Finally we played our first 8.0 match last night, at a borrowed location because our home base is flooded by the storm. Two pretty women were chaperoned by their boy friends: our team is getting younger by the season!
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The number, such as 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0, even 10.0 would not have make a difference but in many players’ mind, the higher the number the better the league. I disagree. Although the higher the number the better the skill, but each league (number wise) is competitive in its own way – this is where the NTRP comes in. 6.0ers compete with other 6.0ers and 9.0ers compete with other mighty 9.0ers.
I personally don’t feel any inferior to a 4.0 and up girl and thought I would react to them the same. Jen and I are both 3.5, now I have to admit that I feel slightly flattered that they joined us. This is purely from one bum’s appreciation to another bum. In the past, all my teams were 7.0 and 3.5, so we the 3.5ers are the dominated force. Now we’re the lowest on the food chain -:). It does humble me.
[gender reassignment]
During the sign up process, one day Jen asked me
“Who the 3.5 guy is and what is he doing on our 8.0 team? Did you invite him?”
“No I didn’t.” I could not think of anyone. Puzzled, I went to investigate.
As it turned out he’s our beloved 4.0 player. You could image our glee. We erupted in cheers. Not that we want to cheat but a solid 4.0 player reclassified to 3.5, it’s to our advantage. All we have to do is to find a 4.5 girl, we would have a super team. But life has it own way to mend [hand out] justice. We never found our 4.5 girl. He played out the season with 4.0 girls, two wins and one drew.
Because many teams are affected by stormy Sandy, the league coordinator let us, the captains to re-schedule the match as we see fit. When my first match OC – opposing captain called a few weeks ago, saying most her mates are under the water, I told her to pick a couple of dates and let me know. We are weathering the storm almost unscathed (the worst perhaps was me, without power for nearly two weeks ..), so let her to decide first then we work from there. When I didn’t hear from her for a while, I emailed/called. It might seem pushy, and at that time, I had only three 3.5 girls and one 4.5 guy among a few 4.0s on the roster; but we were anxious to play – it’s our first 8.0. After few more emails and calls, the date was set on 11/18.
It’s my first time captaining a Long Island team. It differs from the Metro. I asked advice from the OC who came too but didn’t play either. She said that the home teams usually collect $5 from its six players for the refreshments after the match, while other teams may impose $25 from each players on the team from the start. She also mentioned that by now she has her power, cable and Internet back: she was working out of Starbucks back when we first started talking/emailing.
Wai and Giselle played the first doubles. Wai asked Giselle if she’d like to serve and she said yes. When Wai served the last, they were 0-3. However, they were able to win the first set at 4 and the second at 2.
I was slow to put the food and drinks on the table – aiming at 9:45. But when I came out of the bathroom by 9:30, all three courts have concluded and the opposing team players were about to leave. Terribly sorry for my inexperience. I should have known it’s kind of late on a Sunday night. I thought they’d play the full two hours.
The OC also said that the home team enters scores. When I trying to finish entering last night, the site won’t let me: because their 2D guy wasn’t registered. I wrote her and the coordinator an email, asking for advice, bec I didn’t know how to handle it and how to enter the score with a missing player.
F. Each team shall have a team captain who shall be responsible for making sure all team players have registered for the team. At the time of registration all players must furnish their USTA number or join, have a N.T.R.P rating or enter their self rating after filling out the questionaire, and pay the roster fee. If anyone plays a match before being registered they will be considered ineligible and at the coordinators discretion, all courts may be given to your opponent. It is up to the captain to check their rosters before playing players.
One of girls from the other team bought a $39.99 top, left me with $40, saying if she pays cash, there isn’t a sales tax. As it turned out,
Hi Irene,
The Shirt that your friend took is $39.00 less 20% and including tax comes to $32.65.
I sent a email to the OC, letting her know there is a small change now for the girl who bought the top. She replied at 9:04 to say she has forwarded this to the girl. When I pressed for guidance, she replied by 9:54 PM:
Ok, you can go ahead and just put in all the scores. He registered late, with everything going on with his home and business with the storm he forgot.
Tuesday, Nov 20:
The coordinator wrote back on Tuesday afternoon,
If he played a match without being registered, it should be a default as he was an ineligible player. I think Julia said it was due to the storm. If that is acceptable to you and he is now registered, you can just enter the score. If not, out your players names in, enter 6-0, 6-0 and in the drop down box, put default.
Guess I didn’t need the coordinator to enter the default scores. Oh well, just learnt a new thing.
The team may becoming younger but I feel my wrinkles are deepened and hair grayer. As I’m writing this, my back is bothering me (from tennis ..), renders my torso looking like the Spongebob and I walk like a shrimp.
All in the name of loving tennis.
More pix in the gallery
We took a team vote on the situation. The decision would soon cost me dearly.
