My USTA League Experience So Far

Nanshiki · Apr 14, 2009

I joined a league team over a month ago, slightly less than half-way through the season.

First match I'm scheduled to play is a rain-out. Canceled.

Second match I'm scheduled to play is a makeup. Opposing team doesn't get a group together: canceled.

Third week I'm on the team, I don't get on the match roster. How nice.

Fourth week I'm on the team, I get on Doubles #3, partner cancels. Defaulted. And no one thought it might be nice to give up their slot to the person playing their first USTA league match.

There are only two matches left, out of the season's total of seven.

At this rate my league fee is going to end up being completely wasted.

WTF kind of crap is that?

The problem is that if I go and demand a refund, I'll probably end up being blacklisted from this league's flight.

raiden031 · Apr 14, 2009

Thats why people join multiple teams since you dont always get too many matches. I didnt get played for the first 2 1/2 months on one team. There's not much you can do about this season though. You should try to plan better for next year. A season with only 7 team matches isn't worth much anyways.

Nanshiki · Apr 14, 2009

Oh, I forgot to mention that I missed the whole previous season (despite joining USTA) because none of the teams would let me join.

JavierLW · Apr 14, 2009

Nanshiki said:
I joined a league team over a month ago, slightly less than half-way through the season.

First match I'm scheduled to play is a rain-out. Canceled.

Second match I'm scheduled to play is a makeup. Opposing team doesn't get a group together: canceled.

Third week I'm on the team, I don't get on the match roster. How nice.

Fourth week I'm on the team, I get on Doubles #3, partner cancels. Defaulted. And no one thought it might be nice to give up their slot to the person playing their first USTA league match.

There are only two matches left, out of the season's total of seven.

At this rate my league fee is going to end up being completely wasted.

WTF kind of crap is that?

The problem is that if I go and demand a refund, I'll probably end up being blacklisted from this league's flight.

I just recommend finding a better team next season.

Unfortuanally though it sounds like your local league is pretty messed up.

They get all kinds of upset here if teams dont play rescheduled matches. And it's actually rare that we reschedule because normally we play indoor then (where they **** us for some rainout charge but at least we get the match in)

It does sound like crap if they have leagues where there are only 7 matches in a season.

Im at that dilemna in my league. Because of when the Mid_West Sectionals is (in the middle of august), we only have like 10 or 11 weeks of good weather to fit a league in.

And because of the numbers involved sometimes you can end up in a flight where there are only 8 matches.

Everyone one of us pays a $25 registration fee, plus our USTA dues.

Meanwhile we have a Renegade league in our area, that has 8 teams, and there are 13 matches for the whole summer. It's exactly the same format as the USTA league (2S / 3D), and since there are no playoffs there is less reason for people to go nuts sandbagging.

The only league fee is $80 for your entire team, it sounds like a much better bargin from a economic / playing perspective.

The only thing Id miss is tennislink and staring at my name in the left hand "Winner" column.

Nanshiki · Apr 14, 2009

I have another area league (played one season) but it has fewer seasons per year... and the schedule is kind of confusing. The next season isn't for a few more months, since I don't want to play mixed doubles.

raiden031 · Apr 15, 2009

Nanshiki said:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I missed the whole previous season (despite joining USTA) because none of the teams would let me join.

Sometimes you gotta be proactive. In my area the team captains dont usually come to you, but you gotta start networking and if you don't have the right connections to find a team at the level you want to play, you might end up self-rating at a level too low. You are either on a team because 1) you are friends with them, 2) you are very good, or 3) the team is desperate for players. Sad to say thats how it works sometimes.

mikeler · Apr 15, 2009

I started a renegade league a few years ago. It spooked the area clubs enough to get them much more involved in their own leagues. Now they run them much better. I don't play leagues anymore, but I get satisfaction knowing that others are getting a much better value for their money.

thehustler · Apr 15, 2009

It sounds like your league and team is messed up. I do agree with what someone above said...network. When I joined USTA all I did was play tournaments, mainly because I didn't know anybody for league play. I then beat certain people and I was taken notice of. They asked me to play on a league team and I said sure. I told them that I prefer singles which made them happy as they didn't have anybody reliable at singles. I played in just about every match over 2 years before being bumped up. Try tournaments if you have any. It's a good way to meet people. Perhaps a local club has a sign up sheet where you could put your name down for league play. Go out and play mixers at clubs to get people to know you. It will help you get on a good team. Good luck.

