USTA gets rid of family and multi-year Adult/Senior memberships

[schmke]

I got an e-mail this morning from the USTA listing a variety of changes to their membership structure, a few good, no cost memberships for Juniors and Organizations, but some probably not so good, doing away with family memberships as well as multi-year memberships for Adults and Seniors.

I just wrote on it on my blog, but what do folks think? Were you taking advantage of the discounts you got via a family or multi-year renewal? Will their absence affect your willingness to renew when the time comes?

This was done, the e-mail says, to help grow the game and lower barriers, and certainly the no cost junior memberships helps accomplish that, but why do away with the discounts for long standing Adult and Senior members? That is raising barriers for this segment, and unfortunately "Adult" include those 19-29 where I think the USTA is losing members and this won't help that. Why not make all membership no cost? Oh, memberships are a major source of revenue ... But they decided getting rid of Junior membership fees was acceptable.

I can't link to my blog here (others can), but here is the FAQ the USTA has on the changes: https://customercare.usta.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048743811

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I got an e-mail this morning from the USTA listing a variety of changes to their membership structure, a few good, no cost memberships for Juniors and Organizations, but some probably not so good, doing away with family memberships as well as multi-year memberships for Adults and Seniors.

I just wrote on it on my blog, but what do folks think? Were you taking advantage of the discounts you got via a family or multi-year renewal? Will their absence affect your willingness to renew when the time comes?

This was done, the e-mail says, to help grow the game and lower barriers, and certainly the no cost junior memberships helps accomplish that, but why do away with the discounts for long standing Adult and Senior members? That is raising barriers for this segment, and unfortunately "Adult" include those 19-29 where I think the USTA is losing members and this won't help that. Why not make all membership no cost? Oh, memberships are a major source of revenue ... But they decided getting rid of Junior membership fees was acceptable.

I can't link to my blog here (others can), but here is the FAQ the USTA has on the changes: https://customercare.usta.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048743811

Last time my membership was up for renewal, I debated over whether to get the lifetime but opted for the 5-year [which I think expires soon]. Now I guess I no longer have any options.

The interesting thing will be how many people come back to USTA now that they've been playing outside of USTA for months. I could easily see some chunk of the group deciding they really don't need USTA.

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[Vox Rationis]

Wtf! Why?

 

[schmke]

Wtf! Why?

From the FAQ:


Why no more Lifetime, Family, 3 and 5-year memberships categories?

We are looking to simplify our membership offerings to better service our customers and open up opportunities for better benefits.

 

[brettatk]

It'll depend greatly on the Section. Here in the Southern Section not much has changed except cancellation of events for 2020. We missed a few months at the beginning but that was it. I should have gotten lifetime back when I started playing USTA in 2014. Every year since I've talked myself out of it. Guess I don't have to do that any longer.

 

[OnTheLine]

How is fewer options lowering a barrier?
I can see if they had ONLY had a 3 year or 5 year or lifetime available, but the 1 year was always an option.

Aside from running the US Open, I do not think the USTA does a good job on anything administrative.

The most annoying thing is the auto-renew. Perhaps they can fix how that works.

Scenario:
If your membership is up in September and set for auto-renew

In June you go to register for a league that runs July - September

You can't.

Because your membership expires before the season is complete.

Their system doesn't recognize the auto-renew

You are now each year (or 3 or whatever) re-upping your membership months prior to it being expired.

Over and over again.

My 3 year membership will expire in July 2021 ... it is set to auto-renew .... looking into my crystal ball I see it auto-renewing as another 3 year and then getting a notice that the 3 year no longer exists.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

From the FAQ:


Why no more Lifetime, Family, 3 and 5-year memberships categories?

We are looking to simplify our membership offerings to better service our customers and open up opportunities for better benefits.

Yes, it does simplify things for the USTA but how that translates into better customer service is beyond me. It could be a "robbing from Peter to pay Paul" scenario where they use adult membership fees to fund other areas. Of course, the law of unintended consequences means there's a chance this will backfire by killing the goose that lays the golden [membership] eggs.

 

[RiverRat]

Glad I bought my lifetime in 1983. IIRC, it was $200, which was real money back then, but the Tennis magazine subscriptions alone amount to more than that.

 

[Cashman]

Makes sense. Get the kids playing tennis and they a lot of them will stick with the hobby for life. Adults who play tennis are generally from affluent demographics anyway and a lot of them will just cop the price increases.

I am sure this will be a good move for them.

