USTA listens, holds off on changes to junior tennis
Critics of the United States Tennis Association have to give the organization this: It listens.
The USTA announced in a statement, following a meeting Sunday in Chicago, that it would hold off on proposed changes to the schedule for junior tennis that had caused such consternation among so many parents and coaches.
The statement reads: "On Sunday, October 21, 2012, the undersigned representatives of the "Industry Group" and the United States Tennis Association met together in Chicago to discuss the National Junior Competition changes. We had an excellent meeting. Both the USTA and the Industry Group listened and exchanged ideas in a spirit of mutual respect. In addition, both sides learned a great deal from one another, including the USTA's overall strategy to grow the sport and allow each player to develop to his or her potential.
"It was agreed that there will be no changes to the National Junior Competition Schedule for 2013. In addition, it was agreed that between now and mid-March there will be a series of transparent and inclusive 'Town Hall Listening Meetings' at which industry representatives, parents, coaches, players, tournament directors, USTA representatives, and other interested parties will discuss, and explore refinements to, the Junior Competition Schedule for 2014 and beyond."
A big part of the beef with the USTA centers on the ceaseless quest for ranking points. In an effort to reduce the amount of travel required to sustain a high ranking, the USTA recently voted to reduce competitive opportunities for juniors on the national level by more than 80% at all age levels by 2014. By eliminating some long-standing national-level tournaments completely, and reducing draws in others, they hope to place new emphasis on regional development.
For now, those scheduled changes are on hold.
Critics charged that more kids will get hurt than will be helped by the changes and blamed the USTA for failing in its mission of growing the game.
The complexity of the issues can be overwhelming, and the USTA's dual role in growing the game among recreational-level amateurs while simultaneously trying to satisfy the public's craving for the next Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi creates an unavoidable conflict at times.
One of the critics, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, had this to say on his website:
"For those of you that have been following this issue, you know that I have been very critical of the USTA and its proposed changes and reductions in national tournament opportunities for Juniors.
"I am very pleased to report to you that the meeting went extremely well....
"As the above letter points out, 2013 changes will be put on hold, but more importantly, there will be numerous opportunities for Junior players, Parents, Coaches, Directors and others to NOW BECOME INVOLVED in the process.
This is a tremendous opportunity for anybody and everybody that has a passion for American tennis and Junior development.
I want to personally and publicly thank everybody involved for their hard work and dedication and most importantly for the desire to work with the USTA membership and get the best possible Junior Competition schedule."
The process isn't done, and who knows what the eventual outcome will be, but the dialogue is ongoing and the communication lines appear to be open.
Contributing: Chris Oddo