round robin chaos

[JW2005]

What would you do? An adult player leading a round robin 1) changed the rules for advancement every set, 2) wouldn't explain why, and 3) when asked again a second time, screamed "JUST GO TO THE OTHER COURT!" so that she could play a hand-picked foursome -- without consulting with the other players, who were left to play a merit-less set. This was the second time I had an issue with a player diverting a round robin around their preferred players. The club agreed, in both instances, that round robins had to be explained to players before they bought court time, or that a randomizing algorithm be supplied by the club. Screaming at another player is against tennis regs, but one would expect that to be common courtesy in an adult league.

 

[sureshs]

The better players in any club who participate in social round robins conspire with the organizers to create a special group for themselves to which players from other groups may eventually join by winning, but not right away. They want a couple of sets of play amongst themselves without having to humor the hoi polloi.

 

[eah123]

That is too bad. Not a good way to encourage participation at a club’s social events. When I go to round robins, there’s always the risk of being paired with a bad player, but when it happens, I make it fun by attempting some crazy shots, and also cheering extra hard for my partner when they make a lucky winner.

 

[JW2005]

The better players in any club who participate in social round robins conspire with the organizers to create a special group for themselves to which players from other groups may eventually join by winning, but not right away. They want a couple of sets of play amongst themselves without having to humor the hoi polloi.

Thanks. In this case, having played for several years with this group, I wouldn't have minded if the leader (an alternate that night) had just explained, but the verbal assault was too much -- bratty and slop tennis.

 

[JW2005]

That is too bad. Not a good way to encourage participation at a club’s social events. When I go to round robins, there’s always the risk of being paired with a bad player, but when it happens, I make it fun by attempting some crazy shots, and also cheering extra hard for my partner when they make a lucky winner.

That's a great attitude, good for you. I wish the USTA and other orgs encouraged more team play -- i.e., forcing teams to use all players so that the less experienced players had more playing time and everyone improves.

 

[ChaelAZ]

The better players in any club who participate in social round robins conspire with the organizers to create a special group for themselves to which players from other groups may eventually join by winning, but not right away. They want a couple of sets of play amongst themselves without having to humor the hoi polloi.

Clubs, parks, or any facility really. At our facility we had drop-in doubles on the weekends. Basic idea is to play one set and when you complete you yell "One Done", and when someone would yell "Two Done" or if there were a lot of courts :Three Done" then you would either move up if the winner, or down if the loser. There was a small group of guys that if they had four players they liked, would NEVER call out when completing a set to get more time together, or they would refuse to advance, step down if they where going to have to play against "weak" players. I got stuck with them once and I yelled out when we finished a set and I was reprimanded. Crazy.

I worked at the Biltmore years back and used to help with the tennis facility, including running their drop-in programs some mornings. Supposed to be a blind draw start, so randomly choosing players for each court, but you would no beleive how many players would ask me to fudge things to get their "good" players together. Money was even offered! Cray cray man.

As I always say, rec tennis is serious.

 

[Chalkdust]

Club socials and round robins are a funny thing. In my experience, the better players don't take them too seriously, and are there mainly to have fun and be social. So they will just play with whoever against whoever, and not care too much about scores. But the weaker players take it much more seriously and are more emotionally invested in the pairings and results.

 

[Badmrfrosty]

Club socials and round robins are a funny thing. In my experience, the better players don't take them too seriously, and are there mainly to have fun and be social. So they will just play with whoever against whoever, and not care too much about scores. But the weaker players take it much more seriously and are more emotionally invested in the pairings and results.

this

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Club socials and round robins are a funny thing. In my experience, the better players don't take them too seriously, and are there mainly to have fun and be social. So they will just play with whoever against whoever, and not care too much about scores. But the weaker players take it much more seriously and are more emotionally invested in the pairings and results.

It's easy to laugh off losing when everyone recognizes you're the best player on the court; it's not so easy when you're the worst. I've been in both positions.

When you're the weaker player, there's typically more pressure to play well, even if everyone else is chill.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Clubs, parks, or any facility really. At our facility we had drop-in doubles on the weekends. Basic idea is to play one set and when you complete you yell "One Done", and when someone would yell "Two Done" or if there were a lot of courts :Three Done" then you would either move up if the winner, or down if the loser. There was a small group of guys that if they had four players they liked, would NEVER call out when completing a set to get more time together, or they would refuse to advance, step down if they where going to have to play against "weak" players. I got stuck with them once and I yelled out when we finished a set and I was reprimanded. Crazy.

