One Year Ago (as changes took effect)

[HIGH-TECH TENNIS]

For the past 5 years, we'd gone to at least THREE National Opens each year. Starting this year, we eliminated them all from our schedule. For the past 4 years, we'd gone to the Southern Closed 10s (which was one of our favorite tournaments). Starting last year, we eliminated it from our schedule.

I don't expect anybody to cry for HIGH-TECH TENNIS...but I kinda want to cry for junior tennis. We posted these reactions almost one year ago...when things were beginning to change (and not for the better, in our opinion):

Who Wins?
32 Draw=No Win for Players or TDs
32 Draw=No Win for Others
10 and Under=No Win for Players or TDs

Don't bash me if you don't agree...I'm certainly not selling anything---just sharing info that might be of interest. If yes, so be it; if not, kindly disregard. THANK YOU.

[justinmadison]

For many of the people on this forum it is not about who is helped by the changes. No one has really tried to make a case for that.

The people on the forum who are supportive of the changes feel there are a group of players/parents that need to be excluded from play. For some reason people feel there is a need to punish some set of players that are not deemed to be “worthy”.

[thepastord]

I would think the coaches and directors would really be in a uproar........ Many are going to see their living hit hard. I personally think we are in for a ten year horrendous period of time. I hope not, tI really feel sorry for the many juniors who "Could Be" fine upcoming competitors.... As I have said before, my daughter is a senior and college bound. Fortunately, she has had many offers for college play, but I do find much disappointment because we did abruptly stop most of our travel schedule, because we "Knew" about the terrible squeeze that was upon us. We just had to find other ways.

The backlash/mutiny is already in full swing in my opinion. Even in places like Florida, tournament entry is on the decline. Lack of participation hurts the competition access level. The USTA sees this differently. They think they are making better players, but the pool of participants has and will be greatly reduced. Players who are, and can develop into very good successful players have just been discouraged greatly. We have seen some who have already switched to different sports. I'm talking girls who were in the 10's -12's -14's who were 3/4/5 stars. Some were as high at varying times as 34 Nationally! Boom, stopped! Many are switching to volleyball...........he sport of tennis deserves more/better than this. This is probably my last post on here. Thank God, we are done with the junior tennis debacle! I do wish all of you and your kids the absolute best!

Time to move on..............

[tomaskei123]

im so mad because you have to be like top 32 on US to get in to nationals and the only way besides playing a tournament ever 3 days to get top 32 to in the nation is to play nationals tht means the same kids will be playing the same kids over and over again

[JLyon]

I think TD
s are going top hit hard and it will make getting sites to bid for STA lvl 3's more diffcult, before TD's could expect 40-48 kids per draw 12-18's. With new draw limits it makes it a max of 32, not sure why they do not allow Tournaments to go with 4 16 draws, this would actually increase participation, but allow TD's to still remain solvent. I know TD's are looked as evil for making a profit but USTA and in my area STA has done is cut into a TD's bottom line as they still need same number officials for 2 days but for longer periods. Hope it works out well, but if I was a TD I would think long and hard about spending money up front for less in return.

[tennis5]

Originally Posted by thepastord

I would think the coaches and directors would really be in a uproar........ Many are going to see their living hit hard. I personally think we are in for a ten year horrendous period of time. I hope not, tI really feel sorry for the many juniors who "Could Be" fine upcoming competitors.... As I have said before, my daughter is a senior and college bound. Fortunately, she has had many offers for college play, but I do find much disappointment because we did abruptly stop most of our travel schedule, because we "Knew" about the terrible squeeze that was upon us. We just had to find other ways.

The backlash/mutiny is already in full swing in my opinion. Even in places like Florida, tournament entry is on the decline. Lack of participation hurts the competition access level. The USTA sees this differently. They think they are making better players, but the pool of participants has and will be greatly reduced. Players who are, and can develop into very good successful players have just been discouraged greatly. We have seen some who have already switched to different sports. I'm talking girls who were in the 10's -12's -14's who were 3/4/5 stars. Some were as high at varying times as 34 Nationally! Boom, stopped! Many are switching to volleyball...........he sport of tennis deserves more/better than this. This is probably my last post on here. Thank God, we are done with the junior tennis debacle! I do wish all of you and your kids the absolute best!

Time to move on..............

Lots of good points.

First, I hope you do continue to post. I find the posts from the parents with kids who went through the junior process always insightful,
and able to share a perspective that might not be obvious when you are in the thick of it.

Second, I am not sure the directors and coaches are going to be in such an uproar.
My friend, who owns a few tennis centers, told me yesterday that losses from high juniors not playing would be more than offset by their QS tennis, as they were now getting more kids on the same tennis court, and charging the same price per kid.....

Third, it is funny you mention volleyball and girls.
I am surprised by the rising popularity of that sport.
We have a great turnaround story here with a happy ending at my son's school.
One really good tennis player's dad was in between jobs,
and they couldn't swing the cost at our tennis center.
She ended up leaving tennis ( high 4 star) and playing volleyball...
( I would think basketball and volleyball go together, but tennis and volleyball?)
This year she got into college ED, and a big factor to that, I think is she will be playing college volleyball.