Mcta jtt captain’s Guide spring 2015 edition
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- Navigate this page:
- Team Size and Gender Requirements
- Advancing to Championships
- MCTA JTT rules define the late policy – some captains will hold to the letter, some will be more flexible. No one should feel badly about insisting that the penalties for lateness be applied.
- – such as your match isn’t on their schedule, a safety concern, etc. After the match
- Teams
- Match Summary
- Captains and acting captains should bring a copy of the rules to each match. All players and parents must sign a Code of Conduct Agreement
- USTA Jr. Team Tennis Regulations
- MCTA JTT Grievance Procedure and Grievance Committee
MCTA JTT Captain’s Guide SPRING 2015 EDITION 
Thank you for volunteering to serve as a Jr. Team Tennis Captain. Along with many other JTT captains, you allow around 1000 youth to play competitive recreational tennis in Montgomery County each year. Being a captain takes some work, but it can also be a lot of fun – a rewarding commitment that serves both your team and tennis as a whole. Your efforts will support the next generation of tennis in America. This packet should provide you with most of the information you need to manage your team through a great season. You will find links to local and national rules, organizational tips, advice on team configuration, and how to navigate TennisLink. Of course, we are here to answer questions whenever you need – no question is too small. 
Pre-Season: Much of your work comes before the season begins. The things you will want to do are:
Championships: The MD Regional and MAS Section championships are a multi-day tournament bringing the best teams from around the state and the mid-Atlantic. Typically the team which wins its division advances to the Regional championships. Second and third place teams should not count themselves out. We may receive a wild card or the top team may not be able to attend. You should communicate early with your team, especially the dates, to minimize scrambling later. *This year the 8U championship is an afternoon event at the section level – no regionals. Team Size and Gender Requirements: Spring teams need to adhere to stringent eligibility requirements to advance to region, section and national championships. The minimum team size and gender requirements depend upon the division. Many Spring teams roster one or more than the minimum requirement. This serves three purposes – 1) reducing the likelihood of a default, 2) minimizing the need to recruit substitute players for championships, and 3) minimizing the need for any player to have to play twice in the same match at championships. 10 Adv, 12-U, 14-U, 15-18 Intermediate and Advanced: The team minimum is 6 players, with at least 3 boys and 3 girls – it is a USTA rule and there are no exceptions. 10 Beginner and Intermed, 12-U and 14-U Beginner: The team minimum is 4 with no gender requirement. Because the use of subs is not allowed in the spring and teams with hopes to advance often choose to have larger teams, refunds will be made at the end of the season for teams larger than the minimum. Points: In Spring 2016, players with 750 or more MAS ranking points on Aug. 31, 2015, must play Advanced, regardless of the age/division. This is a USTA Mid-Atlantic rule and there is no flexibility on this. If you have a question about a player’s points, consult the JTT Coordinator. Managing Your Roster: Captains set the line ups for each week. The most effective captains ask for players’ availability before the season begins and generate the season’s line ups well in advance. This way they can make sure each player gets an even number of matches. Many captains also line up someone on their roster to serve as a backup in case a player can’t make it at the last minute. T  here are no requirements for how you set your line up – but all players should have the opportunity to play an equal number of times and in a mix of both singles and doubles positions. If you do not plan to rotate players so that all have equal shots at each position, you would want to convey that up front to avoid issues later.
Advancing to Championships: USTA regulations are updated from year to year. In order for a player to advance, he/she must have at least 2 matches in TL (changed from 3 in 2014) with different match numbers; at least two matches must be played (not resulting from a forfeit). Substitutes: In the Spring Championship season, substitutes during the regular season are allowed only for the purposes of using the court. Any individual match in which a sub plays is scored as a default, in favor of the opposing team. 
Before the match: Early in the week send a reminder email to the scheduled players (and your designated “stand-by”). Email your opposing captain on Thurs or Fri to determine whether they will field a full team. These go a long way to minimize scrambling and defaults. If it a default can’t be avoided, give the opposing captain the courtesy of advanced notice. If there is a default but players use the court, please let the JTT Coordinator know of any agreement between captains to share court costs. In the absence of an agreement, the defaulting team is charged the full cost of the court. I nclement weather: For outdoor matches both captains may agree to reschedule due to weather conditions such as rain, lightening, unplayable courts - no earlier than 2 hours prior to match time, and then no players need go to the match site. Without an agreement by both captains, players must report to the match site, ready to play. Contact info for all MCTA JTT facilities is on our website www.mctatennis.org/facilities.