I worked at the Biltmore years back and used to help with the tennis facility, including running their drop-in programs some mornings. Supposed to be a blind draw start, so randomly choosing players for each court, but you would no beleive how many players would ask me to fudge things to get their "good" players together. Money was even offered! Cray cray man.

As I always say, rec tennis is serious.

I used to play in a group and we'd decide pairings by spinning racquets. One guy would "spin" by rotating his racquet discretely one half turn at a time to try and come up with the "right" side to gain him the best partner. It was comical.

 

[JW2005]

Clubs, parks, or any facility really. At our facility we had drop-in doubles on the weekends. Basic idea is to play one set and when you complete you yell "One Done", and when someone would yell "Two Done" or if there were a lot of courts :Three Done" then you would either move up if the winner, or down if the loser. There was a small group of guys that if they had four players they liked, would NEVER call out when completing a set to get more time together, or they would refuse to advance, step down if they where going to have to play against "weak" players. I got stuck with them once and I yelled out when we finished a set and I was reprimanded. Crazy.

I worked at the Biltmore years back and used to help with the tennis facility, including running their drop-in programs some mornings. Supposed to be a blind draw start, so randomly choosing players for each court, but you would no beleive how many players would ask me to fudge things to get their "good" players together. Money was even offered! Cray cray man.

As I always say, rec tennis is serious.

Thanks for reporting on this...it goes deeper than I imagined.

 

[JW2005]

I used to play in a group and we'd decide pairings by spinning racquets. One guy would "spin" by rotating his racquet discretely one half turn at a time to try and come up with the "right" side to gain him the best partner. It was comical.

Ha!

 

[JW2005]

Club socials and round robins are a funny thing. In my experience, the better players don't take them too seriously, and are there mainly to have fun and be social. So they will just play with whoever against whoever, and not care too much about scores. But the weaker players take it much more seriously and are more emotionally invested in the pairings and results.

I think it's harder when you're the better player, but if you're going to play a round robin play it, it's not a vehicle for loading the game. In the two instances where it's happened in my experience, it's been the better players setting up their own game.

 

[sureshs]

That is too bad. Not a good way to encourage participation at a club’s social events. When I go to round robins, there’s always the risk of being paired with a bad player, but when it happens, I make it fun by attempting some crazy shots, and also cheering extra hard for my partner when they make a lucky winner.

You are charitable. Most are not like that.

I am a member of a Whatsapp "Sports" group started by someone who has told me never to post any table tennis activity I am scheduling on that group because she does not want beginners to join. She was the one who added them to the group to increase the numbers!

The problem with round robin social tennis is that when you as the strong player still lose when paired with a weak player, you go "down the hill" to a court further away to play with an even weaker player, and after sometime everyone can see that you are on the outermost loser court while the strong people are fighting for King and Queen of the Hill on the court next to the gathered crowd beside the refreshment area. The optics is very bad.

 

[JW2005]

I agree, which is why I like no coupled players and a randomizing algorithm. I also prefer competitive round robins. In the various scenarios of winners move up and losers down, there is the ghetto effect, which is no good for the players who land there, and for aggregate quality of play over time.

 

[sureshs]

Clubs, parks, or any facility really. At our facility we had drop-in doubles on the weekends. Basic idea is to play one set and when you complete you yell "One Done", and when someone would yell "Two Done" or if there were a lot of courts :Three Done" then you would either move up if the winner, or down if the loser. There was a small group of guys that if they had four players they liked, would NEVER call out when completing a set to get more time together, or they would refuse to advance, step down if they where going to have to play against "weak" players. I got stuck with them once and I yelled out when we finished a set and I was reprimanded. Crazy.

I worked at the Biltmore years back and used to help with the tennis facility, including running their drop-in programs some mornings. Supposed to be a blind draw start, so randomly choosing players for each court, but you would no beleive how many players would ask me to fudge things to get their "good" players together. Money was even offered! Cray cray man.

As I always say, rec tennis is serious.

Our club has wised up about this for its upcoming Halloween social.

"Round Robin Mixed Doubles. Tennis play will be for enjoyment only."