

[jrod]

^^^ OP- There is a simple solution to the problem. Go into USTA's Tennislink (http://tennislink.usta.com/leagues/) and self-rate at 4.5, making you ineligible to play at lower levels.

In fact, your rating should still say 4.5. It's only when you go to register for a team will the system prompt you to self-rate if your rating is at least 3 years old. Here you can just do the self-rating procedure and it will assign you a minimum self-rating based on how you answer several questions. Usually the minimum assigned tends to be on the low side. You can adjust it upwards afterwards.

This guy asking you to play has no idea whether the system assigned you the level or if you entered in a level. You can simply blame it on the system and say you answered the questions and it gave you a 4.5. The system should not allow you to register for a team that is beneath your assigned level.

Good luck!

 

[Lazerus]

Just play 4.0 and get dynamically DQd.

How do you know you can beat everyone so handily this year?

Where can I get this crystal ball?

 

[spot]

Just tell him that you would like to join a 4.5 team. Problem solved.

 

[gopokes]

I talked to the guy today. Funny conversation - I just told him that I didn't feel right about joining his team, which he was fine with i think. The funny part was that he told me he was sick of getting beat by one particular team that every year manages to pull some guys out of the woodwork and basically sandbag their way to a strong finish at sectionals - hence his recruitment attempts - fight fire with fire! I guess this is what the USTA wants to try to curb. I wish them luck - Judging from this experience, it won't be easy...

 

[J_R_B]

I talked to the guy today. Funny conversation - I just told him that I didn't feel right about joining his team, which he was fine with i think. The funny part was that he told me he was sick of getting beat by one particular team that every year manages to pull some guys out of the woodwork and basically sandbag their way to a strong finish at sectionals - hence his recruitment attempts - fight fire with fire! I guess this is what the USTA wants to try to curb. I wish them luck - Judging from this experience, it won't be easy...

Well, that's entirely different. Sign up and just play that match.

 

[bodieq]

Well, that's entirely different. Sign up and just play that match.

But this implies that he would have to first self-rate at "4.0" to be eligible to do that...which I thought was his issue/concern in the first place.

 

[J_R_B]

But this implies that he would have to first self-rate at "4.0" to be eligible to do that...which I thought was his issue/concern in the first place.

Self-rating at 4.0 to play 1 match is nothing. Play the sandbagger match, then join a 4.5 team and don't look back. Get your bump at the end of the year and everything is copacetic. The original concern was over knowingly sandbagging at a level he knew he didn't belong. If it's just to play a match against another knowingly sandbagging team, it's like a 4.5 match anyway.

 

[bodieq]

Self-rating at 4.0 to play 1 match is nothing. Play the sandbagger match, then join a 4.5 team and don't look back. Get your bump at the end of the year and everything is copacetic. The original concern was over knowingly sandbagging at a level he knew he didn't belong. If it's just to play a match against another knowingly sandbagging team, it's like a 4.5 match anyway.

I understand what you're saying. I just think it still potentially creates several problematic situations. First, you'd still have to self-rate at a leve that you know you are above, but more importantly, when that particular league-match happens there's no guarantee that you would be "lined-up" against that other sandbagger player. And what about the other teams in the division that might've recruited worse sandbaggers...why not play against them too? It gets harder to draw the line. Plus, what if that other sandbagger team still makes the playoffs...wouldn't you want to play at least 2-matches to be eligible for playoffs so you could compete on behalf of your team against them again? (Otherwise what was the point of playing that one-match against them to begin with).