 

[tennis tom]

Following NY's and kali's economic guidelines : "tax the rich", (the rich being anyone with a $ more then yee), until they leave, i.e., elon & ellison--then heap more taxes on those remaining until they leave or are homeless. I don't need a USTA card in my wallet to smack a tennis ball. Maybe tournaments will disaffiliate.

 

[socallefty]

I don't think anyone who joins USTA to play leagues/tournaments will stop joining because they don’t get a multi-year discount. So, it might have been an instance where they were losing some membership revenue by giving discounts.

 

[kevrol]

They should make membership free and add $4-5 to each registration (league and tournament). Here I think our league fees are $28. It's pretty difficult to convince random dude you play with that he should give USTA League play a try but to do so they need to join USTA for $42 and then drop another $28 on the league. That's $70 to dip your toe into league play.

 

[Chalkdust]

I don't think anyone who joins USTA to play leagues/tournaments will stop joining because they don’t get a multi-year discount. So, it might have been an instance where they were losing some membership revenue by giving discounts.

Yeah, but the flip side are those that bought 3 or 5 year memberships but then were not able to play USTA for some of those years (due to injury, moving, etc), and would not have renewed for those years.

 

[schmke]

Yeah, but the flip side are those that bought 3 or 5 year memberships but then were not able to play USTA for some of those years (due to injury, moving, etc), and would not have renewed for those years.

So there is the perk for Adults. When we have to take a year off, we can let our membership lapse and save a year's (or at least partial year) dues.

They really should do what @kevrol said and I mentioned on my blog, do away with membership fees and just roll a few bucks into each league/tournament fee. Getting more free members lets them tout higher numbers, and lets them market to a larger audience than the paying members they have now.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I don't think anyone who joins USTA to play leagues/tournaments will stop joining because they don’t get a multi-year discount. So, it might have been an instance where they were losing some membership revenue by giving discounts.

Possibly but if that's the case, why offer discounts in the first place? Because they're trying to build a loyal base. This contradicts the base-building concept. Time will tell as to whether it's justified by a small enough # of previous members deciding to not renew.

 

[r2473]

From the FAQ:


Why no more Lifetime, Family, 3 and 5-year memberships categories?

We are looking to simplify our membership offerings to better service our customers and open up opportunities for better benefits.

This is my favorite type of answer. I'm glad they're watching out for my interest, serving me better and opening up opportunities for me.

They should make membership free and add $4-5 to each registration (league and tournament). Here I think our league fees are $28. It's pretty difficult to convince random dude you play with that he should give USTA League play a try but to do so they need to join USTA for $42 and then drop another $28 on the league. That's $70 to dip your toe into league play.

Only to be told by the captain after you sign up that "in order to serve you better and open up opportunities for better benefits", you will be a reserve on the team.

 

[socallefty]

This is my favorite type of answer. I'm glad they're watching out for my interest, serving me better and opening up opportunities for me.


Only to be told by the captain after you sign up that "in order to serve you better and open up opportunities for better benefits", you will be a reserve on the team.

Or a honest captain might say “in order to serve the team better and open up opportunities for better players, you will be a reserve on the team”.

 

[Moveforwardalways]

I don't think anyone who joins USTA to play leagues/tournaments will stop joining because they don’t get a multi-year discount. So, it might have been an instance where they were losing some membership revenue by giving discounts.

I agree. I bought the 3 year option a couple of years ago, and maybe it saved me a few dollars, but not really that much. In reality, I would have bought yearly memberships anyway to play leagues, so they had me either way.

 

[sureshs]

It was the convenience that was more important.

 

[schmke]

It was the convenience that was more important.

Agree with this.

For most players, not saving 5-10% on a multi-year or family membership is probably not going to be the reason someone decides not to renew, or if it is, it is the straw that breaks the camel's back and it is the other issues getting someone to that point. But having to renew each year is a minor annoyance and if the auto-renew doesn't work as @OnTheLine described, it becomes a persistent annoyance. Again, shouldn't be enough to cause someone to drop their membership, but you never know ...

 

[silentkman]

Glad I bought my lifetime in 1983. IIRC, it was $200, which was real money back then, but the Tennis magazine subscriptions alone amount to more than that.

Ditto, my wife had the foresight to get it for me. its one thing i never have to worry about.

 

[RiverRat]

Ditto, my wife had the foresight to get it for me. its one thing i never have to worry about.

I guess I should give credit where credit is due. My mother made it as one last tennis gift to me. I actually thought it was a bit exorbitant at the time. I guess the fact that my mother grew up in the the Great Depression Era gave her an eye for bargains. I was just young and foolish.

