National TE Training Sessions Finalized

The dates have been confirmed. The 2 sessions taught by national TEs are
1) Indianapolis Jan 31-Feb 1 - trainer: Roger White - contact Bill Kopek
2) Toledo Feb 21-22 - trainer: John Suter - contact Jerri Banks

If you plan to attend either session, you must pre-register.
The Saturday session if for umpires with 3 or more years of experience. The Sunday session is for umpires with less than 3 years of experience.

Be sure to come to class with the completed online exams - available at
http://www.usta.com/USTA/Global/Get_Involved/Officials/Information/2009_USTA_Referee_and_ITA_School_Tests.aspx

Required exams:
umpire -> USTA Sectional Exam
referee -> Referee exam
ITA -> ITA exam

Tentative 2009 National TE Training Sessions

At this current time, TENTATIVE schedule for national TE training are at two sites.
Jan 30, 31 in Indianapolis and
Feb 20, 21 in Toledo.
Sectional trainers need to attend on Friday evening before the regular training session. Until the national TE is assigned a specific date, the Midwest plans will remain tentative.

submitted datacard received by Alan

As of 10/6/2008

CENTRAL INDIANA

Baugh, M


MIDDLE ILLINOIS

Day, G
Dunkin, D
Kurniawan, H
Niebuhr, K
Mangina, S
Mangina, V
Swicegood, G
Thomas, N
Waite, D
Wilson, W


NORTHEASTERN OHIO

Allensworth, G
Bell-Hodges, D
Cochran, M
Davis, H
Gander, C
Gander, R
Hodges, E
Bathlolomew, F
Hopfer, W
Meister, J
Meister, R
Mogus, B
Morley, M
Nelson, J
Schweitzer, E
Shiu, S
Shoman, B
Wise, S


NORTHERN INDIANA

Mary Martin
Carol Relitz
Robert Relitz


OHIO VALLEY

Daniel, M
Martin, T

National Officials Newsletter, September, 08

Please find the latest national officials' newsletter at
September Newsletter If you lose the link, you can find it at the www.usta.com site. Follow the link for "leagues and tournaments" and then follow "officials"

There are chair umpire hints on calling all the lines from the chair. It's a tough job, but you'll do better with the right techniques.

REMINDER: Datacards are due to your District Chairman NOW. Don't forget your USTA member number and expiration date. Be sure to Sign your own datacard.

Datacard are due soon

Midwest Officials:
Reminder: It's time to get your 2008 datacard in order so you can submit it for recertification for 2009. Your district chairs must verify your certification qualifications, make copies and submit the originals to Alan Steinhauser by October 15. Therefore, be sure to meet your district chairman's deadline, between end of September and very early October.

• Be sure you have indicated the training session you have attended, including dates and name of the trainer.
  
• Be sure that all your umpiring events are complete with signature of the referee or chief umpire
  
• Front page should contain your current USTA membership number and expiration date which is beyond Nov, 2008
  
• Your signature and date should be completed
  

If you wish to gain specific certification level, include that information when you submit your datacard. Incomplete datacard may delay your certification or possibly lower the certification to a provisional level if you are certified at all.
Remember, your district chairman is a volunteer who does this administrative work to help the officials. Do your part to minimize their overhead.

Lynda Hinshaw's husband, Rod Hinshaw

printed in PALLADIUM-ITEM, Richmond, Indiana, July 5, 2008.

submitted by DOAN &MILLS FUNERAL HOME, 790 NATIONAL
ROAD WEST, RICHMOND, IN
47374. (765) 966-0596

Rodney Clarke Hinshaw, age 73, of Richmond, died Friday,
July 04, 2008 at
Reid Hospital.

He was born June 4, 1935, in Richmond, to Clyde Hinshaw and Ellena Bess Clark Hinshaw and had lived in this area most of his life. He retired from Dana Perfect Circle after 35 years as an Engineer and Quality Control Manager.