Nanshiki · Apr 15, 2009

There are several people who have been listed on the last two match rosters... and there's 13 people on the team (versus eight match slots).

I think there's a big bias against people who aren't members of this tennis club, because they only allow non-members when they need more people. So I was almost surprised when I was let on the team to begin with.

I think there's a chance that they only put me on the team to use me as a fill-in, which just isn't right. Although I imagine I'd get a bit more respect once I prove myself in a match.

FWIW, I usually find the team captain by using the whitepages and just giving them a call... but sometimes even when the teams aren't full, I end up getting the run-around.

Well, I hope I can at least get a full season in next time.

Can anyone tell me if it's worth applying for a flex league? The registration just started and the league starts next week, but all the selectable 'home courts' are kind of far away (up to an hour or more).

goober · Apr 15, 2009

Nanshiki said:
There are several people who have been listed on the last two match rosters... and there's 13 people on the team (versus eight match slots).

I think there's a big bias against people who aren't members of this tennis club, because they only allow non-members when they need more people. So I was almost surprised when I was let on the team to begin with.

I think there's a chance that they only put me on the team to use me as a fill-in, which just isn't right. Although I imagine I'd get a bit more respect once I prove myself in a match.

FWIW, I usually find the team captain by using the whitepages and just giving them a call... but sometimes even when the teams aren't full, I end up getting the run-around.

Well, I hope I can at least get a full season in next time.

Can anyone tell me if it's worth applying for a flex league? The registration just started and the league starts next week, but all the selectable 'home courts' are kind of far away (up to an hour or more).

You must live in area with limited tennis. My feeling is that is you really want to be part of these teams, you will have to join the club and get to know the members and be one of the regulars. Otherwise they will treat you the way they are treating you now even if you are a decent player.

Are these clubs your only option? We have USTA teams based on clubs, but there are probably as many if not more that are centered public facilities. I assume these options are not open to you? Getting on a team, forming a team is extremely easy around here.

As far as flex leagues. If I had drive an hour or more for a "home" match I would not do it. That is 2+ hours of driving round trip for a match that may last 60-90 minutes!

Nanshiki · Apr 15, 2009

There's a lot of tennis in the area, except that the nearest team (the one I'm on) is a private club. This is the closest team and the only one that had less than 13 players when I looked to join it.

My personal courts are only two minutes away but there isn't a team, and I don't think I'd be able to put one together.

The second nearest team was already full (13 players, this one at the time only had 9).

The vast majority of the teams are about an hour from here; the biggest tennis center has about four teams for each level. I guess considering the number of games played on other courts, I might as well join one of them.

BTW, this club's initiation fee is $5000 and there's a waiting list a mile long

mikeler · Apr 16, 2009

Nanshiki said:
There's a lot of tennis in the area, except that the nearest team (the one I'm on) is a private club. This is the closest team and the only one that had less than 13 players when I looked to join it.

My personal courts are only two minutes away but there isn't a team, and I don't think I'd be able to put one together.

The second nearest team was already full (13 players, this one at the time only had 9).

The vast majority of the teams are about an hour from here; the biggest tennis center has about four teams for each level. I guess considering the number of games played on other courts, I might as well join one of them.

BTW, this club's initiation fee is $5000 and there's a waiting list a mile long

I met a lot of players just by playing leagues run by local clubs and also an online league run by a local tennis pro. I never met any of my regulars playing USTA tournaments.

TennisND · Apr 16, 2009

I registered 2 leagues and got DQ in 1 after only 3 games. Now I have to rely on the only league to maintain my tennis habit. I wonder if we can register for 2 team in the same leagues?

JavierLW · Apr 16, 2009

TennisND said:
I registered 2 leagues and got DQ in 1 after only 3 games. Now I have to rely on the only league to maintain my tennis habit. I wonder if we can register for 2 team in the same leagues?

As far as I know you cant. They have to be either in different levels, or different leagues all together.

(ie... You can sign up for 3.5 in a league in one area, and 3.5 in a league in a totally seperate area league)

Jim A · Apr 16, 2009

see who you meet at the local courts and try to put it together..

I was lucky that on one of my first days at the club I play out of, I met and played against someone who was taking over a team.

Put your info into the local district database. Unfortunately most teams start calling people about 3 days before the deadline to register

Look at the teams in Tennisink, do any of the others have shorter rosters? How many non-members on the teams from the private club? You could make a team out of them and then have 2 close matches using your local courts as the home

Play some tournaments, even if you have to travel, you'll meet people..

beernutz · Apr 17, 2009

Nanshiki said:
There's a lot of tennis in the area, except that the nearest team (the one I'm on) is a private club. This is the closest team and the only one that had less than 13 players when I looked to join it.

