Memphis Fall 2016 Junior Team Tennis How many players do I

Memphis Fall 2016 Junior Team Tennis
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 How many players do I need to form a team?
For 8U, you'll need a minimum of three players, gender-neutral/co-ed. For 10U-18U, you'll need a
minimum of four players, gender-neutral/co-ed. Each team must have a team manager (may be a parent,
teaching pro or volunteer). Team Registration is open through September 16th - the legal team deadline
by which to have minimum number of players rostered. You may add on players to your team after legal
team roster is reached, through October 9th.
 Who should play Fall Junior Team Tennis and what are the age divisions?
Who should play? All players who are looking for fun on the courts, healthy competition, teams prepping
for spring school tennis, players prepping for tourneys, players in junior development looking to bring
their skills from drills into match play, players growing their mental game, and all playing for love of the
game! Available divisions are Intermediate 8U (red ball), 10U (orange ball), 12U (green ball), 14U (yellow
ball) and 18U (yellow ball). Contact League Coordinator regarding Beginner and/or Advanced Divisions.
Fall JTT is "non age-eligible", meaning for example, if a 14U player turns 15 during the Fall JTT season,
he/she may still play with his/her 14U team.
 How do I become a USTA Junior Team Tennis Manager?
The first step is to complete the Safe Play Process through Tennis Link. It doesn't take much time to
complete, but must be done before you can register your team. It can take up to 10 business days to receive
your screening "green light", so you'll want to complete this right away. Once complete, your screening is
good for two years. Your league coordinator can help you along the way. See PDF How-To's on the website
for a simple step-by-step guide. This is a great way to both get involved and give back to the sport!
 As Team Manager, where do I go to register my team (get a team number)?
Once you've completed your Safe Play and set up your manager account, login to Tennis Link and choose
"Create New Team" under "My Options" at the bottom right of the webpage. See PDF How-To's for more
info. Follow the prompts, and this will be the team number you share with your team members. Once
you've given them the team number, you can simply send them to the online registration page.
 If I don't have a team, how do I find a Junior Team Tennis team?
Inquire at your preferred tennis facility or ask your teaching pro. You may also register as an open player
and be placed on a team. To find the best fit for your player, please email a few details to your league
coordinator - skill level, and if affiliated with a tennis facility / club / school.
 What is the cost to participate?
Each player must first have a USTA Junior Membership. To register or to renew, visit the membership
website. Junior membership is $20 per year (family memberships are available). For those players who
are 10 and under that are NEW to USTA, take advantage of the free membership offer. The cost to
participate in the program is $40 per player, plus a Tennis Link processing fee (approximately $4).
 What are the match weekends and when do we play?
Fall 2016 Match Weekends are 9/23-25, 9/30-10/2, 10/14-16, 10/21-23, 10/28-30 and 11/4-6. Primary
days of play are Fridays at 6 p.m. for 8U & 10U, Saturday afternoons for 12U & 14U, and Sunday afternoons
for 18U. Main match sites are Leftwich Tennis Center for 8U/10U, Memphis University School for 18U, and
home/away format for 12U/14U (other sites may be added). Some matches may be scheduled indoors.
 Fall Junior Team Tennis in Memphis is "non-advancing" - what is the difference between advancing (or
"Championship") and non-advancing?
For teams playing in non-advancing leagues, there's no advancement past local level play (for
example to a state tournament). Fall division winners will be recognized at the 3rd Annual Endof-Year Event on December 3rd at The Racquet Club of Memphis. In Memphis, non-advancing
divisions may be found in Spring, NJTL JTT (Summer), and Fall. Advancing divisions may be found
in Winter Indoor (18U), several Spring divisions and Summer. Advancing - or Championship - JTT
offers the opportunity for intermediate (and advanced) teams to advance to the state level, if they
meet local match requirements. 10U-12U have the opportunity to continue to Sectionals, and 14U18U have the opportunity to earn advancement to Nationals. In 2017, watch for advancing JTT
divisions in Winter, Spring and also in Summer. Memphis will be host to the USTA TN Junior Team
Tennis Championships again in 2017. All players and managers need also to complete Concussion
Policy Forms (good for the calendar year of play) - see links on JTT Webpage.
 What are the match formats and how does the scoring work for Fall '16 Junior Team Tennis?
o 8 & Under (Intermediate): ROGY - Red Tennis Ball
(8’s play on a 36’ court with the Red ball. Match balls will be at the match site.)
7 point games (win by 1 point)
First to 7 points wins the individual game
(Six singles matches per team match. An individual match will consist of 2 games to 7 points, win by one point. So if the
players are tied at 6-6, the next point wins the game.)