Rodney was a graduate of Fountain City High School in 1953 and was a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He received his Masters Degree from Bowling Green University in Business Administration. Rodney loved to fly and had received his
pilots license before he could drive. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and had served in England.

Memberships include Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity; United Way Board; Achieva Board; Whitewater Masonic Lodge (50 year member); and First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include his wife, Lynda Shaul Hinshaw to whom he was married December 16, 1962; one daughter, Christina H. Pearce and her husband William B. of Indianapolis; two sons, David Clarke Hinshaw of Richmond and Robert Curtis Hinshaw and his wife Kristin of Northville, Michigan; three grandchildren, Brooks Pearce, Sarah and Thomas Hinshaw; one brother, Dr. Michael Hinshaw and his wife Carol of Richmond; brother-in-law Clifford Shaul and his wife Jaimie; nieces and nephews, Mark and Pam Hinshaw, James and Amy Hinshaw, Michele Hinshaw, and Ande and Christina Shaul.

Visitation for Rodney Clarke Hinshaw will be Sunday July 6, 2008, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Doan &Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond, Indiana. There will be a Masonic Memorial service at 7 p.m. Sunday at Doan &Mills Funeral Home.

Funeral Service for Rodney Clarke Hinshaw will be 1:00 p.m. Monday, July 7,
2008 at Doan &Mills Funeral Home with Rev. David Layman officiating. Burial
will be in Willow Grove Cemetery in Fountain City.

Memorial contributions may be made to Achieva Resources,
P.O. Box 1252,
Richmond, Indiana 47374 or Reid Hospital Foundation, 1401
Chester Boulevard,
Richmond, Indiana 47374.

Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at
www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com

Line Clinic - Winnetka Challenger

Saturday, June 28, 6:30 pm

A.C. Nielsen Tennis Center
530 Hibbard Road
Winnetka, IL 60093
847-501-2065

National Trainer: Joe Buys

Contact: Joy Duerr jyduerr1@att.net 630-584-5891

The line clinic is for anyone who is interested in learning to work professional matches as a line umpire. You will learn the techniques for the various line positions and if you do well, you will be allowed to work some of the matches on Sunday. You may be invited to work further into the tournament if your skills warrant.

The costs of getting to the tournament and housing are on your own. The line clinic is free. You should wear your USTA red and blue shirt as well as khaki shorts/long pants to if you are assigned to work on court on Sunday or later.

Going to the line clinic at a professional event is the way to gain entry into professional line umpire assignments anywhere is the US.

Bryn Lynch-Midwest Section Volunteer of the Month

Each month the USTA/Midwest Section features a volunteer who is making it happen at all levels.

June Volunteer of the Month - Bryn Lynch from Traverse City, Mi.

Northern Michigan is nominating Bryn Lynch for Volunteer of the month. Bryn has been part of our organization and our tennis for a long time. She has officially served on our board for two years as third-vice president, four years as secretary and two years as 2nd vice president.

Bryn became the head Official over ten years ago and has been a hard worker and innovative thinker. In this position she has traveled to National clinics where she renews her certification and takes the training to teach officials in our Northern Michigan District so they can in turn receive their certification without traveling outside the District. In 2006 Bryn traveled with Ruth Smith to train 9 new officials in Alpena, a growing community in our District In 2007 Bryn was able to provide the officials’ training to her daughter Emily who is also interested in the rules of tennis.

During the USTA League season, Bryn takes on the Herculean task of scheduling officials for the USTA League competition. She often takes the lion’s share pf the work if others do not volunteer for slots. Bryn also saw a need and has officiated for the NMTA Junior Qualifier competition.

Bryn was a charter member of our Awards Committee and is now the chair. This involves seeking nominations, arranging for printing and gifts and banquet. During the years she was secretary she did an outstanding job and when our secretary is absent still volunteers to fill in.

