2012

usta florida

jr. team tennis

league rules

CONTENTS 2

STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE 3

INTRODUCTION TO USTA JR. TEAM TENNIS 4

CAPTAIN MEETING AGENDA 5

SEASONS 6

SKILL DIVISION 7

DIVISIONS OFFERED 7

LEAGUE FEE BREAKDOWN 7

FORMAT OF PLAY 8

SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP 9-10

RESOURCES 11

LLC RESPONSIBLITIES 12

Standards of Excellence for JTT Leagues

Training:

All Jr. Team Tennis Local League Coordinators (JTT LLC) meets the following criteria:

Attendance at USTA Florida’s JTT LLC Workshop. or

Participation in local training (to include TennisLink) from USTA Florida staff before the start of a

USTA Jr. Team Tennis League is required.

and

Provide a preseason captain’s meeting. This will be done in person or via conference call. Section

office will provide Captain’s Guide for distribution to team captains.

Consistent Marketing/Branding:

Consistent use of the league name and logo (USTA Jr. Team Tennis) on all flyers, registration and

marketing pieces, etc.

JTT LLC use of forms, flyers, etc. provided by USTA Florida

All marketing materials created by JTT LLC’s reviewed and approved by USTA Florida before distribution.

Communication:

Regular, open communication between JTT LLC’s and Tennis Program Coordinators (TPC).

JTT LLC participates in preseason and post season WIG sessions with TPC.

Regular communication between JTT LLCs and TPCs with sites/facilities so that USTA Florida

information is communicated down to coaches and captains as needed.

League Requirements:

League must follow all requirements as listed in Jr. Team Tennis manual: 1. League is called USTA Jr. Team Tennis.

2. All Players have a USTA membership

3. League has at least 12 players per division.

4. League has at least 2 teams per division.

5. League schedules at least 6 matches over a minimum of a 4 week window.

6. All teams/players register using the TennisLink online registration system prior to each

season roster deadline.

7. League schedules and scores their leagues on TennisLink.

8. Scores are entered within three (3) days of the completed match.

9. League offers at least two (2) seasons of play.

10. League provides season ending awards/party.

11. League forms a USTA Jr. Team Tennis committee (3-5 people) to assist with the

responsibilities of JTT.

Evaluation of League:

Acceptable evaluations scores on league evaluations completed by parents, players, team captains, coaches and facility managers at the end of each season of play.

What is USTA JR. TEAM TENNIS?

About USTA Jr. Team Tennis

USTA Jr. Team Tennis brings kids together in teams to play singles, doubles and mixed

doubles against other teams. It promotes social skills and important values by fostering a spirit of cooperation and unity, as well as individual self-growth. Also, it’s a fun

environment for kids in which they learn that succeeding is really more about how they

play the game – win or lose.

How does it work? USTA Jr. Team Tennis is designed for kids ages 5-18. They are immediately placed on

teams. All you need to start a league are two teams. Matches can be held anywhere from a local park or school to a commercial or private club. Teams are preferably co-ed

but can also be single gender (boys only or girls only). They are divided by the following age and play levels:

Age Groups: 18U, 14U, 12U, 10U and 8U

Play Levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

TennisLink All players have access to TennisLink, the USTA’s online player registration system.

TennisLink allows registered players to keep track of their records and stats, as well as scout their competition. Whether on the court or online, USTA Jr. Team Tennis builds a

passion for a sport kids will be able to play for life.

Costs: The costs to participate in Florida is $30.00 per season. USTA Junior Membership is

required ($19.00 per year).

Team Captain Meeting Agenda Introductions & Welcome – I. League Overview-

Go through the Captain Guide League schedule

Insert dates for season. 6 weeks of match play

Rain makeup

End of season party

II. Captain/Team Managers –

Must complete “Become Coach/Manager: on JTT TennisLink home page.

Must register team on TennisLink (once you have a team number, you may provide

players with number to register on TennisLink).

Must have players registered by deadline ___________.

Must book/reserve courts at home site when schedule is posted.

