What is Endorsement?
Endorsement is the Section’s approval of a junior player to play National Events based on
ranking and meeting the section’s endorsement requirements.
The draws for the USTA's Hard Court Nationals, Clay Court Nationals, Winter Nationals and
Summer National Team events are limited and are based on the southwest endorsement list at
the time of selection.
You can view the current Endorsement Standings at the same place you view the regular
standings.
What you need to do
If you are interested in trying to gain entry into national events it is important that you
complete all of the following steps:
1.
Fill out and return the Endorsement information sheet by May 1st. Should you check
an event and later be unable to attend that event, this is not a problem. This sheet is a
register to make sure that no one is overlooked or uninformed.
2.
Maximize your singles and doubles points by playing the appropriate tournaments. In
points per round there are no minimum requirements.
How it works
All players who have one win in an eligible tournament and accumulate points will appear on
the endorsement list.
Each of the 17 Sections of the USTA has an exact, guaranteed quota for every National
Championship (see quota below for each event).
The endorsement list will include the past 12 months of a player’s record. This combined
ranking will use 100% of a player’s singles points and 25% of a player’s doubles points. The
best six (6) singles and doubles tournament results during the past 12 months will count. This
can include any USTA Sanctioned Sectional, USTA National tournament or ITF tournament (that
used TDM. Your Best Six (6) singles tournaments may be different then your Best Six (6)
doubles tournaments. Please refer to selection/endorsement breakdown in next
section.
A PLAYER MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE WIN IN THE AGE GROUP TO APPEAR ON THE LIST. The
list will not include you if you are only counting points down from a higher age group. Consult
section office for more information.
Surface National Championships
National Clay Court Championships - (Typically held in late July) Players are selected via
the section quota, USTA Southwest has 5 spots in BG16-18 and 4 spots in BG12-14 – this
tournament will be a draw of 192 in singles and 96 in doubles for BG16-18 and 128 draw for
singles and 64 for doubles in BG12-14. Our endorsement list (used for section quota) will be
published during the week of the tournament’s deadline. Clay Court Endorsement list for BG 1218 does not include USTA Southwest Closed results
National Hard Court Championships (typically held in early-mid August) - Players are
selected via the section quota, USTA Southwest has 5 spots for BG18, 6 spots for BG16, and 4
spots for BG12-14– this tournament will be a draw of 192 in singles and 96 in doubles for
BG16-18 and 128 singles and 64 doubles for BG12-14. Our endorsement list (used for section
quota) will be published during the week of the tournament’s deadline. Hard Court endorsement
list for BG 12-18 does include USTA Southwest Closed results.
Sectional Endorsement lists for CLAY COURTS will be posted in early JUNE of each
year and HARD COURTS will be posted in early July at www.usta.com under the
Southwest ranking/standing pages in TennisLink.
Alternates
To be an alternate you must be endorsed by the Section and appear on our
Endorsement list. An alternate list is published for each national event. This list is used if
someone drops out of the tournament. If you must drop out and gained entry as a sectionally
endorsed spot please notify the tournament and myself as soon as possible. If the draw has not
been made and you are an endorsed player and you drop out they will take the next endorsed
player from our section. If the draw has been made then they move on to the alternate list and
then on-site alternates.
Medical Release Forms
The USTA and Medical Release forms associated with these tournaments may be printed while
registering online for Nationals and must be filled out and brought to on-site registration.
Information on a specific National Championships
The normal “tournament information” can be seen on TennisLink.usta.com and following the
'Shortcuts' area to locate the specific national junior tournament you're looking for. Any
information sheets sent to USTA Southwest Junior Player Development Manager for National
events will also be distributed, but there will not be paper entry forms distributed for these
National events.
Withdrawals
• If you must withdraw from a national tournament before the draw is made please
notify the tournament director and USTA Southwest Player Development Manager
immediately so we can ensure that the next person on our endorsement list gets in.
• If you must withdraw from a national tournament after the draw notify the tournament
director and the USTA Southwest Player Development Manager. At this point, the
tournament will be filled by the alternate list (order of strength).
Please keep in mind that at national tournaments singles draws are not done sooner than one
week before the start of the event (you may not even see the draw until the day before) and
doubles draws are done at on-site registration.
Summer National Team Events
Summer National Team events selection will be based on a combined ranking from
the Summer Endorsement List. This combined ranking will use 100% of a player’s singles
points and 25% of a player’s doubles points. The best six (6) singles and doubles tournament
results during the past 12 months will count. This can include any USTA Sanctioned Sectional,
USTA National tournament or ITF tournament (that used TDM. Your Best Six (6) singles
tournaments may be different then your Best Six (6) doubles tournaments.
