Whither the Ratings

Spring Lake Cruisers, Sun City Golden Girls, Indigo Run Golden Bear Claws:

Your team champion photos from States are on http://www.sctennis.com.

TENNIS E-News

Nov. 16, 2007 Vol. VI, No. 125
South Carolina Tennis 2006 Media Award Winner
Hilton Head Island SC

"I have two team members I am concerned may move up & our Senior & Adult teams

will lose these great players!"

NTRP RATINGS FOR 2008 PLAY

Here They Come … Ready or Not …

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- That quote above is not a USTA League team captain turning blue in the face from the overnight chill, but rather from holding her breath for release of the 2007 ratings that will govern most all our tennis in 2008. The ratings are due out soon; last year's were announced Nov. 20. With that release, a flock of players will be getting acquainted with the new online-only ratings appeal process.

Here's a simple anytime way to see if the ratings have been released:

Go to http://www.sctennis.com and then and then . On the right under , select and then enter your name or anyone else's. It will show the current rating and "year ending" date. Right now the latter shows 2006. When it shows 2007, that's the rating for the 2008 season. If yours is out, so is everyone's.

Inquiring Appealers -- At our last accounting early this year, 146 HHI area players appealed ratings -- 83 appeals granted and 63 denied. That was last year's; next is this year's, and a major change is in effect: The online process for non-medical appeals.

On the same sctennis.com home page, there is a selection through which springs all non-medical rating appeals henceforth. If a player gets bumped up, that's where to go if appealing is the choice. An online appeal can be made at any time, including right now. To our knowledge, medical appeal rules will not change.

Benchmarks -- Every player who advances beyond the local league level is designated a "benchmark" player for rating purposes. BEGINNING IN 2008, a "benchmark" who is bumped up will NOT be able to appeal that upgrade for one year. Example: A player who competes in the SC Senior State Championships in May 2008 and is bumped up at the end of 2008 will have to remain at that level at least until the end of 2009. (It had originally been thought that this rule would go into effect at the end of this year, but USTA National announced in September that the effective date would be 2008.)

The Rating Year -- The rating year begins with Super Seniors from the previous year and goes through the 2007 state, section and national tournaments, excluding Super Seniors '07. Because of the lateness of the Super Senior season, the SS 2006 season results will be included in the ratings that are about to be released. Our '07 Super Senior season will be part of the 2008 year-end ratings.

NTRP Tournament Results -- No USTA-sanctioned NTRP tournament results (Sun City Seniors, Beaufort Summer Splash!!, etc.) will be included in the 2007 ratings. That was tried for three years and produced unintended consequences that prompted its cancellation. No results of non-sanctioned tournaments (Banana Open, Nutty Buddy, etc.) have ever been included in the official USTA ratings.

So that's the TENNIS E-News read on what is happening … what has happened … what will happen. Presumably.

Captains To Notify Level Coordinators

The Call Is Out for Teams To Pre-register for Spring; Dec. 7 Deadline for Team To Enter

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- Yes, it is time for captains to pre-register for the USTA League Adult and Senior Spring season that will begin in late January or early February and end in early May. Step One is for captains to notify the appropriate level coordinator if he/she will NOT be captain for the 2008 season.

Local League Coordinator Jackie Reynecke already has met with local level coordinators to establish some of the guidelines and Pre-Registration dates. Here are the pertinent dates:

Nov. 19 - Pre-Registration Forms will be mailed out

Dec. 7 - Pre-Registration Form should have been returned to your level coordinator

Jan. 6 - Minimum registration (6 Players) must be listed on the Tennis Link; scheduling will begin.

Jan 8 - Captains Meeting - Time and Place to be announced.

Feb. 24 - Midnight - Rosters are closed. No more players may be added or deleted.

All-day Action Saturday

Thanksgiving Tournament Opens at Coooooool Chaplin Park

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- We'll catch up with results on Saturday. It's bedtime.

3.5 Senior Men's Interclub of HHI -- Results of First Week's Play

Flight A

Sea Pines Country Club 3, South Beach 0

Indigo Run 2, Country Club of HH 1

Spring Lake Lakers 2, Moss Creek 1

Sun City Aces 3, Sun City Critical Hits 0

Flight B

Port Royal 3, Wexford 0

Sun City Nationals 2, Dataw 1

Spring Lake Mis-Hits 3, SC Yacht Club 0

Sun City Spin Doctors 2, Belfair 1

Long Cove 3, Sun City Funatics 0

3.0 Senior Men's Interclub of HHI

Team Standings 11/13/07

Flight A Courts

Won Lost Lost

Belfair 1 0 0

Palmetto Dunes 1 0 0

Shipyard 1 0 0

Sea Pines 1 0 1

Wexford 1 0 1

Sun City Challengers 1 0 1

South Beach 0 1 2

Indigo Run 0 1 2

Sun City Strokers 0 1 2

Calawassie 0 1 3

Moss Creek 0 1 3

Sun City Lob Artists 0 1 3

Flight B Courts

TEAM Won Lost Lost

CC of HH Hustlers 1 0 0

Long Cove 1 0 0

Sea Pines 1 0 0

Sun City Dirt Ballers 1 0 0

Spring Lake 1 0 1

Sun City Slickers 1 0 1

Shipyard 0 1 2

Spoilers 0 1 2

Hampton Hall 0 1 3

Moss Creek 0 1 3

Port Royal 0 1 3

CC of HH Wildmen 0 1 3

TENNIS E-News FootNote

ooooO Submitted by a high school teacher:

( ) "From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality,

( ) like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30."

(___) -- From a student essay

-- Dennis Malick