Member of the
USA (United States Tennis Association)
Members of SDCTUA
must first be members of the
USTA.
Currently
USTA membership costs
$25 for one year and includes a subscription to Tennis magazine along with other benefits, discounts on tennis tours,
equipment, lessons, etc. Lower rates are offered for longer
commitments.
Good Physical Condition
A tennis officials
must be in good physical condition. The physical demands of
officiating include long hours, extended
periods of standing and sitting at attention, walking many miles
from court to court, bending, reaching, squatting, all the while
maintaining a high level of alertness for hours on end.
Enjoy Working With People
A desire and
aptitude to work with people is a must. The best official is a
Friend At Court, works cooperatively with players, parents,
coaches and other officials.
Enjoyment of
Outdoors, Robust Constitution
Tennis, especially
in San Diego, is an outdoor sport. Therefore, a robust
constitution that enjoys or at least tolerates the outdoors,
wind, sun, heat and cold, is a must.
Satisfactory
Completion of Annual Training (One Weekend Per Year)
Umpires must
attend annual certification schools, usually held on a single
weekend in January or early February. Schools are hosted by the
national
USTA officials office and provide information on new
rules and procedures for officials as well
as review established regulations and guidelines.
Satisfactory
Score on Annual Certification Exam
Certification
schools involve a full day 8-hour day each for basic umpire
certification and another half-day each for referee and college
certification. Each day in the classroom is followed by a
national certification exam, with questions drawn from common
on-court scenarios and problems, assembled by the national
USTA
officials office in New York, administered to officials across
the county at the beginning of the year. Members must pass the
exam at a certification level appropriate to the type of work
they wish to do.
Work in the
Field
Members must
perform appropriate relevant work to maintain active status in
the organization as well as their
USTA
certification level so a
written record of work must be kept by each umpire, each
assignment verified by the supervising official on site and
submitted to the national office according to regulations. At
the least, members should work 5 days a year to continue
receiving assignments. Some officials work more than 200 days
per year on court so there's room at all levels but plan on
spending at least a day every other month officiating..
Good Eyesight
Extremely accurate
vision is a must for tennis officials who work on court.
Umpires make the final decision as to where a ball lands,
whether a player is standing on the service line, among other
things, which requires good vision. Umpires, either naturally
or through the use of corrective lenses, must possess very good
eyesight. On-court officials are required to submit to an eye
examination every other year to certify 20-20 vision, natural or
corrected.
Love
Tennis!
Above all,
officiating requires a love of tennis and a desire to give back
to the game. Qualified individuals, please join us!
$30 Annual Membership
Membership
to the SDCTUA costs
$30 per year and and includes priority access to local work
assignments and pays for bi-monthly meetings. All members enjoy
a standing invitation to all Association training and social
events.
For
more information about becoming a member contact our
Membership Committee.
Attend Meetings
SDCTUA
meets every other month on the second Wednesday, at the Balboa Tennis
Club (Morley Field) Clubhouse at
7 pm. Map
and directions.
By attending
Association meetings members get access to work assignments
coordinated by the Association and are kept abreast of
developments in local and national officiating as well as the
business of the association, and the San Diego tennis
community. Meetings also offer a chance for officials, working,
retired or on leave, to meet one another and enjoy the
camaraderie of others who share their chosen avocation.
Meeting Schedule.