TENNIS
With Coach Rocky & Friends
Youth
Program
Sugar Creek Youth League Resource Page.
We have finally arrived to the point where we have formed a tennis team and we are ready to compete. Parents and players, welcome to our league resource page. I have built this webpage to help you all navigate through our 2021 Fall League Tennis Season with ALTA. Below you will find our team rooster, match schedules, player checklist and most importantly, the ALTA rules.
As you will see below, we have several home matches and I'm in the process of reserving our clay courts at Sugar Creek. Matches will start Saturday, September 11th. Our next five practices will be geared toward setting up our line up and understanding the rules as well as understanding how to play a tiebreaker. I've done a great job getting you all ready for competition but we still have much to understand and being prepared for the unexpected. The more you play(compete) the more you will learn from yourself. This experience will allow you to form your own insight that will prompt you to ask questions.
Parents, our home matches will require your help. I want to maintain a safe enviornment within our Sugar Creek home courts for players as well as our guests (Opponents and their parents/coaches).
Each one of our player's will be required to bring snacks. I will designate snack responsibilities under the rooster section. Regarding the rooster and player lineups, I look to have set teams (but this will change based on player availability). I would like to have everyone play singles at least once and this will create a shift in the lineup as well, but that's ok because we will practice the week before each match.
Managing our young player's expectations regarding winning, loosing and behavior on the competitive court.
I do not expect our team to win every match and I do not expect them to loose every match. If we loose every match, we are gracious in defeat and we learn from our loss and practice harder. If we win every match, we are humbled with our success and we also use this as a learning moment and practice harder. We will not tolerate over celebration, giving up and losing control of our emotions by getting mad and being mean to ourselves, our teammates and our opponents. We represent God's grace on the court. We represent our parents on the court. You represent your teammates on the court. You represent your coach on the court. You represent Sugar Creek on the court. You represent our culture on the court.
Boys 12u Roster
All of our home matches say (vs) all of our away matches say (at). Below is a list of closed snack responsibilities for our home matches so that we are welcoming to our guest and we provide safe, enjoyable playing environment for our players.
Team Player Captain:
William Miller (Responsible for uplifting team morale and organizing our stretching before practice)
Home match snack duties: (Unused snacks, will be bagged up and used for our next home match.
I need two parent volunteers for this duty. Email Coach Rocky now to volunteer.)
Cameron Bell: 4 Packs of Dole Fruit Cups (Any flavor)
Zy'erre Brown: 2 Hands of Bananas
John Hampton: 2 Six Packs of Gatorade/Powerade (Any Flavor)
Amir Jackson: Water (12 or 24 Pack)
Olvinn Lumpkins: 1 Variety Pack of Chips
William Miller: 1 Batch of Oranges
Christian Murray: 2 Boxes of Granola Bars
Email Coach Rocky with questions and concerns regarding snacks
Boys 12u Fall ALTA Tennis Schedule (C-5)
Girls 15u Roster
All of our home matches say (vs) all of our away matches say (at). Below is a list of closed snack responsibilities for our home matches so that we are welcoming to our guest and we provide safe, enjoyable playing environment for our players.
Team Player Captain:
Amir Johnson (Responsible for uplifting team morale and organizing our stretching before practice)
Home match snack duties: (Unused snacks, will be bagged up and used for our next home match.
I need two parent volunteers for this duty. Email Coach Rocky now to volunteer.)
Raelyn: 4 Packs of Dole Fruit Cups (Any flavor)
Ayira: 2 Hands of Bananas
Kurnyeja: 2 Six Packs of Gatorade/Powerade (Any Flavor)
Erianna & Ivrianna: Water (12 or 24 Pack)
Simone Reese: 1 Variety Pack of Chips
Madison & London: 2 Batch of Oranges
Noralina: 2 Boxes of Granola Bars
Email Coach Rocky with questions and concerns regarding snacks
Girls 15u Fall ALTA Tennis Schedule (B-1)
Item Checklist for Players To Have What They Need During Their Matches
1. Drawstring bag or small tennis bag (The group received a UPS Drawstring this summer)
2. Water bottle (Important)
3. Towel or Wet Cloth (Important)
4. Wrist Bands
5. Hat or Visor (Important)
6. Playing Shirt (Dri-Fit) make sure to have an extra shirt in bag.
7. Playing Shorts (Please make sure they have pockets)
8. Flip-Flops or Slides
9. Soft Fan and Mist Sprayer (Not important, but good to have)
ALTA Rules (Very Important)
Glossary of Terms
APPROVED ANNEXED FACILITY -
Two or more lighted tennis courts located outside the five county metro area which have been accepted for ALTA play by the 1st Vice President.
ALTA WEBSITE
The official Website of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, Inc. is www.altatennis.org.
THE CODE -
The current printing of “The Code”, N.E. Powell.
