Suggestion we could present to USTA

[Brilliant]

Good morning fellow players/"Board Members".

I've been holding onto this thought for half a day now and looking at the last post about the disappointment that LOBALOT shared about his kid (and plenty others) not being able to play the Sectional Tournaments. That really hit home for me...not only about the parents but think about the kids and the families that have made the sacrifices over the years just to get to that point to be looked at for a possible roster spot/scholarships. Soooo, with that, here's my suggestion...

And of course ALL politics aside (please once again), maybe the USTA can "roll out" play for the country. Meaning, why not leave it to each Section whether they can or cannot open play back up. Of course the MAIN factor on the checklist is that the "Stay Home" Orders are lifted and they allow us to return to the courts. If you notice, the Update from the USTA states "after discussions with the USTA Medical Advisory Committee". I know that I am sure they (USTA) doesn't want any legal action taken upon them IF someone was to play a USTA "event", whether it be League, Juniors, etc. I emailed our State Coordinator and asked if we the Stay at Home is lifted within the next 2-3 weeks AND officials allow play on the courts and some reason USTA moves the date once again can we start our leagues back right after 31 May. The reply was: "...USTA SC has to follow the same protocol as USTA National. They set the guidelines for our play." I agree with that portion. BUT what happens, and it's showing now with some states, if the ALL CLEAR is announced in the coming weeks by State officials and can return to the courts...must we wait once again for another movement to the right by the USTA to maybe July, Aug, etc when some of us are able to resume our leagues, which in turn helps us return to somewhat of a good mental/emotional state. I know what some are thinking when you read the above..."Why this is identical to what's going on with the Opening of the Country now...some can and some can't. Obviously my heart goes out to the States that have prob hit their peak and are on the downturn. But why can't the USTA look not at it as a "whole" solution" but as Sectional/State solutions? i.e. should one local league/state who may have not shut down at all must wait for the States that have just hit their peak to open back up in order for them to resume play?? With that said...

I know it's a shot in the dark, but why not we communicate to the USTA with the above suggestion...leave up to the Sections when they allow play to open up? Below is the list of the members of the USTA Medical Advisory Committee. Maybe some folks here on the Message Board has "someone that knows someone", ie one of the below to contact or better yet someone at USTA National to suggest it???

The USTA Medical Advisory Committee includes: Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer of the NCAA and USTA Board Member; Dr. Brian Daniels, MD, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., and Medical Director, US Open; Dr. Mark Kovacs, Senior Director of Sports Science and Health, Cleveland Cavaliers; Dr. Bernard Camins, Medical Director for Infection Prevention at Mt. Sinai; Mike Rodriguez, USTA Senior Director and US Open Security

 

[Ash Tennis]

I think we should just get back to playing tennis beginning of may in states that have not been hit too hard

 

[Brilliant]

I'm going to send an email to my Sectional Coordinator to ask for his input. I'm sure this subject has crossed their minds. Maybe you folks can do the same (in a tactful way of course).

 

[Ash Tennis]

I'm going to send an email to my Sectional Coordinator to ask for his input. I'm sure this subject has crossed their minds. Maybe you folks can do the same (in a tactful way of course).

I would love to do that

 

[Brilliant]

Ash: You have contact info for your Coordinator?

 

[Brilliant]

Sectional Coordinator that is...

 

[Mongolmike]

My point of view for USTA events is the same as it is for concerts and sporting events..... just let it go. It doesn't NEED to be done at this time.

I just read that the Tour de France is postponed and maybe cancelled. I religiously watch it EVERY year. I will be disappointed, but I'll get over it. Wimbledon is cancelled. We shall survive.

If they cancel summer USTA, which l play....is that really a terrible thing compared to deaths, unemployments, foreclosures, loss of graduations and other gatherings like funerals or weddings?

Let it go.

One lost summer of USTA doesn't mean you can't play tennis.

And everyone trying to cram every major event into the last 4 months of this year....smh.

