CAPTAIN'S CORNER
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What is a USTA Captain? Captains volunteer their time to provide organizational support to USTA league play. They assemble teams, set rosters, and record scores from matches.
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WHO is a USTA Captain? Captains can be anyone -- rating/skill is irrelevant! Captains are usually players in the league in which they captain teams, but not necessarily. All that's required is a passion for the sport, and the willingness to provide organizational support for other players.
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How much time? Some captains are VERY organized, and 2-3 hours a week is typical for them. Some captains are just the designated guy amongst a group of friends -- the time commitment can be quite small for them.
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What do you need to know? About skill playing tennis? Not much! Captains do need to know procedures and rules for USTA play, since they provide leadership. (See REGULATIONS for that.) But a few years' experience as a USTA league player goes a long way.
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Do I get to play for free? Wouldn't that be nice? Captains, unfortunately, get no break on registration or court fees -- they pay the same as any other player. TACK does provide gifts to captains (usually gift certificates), and there are prizes for league winners.
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How can I get started? Any USTA member can start a team! Here's a link to the USTA page for that, but you should have enough people before you register a team. (We suggest having at least 150% of a single match court count, to allow for personal schedules.) See our CALENDAR page for team formation deadlines.
State level League Play- If your team has qualified to advance to the State ("Regional'") championship for your league, please click here for information on location, registration, lodging, captains information etc.
CAPTAIN'S RESOURCES
Look for uploads and links to examples/tools for captains just starting out.
- 2021 Team Configuration Changes - Including "Open" vs. "Closed" registration options, and "Receive notice..." options.
- 2021 USTA Kentucky Valid NTRP Computer Ratings Information - Information on 2020 Year-End Ratings not ran due to COVID-19, NTRP appeals, promotion of players 60 and over (and 70 and over)
- 2020 Captains Annual Meeting PowerPoint Presentation (December 2020)
- 2015 New Captain & Player's Guide to USTA League Tennis - Created by USTA New England shared via the USTA KY League webpage
- GroupMe - This simple text-based communications tool can serve as a communications platform for teams. It's free, with ads. You can manage group through its web interface or smart phone app, though group members don't need either, just a text #.
- League Captain's Team Management Guidelines & Tips - Team management tips & recommendations from a local team captain, Jeff Jones, who manages multiple teams, including procedures, tools, and email/text templates and examples.
- Rally78 - This brand new smart phone app is intended to support tennis in general, but includes a group function useful for team management and communication needs.
- USTA Captain's Guide - This guide was created to make your job easier and to provide tips for success.
- USTA Kentucky's Valid NTRP Computer Ratings
Last updated October 18, 2021