Must communicate with opposing team captain prior to match.

Must report scores on TennisLink within 48 hours of match.

III. Scorecard Procedures

Captain or Team Manager is responsible for logging into TennisLink and printing a

scorecard prior to the match.

If a player is not listed on the scorecard, but is in the lineup, confirm with the

opposing coach that the player will be registered by days end. If the player does not

get registered, they will NOT get credit for the match and the other team will get the

default results.

Scores MUST be posted online within 48 hours of match by the home team. If the

home team is unable to do score entry, the visiting team may agree to do it for

them.

Once team scores are entered, teams may not be moved to another division, and

players may not be moved to another team.

IV. Awards

Teams will receive awards for 1st & 2nd place in their division. Will be awarded at the

end of season party.

All 10 and Under Division players will receive a medal.

V. Tennis Facilities -

All matches will be played at ____________

Please note that matches played on clay require proper shoes. Players without the

proper tennis shoes may not be allowed to participate at some facilities.

VI. Master Schedule – will be posted on TennisLink.

VII. Rules & Regulations – Please read this very carefully. Page 5 & 6 of Captain Guide

If scoring format for divisions 8 game pro set. Tiebreak played at 7-7.

VIII. Section Championships

All teams are invited to participate in Section Championships.

Players must have 3 team matches in TennisLink to be eligible for advancement.

Rules and Regulations for advancement are on our championship site.

www.ustaflorida.com/jttchamp.

Top teams from Fall/Winter Section Championship will receive a bid to participate in the

USTA Florida Jr. Team Tennis ITC Invitational in Delray Beach.

Information for the upcoming Championships is available

www.ustaflorida.com/jttchamp.

Any and all questions related to this manual and the USTA Jr. Team Tennis league can

be answered by contacting the Michelle Brown, Team Tennis Coordinator at 386-671-8937 or brownm@florida.usta.com. You can also visit our website at

www.ustaflorida.com and click the USTA Jr. Team Tennis option for more information.

SEASONS:

USTA Florida school leagues are offered year round. League dates are set by the Local

League Coordinator.

Spring-Summer Championship Season* January 1, 2012 – July 19, 2012

Fall – Winter Regular Jr. Team Tennis Season August 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

*Championship Season is played in the Spring – Summer Season with advancement

opportunities for 14/18 Intermediate and 14/18 Advanced Divisions only. Teams playing in those divisions looking to advance to Nationals must comply with USTA Jr. Team

Tennis Rules and Regulations. Teams must be co-ed with a minimum of 3 male and 3 female players. Teams must play together locally in order to be eligible. If substitutions

are made when participating in the Section Championship, players must have played in the local league respective to the team.

All other divisions will be offered a Competitive Championship and may advance to the USTA Florida Section Championship only. Local leagues must schedule, score their

matches in TennisLink, have a minimum of 3 local league match history, and maintain age eligibility in their division.

The Fall – Winter Regular Season is played within a specific time period, with specific

deadlines to be eligible to play in the Fall/Winter Section Championships. Local Leagues

must schedule and score their matches on TennisLink to show local play history.

Only an official Jr. Team Tennis Local League Coordinator may facilitate a local league.

USTA Florida uses Independent Contractors who are hired and must adhere to our Standards of Excellence and maintain good standing to run the league.

SKILL DIVISIONS OFFERED:

USTA Jr. Team Tennis is divided into many different divisions of play based on both age and skill level of players and teams. USTA Florida uses the National Tennis Rating

Program (NTRP) system to rate players based on skill. The rating system can be found below.

Age Divisions Offered: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, and 18U in the following levels.

Beginner: This division is defined as a player rated at the 2.5 skill level & below.

Intermediate: This division is defined as a player rated 3.0 skill level. Advanced: This division is defined as a player rated 3.5 skill level and above.

FORMAT OF PLAY: Recommended for local league:

1 male Singles 1 female Singles

1 Mixed Doubles

1 male Doubles 1 female Doubles

Format for Section Championships for 12s-18s:

Best 2 out of 3, 4-game set. No-Ad Scoring. 7 point Tiebreak played at 3-games all. If teams split sets, third set is a 10 point super tiebreak.