 

[RiverRat]

She even gave me a pneumonic to remember my number and her forever. I will be slightly coy to protect my identity, "I was 3 in '##. Oh to be 16 again." She was always clever like that.

 

[silentkman]

I guess I should give credit where credit is due. My mother made it as one last tennis gift to me. I actually thought it was a bit exorbitant at the time. I guess the fact that my mother grew up in the the Great Depression Era gave her an eye for bargains. I was just young and foolish.

Moms are so smart and intuitive. I actually thought it was pricey at the time too. I think the final price on a lifetime membership was $750. Back in the day, I think the USTA had a booth for lifetime members at the Open. You would get a small gift.

 

[Jack the Hack]

I had an evil thought...

USTA forcing expensive 1 year memberships just to participate in league = more people signing up with new variations of their name and abusing the self rating system?

Whenever I've gotten pissed at what some unscrupulous people have gotten away with in USTA League to win nationals, I've momentarily had the dirty fantasy of joining the mess in full mockery of the League loopholes. Like someday, I want to move to another Section, join under a new variation of my name, and self rate as a 3.0... but show up for matches wearing old 1970s Bjorn Borg outfits (2 sizes too small), tube socks, a headband, and with a shopping bag full of wood racquets. And I'll claim that I've never played before as I grunt loudly on every shot, make lewdly suggestive comments about my balls on changeovers, and drive off from the country club parking lots in a yellow Camaro with the stereo playing Motley Crue at full blast after winning 6-1, 6-1.

(Sadly, I bet that this has already been done... in Houston. )

 

[zipplock]

Following NY's and kali's economic guidelines : "tax the rich", (the rich being anyone with a $ more then yee), until they leave, i.e., elon & ellison--then heap more taxes on those remaining until they leave or are homeless. I don't need a USTA card in my wallet to smack a tennis ball. Maybe tournaments will disaffiliate.

We are trying an experiment where I live. We got 20 guys and created an A/B flight singles league (not a ladder or a flex league). One match every week against the other 9 in your flight plus 2 matches cross-flight. No affiliation with UTR or USTA. Scores are not reported to any organization so rating will not be affected. Everyone gets 11 singles matches against different players. Hope it works out ...

 

[Jack the Hack]

We are trying an experiment where I live. We got 20 guys and created an A/B flight singles league (not a ladder or a flex league). One match every week against the other 9 in your flight plus 2 matches cross-flight. No affiliation with UTR or USTA. Scores are not reported to any organization so rating will not be affected. Everyone gets 11 singles matches against different players. Hope it works out ...

That sounds awesome! Hopefully, that works out for your group. I would totally be into that option here...

We tried to do a similar singles league at my club 2 years ago, but it was run during the summer and for some reason, half of the matches ended up not getting played because people couldn't agree on a time to play. I had about 12 matches on the schedule, but only got to play 5 or 6 before getting default wins into the semifinal playoff. Three of my opponents rescheduled at the last minute several times before completely ghosting out on everyone. I think part of the problem was that they combined 4.0 and 4.5 divisions together, and a lot of the lower end 4.0 players didn't want to get smoked. In the end, the top 4 players were all 4.5s (we had a semifinal and finals playoff), so I think that disincentivized the weaker players from even trying.

Additionally, are the match times in your league already set by someone, acting as a coordinator? Or are the matches played during a particular event (like a weekly men's day)? I think if the match times are already pre-set, it cuts down on people quitting or dallying around because they can't agree on a match time. It also formalizes the matches more, which is one of the things that is a benefit of USTA League.

 

[OnTheLine]

I had an evil thought...

USTA forcing expensive 1 year memberships just to participate in league = more people signing up with new variations of their name and abusing the self rating system?

Whenever I've gotten pissed at what some unscrupulous people have gotten away with in USTA League to win nationals, I've momentarily had the dirty fantasy of joining the mess in full mockery of the League loopholes. Like someday, I want to move to another Section, join under a new variation of my name, and self rate as a 3.0... but show up for matches wearing old 1970s Bjorn Borg outfits (2 sizes too small), tube socks, a headband, and with a shopping bag full of wood racquets. And I'll claim that I've never played before as I grunt loudly on every shot, make lewdly suggestive comments about my balls on changeovers, and drive off from the country club parking lots in a yellow Camaro with the stereo playing Motley Crue at full blast after winning 6-1, 6-1.

