East Texas Tennis!

Ratings shown on EastTexasTennis.com are not official USTA ratings.

Players enter their own rating on EastTexasTennis.com and are also responsible for changing it when their USTA rating changes

Some players may not have changed their EastTexasTennis rating so please check www.USTA.com for official updated ratings:

How to change your personal rating shown on EastTexasTennis.com when your offical USTA rating changes:

From the player's profile page, click on the Ratings tab at the top of the page.

Enter your rating in the "BASE Singles & Doubles" rating box

You do not need to enter anything in any of the other boxes. You will need to change your rating anytime your rating changes. Rating can be found on the USTA website. The USTA ratings are the only official ratings the USPTA leagues play by.

The Original Evans Air

2018 East Texas Jr. Gran Prix

Tournaments & Guidelines

Hollytree October 21, 2017

Hollytree November 18, 2017

Hollytree December 9, 2017

Hollytree January 20, 2018

Hollytree February 17, 2018

Cascades March 3, 2018

Hollytree March 24, 2018

Hollytree April 14, 2018

Cascades May 19, 2018

Jacksonville June 9, 2018

Hollytree June 23, 2018

Cascades July 28, 2018

The deadline for each event above is the Monday prior to the event

Texas State Jr. Gran Prix Championships–Sept. 15 -16 2018

John Newkcomb’s Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels

The 2018 East Texas Jr. Gran Prix circuit is a series of one day junior tournaments open to all area juniors champs and below. This year will be the first year we are able to allow champ players to compete in our local tournaments. Champs (as of August 1, 2018) will not be eligible to advance to the September 2018 Jr. Gran Prix State Championships. Champs are welcome to play in their current age division or higher. All juniors are encouraged to play in the age division they must play in as of September 1, 2018 so they earn points throughout the year in the division they will be eligible to play in the September 2018 State Championships should they qualify. If a junior plays our local tournaments in 14's for example and finishes #1 but then turns 15 on or before September 1, 2018 he/she will not be eligible to advance to the state championships since he/she qualified in 14’s but is now 15. If a player is not interested in advancing to the state tournament then they are welcome to play in any age division they are currently eligible for. Players will accumulate points throughout the series of events based on the following point chart:

2 points for completing two rounds in a tournament

2 points for each round won in the main draw or round robin

2 points for a BYE if the following round is won

2 points for a 1st round default if the following round is won

(2 points will be awarded for all other default wins)

1 point for each round won in the consolation draw

If a player withdraws or no shows from (2) events then he will be ineligible to advance with Team East Texas to the State Championships.

Entry Fee for singles in each event is payable by credit card only at www.EastTexasTennis.com and is $20 inclusive of registration fee and entry fee. Entry fees cannot be refunded.

The top two point earners in each age division will earn the chance to compete for Team East Texas in the Texas State Team Championships held September 2018 at John Newcomb’s Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels. Should either of the top two point earners not be able to attend the championships then others will be invited based on the order of finish, quality of wins, number of events played, etc. The alternates will not necessarily be selected in order of finish only. If a player qualifies for the state tournament in two age divisions from playing in different events throughout the local competition then he/she will represent the team in the "younger" age division to increase the strength of our team. Age divisions offered in each tournament will include green ball co-ed 10’s, boys & girls 12’s, boys & girls 14’s and boys & girls 16-18's. Current point standings are available at www.EastTexasTennis.com by clicking on any junior gran prix tournament then on the STANDINGS tab in the top right corner of the page. All tournament draws are also available for current and past events by clicking on the tournament name. It is the player’s responsibility to check point standings and notify the tournament director within 10 days of any event he/she feels like the points might have been awarded incorrectly.

Players who are qualified for champs on August 1, 2018 will be ineligible to advance to the state championships but players qualifying after August 1 are encouraged to advance with the team. Several teams in the state championships will have champ players competing for them who have qualified after August 1.

Players should play the age division in local tournaments they will be required to play as of September 1, 2018. If you play 14’s and finish in the top two in the local circuit but then turn 15 any time prior to September 2, 2018 you will not be able to advance to the state tournament since you cannot play 14’s on that weekend. If a player ages up into a new age division during the local circuit season points earned will not follow the player up. It is highly recommended that if a player is going to age up during the season or the State Championship tournament that they compete in the higher age division for the entire season. Likewise if younger players play “up” and qualify for the State Tournament the team coach has the right to play that player in younger age divisions at the State Championships if possible in order to benefit the team. USTA membership is not required to participate in any of the East Texas Jr. Gran Prix tournaments or the State Championships. All players will stay in condos and rooms at John Newcomb’s tennis ranch and parents are more than welcome to attend. This is a very fun weekend and a great experience for all kids and parents. The cost for the event is $250 per player and includes entry fee, (6) meals and (2) nights lodging with the team as well as supervision throughout the event. All local tournaments will offer consolation and or round robin play if less than (5) in the draw. Match format will be based on the size of the tournament and draws. Green Dot balls will be used for all 10 & Under divisions. USTA rules govern match play. Parents are not permitted on the courts or allowed to coach. The only way to enter the tournaments is through www.EastTexasTennis.com. If you have any questions please contact any of the tournament director's listed on the tournament home page.

