Split Up Southern Section???

I'm not from the Southern Section and this may be a crappy idea . . . but why not split the Section up into 3 or 4 smaller Sections? Currently the Southern Section is probably three times as large as the 2nd largest Section. Therefore I think Southern players get short-changed in the opportunity to play Sectionals or Nationals. With perhaps three Southern Sections you would have more Sectionals events and send more teams to Nationals. A lot of players might like that idea. It might also cut down on travel time going to Sectionals. Just because the current structure has been in place a long time doe not mean we can't change it.

What do you think?

 

I agree it should be split. Two would be enough. To me it is less about league play than tournaments. The travel distances for the southern championships preclude driving to most (a lot are 10+ hours drive time).

 

It's probably not three times as large as the second largest section, but it is huge. (Southern claims to have around 100K adult and senior players, NorCal, as the fifth largest, claims to have 37K.) However, I still think they could easily split it into at least three with three states apiece. Who, and how big is the next biggest section?

 

When you say Large, do you mean the number of States or the number of Players?
Fewer players is my guess why there is so many states in the Southern region.
I live in Upstate South Carolina and there are only few larger cities that have active leagues and tournaments.
Off the top of my head they are:Greenville,Spartanburg,Greenwood,Aiken,Rock Hill in the Upstate. Columbia, Lexington, and Florence in the Midlands.
Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head in the Lowcountry.
If I missed anybody it's not meant as a slight.
12 cities from a state with 4 1/2 million population.
I grew up in 5 southern states. NC,SC,VA,ARK,and AL. All small towns where little tennis was played.
Robby C

 

I would like for teams to not have to go to Mobile in July for Southern Regionals. It's brutal. They put players in the hospital every year. My one trip to Regionals it was in Chattanooga, thank goodness.
Robby C

 

I agree; Georgia should be its own region.

 

Thought of something else. Number of volunteers to run events.
Robby C

 

Heck, even if just Atlanta were its own region, it would be something like the fifth biggest region based on cak's post.

There is a good argument that Atlanta should be its own district.

But there is a money issue. Georgia would not want to lose Atlanta's revenue, nor would Southern.

And as a minor logistical issue: the HQ of Southern is in Atlanta (as is USTA Georgia).

 

Only real men play here in Mobile.:wink:

 

You can have it brother. I'm staying right where I am.
Robby C

 

I don't know where you are, but I love it down here in Mobile. Yes, the temperature and humidity can get tough, but you get used to it. And one of the reasons for the tournament in Mobile, is that there aren't too many other 65 court facilities like we have in Mobile.

 

Georgia could easily be its own, but It would be fair to lump it with the Carolinas.

 

I'm sure that it is political considerations which keeps the Southern Section from being split up inot 2 or 3 more managable Sections. The officers of the Southern Section probably see that this change would give them personally less power and control. So'll they'll opposee splitting up the Section just to avoid losing some decision-making power.

 

The players from my area that have played there say it's a monster facility. Tennis courts as far as the eye can see. And they do keep medical personnel on hand.
July is the problem. But after this weekend my team isn't a threat to go this year.
Robby C