INTEGRITY
What does it mean to you?
To me, it means being honest and doing the ‘right’ thing ---PERIOD.
I have been involved, at some level, with USTA League tennis since its inception almost 30 years ago. I have seen many different ways to run the leagues. I became involved with League tennis in Lubbock nine years ago. The first year, the format went like this: The league coordinator gave the team captains a schedule of whom they were to play. The captains were responsible to get together schedule matches, times, and schedule courts. The home team captain had to furnish balls and physically turn in score sheets to the league coordinator. The second year, with a new coordinator, the matches were scheduled, everything else remained the same. My third year, new coordinators, I thought here we go again, but was I in for a surprise; Larry and Judy Hertel were the new coordinators. They didn’t just take over the leagues; they came with a plan. First they came to me, they wanted to reserve courts every night, for leagues. We started with eight courts, but soon went to all 10 playable courts ---as many of you know, I taught, for several years, on the cracked #6 court and reservations played on cracked #12 court. Next they wanted to provide balls, at the site, and lastly they wanted to provide the score sheets at the site. Larry and Judy presented this to me and asked how much I would charge to make this happen. I did the following: I went to my supervisor, at the Parks Department and got a special court rate for league tennis (league court fees in Lubbock are still one of the lowest rates in the state). Next, I sold balls to the league for 10 cents above my cost and stored them at the Tennis Center. Lastly, the Tennis Center kept the score sheets, assigned courts, settled disputes, --- managed the leagues. The charge for these services --- I kept the used league balls, which I use for teaching, give to schools and recycle. So for the last five years the captains have basically had to show up and fill out their team line-up. How simple is that?
In addition, how many of you have called Larry or Judy, ‘Looking for a team’; ‘Looking for players’; ‘Wanting to start a new team’, or any league related question, night or day, 24/7! How many of you attended the Free Clinics Judy and I did for new players? How many of you are still playing league tennis? League tennis in Lubbock was doing GREAT—simple for the captains—league growth-- WOW.
For many years the leagues were run by individuals, Tennis Centers, CTA’s, etc—several years ago, the USTA decided to bring all its programs under the local Community Tennis Associations --- probably not a bad idea. The local CTAs were encouraged to keep the transition as smooth as possible.
In Lubbock, there is a group of three people advising the South Plains Tennis Association (your local CTA). These advisors include a TSR (Tennis Service Rep), who is a paid USTA employee, a former president of the USTA-Texas Section, and a past president of the SPTA/current member of the USTA Texas Section Executive Committee. This is the steering committee for the “smooth” transition of YOUR leagues to the SPTA. Two of these three have never even participated in a USTA league in Lubbock. This committee has been instrumental in negotiating a contract with the Hertels, either directly or indirectly. It was this committee’s feeling from the very beginning that Larry and Judy were making too much money for the great job they were doing--- I, personally have not heard a league player complain about league fees --- in fact, I have had many compliments on the Lubbock leagues, not only from local players, but from players from Amarillo, Abilene, and Midland/Odessa. However, Larry and Judy were making too much money. After lengthy negotiations, the Hertels agreed to continue to provide the tremendous service to Lubbock leagues that they had provided over the last five years for a 40% cut in pay. However, the SPTA felt that was still too much money and offered Larry and Judy a contract with a 60% pay cut --- can you believe it --- they are being rewarded by OUR local CTA (SPTA) for growing OUR leagues into a model program with a 60% pay cut. This is the real reason that Larry and Judy are not the league coordinators --- not that they elected to take time off.
During a recent SPTA Board Meeting, one of our league captains was allowed to speak regarding this situation. After looking at all the emails that went back and forth between the board and the Hertels, it became quite apparent that there was just a lack of communication on both sides. This captain felt that it would be in the best interest of the tennis community to sit down and try to resolve the very small issues and try to retain the Hertels as our league coordinators. The Hertels were all for this as well. However, the Board said they would have to vote as to whether to re-open this issue. The captain was later notified that the Board had voted not to re-open the issue and that the decision had been made. The captain requested a copy of the vote count, but was told it was not available. This same captain has since contacted the USTA Texas Section regarding this issue, and spoke with both the assistant director and the executive director. The Texas-Section Executive Director supports this letter. He also informed this captain that of all the negotiations in the state of Texas between CTAs and coordinators, the Hertels were the only coordinators that wanted to remain and were not retained by the local CTA.