Bryn has shared her love of tennis with her daughter Emily Lelandais. Emily will finish her high school career this spring (2008). She played No. 4 singles for Traverse City Central. Emily was selected the Junior Female Sportsmanship Player for 2007. She has only followed the example set by her mother.

Outside of the District duties Bryn has also served as coach for junior varsity Traverse City teams. Northern Michigan honors Bryn Lynch – she has and is serving us well

Officiating in the Midwest Section

Many people often ask about how to become a tennis official. The short answer is you have to take a test and that is it, the rest is up to you.

Any individual who is interested in tennis officiating can become certified by the USTA and join the ranks of the 425 current officials here in the Midwest Section.

Throughout the year each of the thirteen districts in the five states of the Midwest Section offer training schools for officials. These schools are structured for the beginning to the highly seasoned official. Every year each official who has been certified the previous year must attend one of these schools and pass a written exam to retain their certification. The certifications start with the beginning or provisional umpire to the most experienced professional umpire and include referees and collegiate officials (national and professional officials need only pass an exam).

Once certified an official will receive on court training at local tournaments assigned through their district. As your skill level and interest increase you may become eligible for more challenging events even professional.

To get started you must be a USTA member then contact your district chairman of officials or go the Training link on this web site to find a school nearest you. At the school you will get up to date information, learn techniques and procedures while sharing and learning experiences from some of the most experienced officials in our section. You’ll also get in touch with and/or learn about the contacts that you will need to get assigned to events.

Officiating has been very rewarding to me and remains the one best way that I can Give Something Back to Tennis.

If you have other questions remember to contact your district chairman and get started.

Alan Steinhauser
Chairman of Officials, USTA/Midwest Section
4305 Market St.
Youngstown, OH 44512
330-782-5621
330-782-6165 fax
alan (at) steinhauseragency.com

USTA Officials Department Newsletter, May 2008,

The May 2008 edition of USTA Officials Department Newsletter is now available.

You can access the newsletter by doing one of the following:

1. Click on the following link http://www.usta.com/rules/default.sps?iType=923 in order to access the USTA Officials Department web page and click on the link that reads Officiating Tips Newsletter-May 2008.

2. Go to www.usta.com, click on the “Get Involved” tab, click on “Officials” and click on the link that reads Officiating Tips Newsletter-May 2008.

If you have any questions about or problems accessing the newsletter, please contact us at officiating@usta.com.

Improve chair umpire techniques

As college officiating increases, there are more and more needs for good chair umpires. Since many of us do not get evaluated very often, and we are often working alone, it's is hard to improve. We are doing the best we can, but we don't always know that we could do better.

If you are a beginning umpire and want to have experiences as a chair umpire, you really cannot suddenly jump in and do a tournament final. You need to practice chair techniques without affecting the outcome of a match when you practice. A great way to practice is to do all the chair umpire techniques while you are roving on a court. Make copies of a blank score card and practice marking up the score during the roving assignment. This will give you practice in keeping track of your card while still concentrating on what is happening on the court. All the proper score marking information is on p 155-157 in the 2008 Friend at Court.

As you watch the match progress, practice your verbiage in your head exactly as you need to say it every time you need to say it. The precise verbiage and chair umpire procedures are given on page 150-154 of the Friend at Court. The language is as stated. Even if you say something that means the same, it is not what is expected. So memorize the verbiage and use it. Nothing shows up a rookie as one who uses the wrong verbiage. If you listen to the professional chairs you will find that they all say the same phrases. This is not an accident.

We have plenty of roving opportunities, so you should have plenty of opportunities to practice chair techniques. Practice during roving allows you to be prompt with your words. You also should practice watching the losing player long after the point is over. Don't be so eager to mark the score card. When you head is down in the score card is when something bad may happen and you are not watching it happen. Watch the player to the bench on the change over. Keep track of the match balls. If one ball stays into the next court, keep track of it so you can remind the players where the ball went when they are looking for the lost ball. Be aware of all the match balls.

