Are you referring to hosting something like Sectionals (which I assume USTA pays a bunch) or just regular league matches? If it's regular league matches I just don't understand what the USTA or any other league teams have to do with your clubs decisions. If there are players in your club who want to play leagues then your membership needs to work out the times and internal rules. VOLUNTARILY joining a local league and then ******** about other teams not paying for your clubs home matches/maintenance is just nouveau riche trashy.
Why do clubs even host USTA leagues?
- Thread starter FiddlerDog
- Start date
Are you referring to hosting something like Sectionals (which I assume USTA pays a bunch) or just regular league matches? If it's regular league matches I just don't understand what the USTA or any other league teams have to do with your clubs decisions. If there are players in your club who want to play leagues then your membership needs to work out the times and internal rules. VOLUNTARILY joining a local league and then ******** about other teams not paying for your clubs home matches/maintenance is just nouveau riche trashy.
FiddlerDog
Hall of Fame
I am speaking on behalf of the non-USTA club members and tax payers. Often, a USTA team is filled with players from other towns and non-club members. The matches hog up 5 courts, during prime time, and in many cases, only 1 or 2 "home" players are actually affiliated with the facility. This is a valid complaint when courts are filled with out-of-town home teams playing non paying visitors.
The only valid complaint you have is with your club. You should copy, paste and send your complaint to your board. Gather all those others your are speaking for (tax payers?????) and see if they will drop leagues. I just think the idea of outside players having to pay to play is wrong if your club has volenteered to join local leagues. If your club politics aren't working for you use some free will and leave.
BTW - I have to get back to this - The tax payers comment is so darn odd and out of the blue that it makes it suspicious. As a long time taxayer I find that comment very strange.
Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
Yeah. There's a Lifetime Fitness that I've played matches at in the summer indoors. On a fair number of days it's like a sauna in there. At best, it's kinda stuffy and warm. They do have outdoor courts, but only 4. I remember one day it was a choice of muggy sauna indoors or baking hot sun and heat index of 105 outside. Hmm.... we went outside.
FiddlerDog
Hall of Fame
I am referring to USTA teams that are based at public municipal courts. Taxpayers pay for these courts and can't use them.
I am also referring to USTA matches based at private club courts. Members pay for these courts and can't use them.
ZanderGoga
Semi-Pro
We don't live in your own private little utopia, snowflake.
Public taxes and public courts aren't for what "FiddlerDog" says they're for. They're for what cities decide they're for.
Private clubs taking in dues to provide a service aren't mandated to provide the specific service "FiddlerDog" wants. They tell you what they offer, and you either pay and play by their rules, or you don't.
You want your own court with your own rules? Pony up and build it. If you can't, then work harder, work smarter, or get more active in the politics of your city and club. I'm sure there'll be a big rally in support of your perfectly reasonable demands that your own needs should always come before anyone else's.
ZanderGoga
Semi-Pro
Just got back from shaking my fist at the highway. Damn thing is full of out of towners, thinking they can just drive on it willy-nilly. My tax dollars should grant me exclusive access to do donuts out there unimpeded any time my precious heart desires.
That is a very common issue. At my club, we are very sensitive to this during our adult and junior USTA open tournaments and "release" courts as soon as the matches start thinning out for the day. Some members like to watch the tournaments and make a picnic out of the event, others don't care. Since I am usually a volunteer who also plays after the matches are over, I see both sides of the debate.
sovertennis
Professional
I play at a private club, although anyone can join (ie we don't have initiation fees or do you have to know and be recommended by an existing member). A few times I've arrived at the club, usually mid-day, for my reserved court time only to be told by the nice person at the desk that the women's senior league matches "are going long" (because that's what women's senior league matches do) and that my reserved court time would be reduced by whatever minutes remained after the women finished. While this is annoying, it is not IMO a "both sides" issue as Suresh says. I agree with Zander that I, as a member of the club, must abide by whatever rules and restrictions the club mandates. I'm not entitled to a court just because I reserved one if a league match overlaps into that reservation. However, at another local club the rules are different. My wife was playing a USTA match there and their court was booked for 90 minutes. They were near the end of the second set and were told they would have to vacate the court because the next group was ready to play. She said they all looked at each other in mild disbelief. The coach for the home team asked if they'd like to finish the match midweek in the evening and both my wife and her dubs partner said no. The home team thus forfeited the match. (Reason #84 why league tennis just isn't worth it).