CURRENT ALTA YEAR -
January 1 through December 31 of each calendar year.
DEFAULT -
The loss of a match or matches by failing to be present for play within 20 minutes (default time) after the scheduled starting time. When the previous match extends beyond the default time, play must begin immediately when the court becomes available. The non-defaulting team manager may waive a default as long as the non-defaulting team remains at courtside.
A “Default” of a line will also include the electronic notification (email or text message) from a team manager/co-manager, will constitute the line(s) to be designated as a “Default” on the scorecard. Should inclement weather occur at the normal default time of the line being defaulted, regular inclement weather rules shall apply, and the default does not occur.
DUAL MEET -
A series of matches between the counterpart singles players and doubles pairs of two teams scheduled by ALTA as part of ALTA’s sanctioned league and tournament play.
FACILITY -
Two or more courts at the same address.
FORFEITURE -
The automatic loss of a match and the points attendant thereto where expressly provided herein for violation of these Rules or as otherwise imposed as a penalty as deemed appropriate by the respective League Vice President.
INELIGIBLE PLAYER -
Any play who is ineligible to play for points under any one or more of the Junior League Rules.
PENALTY -
The loss of point(s) or other action expressly imposed by these rules or by the League Vice President for a violation of these rules.
PLAYER -
Any singles player, doubles player, regular player, additional player or substitute player who is a fully paid member in good standing with the ALTA general office, who is properly listed on the team’s roster, and who is not an ineligible player under the Junior League Rules. No distinction shall be made among regular, additional or substitute players.
PLAYER’s FINAL LEVEL -
The player’s final level is the last level adjusted for end of the season team results.
RETIREMENT -
Any player who is unable to continue a match in progress because of loss of natural condition, an accidental injury or a personal emergency.
SCHEDULED MATCH -
Date published on the ALTA Team Season Schedule. In the event of inclement weather or scheduling matches early, the agreed upon time and date of the new match becomes the scheduled match.
SUSPENDED PLAYERS -
All suspended players will be considered ineligible for all ALTA league play including the Junior Challenge Ladder.
TEAM MANAGER AND CO-MANAGER
Must be 19 years or older who is responsible for a team. (Coach Noah couldn't be this, because he is 18)
THE USTA RULES -
The current printing of the Rules of Tennis and Cases and Decisions;allothercurrentUSTARules
Junior League Rules
I. TEAMS AND PLAYERS
A. All team members must be paid members of ALTA.
All junior memberships are $15.00 per calendar year (January 1 - December 31).
B. AGE ELIGIBILITY:
For the Spring:
Minimum age for Junior eligibility: A player must attain his/her 7th birthday during the calendar year in which he/she wishes to play.
10 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 11th birthday on or before March 1st prior to the spring season which he/she wishes to play.
12 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 13th birthday on or before March 1st prior to the spring season which he/she wishes to play.
15 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 16th birthday on or before March 1st prior to the spring season which he/she wishes to play.
18 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 19th birthday on or before December 31st in the year in which he/she wishes to play.
For the Fall:
Minimum age for Junior eligibility: A player must attain his/her 7th birthday during the calendar year in which he/she wishes to play.
10 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 11th birthday on or before September 1st prior to the fall season which he/she wishes to play.
12 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 13th birthday on or before September 1st prior to the fall season which he/she wishes to play.
15 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 16th birthday on or before September 1st prior to the fall season which he/she wishes to play.
18 & Under Age Group: No player may have reached his/her 19th birthday on or before December 31st in the year in which he/she wishes to play.
C. A player may play on only one team and in only one league per season.
Further, a player can participate in only one match per dual meet.
Any player 18 years of age may play in the Adult Leagues and participate in the Junior Challenge Ladder but may not return to the Junior League.
D. Each team must guarantee use of at least 2 courts of the same surface/type at the same address or 2 courts of the same surface/type, not at the same address, within 700 feet of each other (with the approval of the Rules Committee) as home courts in the five county metro area (Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Fulton Counties) or at an approved annexed facility. Any court surface, outdoor or indoor, is acceptable. Scheduling cannot accommodate any more than 2 teams per multiple of 2 courts. Example: 2 courts available, 1 or 2 teams permitted; 4 courts available, 3 or 4 teams permitted; 6 courts, 5 or 6 teams permitted etc.
E. Any required court fee and/or guest fee must be paid by the home team.
F. Rosters must be submitted via the ALTA Website according to the instructions, dates and times given in the roster packet for the Junior Leagues. Each roster must be submitted with a minimum of 8 players, a team manager and co-manager. There is no maximum limit of additional players, but two or more are recommended. A person may manage only one girls' team and one boys' team per season
G. A maximum of six players may be added after the Manager's meeting until midnight of the day before the match is played. All additions to the roster must be paid, of an appropriate age, with placement at a level consistent with players' ability using the past seasons' player history. In order to be eligible for play, the player must be added before midnight of the day before the match is played.