When doing chairs, one way to keep track of the current score is to say the score everytime the server hits the ball. Say it is 30-15. Every time the server hits the ball, say to yourself, 30-15. Then when the point is over, even after 45 hits, you know exactly what the next score should be and you can announce it without looking into your score card.

Try it. You'll find that it really helps you become a better chair umpire. The key is court awareness. Know what is happening on and around your match court.

Kalamazoo B16, B18 Tournament

The application to work the Kalamazoo National Tournament on August 1-10, 2008 in Kalamazoo, Michigan is available at the website
http://www.geocities.com/KZooOfficials
All matches are solo-chaired, so you must be chair qualified to apply. There are no roving assignments.

The site contains a file with details about the tournament, an online application form as well as a paper form which can be downloaded and mailed.

Deadline for application is May 10, 2008.

umpire recruitment - you-tube video

Hot off the press: The recruitment video which was introduced at the Portland, OR Davis Cup Tie has been made available as a 36 second video on you-tube Become a Tennis Official

View it yourself, or tell a friend and recruit them into the officiating ranks!!

2008 FAC is arriving

Midwest Officials:
The 2008 Friend at Courts started arriving late last week. So if you haven't received yours yet, expect it shortly. This means that you should plan on taking your 2008 Friend at Court to your training session since it will arrive before the first national session in Cincinnati.

However, DO NOT TOSS the 2007 FAC. You will need it to complete your online pre-tests before attending your training session. The reference citations are from the 2007 FAC.

Be sure to check your 2008 umpire certification. If you believe that the certification levels are in error, please contact Alan Steinhauser to correct it immediately. Alan must request the change to New York by March 1 or the change will not be made.

National letter with certification and datacard

By now most of you have received your umpire certification card and the new 2008 datacard. Included is a letter from Lois Huggins, Rich Kaufman and Ryan Orner. The letter contains critical information about the officiating program, so you should file the letter in a safe place where you can find it for future reference. The letter gives certification abbreviations, notes how to access the national database of officials (gives username and password), talks about the changes in the US Open application process, discusses training program, umpire clothing, and more. Please do not discard this important letter.

National TE taught Training Sessions Set

The national TE taught training sessions have seen set:
The Saturday sessions are for those with 5 or more years umpiring experience. The day will cover USTA, Referee, and ITA classes. The Sunday session is for those who have less than 5 years of umpiring experience and the USTA class will be covered in more detail, including discussion of the rules. All class attendees must pre-register for the sessions to attend.

Before coming to class, download the relevant documents from

http://www.usta.com/rules/default.sps?iType=1059&icustompageid=20193

Each class packet (Referee, USTA, ITA) comes in three parts:
1) actual exam
2) cover sheet - explains how many questions you must answer correctly to pass
3) answer sheet.

Complete the tests, using the 2007 Friend at Court for your reference. Bring the relevant answer sheet(s) to class.
Also bring:
1) 2008 Friend at Court if you receive it in time. Otherwise bring your 2007 FAC.
2) 2008 Datacard

Feb 9 & 10: Cincinnati, OHIO
Contact: Barry Fittes
513.561.4255
bfittes(at)cinci.rr.com
National Trainer: Bard Rickey
Cincinnati Registration Form

Feb 16 & 17: Indianapolis, INDIANA
Contact: Bill Kopek
317.574.0515
billkopek(at)earthlink.net
National Trainer: Bruce Avery
Indy Registration Form
site:
USTA Midwest Section Office
1310 E 96th Street, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Feb 23 & 24: Homewood, ILLINOIS
Contact: John Coleman
630.434.1385
JBCPharmD(at)aol.com
National Trainer: Jane Goodman
Chicago-NIL Registration Form
site:
Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet & Fitness Club
2920 West 183rd Street
Homewood, IL 60430

Mar 15 & 16: Ann Arbor, MICHIGAN
Contact: Mel Kropko
734.274.8550
Kropko.MelL(at)Kendle.com
National Trainer: Rebel Good
Ann Arbor Registration Form
site:
Huron Valley Tennis Club
3235 Cherry Hills Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105