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Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
This is the norm in the clubs in my area. I think the university courts have longer time slots, maybe 105 minutes rather than 90. However, the fitness clubs are definitely 90. But, you better get your league match in the 90 (or 105) minutes allotted or you'll likely get the boot. If there isn't anyone booked for the court after, then you can go longer and if you're real close, then the next group might let you finish in 5-10 because makeups for finishing are a pain. Or, if a different court is open, you can move to it. Often, it's another USTA league match after yours, rather than a private club booking, but either way, you can't dilly-dally, you have to try to get it in.
I've both been booted AND had to wait like 30 minutes to start (basically, due to weather conditions, the whole slate of 7:00pm matches got started late).
McLovin
Legend
Normally USTA matches are timed matches, and there is a matrix for each league (usually one adopted from their section) that describes how to handle matches that are running long. Odd that they didn't have a way to handle this.
Having said that, individual matches may choose to override the timed match rule (e.g., play it out) if there is no one on after them. But in your case, it appears as though there was scheduled time after them, so they should have been ready to finish in 90 minutes.
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
the nearest USTA league in my state is a 60 mile drive away.......
1st world problems..........
1st world problems..........
I couldn't imagine driving 60 miles for all the sandbaggin and antics that take place in usta league play.
OnTheLine
Hall of Fame
Um not "normally" ... No timed matches in my area ... speaking with players from other regions that play outdoors (FL, GA, SC, AZ, SoCal, UT) doesn't sound like a timed match is the norm there either.
If you have a timed match ... key is getting that warm up done in 5 minutes. Heck, that is key anywhere. It is a 5 minute warm up, not 10 not 20.
And the between sets bathroom break... always annoys me
We only get to play league matches at noon to 2pm when I was at the club and as a visitor. The courts were a ghost town at that hour but they had 25 courts, but I can see it as a valid complaint if they are sat/sun at 9am and your club only has 10 courts but that problem is on the club for scheduling.
i dont think timed matches would work but you can play no ad, so the match would probably finish 90 minutes. when i played industrial league and had to play the 630pm match, we usually would finish by 8pm as the next group would be scheduled to come on.
at our club in the SFbay area, the USTA matches are booked for 90 minutes, typically they run over, and they need to find an open court to finish the match/ usually that happens its the late afternoon or evening when there are courts available. sometime the following group is another USTA team who was scheduled after the first team. we do have a tiebreaker limitation for the 3rd set
z
Cashman
Hall of Fame
Well, my club doesn't, but that's probably because we're outside the US. 
Clubs around here usually host inter-club league matches to drive traffic to their courts in non-peak periods. The middle of the day on weekends is a bit of a dead zone for our club - lessons and squad training are early morning, and people prefer to rent courts casually in the evenings when it's nice and cool. Intra-Scheduling league matches for mid-afternoon gets people on the courts and paying fees. Yeah, it's hot and horrible - but you gotta play otherwise you forfeit those sweet points.
Clubs around here usually host inter-club league matches to drive traffic to their courts in non-peak periods. The middle of the day on weekends is a bit of a dead zone for our club - lessons and squad training are early morning, and people prefer to rent courts casually in the evenings when it's nice and cool. Intra-Scheduling league matches for mid-afternoon gets people on the courts and paying fees. Yeah, it's hot and horrible - but you gotta play otherwise you forfeit those sweet points.
Heck
Rookie
You would be surprised what happens when you get people in the door. USTA league seems to do just that. Many think it's total crap but it may be
keeping the sport alive. I went to a free family day at my niece's program. The coach ran this so the parents and family can have fun. Also, it was great
marketing. I got hooked and several years later I have spent thousands of dollars in tennis. Court time, lessons, clinics, gear, and even vending machines!
USTA league from my experience grows the game. I help run several teams and when we started it was hard to find players. Now we have to turn away
players. We even started a sister team for the weaker players lol. If a club can get people in the door then it's up to them to find a way to make money.
USTA also offers money for project planning and grants. I don't think you are going to get support if you don't deal with them.
keeping the sport alive. I went to a free family day at my niece's program. The coach ran this so the parents and family can have fun. Also, it was great
marketing. I got hooked and several years later I have spent thousands of dollars in tennis. Court time, lessons, clinics, gear, and even vending machines!
USTA league from my experience grows the game. I help run several teams and when we started it was hard to find players. Now we have to turn away
players. We even started a sister team for the weaker players lol. If a club can get people in the door then it's up to them to find a way to make money.
USTA also offers money for project planning and grants. I don't think you are going to get support if you don't deal with them.
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