I got a call from GNE to say they’re done draining the water, re-opening for business. That’s pretty on schedule.
We won our first 8.0 match
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.
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.
thankful ..
My family
..
A. Tong
Brion Hathaway
Jamie Karasyk
Julie Alexander
George Xu
Zhen Wang
Barrie Coffman
Jenny Lihua Hong
Denise L. Shapiro
Catherine Tharin
First Friday night at Bay
Someone just couldn’t sit out for too long, who pushed to have a practice. I found Bay Terrace. Five courts filled in less than two days.
Dave and I played Nick and Sachiyo. It’s intense and thrilling. I didn’t even realize that I bent down low to return many Nick’s shots. Dave is very positive and encouraging. We almost broke them when Nick was serving at 3-4. After a few deuces, he finally nailed me with a nasty serve that almost took my head off -:). Nick played so well.
The second hour was very mild, like a 3.5 match. By then I was tired and lost my concentration. Ron and I lost to Vincent and Stacy at 2 and won the second set at 4.
Not sure how long we can keep up the Fridays at Bay, especially when our regular Friday at GNE is back.
Hot pot for hot shots
Fukuoka Shabu Shabu
hot pot
45-68 Kissena Blvd
Flushing, NY 11355
(718) 661-1616
Street parking is not easy but manageable. There are kids, pretty noisy. Good meat, ingredients are fresh. The dark rice vinegar is bad, a fake one. $22 pp with Bek Se Ju 100 years old liquor (abt $10) and a Corona.
Only two hot shots showed up for work, we have a three some. Thanks Tony.
Lipa COO resigns
After 10,000 signatures over the storm Sandy… we’ve got some accountability!
Today’s Wall Street Journal is reporting that Governor Cuomo is ordering an investigation of utilities post-Sandy. No doubt related, LIPA’s COO Michael Hervey resigned today.
Now we need to make sure Gov. Cuomo keeps the heat on LIPA. You can do that by calling his office at 518-474-8390 and telling him “Please keep pushing to make sure LIPA cleans up their act.”
Ok, our first match is rescheduled
Due to the storm Sandy, our first match in both leagues were canceled. The Long Island region was hit particularly hard, rendered many players/teams under the water, metaphorically and figuratively. Many emails ensued, trying to decide to play or not to play. Many feel tennis will give the players a temporarily relief for two hours while others couldn’t even think about it. The LI league has decided to go forward, but makes it clear, take your time to reschedule – you don’t have to play the match now. Manhattan league has offered to opt out after the storm, but no team has taken that offer, I think.
I’ve informed all the teams that would play us at our home base that alternative location at Roslyn will be used, because GNE is under the water and could not be back on its feet for a month or so. The first match team’s captain said her mates are all affected. Initially, she said let’s get couple of dates to see if we both could make it. I told her to pick a date since I’m sure we’re pretty much available. When I heard nothing from her, I called. She said she’ll get back to me yesterday morning but didn’t; I called her yesterday late afternoon. She has a pair ready to go and herself. All she needs is a guy to make two courts. As of today, I only have 10 players, three 3.5 girls. So we agreed to play this Sunday. She’ll let me know 2 courts or 3 courts.
Having been in the dark for 13 days, I very much sympathize with her. After hanging up the phone, I feel bit like a jerk for pushing her, while she still works out of Starbucks. My players are all anxious to start to play, even we look very weak at the moment: three 3.5 girls only one 4.5 guy. Don’t know what to do with Dan the 3.5 and the 4.0s. This is our first 8.0.
Have you sent?
The courts have been hard to come by. Players after players are asking if I’ve send out invitation.
Yes. I did. But only to the players on my teams because, the SNT is primarily for my teams. We have to share the 8 courts evenly with another group. Every week the spots were taken within a few hours. I’d invite the entire group if any spot left by Wednesday. The limited courts has been the biggest problem so far. The other group promises me that they’ll let us have their unused court by Thursday. We’ll see.
It was a lot more courts for the past few seasons when Salil was managing it. Now we’re sharing, basically with the same group (perhaps bit smaller). Everyone in the group will get invited when there are spots open. You just have to act very fast.
The golf courses and tennis courts
- Bethpage Black: green $150, club rental $40, ele cart 18 hole $34
- Bethpage Red: $96
- Long Island National golf club: $59?
- Montauk Downs, state park: $96, club $34, cart $17 single $34 double
- Harbor Links: $113, car $22 pp
- NTC: $66
- Grand Central/Vanderbilt tennis club, $250
- Randall’s Island, $105
- Westside,
- Roosevelt Island, $90
A sponsor, and the rules
Wow, the mixed doubles scorecard has a sponsor now. Wondering what if I forget to use it? Penalty?
Ok, here is our 2013 Manhattan Mixed Doubles Season Local Rules. Be sure to read it.
Registration deadline: 15 December 2012
All fees must be paid in full by 25 November 2012
The points awarded are:
1D = 6pts
2D = 4pts
3D = 3pts
Nov 27, fm the coordinator:
For the Manhattan league – everyone who registers before the year-end ratings are released play with their early start league throughout the season. If they register after year-end’s are released – they play under their year-end rating — it’s the rating at the time of registration.
The exception is as follows:
“Players who are found to have valid computer ratings, after the appeal process, that place them above the NTRP level at which they are competing may continue their participation at the lower NTRP level UNLESS their year-end rating reached the clearly above level mark. If it did, they must adjust to that new NTRP level. Prior team matches played will be valid.”
So someone who registered with an ESR of 3.5 but gets a year-end 4.0 — showing they are a mid-to-high level 4.0 will have to adjust to the new rating. Last year this affected about 6 players.
The affected captains and players will be notifed as soon as possible. Everyone else continues to play at the rating at the time of registration.