Format for 10 and Under:

Best 2 out of 3 4 game set. No-Ad Scoring. First to 4 games wins. In lieu of a third set, a 7-point tiebreak is played.

Format for 8 and Under:

Best 2 out of 3, 7-point game. First to 7 wins.

Jr. Team Tennis Local League Coordinator has the flexibility to set up the playing and scoring format that best suits its needs. A local league can offer as little as 2 singles

and 1 doubles position and not be gender specific. There are multiple scoring formats in which to choose from. Local league scoring usually depends on time constraints and/or

court availability.

TENNISLINK REGISTRATION FEES:

Registration of USTA Jr. Team Tennis participants must be done using the TennisLink

registration system. The Jr. Team Tennis Local League Coordinator (JTT LLC) is responsible for providing registration instructions to team captains, coaches or individual

players. The TennisLink site is encrypted and password protected for security and privacy reasons. USTA Florida & National USTA staff will have access to all registered

information. There is TennisLink support staff and E-Learning available to individual users of the TennisLink system. Technical support is available through staff at USTA

Florida. National assistance is available by emailing linkteam@usta.com.

Fee is $30.00 for all registrants. USTA membership is required to participate in an USTA Jr. Team Tennis league.

USTA JR. TEAM TENNIS LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR STIPENDS: JTT LLC’s are eligible for money stipends. Keep in mind, to be eligible for these

stipends, all of the USTA Jr. Team Tennis requirements listed must be met and 100% of your participants must be registered online using the TennisLink Registration System by

the roster registration deadline for each season. The stipends are as follows:

$8.00 per player for the 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 18U at the end of each season of play offered.

Section and National USTA Jr. Team Tennis Events:

Section Championships

USTA Florida will offer a season ending Section Championship following each (2) season. The following is required for teams/players to be eligible to participate at any Section

Championship: Your league must be registered online by the registration deadline date for that

particular season (see calendar). Your league must use the scheduling and scoring function on TennisLink to show

the minimum 3 team local match play history. Teams attending the Section Championship with 3 girls and 3 boys.

Championship teams with aspirations to advance to nationals must play locally with the minimum 3/3 split in order to be eligible. Any substitutions

or additions to the team prior to attending the Section Championship must be have played in your program area and have age and play history

eligibility. Questions regarding player eligibility should be directed to the Section office.

Competitive teams are always welcome at the Section Championships.

These teams are non-advancing teams. Teams may utilize players from outside their local play area in order to ensure that the team has enough

girls and boys. These player additions are made to the official roster. Players added to rosters must be eligible by age, play history, and level.

Ranking Points. If any player on your local team has 200 or more USTA Florida Ranking points by January’s report, the entire team MUST play Advanced locally

and at any Section Championships. Failure to comply will result in team defaults.

Players in the Intermediate and Advanced divisions will earn ranking points for play in the Section Championship. Points may be earned in Singles and Doubles.

For more information regarding the points chart, go to www.ustaflorida.com/jttchamp.

Teams may only participate at the Section Championship that corresponds to their local league dates. Only the Spring – Summer league has advancement to USTA

Nationals. Teams wishing to earn advancement must play in that corresponding season and comply with all rules and regulations. A complete list of rules and

regulations is available on our website: www.ustaflorida.com/jttchamp.

Dates for Section Championships:

Date Location Levels Offered Level of Championship

July 20-22,2012

Daytona Beach

8U-10U-12U-14U-18U

Novice, Intermediate,

and Advanced

Spring/Summer Competitive Section

Championship

July 27-29, 2012

Daytona Beach

14U & 18U Intermediate &

Advanced

Spring/Summer Section Championship

Winners advance to USTA Nationals

Jan. 19-21, 2013 TBD Match play

Saturday - Monday

8U-10U-12U-14U-18U

Novice, Intermediate,

and Advanced

Fall/Winter Section

Championship

Move up/Split up Rule:

If your team wins at ANY Section Championship at the Novice and Intermediate level players MUST move up to the next level for the next Section Championship.