Let
It
Go

Be smart, be safe, let the new normal find it's ground floor before we rush to build our monuments of trophies.

 

[Brilliant]

Ok

(Insert "Let it Go" background music from Frozen)

 

[Ash Tennis]

Sectional Coordinator that is...

No I do not

 

[WildVolley]

Let it go.

No, thanks. We're all fine here.

 

[Ash Tennis]

My point of view for USTA events is the same as it is for concerts and sporting events..... just let it go. It doesn't NEED to be done at this time.

I just read that the Tour de France is postponed and maybe cancelled. I religiously watch it EVERY year. I will be disappointed, but I'll get over it. Wimbledon is cancelled. We shall survive.

If they cancel summer USTA, which l play....is that really a terrible thing compared to deaths, unemployments, foreclosures, loss of graduations and other gatherings like funerals or weddings?

Let it go.

One lost summer of USTA doesn't mean you can't play tennis.

And everyone trying to cram every major event into the last 4 months of this year....smh.

Let
It
Go

Be smart, be safe, let the new normal find it's ground floor before we rush to build our monuments of trophies.

It does mean that up here I can’t play tennis I think that in my state where we aren’t seeing as much they shouldn’t be cancelled and in my town they are refusing to put up nets because of usta guidelines which is dumb because you want people outside

 

[Ash Tennis]

Ash: You have contact info for your Coordinator?

Now I do it is Nancy Lundberg

 

[WildVolley]

I've been calling and writing my state representatives about getting the economy going. Where I live, ICU workers are being laid off due to lack of patients.

The one-size-fits-all policy of the USTA is unlikely to be dropped until there's some evidence that various parts of the country are effectively restarting.

 

[Mongolmike]

It does mean that up here I can’t play tennis I think that in my state where we aren’t seeing as much they shouldn’t be cancelled and in my town they are refusing to put up nets because of usta guidelines which is dumb because you want people outside

Right, l understand that. My point is why does it have to be USTA based to play tennis? Put the nets up and/or open facilities and let people play if your area is "safer", but why does there have to be a USTA aspect?

USTA infers a play off with regionals and nationals etc.....which is exposure to people/areas who may not be safe.

I have no problem with peeps playing tennis...play. Imo, an organized USTA format is not needed at this time. Maybe fall, maybe not til next spring. How about a vaccine first and at least half the country get tested first so we can see the true extent of this?

 

[Ash Tennis]

I can’t because my city is following usta guidelines and not putting up nets but I do see your point

 

[Raul_SJ]

I think we should just get back to playing tennis beginning of may in states that have not been hit too hard

This is the obvious correct solution. Resume play in states/counties that have not been hit. With the caveat that inter-state and/or sectional playoffs may not happen because other states are shut down.
If players are fine with possibly playing only the regular season, go ahead and sign up.
There is no reason that Nebraska and Wyoming and other states where the virus is practically non-existent cannot play in May.
But this will never happen as it is too logical and makes too much sense.
USTA wants to shut the entire country down. That is how stupid inept bureaucracies work.

 

[Ash Tennis]

This is the obvious correct solution. Resume play in states/counties that have not been hit. With the caveat that inter-state and/or sectional playoffs may not happen because other states are shut down.
If players are fine with possibly playing only the regular season, go ahead and sign up.
There is no reason that Nebraska and Wyoming and other states where the virus is practically non-existent cannot play in May.
But this will never happen as it is too logical and makes too much sense.
USTA wants to shut the entire country down. That is how stupid inept bureaucracies work.

Thank you

 

[zipplock]

Right, l understand that. My point is why does it have to be USTA based to play tennis? Put the nets up and/or open facilities and let people play if your area is "safer", but why does there have to be a USTA aspect?

USTA infers a play off with regionals and nationals etc.....which is exposure to people/areas who may not be safe.

