2015 Tournament

Director’s

Workshop

Alexandria Howard Competition Coordinator

Today’s Agenda

• TD Resources

• The Tournament Committee

• Tournament Checklist/Timeline

• Tournament Promotions

• Customer Service

• 10 & Under Tournaments

• Rules and Regulations

• General Updates

Helpful Resources

Tournament Director Resources

Tournament Directors Homepage – www.sctennis.com/tournamentdirectors

• Interaction with parents: FAQs – http://www.southcarolina.usta.com/Junio

rs/frequently_asked_questions/?intloc=headernavsub2

• TennisLink – linkteam@usta.com

– 1-800-603-3188 (TD hotline)

Tournament Committee

• Tournament Checklist

• Tournament Timeline

So You Wanna Host a

Sanctioned Tournament?

• Before Applying for Sanction:

– Update organizational membership

– Hire a referee and determine their role

– Agree to all USTA SC sanctioned

tournament rules and regulations

– Determine Tournament Committee!

Tournament Committee

• At Least Three Members

– Chairperson: tournament admin before

start of tournament

– Director: admin details once tournament

begins (i.e., registration desk, posting

results, etc.)

– Referee: makes draw, schedules matches,

general supervision over play

Tournament Checklist

• Tournament Budget

• Tournament Desk Plan

• Hospitality/Amenities

• Emergency & Weather Plans

Important Timelines

• When Entries Open:

– Marketing

– Correct Info on Homepage

• After Entries Close:

– Post seeds 24 hours before draws

– Draws posted at least 24 hours prior to first

match times

Tournament Promotions

• Resources: How can USTA SC help

you?

• Tournament Homepage

Tournament Promotions

• Contact Daniel Stetson at stetson@sctennis.com for assistance – Customized posters, flyer, or advertisements for

you.

– Best practices on via the web, social media, or print.

• NEW: Email results of your tournament to local media to reach more parents and players and generate more publicity for your tournament. http://s3.amazonaws.com/ustaassets/assets/576/15/media_report_instructions.pdf

Tournament Promotions

• USTA Member Mailing Address Form

– Request a list of USTA member mailing

addresses

– Submit your request at least 6 weeks

before you will need it

– Submit a sample of your mailing

– Jot Form:

http://www.jotformpro.com/ustasc/listreq

uest

First Tournament Reimbursement

• http://www.southcarolina.usta.com/Ju

niors/jr_tournament_reimbursement/

Marketing: Tips & Tricks

• COLOR poster!

– Bathroom, water coolers, churches, gyms

• USE SOCIAL MEDIA

– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

• Partner with another club

• Advertise on CTA or league website

What Does Your Tournament Homepage

Say About Your Tournament?

• First Impression: face of your

tournament

Tournament Homepage

• FAC I.H.2 – pg. 69-71

– Statement about use of 10 point tiebreak

– Seeding

– Clothing/Shoe Restrictions

– Time/Place of Player Meeting

– Number of balls for play and ball-change

policy

Customer Service

• How To Make Your Tournament Fun

• “What Parents Want”

• Tournament Feedback: The Good, The

Bad, The Ugly

How to Make Your Tournament Fun

• Ping pong

• Foosball

• Board games

• Frisbees

• Unique gifts

• Restaurant sponsors

• Personalized t-shirts

“What Parents Want”

• Steve Bellamy for the USTA

• https://www.dropbox.com/sh/moonj5w55ezcbsz/A

ABzvDw36AcgfGRCX77FpG0Aa#lh:null-

Steve%2520Bellamy%2520on%2520Tennis%2520Tourn

aments.mp4

Tournament Evaluation

Feedback The Good

• Clean Facility

• Courts in good shape

• Shaded area to rest

in/watch matches

• Ice and water available

• Scores posted on time

The Bad

• 1st Match times not

posted on time

• No info on the

tournament website

• Officials not in uniform

• Tournament desk

unorganized

• Scores not updated in

timely fashion

10 and Under Tournaments

Scoring Format

10 & Under Divisions:

• Singles - best of two short sets (first to four and win by two), with a set tiebreak (first to seven (7) and win by two) at 4-4 in each set, and a set tiebreak (first to seven (7) and win by two) for the third.

• Doubles - one six (6) game set, with a set tiebreak (first to 7, win by two) at 6-6. – Level 1-3 Tournaments: Regular (Ad) scoring is recommended

– Level 4-5 Tournaments: No-Ad scoring is recommended for this level of play

8 & Under Divisions:

• 7 points in a game - the best of 3 games, and the first to score 7 points wins the game. The first to win 2 games wins the match. If players split games, an additional game to 7 points is played.