Team winner determined by total points won [if split games, enter as "timed match" vs "completed match]
o 10 & Under (Intermediate): ROGY - Orange Tennis Ball
(10’s will play on a 60-foot court with the orange ball. Ideally, 10’s matches will be played at a facility that has permanent
10 and under lines. Match balls will be at the match site).
Short Set to 6 Games; No-Ad Scoring; (Intermediates 2 doubles, 3 singles; Beginners 2 doubles, 2 singles)
10 minute team warm-up prior to match, then continuous play.
Service game played if game score reaches 5-5.
Team winner determined by total games won*
o 12 & Under Intermediate: ROGY - Green Dot Ball
Short Set to 6 Games; No-Ad Scoring; 2 singles / 3 doubles
10 minute TEAM warm-up prior to match, then continuous play.
Tiebreak to 7 played at 5-5 (win by 2)
Green dot match balls may be provided by league if needed. Contact Local League Coordinator.
Team winner determined by total games won*
o 14U (Intermediate) and 18 (Intermediate): Regular Yellow Ball
 8 Game Pro-Sets; No-Ad Scoring; full courts; 3 Singles / 3 Doubles
Tiebreak to 7 played at 7-7 (win by 2)
Match balls to be provided by teams. Each team should bring 3 new cans per match.
Team winner determined by total games won*
* Exception to most games won: if a team has an undefeated match season, they will be declared their
division's winner; team with most games will be awarded 2nd place.
 I have a few other questions on scoring (no ad, tie-breaks, etc.) Will you give further details?
Junior Team Tennis is a modified version of adult league tennis. 10U - 18U uses regular 15-30-40-game scoring.
In no-ad (once game has reached deuce or "forty all"), the next service point wins the game. Also in no-ad, it's
the receiver's choice as to which player receives the serve (the ad player or the deuce player). In non-advancing
leagues, tie-breakers may vary by age division, to take into account completing matches within a certain timeframe. Tie-breaks are entered into Tennis Link as an additional game. So, for a set score, it would be "4-3" for
example. For a match tie-break, it would be "1-0" (versus the actual, for example, "10-6") Here's how tiebreaker
works:
 The server whose turn it is serves the first point into opponent's deuce court.
 After the first serve, the service goes over to the opponent player, who then serves the next two points,
serving first into the ad court and then into the deuce court.
 After the third point, the players alternate, serving two points each, always beginning on the ad court.
 After the first six points are played, no matter what the score is (ex 4-2 or 3-3), the players change ends
(and continue to do so after every other six-point span) until one player wins at least seven points with a
margin of two points (or at least ten points in a match tiebreaker). Yes, it involves changing ends during
a player's service turn.
 After a 1st set tiebreak, if you wonder who should start serving in the 2nd set, it's as follows: If a player
started serving first in the last set, then the opponent begins the next set. Another way of saying it is
the player who serves the last game of the set before the tiebreaker serves the first game of the new set
following the tiebreaker.
 What about inclement weather?
See weather related updates on the Junior Tennis in Memphis website. Also, you can subscribe to Reminder 101
(see PDF instructions). If you must reschedule your match, copy league coordinator on changes.
 What about coaching and court monitoring?
Coaching and court monitor information may be found by following this link to PDF on website. Please also
review the Code of Ethics and Player Promise with your junior player.
 Can you let me know as team manager how to enter scores?
This link will walk you through the steps for score entry. [Note: for individual ties or split sets, you may enter
scores as "timed match" vs "completed"] Winning captain enters scores, however if scores not entered within
48 hours of match completion, either captain may do so. Any questions, please contact your LLC.
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Additional questions, feel free to contact Laura Huss, your USTA Local League Coordinator
for Junior Team Tennis in Memphis at [email protected]
or visit the website at memphisjrtennis.org.
Follow memphisjrtennis on Twitter and on Instagram and like us on Facebook!
Also on Facebook, be sure to like the USTA Tennessee page for Junior Team Tennis news!
For Fall Junior Tennis in Memphis E-News, follow this link!
~~~~Save the Dates!~~~~
December 3rd ~ The Racquet Club of Memphis
"On-Court Fun, Off-Court Festive"
Join us to celebrate the 2016 Year in Junior Team Tennis!
Fun ~ Games ~ Pro Expo ~ Prize Drawings ~ 2017 Calendar ~ Refreshments
#PlayItForward to benefit children served by Memphis Athletic Ministries
See how you can make a difference! www.mamsports.org
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February 11th ~ 19th, 2017
THE MEMPHIS OPEN
www.memphisopen.com
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July 28th - 30th, 2017
USTA TN Junior Team Tennis State Championships
See USTA TN State Website and Junior Tennis in Memphis Website
Memphis Tennis Association | www.memphisjrtennis.org