I have no problem with peeps playing tennis...play. Imo, an organized USTA format is not needed at this time. Maybe fall, maybe not til next spring. How about a vaccine first and at least half the country get tested first so we can see the true extent of this?

It's already like that. USTA says no tennis but public courts are open where I live, people playing regularly.

 

[jm1980]

Organized play is going to be difficult in a lot of places. Even if some restrictions are lifted, tennis clubs are going to be among the last things to be reopened.

 

[sureshs]

It's already like that. USTA says no tennis but public courts are open where I live, people playing regularly.

Obviously. That is how these things work. Official bodies and doctors will be over-cautious in public, knowing that some will break the rules.

 

[zipplock]

Obviously. That is how these things work. Official bodies and doctors will be over-cautious in public, knowing that some will break the rules.

Not rules, suggestions. If these were national rules all public courts would be locked up. Courts are locked up in some places, not in others, ergo, not rules.

 

[sureshs]

Not rules, suggestions. If these were national rules all public courts would be locked up. Courts are locked up in some places, not in others, ergo, not rules.

Rules can be state-wise, county-wise and city-wise.

 

[zipplock]

Rules can be state-wise, county-wise and city-wise.

You're right, but USTA is national organization, so is CDC etc ... hence no expectation of rules being broken.

 

[sureshs]

Tennis should resume on May 1

 

[JLyon]

Expected from USTA since they sit in their little bubble in NYC Area which is the worst area for the virus. They love playing the political game of follow the leader.

 

[sureshs]

Tennis should resume on May 1

LOL my predictions are always coming true. Just see the news now.

 

[J D]

Take a look at this map and point out the Covid-19 free areas where we can safely resume normal activities, including tennis:

Coronavirus map of the US: latest cases state by state

There are now more than 630,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the United States

www.theguardian.com

I miss tennis as much as the next person. I have been playing 5 times a week the last three years. But, it's still just a game.

Now, there is a legitimate ethical balance between economic well-being and medical health. Our leaders have to weigh all the factors and make decisions for the public good. I'm glad I don't have that job because, sadly, we are going to have to sacrifice some people to survive economically.

But, IMO, no one should be risking lives for a leisure activity.

 

[WildVolley]

LOL my predictions are always coming true. Just see the news now.

I hope you're right. I'm going to contact my team and see if we have enough players for the summer.

 

[Brilliant]

Would like to see if they (Johns Hopkins, CDC, etc) will have maps to show which “Phase”each state and county are in...

 

[Brilliant]

...and if the USTA will base their Roll Out "options" based on the Phase Guidelines and when each state opens up accordingly.

 

[NoChance]

This is where living in the middle of nowhere, and not having any USTA presence, is a plus for me. I have access to two, well maintained, private clay courts within a 40-minute drive from home. There are a half-dozen, over the hill but still decent players, who also have the same access. We play, keep our distance, and when we're finished, we toss the tennis balls in the trash, and wipe down our gear, and ourselves.

Break a string? Four of us own stringing machines. Out here, it pays to own one.

Plus, the two counties where these courts are located have a grand total of four virus cases.

So, I'm playing tennis, weather permitting, and am completely outside the USTA (and anyone who would try to figure out where these courts are located). So, I'm doing OK, thank you. No leagues, no tournaments--no problem!

 

[kevrol]

This is where living in the middle of nowhere, and not having any USTA presence, is a plus for me. I have access to two, well maintained, private clay courts within a 40-minute drive from home.

That's a plus? We have a USTA presence here and probably have 100 clay courts (public & private) within 15 minutes of my house. I'll deal with the USTA presence.

2 within 40 minutes?

 

[NoChance]

I do consider it a plus. When something is not that easy to do, one tends to appreciate it more. You have to really want to play. I don't get upset if I don't play well; I'm just happy to be able to play. Plus, the drives are on winding, back roads, so I enjoy the drive.

I'd guess that if you lived where I do, you would not play tennis.

Moreover, if you mention "USTA" to most any ITA official, myself included, you will likely get a negative response.