I don't think USTA owns or pretends to own players, that is a label us common folk use as chalk said. So I wouldn't expect USTA to develop a player from start to a top 20 finish. I do think they are there to supplement a players training at various stages by inviting them in for hits, aiding them in travel or wildcards, giving them opportunities for competition, whatever push a player may need because they have earned the assistance. Our local academy had a player "stolen" by USTA, but truth is, that kid couldn't be doing all the travel on his own and getting the better hits he should have. Family couldn't afford it and once at the top 10 level, there just aren't players around geograhically. No, they didn't develop him, but they are aiding in his development from this point on. Otherwise he wouldn't have it. Usually after stealing (which is actually a compliment), if the relationship is good, they will send players to your academy because you are obviously doing a good job. Hopefully, if your player is good enough, the coach has the connections to get them in front of USTA. If they don't then the player has to do it on their own by winning and exposing him or herself. On the other side, the wildcard system has its flaws, as some players are given way too many while others are certainly missed. The will give one to a 14 year old for "experience" (no chance of winning) over an older player trying to break through, or if you are friends with someone at USTA, things like that. There is certainly a political side, and even when players deserve them, it helps to know how to work the system. So yes, there are aspects to USTA that suck, but they are not all evil.
The USTA has invited kids to be full time players
( thus they had to give up school and do it online ( IMO - now a subpar education at hand))
and then after spending some $, and some wildcards, junior doesn't work out.....
Then, junior, who might be 12 years old, gets kicked out.
Now, is the USTA really to blame....
Well, first the parents get the blame for being suckered into a system
where they ( the USTA) doesn't give a ______ about your kid.
Wildcards .... I have been following them and they do not seem to be used wisely.
Why not just make it a qualifier......
And on qualifiers tournaments, invite some kids besides the PD kids.
Last tournament in Boca that Chalk talked about it here, and reported from Zoo tennis:
A few days ago, the USTA held its annual boys tournament in Boca Raton to decide two of the spots on the 2012 team that will travel to the Teen Tennis tournament in Great Britain and Les Petits As in France.
Well, that qualifier tournament was only for USTA PD kids.......
For the newbies, buyer beware of the USTA. They will test out coaches on your kid, change a grip, change it again 2 months later with a new coach, injure your kid, and then when things don't work out, after you pulled your kid out of school for their experiment, they can kick your kid out.
Sounds pretty evil to me.