Patdog, Dawgstudent, any other tennis players
- Thread starter olemissbydamn
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I'm playing only on the 3.0 team since you can't play in both at state. Dawgstudent's 3.5 team is also in Flight I. Good chance the 3.5 final will be either my 3.5 team or Dawgstudent's 3.5 team vs. either your 3.5 team or the Laurel team. I know a couple of those guys and they're good players. At least one player on that team has played on a 4.0 team that went to nationals. He's only playing 3.5 because he skipped a couple of years playing, but he'll get bumped back up next year.
given us trouble at state the last few years. If we can get past them, we have a chance at the finals.
We play them first. If we lose..screw serious tennis and I'm just getting f'd up the rest of the weekend.
We play them first. If we lose..screw serious tennis and I'm just getting f'd up the rest of the weekend.
Good Luck Guys, neither of my teams made the tourney.
I think the team to beat in 3.5 is D. Parker form Jackson, half of them played 4.0 with me and they won alot.
I might come watch a match, but not at TCS.</p>
I think the team to beat in 3.5 is D. Parker form Jackson, half of them played 4.0 with me and they won alot.
I might come watch a match, but not at TCS.</p>
No joke....nothing like playing on the side of a hill in the hood. All of my matches this year are at Byram, Bridges, TCS, and Cypress Lake. I like playing Ridgeland or Bridges myself.
One of my worst tennis experiences was at TSC.
I was making fun of an asian kid at state who had a huge gold Lexus emblem around his neck. I told my teamates that you should never let a guy wearing a gold car emblem around his neck beat you. Just my luck...I drew the little bastard and proceeded to beat him down 6-1 in the first set. I went up 3-0 in the second set before he started moonballing me and I dropped 6 staight games to lose the second set. He continued the moonballing and won the 3rd set tiebreaker. I hate tiebreakers for third sets for this very reason.
One of my worst tennis experiences was at TSC.
I was making fun of an asian kid at state who had a huge gold Lexus emblem around his neck. I told my teamates that you should never let a guy wearing a gold car emblem around his neck beat you. Just my luck...I drew the little bastard and proceeded to beat him down 6-1 in the first set. I went up 3-0 in the second set before he started moonballing me and I dropped 6 staight games to lose the second set. He continued the moonballing and won the 3rd set tiebreaker. I hate tiebreakers for third sets for this very reason.
True story. A couple of years ago, I was playing a league match there and it went long so we had to move to one of the back courts to play a 3rd set tiebreaker. As I stood to receive the first serve of the tiebreak, I realized that when I looked straight ahead, I was looking directly at the knees of the server. It proved to be a huge advantage to be on the low side, because on the high side it was very hard to get the ball over the net and also keep it in the court. On the low side, you could just hit the hell out of the ball.
fishwater99 said:
I played with a lot of those guys in the 6.5 combo league last year. We made it to sectionals. There are a lot of very, very good players on that team. Our practices last fall were much tougher than any match we played in. They made me a better player. The match between Parker and Collins on Friday morning should be a great one on 4 of the 5 courts. That match is right after my 3.0 match and I'll definitely stick around to watch it. I think the winner will play in the finals Sunday.</p>
River Hills - private though so no one gets to play there
Courthouse - sans tornado damage
Ridgeland - only complaint is at night lights are too dim and low so lobs get lost in darkness
Courthouse Cypress Lake - small, no where to watch matches, but courts are good
Clinton (new courts) - pretty nice - limited number of courts but nice facility
Castlewood - only played once but pretty nice. Slightly dim lights as well
Parham - noisy from street noise on back courts and some courts toss of serve is right up into the lights. Courts A1 and A2 seem to play slower to me
* all the above are very decent, not a lot seperates #2 from parham...but then it gets to bad courts:
Battlefield - location concern and courts are too close together but otherwise ok
Rez Y - no windscreens, one court has a horrible patch, one has a big dip at the baseline, bugs can be really bad during certain times of the year
Courthouse Lakeland - just not that great in any respect
Cascades - huge cracks, awful lights
TSC - just awful in about every respect
omitted Courthouse Byram - it's a long way away and it's been 3 years since I've played there so no comment
I might have left someplace out since I spent all of 5 min on this.