(Sadly, I bet that this has already been done... in Houston. )

Had it happen here .... kind of in reverse

Guy was from CA .... had been a 4.0S under a name like Miguel Juarez (actual name altered here) .... lost. A. Lot. Came here and was suddenly Michael Johns and self rated as a 4.0S again. Lost even more. Unfortunately I was partnered with him on 7.5 mixed. The. Worst.
At end of 2019 got a 3.5C rating again ... and disappeared.

Perhaps he renamed himself Michelle and is in ladies' 4.0. It seems the 4.0 was very important to him.

 

[zipplock]

That sounds awesome! Hopefully, that works out for your group. I would totally be into that option here...

We tried to do a similar singles league at my club 2 years ago, but it was run during the summer and for some reason, half of the matches ended up not getting played because people couldn't agree on a time to play. I had about 12 matches on the schedule, but only got to play 5 or 6 before getting default wins into the semifinal playoff. Three of my opponents rescheduled at the last minute several times before completely ghosting out on everyone. I think part of the problem was that they combined 4.0 and 4.5 divisions together, and a lot of the lower end 4.0 players didn't want to get smoked. In the end, the top 4 players were all 4.5s (we had a semifinal and finals playoff), so I think that disincentivized the weaker players from even trying.

Additionally, are the match times in your league already set by someone, acting as a coordinator? Or are the matches played during a particular event (like a weekly men's day)? I think if the match times are already pre-set, it cuts down on people quitting or dallying around because they can't agree on a match time. It also formalizes the matches more, which is one of the things that is a benefit of USTA League.

It's preset. Every Monday night. Doesn't interfere with USTA and local leagues. ALL matches are played at the same facility too so everyone sees everyone play to some degree.
We split into A/B flights just for that reason. A is 4.5 and 5.0. B is 4.0..9 of the 11 matches played against similar level, other 2 mostly help the 4.0 that want a full test.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Had it happen here .... kind of in reverse

Guy was from CA .... had been a 4.0S under a name like Miguel Juarez (actual name altered here) .... lost. A. Lot. Came here and was suddenly Michael Johns and self rated as a 4.0S again. Lost even more. Unfortunately I was partnered with him on 7.5 mixed. The. Worst.
At end of 2019 got a 3.5C rating again ... and disappeared.

Perhaps he renamed himself Michelle and is in ladies' 4.0. It seems the 4.0 was very important to him.

With apologies to The Beatles:

Michelle, my belle,
3.5 goes together well with Michelle

Michelle, my belle,
UTR is a better sell for you, my Michelle

 

[MaxTennis]

Moms are so smart and intuitive. I actually thought it was pricey at the time too. I think the final price on a lifetime membership was $750. Back in the day, I think the USTA had a booth for lifetime members at the Open. You would get a small gift.

Pretty sure this is still a thing. I'm a lifetime member and I got a gift last year at the US Open.

 

[silentkman]

Pretty sure this is still a thing. I'm a lifetime member and I got a gift last year at the US Open.

Cool, I'm surprised that they are still doing it. I can't wait to go back. My wife has always been the smart one when we go to New York. She was able to snag tickets for a Dwight gooden game behind home plate back in the day. Believe it or not, the tickets were free.

 

[ChaelAZ]

Just saw that myself. Might do lifetime if they still end up with it, just to avoid this kind of BS. Did that with my AZ hunting/fishing license.

 

[sureshs]

Had it happen here .... kind of in reverse

Guy was from CA .... had been a 4.0S under a name like Miguel Juarez (actual name altered here) .... lost. A. Lot. Came here and was suddenly Michael Johns and self rated as a 4.0S again. Lost even more. Unfortunately I was partnered with him on 7.5 mixed. The. Worst.
At end of 2019 got a 3.5C rating again ... and disappeared.

Perhaps he renamed himself Michelle and is in ladies' 4.0. It seems the 4.0 was very important to him.

Or he might have had gender-reassignment surgery. I am thinking of changing my name to Sue.

 

[schmke]

Just saw that myself. Might do lifetime if they still end up with it, just to avoid this kind of BS. Did that with my AZ hunting/fishing license.

I believe the lifetime option is now gone too. They will continue to honor it for those that purchased it, but along with no multi-year renewals, lifetime is gone now to as I understand it.

 

[ChaelAZ]

I believe the lifetime option is now gone too. They will continue to honor it for those that purchased it, but along with no multi-year renewals, lifetime is gone now to as I understand it.

Bummer. I still have a few years on the family deal. Guess will evaluate then.