Jim Sciarro

USPTA East Texas

Jr. Gran Prix Coordinator

TennisHollytree@gmail.com

The Original Evans Air to Sponsor Junior Grass Roots Tennis in East Texas

Rick & Dicksie Walker who have been long time title sponsors of the USPTA National Hard Courts have taken on a new game plan for 2018. The hard court event was moved to Austin for this year but Rick & Dicksie have decided to help the constantly growing number of grass root junior tennis players in East Texas by sponsoring the 2017-18 Junior Gran Prix Tournament Circuit.

The circuit is a series of (12) one day singles tournaments for juniors in East Texas competing in the 10 & Under green ball, 12 & Under, 14 & Under and 18 & Under age divisions. All juniors from the Championship level down to the grass roots level are all welcome to sign up for any of these one day events. The kids will earn 2 points for participation, 2 points for main draw wins and 1 point for all consolation wins in each tournament they chose to participate in. The first of the 12 tournaments for the 2017-18 ranking year will be held at Hollytree on October 21, 2017 with tournaments being held monthly and the 12th event ending on July 28, 2018 at The Cascades. A listing of all tournaments as well as detailed circuit information is available here at www.EastTexasTennis.com under competitions.

The sponsorship funds provided by The Original Evans Air and Rick & Dicksie will go towards subsidizing the cost for the kids who qualify through our local East Texas Circuit to attend the USPTA Texas State Team Championship event to be held at John Newcomb's Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels in September 2018. The State Tournament has annually been one of the most fun team events for kids from 10-18 in the state of Texas. The setting at NEWK's Tennis Ranch provides an opportunity for the kids to arrive Friday afternoon and never leave the Ranch until the completion of the event on Sunday afternoon. The sponsorship from The Original Evans Air will greatly reduce the out of pocket expense for each qualifying junior in providing a subsidy towards their lodging, supervision, meals and tournament entry fees. The sponsorhship will also provide (2) Team East Texas team t-shirts for the kids to wear during all of their team matches as well as awards for the champions of all the 12 local tournaments.

Please help us to Thank Rick & Dicksie for their support of the growth of Junior Tennis in East Texas!

The Original Evans Air

Rick & Dicksie Walker

Servicing Smith County, Texas & More.
Tyler, Lindale, Bullard, Chandler, Flint,
Frankston, Hideaway Lake, Jacksonville,
Troup, Van, Whitehouse, Winona
and Everything Betwixt and Between!

Call Today 903-561-9410
GOOGLE MAPS - THE ORIGINAL EVANS AIR

https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalEvansAir

2018 East Texas USPTA Fall League!

FINAL Deadline for teams to enter and have 6 registered players: Next Tuesday July 24

League Information:The East Texas USPTA adult league is open for all players ages 18 & above as of the end of 2018. Players do not have to be a member of the USTA or USPTA to participate. Teams consist of a minimum of 6 players eligible to compete at the team’s level of play. Players should play by their most recent published USTA rating. Any player who was DQ'd at any time after January 2018 ratings were published must play at that higher rating. If a player appealed his/her rating he/she must play by the appealed decision. If a player already has a self rating from earlier leagues and no published rating then that self rating must be used. Players with no rating may join any team he/she feels he/she is eligible for. Self rated players are subject to review and disqualification at any time by USPTA pros committee.Ratings entered by players on their EastTexasTennis.com account are not always current.

Team Registration:WWW.EastTexasTennis.com will be used for all USPTA team registrations. All players should login to www.EastTexasTennis.com and create a free account. When you fill out your free account informationPLEASE be sure and fill out all information requested so we can contact you with schedule changes and league updates. All players must pay the $20 player fee during registration with a credit or debit card. When you register please be sure and write down your user ID and password. Duplicate accounts can cause problems with team scores so please don’t create two accounts. If you have forgotten your password please click the "email me my password" button so you do not end up with two accounts and not get credit for your matches played. After you register you should see your name on the team roster within a few hours.