My personal courts are only two minutes away but there isn't a team, and I don't think I'd be able to put one together.

The second nearest team was already full (13 players, this one at the time only had 9).

The vast majority of the teams are about an hour from here; the biggest tennis center has about four teams for each level. I guess considering the number of games played on other courts, I might as well join one of them.

BTW, this club's initiation fee is $5000 and there's a waiting list a mile long

The Colony at the Grand?

ttbrowne · Apr 19, 2009

I'm tired of USTA. I'm either playing too much or not enuf. Some weeks I have 3 matches, others none. Just not fun anymore.

BreakPoint · Apr 19, 2009

Nanshiki said:
There's a lot of tennis in the area, except that the nearest team (the one I'm on) is a private club. This is the closest team and the only one that had less than 13 players when I looked to join it.

My personal courts are only two minutes away but there isn't a team, and I don't think I'd be able to put one together.

The second nearest team was already full (13 players, this one at the time only had 9).

The vast majority of the teams are about an hour from here; the biggest tennis center has about four teams for each level. I guess considering the number of games played on other courts, I might as well join one of them.

BTW, this club's initiation fee is $5000 and there's a waiting list a mile long

You don't need a team to join the flex league. That's the whole point of the flex league in that you are your own team so that you set your own schedule and play whenever it's convenient for you, and not some team.

I see no reason why you can't use your own personal courts that are only 2 minutes away as your home court for all of your home matches in the flex league.

Nanshiki · Apr 19, 2009

Because it's not included in the flex league. The 'center' of my flex league is 20+ miles away... meaning I'd have to go upwards of 40 miles for some matches.

BreakPoint · Apr 19, 2009

Nanshiki said:
Because it's not included in the flex league. The 'center' of my flex league is 20+ miles away... meaning I'd have to go upwards of 40 miles for some matches.

I'm not sure what you mean. "Home courts" are just that. The courts closest to your home or wherever you choose to play your home matches. I've played the flex league before and that's the way it works in my USTA section.

Of course, the away matches will depend on where your opponents live and choose as their home courts.

michael_1265 · Apr 25, 2009

You need to find the right team. Maybe your area is different, but I'm a new captain of a 3.0 team, and I've been screaming for new players for a month. I only have 9, myself included, and I need to field 8 every week. Everybody plays! Because I was so happy everyone was showing up last week, I took myself out of the lineup. You need to talk to all of the local captains, to get a feel up front for playing time.

Only one week was actually the fault of your captain, though. We always make up matches that are rained out, and if someone doesn't show up for a match and they are scheduled, they had better have a good reason.

Nanshiki said:
I joined a league team over a month ago, slightly less than half-way through the season.

First match I'm scheduled to play is a rain-out. Canceled.

Second match I'm scheduled to play is a makeup. Opposing team doesn't get a group together: canceled.

Third week I'm on the team, I don't get on the match roster. How nice.

Fourth week I'm on the team, I get on Doubles #3, partner cancels. Defaulted. And no one thought it might be nice to give up their slot to the person playing their first USTA league match.

There are only two matches left, out of the season's total of seven.

At this rate my league fee is going to end up being completely wasted.

WTF kind of crap is that?

The problem is that if I go and demand a refund, I'll probably end up being blacklisted from this league's flight.

Nanshiki · Apr 25, 2009

BreakPoint said:
I'm not sure what you mean. "Home courts" are just that. The courts closest to your home or wherever you choose to play your home matches. I've played the flex league before and that's the way it works in my USTA section.

Of course, the away matches will depend on where your opponents live and choose as their home courts.

You have to choose your city/location from a list, and mine isn't on the list. The nearest one is about an hour away.

Nanshiki · May 5, 2009

FWIW, I got to play *ONE* match the whole season (which I played terribly in for a number of reasons...), and was cut from the last match, AND the makeup match after the season ended.

Refund, much?

Jim A · May 5, 2009

Sorry it was a bad experience, hopefully it gets better down the road. Hate to say it but the easiest way to make that happen is to drill, get the ball machine, shadow and beat some of those same players. Captains will start calling before you know it.

My USTA starts tomorrow, sitting out week 1 after a tournament last weekend, plan to spend the weekend with the ball machine and jump rope.

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