•
Summer teams for BG 14-16 Intersectional Team will not include USTA Southwest Junior
Closed results. BG 12-16 zonal team and 18 Summer teams will include the USTA
Southwest Junior Closed results.
•
The USTA SW Section Junior Competition Committee has the discretion to allow a player
to play on more than one team.
•
The lineup for singles play will be set by UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) and may not be
in order of the endorsement list. The line-up will be made after the Southwest Junior
Closed.
•
The Junior Competition Committee can also decline an endorsed player due to
unsportsmanlike conduct regardless of the venue or medium, including but not limited to
unsportsmanlike conduct on court, at tournament sites, tournament activities, hotels or
other housing venues, or online.
•
The USTA Southwest Section provides a coach for the team.
•
Notification of selection on team Players will be notified of selection to a team by
email.
•
Withdrawals: If you must withdraw from a team event please notify me
immediately so I can fill the spot with the next person on the Endorsement
List.
•
Boys’ & Girls’ 16, 14, 12 USTA Zone Team Championships (16’s – 5-10 ranked boys &
girls, 14’s – 5-10 ranked boys & girls, 12’s – Top 12 ranked boys & girls)
•
Boys’ & Girls’ 16 and 14 USTA Intersectional Team Championships (Top 4 Boys and Top
4 Girls)
•
Boys’ 18 National Team Championships (Top 7 players)
•
Girls’ 18 National Team Championships (Top 7 players)
Citizen and Residency Requirements
To be endorsed and play in these national events you must be a U.S. Citizen (or have an Alien
Registration Card/Green Card) and be a resident of the USTA Southwest Section. Residency is
defined as follows: Only players who maintain a permanent residence within the boundaries of
the Southwest Section (states of Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso County, Texas) are eligible
for Southwest endorsement, ranking and closed tournaments. A junior player, who lives with
one or both parents, or a legal guardian, shall be considered a permanent resident of the
location where he or she physically resides for the majority of the year, where he or she attends
school and/or where he or she primarily engages in training and playing tennis.
A junior player who is an established resident of the Southwest Section according to the
aforementioned criteria, but is currently living apart from his or her parent(s) for reasons such
as college, tennis academy or boarding school attendance, military involvement, etc. will
continue to be considered a permanent resident of the Southwest Section as long as his or her
parent (S0 maintain a permanent residence within its boundaries. For this purpose, permanent
residency for the calendar year for the parent(s) is defined as a minimum of 184 days. Anyone
moving into the section during the year must change their membership with the membership
department. The residency committee has the right to ask for proof of permanent residency.
The burden of proof will be on the player/parent.
Team Event Information
Please read the Summer Team information closely.
Boy’s 18 National Team Championships – Typically held late July/early August in
Urbana, IL (U. of Illinois)
• Coach selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition Committee
• Top 7 boys applying for the team from the summer endorsement list
• The USTA Southwest Section pays for coach, hotel, team entry fee, rental van, hotel and
meals associated with the team entry fee
• Players must provide their own air transportation and spending money
• Players and coach have rental van and team up in hotel rooms (section pays)
• Please contact Jr. Player Dev. Manager to coordinate flight departure and arrivals with
the coach’s
• All USTA Sections are represented in this competition
• Entry Fee: Check made out to USTA Southwest Section for $150. Section sends
one check for team entry fee, player entry fee and hotel.
Girl’s 18 National Team Championships – Typically held late July/early August in
Claremont, CA
• Coach selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition Committee
• Top 7 girls applying for the team from the summer endorsement list
• The USTA Southwest Section pays for coach, hotel, team entry fee, rental van, hotel and
meals associated with the team entry fee
• Players must provide their own air transportation and spending money
• Players and coach have rental van and team up in hotel rooms (section pays)
• Please contact Jr. Player Dev. Manager to coordinate flight departure and arrivals with
the coach’s
• All USTA Sections are represented in this competition
• Entry Fee: Check made out to USTA Southwest Section for $150. Section sends
one check for team entry fee, player entry fee and hotel.
Boy’s and Girl’s 16 Intersectionals – Typically held in early July in Shreveport, LA
(Piermont Oaks Tennis Club)
• Coach selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition Committee
• Top 4 Boys and Top 4 Girls applying for the team from the summer endorsement list
• The USTA Southwest Section provides team entry fee and coach
• Coach will have rental van. Players will have housing available or can get hotel room at
own expense. Players have usually housed as part of the tournament's tradition. This
event does not require parent chaperone. Players have traditionally used the housing.