Courthouse - sans tornado damage
Ridgeland - only complaint is at night lights are too dim and low so lobs get lost in darkness
Courthouse Cypress Lake - small, no where to watch matches, but courts are good
Clinton (new courts) - pretty nice - limited number of courts but nice facility
Castlewood - only played once but pretty nice. Slightly dim lights as well
Parham - noisy from street noise on back courts and some courts toss of serve is right up into the lights. Courts A1 and A2 seem to play slower to me
* all the above are very decent, not a lot seperates #2 from parham...but then it gets to bad courts:
Battlefield - location concern and courts are too close together but otherwise ok
Rez Y - no windscreens, one court has a horrible patch, one has a big dip at the baseline, bugs can be really bad during certain times of the year
Courthouse Lakeland - just not that great in any respect
Cascades - huge cracks, awful lights
TSC - just awful in about every respect
omitted Courthouse Byram - it's a long way away and it's been 3 years since I've played there so no comment
I might have left someplace out since I spent all of 5 min on this.
Ridgeland lights suck. But my main complaint is the people running that facility have no <17>ing clue how to run a tennis facility or a tennis tournament, and what's worse, they don't even care. Which is a shame because they're good courts.
Can't argue there. I would add that they do the best job of running a facility, tournament, programs, etc. of anybody I've seen. Their head pro was just named the top teaching pro in the Southern Section.
I would also add that it's a pain in the *** when a ball hits the back fence at Cypress Lake or Castlewoods because it bounces off the bottom rail back onto the court so you're constantly clearing balls between serves.
Since this is about the first tennis discussion I have seen, I just thought I would mention that I really wish they would end self-verification and bring back the verification clinics.
With self-verification, it all boils down to who has the least amount of pride. I know someone who used to be a 4.5 (a good one too), still is a solid 4.0, and is verified either a 2.0 or 2.5. I know he only self-verified at this level because of a grudge against the league coordinator and he has the decency not to actually play at this level in combo leagues, but it still shows what a joke the system is. Most of your elite 7.5 combo teams really should be playing 8.5.
Don't get me wrong. There was sandbagging and cheating with the clinics, but it didn't seem to be as bad back in the day.
With self-verification, it all boils down to who has the least amount of pride. I know someone who used to be a 4.5 (a good one too), still is a solid 4.0, and is verified either a 2.0 or 2.5. I know he only self-verified at this level because of a grudge against the league coordinator and he has the decency not to actually play at this level in combo leagues, but it still shows what a joke the system is. Most of your elite 7.5 combo teams really should be playing 8.5.
Don't get me wrong. There was sandbagging and cheating with the clinics, but it didn't seem to be as bad back in the day.
Yeah, it's really flawed all the way around. People would sand-bag the verification clinics as well.
I'm not sure what the solution is but most of the really good teams have at least 2-3 guys who are playing a full level below what they are. It's really worse in mixed and combo than it is in the Spring.
I'm not sure what the solution is but most of the really good teams have at least 2-3 guys who are playing a full level below what they are. It's really worse in mixed and combo than it is in the Spring.
I don't like it either.
A guy on an opposing team in our town got upset because he didn't get asked to play. He went and found some ringers. Among them was a young guy who was really good in juniors from New Albany. He was easily a 4.0 or 4.5 player. He self verified and easily ran through the league. My teams only loss was due to this guy. Luckily, a coordinator in the area recognized his name and asked about him. When she found out that he was playing as a 3.0, she was livid. All of his matches were DQ'd and our loss was changed to a win.