At the match: Captains/Acting Captains will want to have the cell numbers of their players, the JTT Coordinator, and opposing captain in case there is a problem. The MCTA JTT rules define the late policy – some captains will hold to the letter, some will be more flexible. No one should feel badly about insisting that the penalties for lateness be applied. Captains/Acting Captains should identify each other at least 10 minutes before the match. The home team goes to the facility desk for court assignment and balls. Five minutes before the match, captains should exchange line ups; the home team captain assigns the courts. Captains should also agree on the match clock if one is not available on the court – matches may not exceed the time allowed. Take a score sheet with you (see TennisLink Is Your Friend for instructions). If you don’t have one, use a blank piece of paper and include the players from both teams, their positions, and the outcome. The match should look like this: players walk onto their courts, introduce themselves, home team spins, maximum 10 minute warm up (ground stokes, volleys, serves), then match begins. Players call the score before every point and for every game; players work out any disagreements. Match ends, players shake hands, report scores to captain, captains sign score sheets, balls go back to the facility desk. Notice – parents aren’t mentioned here because….. Players are expected to manage their own matches. No coaching is allowed in MCTA’s JTT (10 Advanced and above). Being new to competitive tennis is not reason to receive coaching. Please make sure each and every spectator is aware of this rule as this is the primary source of controversy where problems arise. When time is up, it’s up – we cannot stay on the courts to finish a match even if no one is coming on afterwards. Contact the Coordinator if there is an issue with the facility – such as your match isn’t on their schedule, a safety concern, etc. After the match: Compare and sign each other’s score sheet as a sign of agreement – scores on a signed score sheet stand. I t is difficult to resolve a scoring dispute without a signed score sheets to refer back to. During the Championship, season when advancement is on the line, it is especially important to insist that the opposing captain or their designee review and sign the score sheet at every match. Ask your Acting Captain to give you the scores, either the signed sheet or a scanned copy.
Keep your score sheets at least until the scores are Confirmed, preferably for the full season. Score Entry: Only Captains, official Co-Captains, and the JTT Coordinator can enter scores. The winning Captain should enter the scores and the opposing Captain should confirm the scores in TL within 48 hours. Unrecorded scores will not count toward a team’s total and will not contribute to the Team Standings. If you make a mistake when entering the score, inform the JTT Coordinator as captains do not have the ability to make changes once scores are entered. Score sheets list winning score first, regardless of how the names appear. Player A v Player B is shown as 6-1, 7-5 – regardless of who won; then the winner is indicated on the right (or circled). Third set tie breaks are entered 1-0 – they are considered a game. If a match does not finish, it is entered as Timed. If a player retires, enter the score at the time of retirement, chose the Winner, enter Retired – TL will do the rest. Consider talking to the team about going out for a snack and some old-fashioned trash-talking once in a while. Friendships and team cohesion can make things easier – parents may be more willing to help out, players may be more likely to return next season, and your son/daughter will have more fun. 
Most new Captains complain about TennisLink (TL) – it isn’t immediately intuitive; though with practice, it can prove very useful. The USTA back ground screening, mandatory for all captains, is directly tied to TL – captains will not be able to access their team page without completion. It may take up to 10 days to complete and is good for 2 years. T he main thing to know is TL provides varying levels of access. When logged in, Captains have a different level of access than parents and players. You received a Log In number and password when you registered to become a Coach/Manager (we call you Captains) – keep it handy and book mark the Home Page http://tennislink.usta.com/TEAMTENNIS/Main/HomePage.aspx. Another thing to know is anything underlined and in blue will take you to another level of detail.
Your Captain Log in number identifies you to TL as a Captain and stays with you from season to season. Team numbers (which players use to register onto a team) are good for only one season. The following will guide you through the tasks you will perform in TL as a Captain. There are several ways to find information in TL; as you play around in TL, you may discover other routes and tools not described here. For the fastest way to get most of your information, go to the JTT Home Page (above) and set yourself up with MY TEAMS. 
You (and anyone else on your team) can get much of your team’s and division’s information without having to log in - match schedule, Stats and Standings, opposing Captain’s email. Enter your team number where it asks What team do you want to follow?  .
Click on your team name and you see/get:
CAPTAINS: For features available to Captains and Coordinators only, you must log in. Go to the home page (above) and find the small words Log In at the top right. Once logged in you will find a box on the right with your options:
Teams - Click on Teams. Be sure you are in the correct Championship Year – spring and winter match the calendar but fall is in the following year. (You can also get to the Team Summary by typing in your team number on the home page (logged in) under View Stats and Standings). Click on your team number on the left. You can get more detailed player info by clicking on a player’s number on the left. Here you can add a Co-Captain (you need their Captain number and they have to have completed the background screening) – be sure to Save. The majority of information comes from the icon on the right - The first page you come to is the Team Summary. From here you can get a player’s record by clicking on his/her name, go to another team’s page by clicking on the team name, see the match results by clicking on the date for a match that has been played, and print a score sheet by clicking on the date for a match that has not been played. Match Summary gives you just that – match date, time, opponent and outcome. Match Schedule gives you who, where, when and Captains’ phone numbers (if they entered it in TL when they registered as a Captain). Player Roster gives you more detailed information on each of your players than what you found when you clicked on your team number earlier. Blank Score Card – can be used if the schedule has not been posted in TL. Printing a Score Card: There are a few ways to print a score sheet. The fastest way (when not set up with My Teams) is to enter your team number in the box labeled Team Number (it is in different locations, depending upon whether or not you are logged in) under View Stats and Standings on the JTT home page. If you are logged in – click on the match date and find Print Report on the top right. If you aren’t logged in - On the next page, click on the current team name. Then click on blank scorecard under the match. Score Entry –You need to go back to the JTT home page http://tennislink.usta.com/TEAMTENNIS/Main/HomePage.aspx (out of Teams) to enter a score. To do get to the JTT Home Page quickly, look for the link on the left in the blue box. If logged in, Score Entry is one of your Options (red box on the right). You will need the match number; follow the prompts.
