WINTER 2009 - the Colorado Tennis Association

WINTER 2009colorado tennis pa g e 29news from USTA Colorado headquartersstate of the districtby fritz garger, USTA Colorado executive directorHappy Holidays! Thanks to everyonewho played a role in anothersuccessful year for tennis in Colorado.From the players (league, tournament,events and training camps), coaches andteaching professionals to the facility owners,general managers, coordinators, committeesand board members – everyonewho got involved added to the successof our sport in some way, shape or form.Thank you!The economic climate was – and stillis – difficult for many and yet hopefully thesport of tennis provided a much neededand deserved diversion for some and continuedto provide all those involved with anexcellent means of fitness and the opportunityfor camaraderie with teammates andnew acquaintances.Participation continued to increase in virtuallyall areas of programming – a trendthat is mirrored nationwide and yet ournumbers in some segments exceed industrySeason’s Greetingsgrowth averages – all of which are a testament to the health of our sport in Colorado. Itis also a testament to all those involved in the delivery of tennis – in public and privatesettings/facilities.And speaking of facilities, our association and administration is facing the very real concernthat the growth in the number of courts is not keeping up with the increase in playerparticipation. That is why you’ll see our association working to address this challenge withmore creative programming as well as a concerted effort to influence local communities,municipalities and developers to renovate existing courts and to build new ones – so wecan meet this established trend of growth and greater demand for courts and court time. Ifwe don’t address these challenges in the near term, we will do a real disservice to thoseinvolved in the sport decades down the road. It is not a time to be complacent and it isnot a time to rely solely on what has been done in the past. It is a time for new ideas andfor more creativity; and it is a time to reach out to community leaders and organizers tomake sure more tennis infrastructure is built to support the demand for our sport. Whilethe impetus and follow-through in court construction and maintenance needs to be locallydrivenand community-centered, our office and association can play a meaningful role inassisting your town or community’s efforts. Please contact us with your ideas, suggestionsor if you want our assistance.Shifting gears to another area of concern for many players – in this case, league playersand the 2010 ratings. If you haven’t noticed or heard, USTA National has modified/adjusted their method of calculating ratings for the 2010 season. The adjustments affectplayers nationwide with the result being that many more players, than is typically the case,will be moved up a level. This is across the board (2.5s becoming 3.0s; 3.0s moving upto 3.5; 3.5s joining the ranks of the 4.0s; 4.0s up to 4.5; and 4.5s up to the 5.0 level).Players are thus likely to face many of the same players – as well as a few new faces – atthe higher NTRP level. Please visit our website for more detailed information, including thestatistics that illustrate the specific numbers of players who moved up and down relativeto various ratings. And before you panic about being moved up – take a deep breath (ortwo) and know that you are not alone – many other players in your NTRP level in 2009are also being moved up in 2010.In closing, I want to extend congratulations to all our annual award recipients and ourClass of 2009 Hall of Fame inductees. All of you have done a lot for tennis in Colorado.We look forward to celebrating your achievements and contributions at the upcomingColorado Tennis Hall of Fame Gala (see our cover story for all the details, including alisting of the recipients and inductees).Take care and best wishes for the New Year! 3Your Guide to Understanding theusta membership dues increaseQ. I heard something about a dues increase – please explain?A. The USTA has not raised dues in 4 years. The modest dues increase, which averages5%, is necessary to help offset growing operational, postage and printingcosts, but more importantly, to continue to provide great benefits, programs andservices to our members.Q. Why is a membership dues increase necessary? I heard the US Open was themost successful ever so why are new costs being passed on to members?A. We have grown the membership program to continue to provide more opportunitiesfor participation and more benefits in the last decade. Since that time, therising costs of providing benefits and services have been absorbed entirely bythe USTA. USTA membership remains a great value – for instance, the increasefor an adult one-year membership is only $2.00. That’s less than 17 cents amonth!Q. When does the increase take effect?A. The increase is effective January 1, 2010. The new rates take effect uponrenewal of your current membership. You will receive your renewal notice abouttwo months before your membership is due to expire. When you renew, weencourage you to upgrade your membership to a 3 or 5-year term. You can takeadvantage of significant discounts and lock in the rate for a longer period withthe added convenience of renewing only every 3 or 5 years.Membership Category Current Dues New Dues (After January 1, 2010)Junior, 1 Year $18 $19Junior, 3 Year $48 $52Junior, 5 Year $72 $76Adult, 1 Year $40 $42Adult, 3 Year $110 $115Adult, 5 Year $160 $168Family, 1 Year $65 $68Family, 3 Year $175 $184Family, 5 Year $260 $272Life Membership $750 $750Q. I’m a lifetime member. Will the dues increase affect me?A. Thank you for your support as a Lifetime Member! Because you have alreadypaid your life member dues, there is no impact to you. For new life members,there will be no increase in 2010.Q. Is there someone I can contact with other questions about my membership?A. USTA Member Services can help you with all other membership questions. Feelfree to call the Member Service Center at 1-800-990-USTA (8782) between 9a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. and 5p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, or email questions to: memberservices@usta.com.