10U Parent/Player Meeting

• Welcome

• Check Racquet Size

• Review Scoring Format

• Line Calls

• Sportsmanship

• Explain Court Monitors/Roles

• Questions and Comments

10U Checklist/Timeline

• Volunteers/Equipment Needed – Tournament Director

– Court Monitor Manager and monitors

– Racquet Length Checker

– TDM Staff

– Volunteer for food setup

– Red and orange balls

– Clip boards for court monitors

– Awards

– Plates/cups/napkins/table for serving food

10U Circuits

• 2014 Circuits

– Midlands

– Upstate

– Grand Strand

– East of Cooper

For more info: Steve Zalinski

(zalinksi@sta.usta.com)

Entry Level Tournaments

• Non-elimination format (NEF)

– NEF Wizard in TDM

• Non-ranking

• NEW! - Membership not required

Rules and Regulations

• Policy on Officials

• Code of Conduct

• Head Taxes

• Inclement Weather

• Late Entries – Discussion

• New! – Participation numbers for Level

3 tournaments

How Many Officials Do I Need?

• SC Level 1 & 2 Tournaments

– Referee + 2 certified Umpires per 8 courts

• SC Level 3 Tournaments

– Referee + 1 certified Umpire per 8 courts

– For L 1-3 tourneys, one relief umpire is

required for every 4 umpires used

• SC Level 4 & 5 Tournaments

– Referee + 1 certified Umpire per 8 courts, recommended that 1+court monitors used

Code of Conduct

• National Suspension Point Functionality

– All code violations for your events will now

go into the new system.

– The referee is responsible for entering all

code violations within 24 hours of the

tournament’s end

– Webinar:

http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/C

ommon/Home.aspx?mode=

Head Taxes

Adult Head Taxes Level 1-4: $1.50 per player if both singles & doubles offered;

$2.00 per player otherwise

Level 5: $1.00 per player

Junior Head Taxes Level 1-3: $2.00 per player, minimum $175

Level 4: $2.00 per player

Level 5: No head taxes assessed

*** Head taxes are due within 10 days of the

invoice date.

Inclement Weather Policy

• See handout

• Referee is responsible for final decision

• Player safety: top priority!!

• Cancelling a tournament requires

approval

Late Entry – Seeded Players

• FAC p. 71 – I.H.3

• The Tournament Committee may

accept late entries, provided that if

the draw has been made, the

committee may accept entries only of

players who do not invalidate the

seedings.

NEW! - Participation Numbers for

Level 3 Tournaments • Minimum of 75 participants in SC L3 tournaments

• Tournaments with less than 75 participants in 2014,

have been alerted about their participation

numbers

• Probationary period for the following year

• S&S committee to reassess the level of the

tournament on a case-by-case basis

Common Issues/Errors

• Players cannot finish matches outside of sanction dates

• Use of withdrawal vs. walkover

• Referees are responsible for making the draws and schedules

• Referee: we must be notified of any change

• Entry deadlines – may extend one day only

General Updates

• Adult One-Days

• Preseason League Tune-Ups

• Referee TDM Testing

• Late Sanction Period

• Sanctioning for 2016

Adult One-Day Tournaments

• The Basics

– Level 5 Tournament (can be sanctioned

any time)

– Short Set Scoring with 10-point tiebreak in

lieu of the 3rd set

– $25 max entry fee for 1 event, $5 for 2nd

event

– Maximum of two divisions offered

– Round robin or compass draw required

NEW! – Preseason League Tune-

Up Tournaments • During an open league registration

period in the area of the tournament

• Promotion of upcoming league registration required

• Reimbursement of up to $500 for expenses

• http://s3.amazonaws.com/ustaassets/assets/576/15/league_tune-up_tournaments_reimbursement1.pdf

• http://form.jotformpro.com/form/50114075609954

Referee – TDM Testing

• New requirement

– Referees required to take a test on TDM

– 10 Question Test

– http://www.southcarolina.usta.com/Offici

als/?intloc=headernav

Late Sanction Period

• The late sanction period will be held in February for

tournaments to be hosted July – December, 2015.

• The late sanction fee is $83.

• Level 5 one-days can be sanctioned at any time

throughout the year!

Sanctioning for 2016

• The sanction period for 2016: late

summer of 2015.

• All member organizations receive a

sanction packet in the mail.

• A copy of the full sanction packet and

all sanction info can be found on the

tournament director’s homepage on www.sctennis.com

Contact me!

Alexandria Howard

Competition Coordinator, USTA South Carolina

• 803.781.2574 or 800.644.7282

• howard@sctennis.com

Questions?