To Captain a Team:If you will be captaining a team go to www.EastTexasTennis.com and once you create your account if you don't already have one click on “Create New Team” and follow the steps.If your home court facility is not found please email Jim at tennishollytree@gmail.com and we will add your facility before you can complete the team registration process. Most East Texas area clubs and schools should already be in the database.Always try various spellings and words such as THE Cascades and not just Cascades to find your home courts.Once you have created your team follow the steps below to “join” the team. Forming your team and selecting yourself as a captain does not register you to “play” on that team but only to captain it. If you’re going to be a player you will need to “join the team” after creating the team. If you are only captaining the team and not playing on the team you do not need to "join" the team after registering to be the captain.

To Join a Team:Go to www.EastTexasTennis.com and create a free account if you don't already have one. Click "email me my password" if you have an account but forgot your login information. Please do not create another account or your scores and matches will not be recorded properly. Please be sure and fill out all requested information so you can be contacted with league updates, schedules, scores, etc. Once you have created an account click on the red “Sign Up” button next to the division you would like to enter and select your captain’s name. Once you pay the $20 league fee you will be listed on the roster! There are no additional fees for the online registration. Follow these same steps if you would like to join another team at a different level of play. Refunds cannot be given for any reason but we will have the ability to move players from one team to another at no additional charge if necessary prior to theSeptember 9 player add deadline.

League Details:

League format will be two lines of doubles play each week – Line #1 worth 5 points and Line #2 worth 3 points for the win (captains must not only enter scores weekly but must also enter the points won)

Match starting times will be scheduled between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m / Facilities allowing several teams to play on a given night could have 8:30 match starting times which will follow the 6pm or 7pm matches.

Anyone with permission to reserve two lighted outdoor hard courts for the length of the season may form his/her own team.

Facilities are not required to provide “warm up courts” prior to the match start time.Please check with your home facility for any policies they might have on requirements for forming teams.

The length of each league season will be based on the number of teams entered / some levels may be divided into two flights and some may have a playoff

Teams may have a few matches scheduled on days other than “normal” day of play - this is due to scheduling and court conflicts not a team’s choice

Winning teams will advance to the USTPA Texas State Team Championships in Houston January 11-13, 2019.The Houston tournament will play matches both indoors and outdoors in 2019.

Players must play at least two regular season local league matches (and at least one playoff match if applicable) to advance to state championships. If a team is scheduled to play 9 or more matches then a player must play in at least (3) regular season matches + a playoff match if applicable in order to advance to the state championships. Defaults do not count as a match played.

All matches will be 2 out of 3 tie-break sets with a 10-point super tiebreak for split set matches

Players should play by their January 2018 rating or their current self rating if not in the published ratings. Appeals honored by the USTA prior to August 20, 2018 will apply for this league.

Home team is responsible for providing new balls for each home match.

For larger schedules mandatory rain make up dates will be listed. Please try to make up your rain outs as soon as possible.

Teams are not permitted to reschedule matches for any reason other than wet courts unless both teams agree to AND play the match PRIOR to the scheduled date.For no reason other than weather related issues should a match be postponed to be played at alaterdate unless rescheduled by or with the league coordinator.

Teams will receive 5 points for winning line #1 and 3 for line #2. If one line must be defaulted the defaulting team may choose which line it will be. It is out of courtesy that the defaulting team notify the opponents about the default but it is not mandatory.

Players are permitted to play on as many teams as desired but only one team per level. Playing on two teams is not a reason to call your opponent and try to reschedule a team match even if both matches happen to be scheduled for the same time. If a team defaults both lines in a given match the team will receive a -4 for their score.

All grievances should be emailed to coordinator within 24 hours. The local grievance committee will consist of (3) local USPTA pros. Please send emails to league coordinator within 24 hours of the issue.

All captains must have a minimum of 6 players registered by Tuesday, July 24. The league coordinator will have the ability to move players to other teams by request but no refunds will be given once a player has registered and paid online.Teams may continue to add players until September 9, 2018.

League Play Begins:

Women 3.0 & 4.0 most matches on Mondays beginning August 20 (3.0 & 4.0 will not play Monday Sept 3 (Labor Day)but might play a different day that week);

Men 3.0 & 4.0 most matches on Tuesdays beginning August 21;

Men 3.5 & 4.5 and Women 4.5 most matches on Wednesdays beginning August 22;

Women 3.5 most matches on Thursdays beginning August 23;

Roster Deadline: Tuesday, July 24 (teams must have 6 players listed);Last Date to add players (more than the original 6 required to be on roster by July 26) will be September 9.

Please call Jim or Jessica in the Hollytree Tennis Shop for more information or for help registering yourself or your team.

Jim Sciarro

USPTA League Coordinator

903.581.7788 or tennishollytree@gmail.com

Revised 5/10/2018