Captain's Corner
Captains Responsibilities: Make it Fun!
Do you want to know how to start tennis team in Wilmington? Use this info to make your season easier and more rewarding! Take a little bit of time to read the following tips and rules about starting and captaining a team – and always remember – Make It FUN!
Be Familiar with the structure, procedures, Local League, Sectional and National Regulations, plus the general rules of tennis, including the Code of Conduct. Inform your team members of these guidelines and regulations so that your players know the rules.
Attend all local league meetings. We typically hold an annual captains meeting at the beginning of the year where we review rule changes and enjoy socializing with other captains.
Recruit enough players to field a complete team for every match. You want to have a mostly full roster so that you have enough players to fill all courts, at every match. When a team has to forfeit, it\’s just not fun.
Ensure that all players meet the eligibility requirements. Each teammate must have a valid NTRP rating, USTA membership that is current through the season and meet the age requirements for the team.
Information You\’ll Need to Distribute to Team Members & What Captains Are Responsible for:
Be Familiar with the structure, procedures, Local League, Sectional and National Regulations, plus the general rules of tennis, including the Code of Conduct. Inform your team members of these guidelines and regulations so that your players know the rules.
Attend all local league meetings. We typically hold an annual captains meeting at the beginning of the year where we review rule changes and enjoy socializing with other captains.
Recruit enough players to field a complete team for every match. You want to have a mostly full roster so that you have enough players to fill all courts, at every match. When a team has to forfeit, it\’s just not fun.
Ensure that all players meet the eligibility requirements. Each teammate must have a valid NTRP rating, USTA membership that is current through the season and meet the age requirements for the team.
Information You\’ll Need to Distribute to Team Members & What Captains Are Responsible for:
- The team number required for team registration on TennisLink
- Where to locate the team schedule (TennisLink)
- Rules and Regulations (see Friend at Court and our Local League Regulations below)
- Team Roster including members\’ names, phone numbers and emails or other contact information
- Follow Guidelines for makeup matches with inclement weather
- Monitor players to be sure matches are scheduled with their opponents
- Record match results on TennisLink within 48 hours of scheduled match
- Organize all materials required for the team’s participation at the championship level if team advances
South East Tennis, USTA League Coordinator
Anna Martin
leagues@wilmingtontennis.com
League Rules
- Friend at Court – USTA Rules (PDF Download)
- South East Tennis (SET) Local League Regulations – Coming Soon
Inclement Weather Policy
By definition inclement weather is precipitation before or at the time of the match that prevents courts being playable.
Temperature Policy
If Temperature or wind chill goes below 35 degrees (temperature at the Wilmington airport-National Weather Service); or the heat index is 100 degrees or greater, matches may be treated as a Make Up. If both Teams choose, they may play in these conditions.
A match may be postponed due to inclement weather. Full Details in the South East Tennis (SET) Local League Regulations. – 2020 coming soon
What Happens When a Match is Rained Out?
On the day of the match you must email the following information to the Rain Coordinator, Paula Sneeden – pjsneed@aol.com or rain@wilmingtontennis.com. When the Rain Coordinator has received line-ups from BOTH teams, she will send a copy to both captains. She will need:
- The date, time & location of the match
- The match number
- Your line up including player\’s full names, phone numbers & email addresses. Your line up should indicate which players were scheduled to play on which courts. e.g. Court 1 – Sally (910-222-3333, sally@gmail.com) & Sara (910-222-3366, sarah@gmail.com)
How to Self Rate
Use the NTRP Rating Chart
Appeal a Rating
Find details in TennisLink.
Information that you can get from your Tennislink account:
- Match Schedules
- Blank Scorecards
- Recording a Score
- Stats & Standings
- Send a line up to your team