If teams do not wish to move up, they may split up. The new team may not have more

than 3 or the original players. The gender must also be split up.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:

There are many materials, such as this manual, that are available to USTA Jr. Team

Tennis LLC’s that will aid in coordinating a USTA Jr. Team Tennis league. Some of those materials and resources include:

1. TennisLink Registration System

2. Section office staff support.

3. Tennis Program Coordinator staff support.

4. Committee from Local League

5. National staff support.

6. Section website that can be found at www.ustaflorida.com

7. NetKnacks Tennis materials catalog full of Jr. Team Tennis gifts, prizes, clothing, and other promotional items like banners, posters, books and videos. Visit their

website at www.tennisawards.com or call 1-800-374-6153 for ordering information.

8. USTA Jr. Team Tennis Grants - USTA Florida offers grants to help USTA Jr. Team

Tennis LLC’s to initiate or expand their league. Applications are available on USTA Florida’s website or by contacting the Section Office for an application.

9. Workshops: a meaningful and practical hands-on entry-level workshop that

emphasizes fun ways to teach USTA Jr. Team Tennis leagues for groups of kids. Ideal for the volunteer coaches in your JTT League. Visit USTA Florida’s web site

at www.ustaflorida.com for location and times of a workshop near you. Arrange a workshop through you Tennis Program Coordinator

10. Jr. Team Tennis Marketing –Work with your TPC and/or USTA Marketing staff directly to personalize a marketing plan for your area.

11. TennisLink help – email the linkteam anytime with question

linkteam@usta.com; online tutorials are available http://usta.com/lrc

JR. TEAM TENNIS LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

APPLY TO HAVE A JR. TEAM TENNIS LEAGUE WITH USTA FLORIDA USING THE

TENNISLINK REGISTRATION SYSTEM.

FORM A JTT COMMITTEE OF 3-5 PEOPLE TO ASSIST WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUR LEAGUE.

IMPLEMENT THE JR. TEAM TENNIS RULES, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES INTO

YOUR LOCAL LEAGUE.

SUCCESSFULLY MASTER AND UNDERSTAND THE TENNISLINK REGISTRATION SYSTEM.

ESTABLISH CHARACTERISTICS OF LOCAL LEAGUE INCLUDING DATES, TIME, AGE,

AND SKILL DIVISIONS.

CREATE A DATABASE FOR EASY ACCESS TO CONTACTS AND FOLLOWUP.

MARKET AND PROMOTE THE JR. TEAM TENNIS LEAGUE TO AREA FACILITIES;

INCLUDING PRIVATE CLUBS, PUBLIC PARKS, SCHOOLS, YMCA’S, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS, ETC.

USE CONSISTENT AND PROPER BRANDING OF THE USTA JR. TEAM TENNIS

LEAGUE BY USING THE JTT MARKETING KITS, BANNERS, LOGOS AND ANY OTHER PROMOTIONAL ITEMS THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE USTA FLORIDA

OFFICE.

REGISTER PARTICIPANTS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL/TEAM ENTRY USING THE TENNISLINK REGISTRATION SYSTEM.

CREATE AND PUBLISH A SCHEDULE OF PLAY THROUGH TENNISLINK. REQUIRE

TEAM CAPTAINS TO INPUT SCORES FROM WEEKLY MATCHES.

PROMOTE AND DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION ON THE SEASON ENDING USTA JR.

TEAM TENNIS SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.

PLAN, ORGANIZE AND PROMOTE THE SEASON ENDING LOCAL LEAGUE AWARDS DAY/PLAYER PARTY.

COMMUNICATE OFTEN WITH YOUR TENNIS PROGRAM COORDINATOR.

ATTEND THE YEARLY JTT LLC WORKSHOP.

ORGANIZE AND HOLD A TEAM CAPTAIN’S MEETING PRIOR TO EACH SEASON.