H. Any person not listed on a roster in accordance with these General Rules shall be an ineligible player. Any changes made to a team roster will be made at the discretion of the League Vice President.
I. All players must play in two matches during the season to be eligible for the Play-offs. A win by default or forfeit counts as a time played and all player movement rules apply.
II. FLIGHT PLACEMENT
Final determination of flight placement will be made by the League Vice President and overall coordinators. Team movement from one flight to another shall be based on the previous season’s play, as well as on the addition of new players and the loss of old players. The goal is to match teams with comparable abilities within the leagues
III. TEAM MANAGERS
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Each team must have a team manager or acting team manager present at the beginning of every dual meet. Team managers or acting team managers must exchange line-ups for all positions simultaneously before the start of the dual meet. Scores of each match must be recorded and team managers or acting team managers must sign the scorecards. Then, scores of each match must be entered and reviewed on the ALTA website immediately after the dual meet.
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Team managers shall agree upon the order of play. In case of conflict, the default order of play is 1Singles and 1Doubles followed by 2 Singles and 2 Doubles.
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Teams must determine line-ups according to strength of players in order to make fair and competitive play for all. “Sandbagging”, scheduling stronger pairs below weaker ones, is prohibited. #1singles player must be stronger than #2 singles player, #1 doubles pair must be stronger than #2 doubles pair.
*Note: Players may play both singles and doubles during a season. However, line-up must be in accordance with the above rule.
Player’s win/loss record should be used to determine position. Any team not complying with these rules shall forfeit all individual matches concerned. Any questions or problems shall be discussed with your individual coordinator before beginning play.
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IV. DUAL MEETS
A. All scheduled meets must be played by Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. for girls, or upon completion of ALTA Men’s League matches, and by Saturday at 3:30 p.m. for boys, or upon completion of ALTA Girls’ League matches. The second rounds will begin at 2:30 p.m. for girls and 4:30 p.m. for boys. Matches may be played earlier than the scheduled date with coordinator notification by both teams.
B. Dual meets will consist of 2 singles and 2 doubles matches.
C. All matches will be 8-game pro sets. A match is won when one team wins eight games by a margin of at least two games. If the score reaches 7-all, two games are played. If a team wins both of these games, the win is scored 9-7. If the score reaches 8-all, a 7-point tie-break is played and the win is scored 9-8.
1. The 18U Girls and the 18U Boys will play 2 sets. The 7- point tiebreak will be in effect anytime the score reaches 6-all in any set. In the case of split sets, a 10-point match tiebreak will be played to determine the match.
2. The 10U Boys and the 10U Girls will play on a 60' x 21' court for singles, 60' x 27' for doubles. They will play with the orange low compression ball. It is recommended that players use a 23"-25" racket.
D. Home team managers must contact visiting team managers at least 4 days before the dual meet in order to discuss place, directions and order of matches. As a courtesy, the home team manager should inform the visiting team manager whether the dual meet will be played on hard or soft courts (That means clay courts like our Sugar Creek Courts), indoor or outdoor courts.
E. ALTA will not provide linesmen or umpires for matches. (We must be clear, confident and concise with our calls)
F. ALTA rules govern play. In cases not specifically covered by these rules, USTA rules govern play. Also, “The Code” as a handbook of ethics and fair play should be understood and followed by every ALTA player. “Junior League Rules” and “The Code” should be available for consultation at all dual meets. Parent's make sure you have read through "The Code". Or at least have it handy should there be any dispute.
G. A player who is not listed on the original scorecard may participate in a match that has not begun. Players listed on a scorecard may be moved upward to fill a vacancy created by players absent or injured during warm-up. Once a player’s name is removed from the scorecard, that player shall not be allowed to play in that dual meet.
H. The 20-minute default rule, as defined in the Glossary under “Default”, is in effect for all scheduled matches. A defaulted match is scored as 9 points for the opposing team. When a match is defaulted, it must be the lower singles or doubles match, whichever is applicable. If the higher position of singles or doubles is defaulted after the respective lower position has been played, the team defaulting shall also lose the points earned at the lower position. Teams may not agree to schedule matches late.
I. The Ball Requirements:
In the 10 and under age group, low compression orange balls are used. The home team manager of each team will provide two new sets of balls that will be reused during their home matches for the duration of the season.
In the 12 age group, Stage One (Green Dot) balls are used. The home team manager must provide two unopened cans of USTA approved green dot balls for each dual meet or one unopened can of USTA-approved green-dot balls if 4 balls are packaged in one can. The can(s) will be opened for the first two matches and reused for subsequent matches of the dual meet.
In the 15 age group, the home team manager must provide two unopened cans of USTA-approved yellow balls for each dual meet. Both cans will be opened and used for the first two matches and reused for subsequent matches of the dual meet.