The format for this spring league is going to be quite different --- plans are that matches will be played at all clubs around the city, BRTC, Falls, Lakeridge, Hillcrest, and Lubbock Country Club. You will not have the choice to declare home courts. The ‘Powers that Be’, have decided that it’s too simple to play at one site or give you the choice as to where you want to play. As you know, you have always been given the option to play your home matches wherever you chose. This was evident by teams playing out of Lubbock Country Club, The Falls, and Lakeridge. The Tennis Center has and will continue to offer 10 courts for league play. The next change, the SPTA will give the captain all the balls for their home matches --- you will be responsible to have the balls with you when you show up for your home matches. If you work, have kids, get sick or anything to cause you to run late --- your team’s matches could be delayed. Matches will report to pre-assigned courts wherever your team is scheduled to play --- the Tennis Center will no longer have score sheets or assign courts. I guess that the good thing from this is the captains will get to keep the used balls, why would you want them to be used in programs, schools, or be recycled. This was one plan; hopefully there will be changes for the better. Some of these things probably will happen.
Regarding the subject of the SPTA deciding how their 60% profits from the leagues will be used, shouldn’t the leagues have a say-so in this matter? Maybe a list of options should be voted on by league participants? Remember, if you have a USTA number, you are a member of the SPTA by default. Most recently the SPTA has given money to a team going to Nationals, spent $500.00 on score-keepers, that have been used once, for a Texas Tech event, and given money to the USTA Challenger Tournament.
I think that the SPTA is a good organization, with a lot of good people serving --- the problem lies with being manipulated by a ‘steering committee’. I think that it’s time for this committee to step aside and let the local tennis community make decisions concerning the growth and direction of tennis in this community.
As far as the future of league tennis in Lubbock, you basically have three choices:
1) Accept what is being offered and live with it.
2) Demand that the leagues follow the previous format exactly, with team captains monitoring, established by Larry and Judy. Be willing to boycott to the USTA National level.
3) Play non-USTA leagues --- believe it or not --- there were and are successful leagues not under the USTA --- TCD (Tennis Competitors of Dallas) is one of the best leagues in the country, with over a thousand players, and is not a USTA league. Larry and Judy ran a very good summer league which was not a USTA league.
Rhea Hill will do a good job as league coordinator, provided she is given the right direction. At this time Rhea is being manipulated as to how to run the leagues --- it’s up to you to help make her job easier --- let her know what you want.
Remember, this is your league --- you need to take responsibility for it --- it should run the way YOU want it to run. I think that the lack of integrity in business and government has ruined enough lives --- don’t let it ruin your enjoyment of tennis. The future of league tennis in Lubbock lies in your hand --- I hope that you will forward this letter to all your teammates. United we stand --- divided we fall.
Lastly, I would like to thank Larry and Judy Hertel for all that they have done for tennis in Lubbock and the South Plains. It has been an honor to work with them in developing one of the smoothest running leagues that I have been involved with. Thank you for running a league with integrity --- when many tough decisions had to be made ---mostly --- thank you for being my friends.
I’m sorry to be so long winded, but I know that you need to know the whole story. There are probably some things left out, but this is basically what has happened. After all Larry and Judy have done --- I could not let people lie and belittle them.
I sent this letter to Ken McAllister, the Executive Director of the Texas Section, this is part of his response:
“Thank you for taking the time to share this with me. I think there is no doubt that the league folks should have a say in how the leagues are run. So I have no problem with the community expressing itself to make certain things are done right.”
“Bottom line: There should be some open sharing of what is happening and what results the people of Lubbock want. That has been the purpose of strengthening the CTA’s-as the voice of the tennis community- all along. It will definitely work best if it can keep from being contentious. I hope it can.”
What does INTEGRITY mean to you?
The ball’s in your court.
Have a ‘TENNASTIC-DAY’
Calvette Haggard Jewel Mogan Earlene Hendrickson
Jean Lewis Christi Rains Renee Hester
Anna Kearns Leann Thornberry Darnell Dingle
Don Boydstun Marsha Thompson Shelly Harris
Mark Weaver Jenn Moore Dana Kerr
Cameron Givens Tod Hardin Dee Hardin
Scott Harbour Darshan Variyam Ricky Welch
Dell Knight Arielle Thompson Beth Harlan
Jim Blacketer, Jr. Bertha Ayala Minnie Caudle
Mary Gerlach Kim Sparks Linda Cartwright
Don Copeland Greg Hertel Paxton Rautis
Abel Arriaga Susan Williams Julie Uptain
Yvette Foshee Tyler Chadwick Ryan Highley
Roberta Thompson Ame Blacketer Blanca Blacketer
Sindee Simon Greg McKenna Jessica Payne
Natasha Newman