Things sure would be great if everyone knew and followed the rules during matches. That can be a tall order since there are three sources for rules - local (MCTA), USTA, and The Code. Our local rules can be found on our website at www.mctatennis.org/jtt_rules.php. Between those and our Code of Conduct/Rules Cards (available upon request), most everything a captain, player, and parent need to know is covered. Captains and acting captains should bring a copy of the rules to each match. All players and parents must sign a Code of Conduct Agreement each season. Abiding by this set of principals will alleviate most of the issues that come up in competition. A copy can be found on the Parent’s Page of the website. www.mctatennis.org/jtt_parents.php The fall and winter seasons are non-advancing (i.e., teams are not eligible to advance to championships) and are not bound by all USTA national regulations. We can adapt many elements to suit our needs – such as playing 3 courts, not having a gender requirement, allowing subs, etc. When the spring season rolls around, things change and knowing the USTA Jr. Team Tennis Regulations (national) is important for all teams, especially for those advancing to championships. They can be found at http://www.usta.com/Youth-Tennis/Team-Tennis/resources/. There are a few instances where local and USTA rules conflict (eg. Coaching). If there is any uncertainty, consult the local JTT Coordinator. MCTA JTT Grievance Procedure and Grievance Committee. All information needed to file a grievance or understand the process is on our website www.mctatennis.org/jtt_rules.php. Please refer any questions you have regarding rules to the JTT Coordinator. If she doesn’t know the answer right off, she will track it down. 
Why and how is the Spring Season different from the Fall and Winter Seasons? The Spring Season is the one from which we can advance teams to district (state), section and national championships – so we must follow the regulations and format set by USTA Maryland, USTA Mid-Atlantic, and USTA (national).
I have two different numbers – what are they? You received a Captain Log In number (and a pass word) from USTA when you registered as a Captain in TL– this number identifies you as a Captain and stays with you from season to season. For each new season, you receive a new Team Number – this is the number players enter in TL to join your team that season. I’m ready to sign my team up for the next season – how do I do that? The JTT Coordinator will give you a new team number during Team Registration. Are there rules dictating how to set my line up? No, except that all players need to be given the opportunity to play an equal number of matches. You choose who plays singles (and which court) and who plays doubles. But remember that all players advancing to districts must have at least 3 matches from different match numbers, 2 of which must be played (not the result of a default), in TL. You will want to communicate how you plan to set line ups with your team before the season begins. Most Captains rotate around giving everyone a shot at each position. In the spring season, Captains tend to set line ups a bit more strategically as they look to advance their team to championships. What if my team wins their division but I don’t have enough players to go to districts? JTT Regs allow one substitute to accompany a team to districts – if the original roster falls below 3 and 3. The sub can replace only a player who has met all other criteria for advancing (3 matches in TL, at or under the points minimum for playing Intermed, etc). A team may substitute only one player. If that team advances to sectionals, the team may take the original player or the sub, but not both. However, the sub can fill in for a different player on the team. Directory: assets assets -> Northern territory of australia assets -> Number: caveat in the [Will/Will and Codicil/Estate of] assets -> Invitation for Bid Calact/mbta for Standard Floor and Low Floor Rural Duty Vehicles ifb no. 12-03 November 14, 2012 assets -> 12 Step Retreats For Everyone in Twelve Step Recovery Ratner Fellowship assets -> 12 Step Retreats For Everyone in Twelve Step Recovery Ratner Fellowship assets -> Sigaccess annual Report assets -> Central Government is expected to ask the seventh pay commission to consider merging 50% dearness allowance assets -> List of accessible executive records assets -> Emergency telephone numbers Call toll-free from anywhere in France Download 44.94 Kb. Share with your friends:
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hare your team philosophy and protocol. Talk with your players ahead of time about your team’s goals, what is important to you, how you will set line-ups, what to do if a player can’t make a match, expectations for parents, etc. Consider holding a team meeting to get all of this worked out.
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