In the 18 and under age group, the home team manager must provide an unopened can of USTA-approved yellow balls for each individual match.
In all cases, the home team will retain the used balls.
J. Warm-up is limited to 10 minutes including practice serves.
K. Coaching is illegal. Teammates, spectators or coaches may not volunteer advice on line calls, scoring or on the conduct of a match. The only exceptions to this are (1) to help with the 7- point tie-break (both team managers may explain the tie-break procedure once, and then leave the court) or (2) during the legal monitoring of a match in the 10 & Under Group, details of which are furnished to the 10 & Under team managers. It is the team manager’s responsibility to control his/her spectators’ conduct during match play.
L. If, for any unforeseen circumstance, the home team is unable to provide its home courts for any scheduled dual meet, the visiting team has the first option of providing its home courts. The host team is considered the home team. If the visiting team does not elect to provide its home courts, the responsibility reverts to the home team which must provide courts within the approved ALTA area at the scheduled time. If alternate courts cannot be found, the team managers must contact their coordinator.
V. PENALTIES AND FORFEITURES
A. Upon agreement by the team managers at the dual meet, a player may be removed from the dual meet for unsportsmanlike conduct on the court. Removal from the dual meet will occur after one warning has been issued. The removed player will forfeit all points earned in the match. Any incidents of unsportsmanlike behavior must be reported to the division coordinator.
B. In all dual meets in which an ineligible player participates, the guilty team will be penalized by forfeiting the points earned by
1 Singles or 1 Doubles, any points earned at 2 Singles or 2 Doubles, respectively, will also be forfeited.
C. In those situations where no penalty is provided in the Junior League Rules, THE LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND DISCRETION TO IMPOSE
APPROPRIATE PENALTIES.
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A team having excessive defaults shall have all its matches to date nullified and shall be treated as a bye for the remainder of the season. Excessive defaults shall be defined as defaulting all points of any given dual meet or averaging more than one default per dual meet.
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If a team has excessive defaults as defined in Rule V.D., the team and/or its members may be suspended for the next season. This penalty also applies to any team withdrawing after roster deadline.
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If there are any conflicts that cannot be resolved by the team managers within the rules, the coordinator should be contacted. All official protests must be submitted to the League Vice President in writing with a copy to the ALTA office within 5 days of the scheduled match being protested.
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Any person playing under an assumed name or any person having knowledge of such act, and failing to report said act to ALTA in a timely manner, will be suspended for up to one year.
VI. INCLEMENT WEATHER
A. In the event of inclement weather, completed matches will stand as played. Incomplete matches must be resumed by the same players at the exact game and point as they stood when halted. Line-ups for matches not started may be changed provided they do not conflict with the player movement rules.
B. If teams have assembled to play and the match is interrupted by inclement weather, including lightning, teams should be prepared to wait one hour to determine if the courts are playable. If the courts are still not playable after one hour has elapsed, teams are free to leave and reschedule unless both teams agree to wait longer.
C. If a rained out match is not scheduled within 8 consecutive days, it will be officially scheduled on the 9th day, Monday at 6:00 p.m. for boys and girls. Failure to play on the rescheduled date will result in default of only the match or matches not played. When rained out matches are scheduled as a dual meet, normal default rules apply.
D. Rain-outs occurring on Saturday of week 6 of the regular season must be made up within five days for girls’ and boys’ teams. If an earlier time cannot be agreed upon by both team managers, girls’ and boys’ matches will be officially scheduled for Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
Rain-outs occurring on Saturday of week 7 of the regular sea- son must be made up within three days for girls’ and boys’ teams. If an earlier time cannot be agreed upon by both team managers, girls’ and boys’ matches will be officially scheduled
for Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
If it rains on Tuesday, the default day, the match is made up on a day to day basis.
E. If temperature is above 95 degrees or below 32 degrees (Fahrenheit) before the individual match is started, and both managers agree, the match may be played. All players scheduled to play an individual match must be present to postpone the match because of temperature. If an individual match is postponed because of temperature, the above rainout rules apply to rescheduling.
G. Once an individual match has started, it must be complete except in the case of inclement weather. There are no provisions for wind.
VII. SCORING
A. The total number of games will be counted to determine the points awarded during a dual meet. A bonus point is awarded for each match won, except for a match won by a score of 9-7 or one in which a tie-break is played and the win is scored 9-8.
Thus, the maximum number of points possible to earn in any dual meet is 36.
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A total of all points won at the end of the season will determine the final standings of each division.
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In cases within a flight where divisions have an unequal number of teams, each team’s final standing will be determined by the percentage of matches won to total matches scheduled to be played.
VIII. The Junior League Vice President has the responsibility for the administration
of the Junior League.
Situations not covered in these rules will be settled at the discretion of the Junior League Vice President.