• Please contact the Jr. Player Dev. Manager to coordinate flight departure and arrivals
with the coach’s
• All USTA Sections are represented in competition
• This event is played on Clay
• Two Checks Required: One check made out to Piermont Oaks Tennis Club for
hospitality for $TBD (Club provides lunch each day and several dinners) and
one check to USTA Southwest Section for $150. Section sends one check for
team entry fee and player entry fee and forwards hospitality check to
tournament.
Boy’s and Girl’s 16 Zonals – Typically held in late July in Salt Lake City, UT
• Coach and chaperone selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition
Committee
• Top 5 through 10 ranked Boys and Girls (first 4 players go to Intersectionals) applying
from the summer endorsement list (6 Boys and 6 Girls).
• The USTA Southwest Section pays for coaches, hotel, and rental van
• Please contact the Jr. Player Dev. Manager to coordinate flight departure and arrivals
with the coach’s
• Competition includes Hawaii-Pacific, Intermountain, Northern, N. California, and S.
California
• Entry Fee: $150 to USTA Southwest Section. Section sends one check for
team entry fee.
Boys and Girls 14 Intersectionals-Typically held in early July in Auburn, AL
• Coach and chaperone selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition
Committee
• Top 4 ranked Boys and Girls applying from the summer team endorsement list
• The USTA Southwest Section pays for coach, hotel, and rental van
• Please contact the Jr. Player Dev. Manager to coordinate flight departure and arrivals
with the coach’s
• This event is played on clay
• Entry fee: $150 to USTA Southwest Section. Section sends one check for team
entry fee.
Boy’s and Girl’s 14 Zonals – Typically held in late July in Arlington, TX
• Coach and chaperone selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition
Committee
• 5-10 ranked Boys and Girls applying for the team from the summer endorsement list
• The USTA Southwest Section pays for coach, hotel, and rental van
• Please contact the Jr. Player Dev. Manager to coordinate flight departure and arrivals
with the coach’s
• Competition includes Caribbean, Florida, Missouri Valley and Texas
• Entry Fee: $150 to USTA Southwest Section. Section sends one check for
team entry fee.
Boys and Girls 12 Zonals – Typically held in late July in Tucson, AZ
• 2 coaches selected by the USTA Southwest Section Junior Competition Committee
• Top 12 boys and top 12 girls applying from the summer endorsement list
• All players must have a chaperone. Players and parents may team up for chaperones
• USTA Southwest Section pays for the two coaches
• Competition includes Hawaii-Pacific, N. California, Pacific Northwest and S. California
• This event typically requires more than 12 boys and 12 girls as we are the host section
and provide substitutes for other teams.
• Entry Fee: $95 to USTA Southwest Section. Section sends one check for team
entry fee.
Team Entry Deadlines:
• Late MAY – Team entry forms and fees due to the USTA Southwest Section office for
14s and 16s Intersectional events
• LATE MAY – Team Selections finalized for 14s & 16s Intersectional events
• MID-To-LATE JUNE – Team entry forms and fees due to the USTA Southwest Section
office for Boys & Girls 18s National Team Events and 12-16 zonal teams (you can give to
Nicole or Eric at the Southwest Junior Closed)
Payment by Check
• You can mail the team entry fee and entry form to USTA Southwest Player Development
Manager at 7010 E Acoma Dr Suite 201 Scottsdale, AZ 85254
• Event checks for BG14-18 are made payable to USTA Southwest for $150; BG12 zonals
is $95 to USTA Southwest
• Boy’s & Girl’s 16 Intersectionals has two checks; one for the player entry fee
and one for hospitality made out to Piermont Oaks Tennis Club.
In Summary, here are some important time frames to remember!
• May 1st – Endorsement Information sheet due
• LATE MAY – Team Selections finalized for 14s & 16s Intersectional events and entry
fees due for Intersectional events
• LATE MAY – Entry Deadline for the Southwest Junior Closed. You can enter online
• SOON AFTER JUNIOR CLOSED FINISHES – Our latest Southwest Section
Endorsement list will be published
• MID-TO-LATE JUNE – Team entry forms and fees due to the USTA Southwest Section
office for Boys & Girls 18s National Team Events and 12-16 zonal teams; this will be the
date of making the line-up for teams based on UTR
USTA Southw est Player Developm ent M anager w ill alw ays send out required info to qualified
players.