2008 ITA Rules Changes

2008 ITA Rules Update

The following were adopted/clarified but will not appear in published edition of 2008 Friend at Court: New wording in bold

ITA Rule I.J.3&4 – Who may coach in men's tennis / Who may coach in women's tennis. BOTH rules will now read as follows. Coaching is permitted by the head coach and two designated coaches, who may be an assistant coach and/or a registered volunteer coach and/or player. Two coaches may coach on the same court at one time. Note: Division I Rule only for 3 men's coaches (non Division I men's tennis remains 2 coaches)
[Discussed during December ITA Convention. D1 coaching rules now consistent for men and women. 3 coach change on D1 men’s side due in part to policy at NCAA Championships in Tulsa this May]

ITA Rule I.J.5 Where a coach may coach . "The coach may sit or stand near the net post and must stay within the area where the players chairs or benches are or should be provided. The coaches movement should be limited so that he/she does not distract the players….”

ITA Rule I.L.1 a….The ball change in Division I men's and women's tennis in singles is a can of balls for each set (3 balls per set), and four balls (4) must be used in doubles pro-sets.

ITA Rule II.I.2 "Team penalty for being late" Team penalty for being late. If a team is not ready to begin its team match at the specified starting time, each player on the starting lineup in singles shall begin one game down and shall be deemed to have lost the toss. If a team is not ready to begin the match within 15 minutes of the specified starting time it will lose the doubles point(s). If a team is not ready to begin within 1 hour of the specified start time it will forfeit the remaining singles matches.

ITA Rule II.K.5 Removing players from the team line-up: Before the start of the dual-meet match, the coach must submit the three doubles and eight/ (or all) singles players available to play and they must be listed in order of strength. For Doubles see rule K.6. If a singles player is not listed or (in the top eight ), he or she may not be inserted into the singles lineup at anytime. The coach may remove a singles player/players from their initial list after the doubles has been completed, and each player listed below the removed player must move up the appropriate amount of spots.

The following were adopted/clarified and will appear in 2008 edition of FAC:

ITA Rule I.C.3 "Feinting…." 3. Feinting, changing position, and intentional distraction . A player may feint with the body while the ball is in play. A player may change position at any time, including while the server is tossing the ball. Any movement or sound that is made solely to distract an opponent, including, but not limited to, waving the arms or racket or stamping the feet, is not allowed. The receiver's partner shall not stand in the receiver's service box before or during the serve. If a player does so, he shall be warned that if he does so he is subjected to being penalized under the ITA Point Penalty System.

ITA Rule I.G.3 "Match starts with warm-up" Match starts with warm-up. The official start of a match is marked when the on court warm-up begins between the two opponents (for two doubles teams). It is mandatory to warm-up with the opponent/opposing doubles team.

ITA Rule II.K.4 "Line-up changes in back-to-back dual matches" (p. 255) In back-to-back dual meet matches (two consecutive dual meet matches played regardless of time between matches), the team line-up (as played) may be changed. A player may move up or down one position in this situation. The lineup must still stay in order of ability.

Prior to the start of the match and during the line-up exchange, it is the responsibility of the opposing coach to appeal any player being moved two or more positions in the line-up (from the previous match)"

Last item now stricken out.

Mary Ann Rader awarded Midwest Grassroots Award

Mary Ann Rader of Greenwood, IN in the Central Indiana District has been awarded the crystal ball as the Midwest Section grassroots umpire of the year for 2007. This is awarded by the national umpires committee to each section. Mary Ann has been a tireless district trainer of officials for many years. She spends many days training all the college students to become certified so that they can work the annual Midwest Closed Tournament in Indianapolis. She is always encouraging and teaches with a smile. Congratulations Mary Ann.

Previous winners have included Tina Herrera-Richards of Chicago district and Ron and Carol Gander of Northeastern Ohio district.