I also think it's ******** that only Spring league counts toward your rating. Irondawg mentioned that the sandbagging is worse in mixed & combos than the spring. That's because only spring matches count toward your rating. A player that is rated too low can avoid the spring league and never get bumped to his rightful spot.
A guy on an opposing team in our town got upset because he didn't get asked to play. He went and found some ringers. Among them was a young guy who was really good in juniors from New Albany. He was easily a 4.0 or 4.5 player. He self verified and easily ran through the league. My teams only loss was due to this guy. Luckily, a coordinator in the area recognized his name and asked about him. When she found out that he was playing as a 3.0, she was livid. All of his matches were DQ'd and our loss was changed to a win.
I also think it's ******** that only Spring league counts toward your rating. Irondawg mentioned that the sandbagging is worse in mixed & combos than the spring. That's because only spring matches count toward your rating. A player that is rated too low can avoid the spring league and never get bumped to his rightful spot.
The one big stick they have is if a self-rated player is bumped up in the middle of a season, he forfeits all matches he has played. And they're a lot quicker to bump a self-rated player in the middle of a season than they are to bump a computer-rated player. I know of at least one men's team that won't be at state because a couple of their players got DQ'd near the end of the season. Of course, the computer rating system has proved to be very inconsistent. Players who should get bumped up often don't and sometimes players who shouldn't get bumped up do.
OMBD is right too that they need to go back to counting tournaments in your computer rating (the mixed and fall combo seasons are counted in your rating just not as heavily as spring). Last year, I didn't get bumped up. But if they'd counted my tournament play, I probably would have been bumped up.
OMBD is right too that they need to go back to counting tournaments in your computer rating (the mixed and fall combo seasons are counted in your rating just not as heavily as spring). Last year, I didn't get bumped up. But if they'd counted my tournament play, I probably would have been bumped up.
Self-ratings always come back to the individual player.
Some people just want to win at the any level.
I would rather play up against better competition and improve my game, win or lose.
If you are always playing against tough players you will get better a lot quicker than beating inferior players.
It's just for fun and exercise for me, it's not like we are playing for $$.
They should go back to being rated by USTPA pros.
A good pro will be able to tell if you are sandbagging, unless you are playing opposite handed.
Some people just want to win at the any level.
I would rather play up against better competition and improve my game, win or lose.
If you are always playing against tough players you will get better a lot quicker than beating inferior players.
It's just for fun and exercise for me, it's not like we are playing for $$.
They should go back to being rated by USTPA pros.
A good pro will be able to tell if you are sandbagging, unless you are playing opposite handed.
yeah, not counting tournament play was a big mistake I thought. Usually a higher % of the better players also play tournaments. So if you're beating other good players at your level consistently in tournaments - it's time to get bumped up.
Not counting the Combo/mixed leagues is a weakness as well.
There's not perfect system - there are always the guys that will throw a set or a match to try and stay at a cetain level and there's not much you can do there. Like Fish said, it's all for fun and exercise but I know it's frustrating any time to play a guy sandbagging intentionally.
Not counting the Combo/mixed leagues is a weakness as well.
There's not perfect system - there are always the guys that will throw a set or a match to try and stay at a cetain level and there's not much you can do there. Like Fish said, it's all for fun and exercise but I know it's frustrating any time to play a guy sandbagging intentionally.
A player can probably sandbag by one level in a verification clinic, but any more than that is going to be obvious. At last year's 6.5 state tournament, one team had a 4.0 playing with a 2.5. The 2.5 was the better of the two players. He'd have never been able to rate below 3.5 at a verification clinic and probably not below 4.0.
Self ratings do suck, but the clinics aren't much better. Some are just gonna cheat. Good luck in Jackson, representing our district. Mixed is more fun, but more inaccurate ratings. Natchez is fun.
http://www.mississippitennis.com/
That's the Parham Bridges website and they always have **** going on. Just sign up for something and then you will find people you play with thus getting on a team that plays USTA League tennis.
Also try http://mstennis.com
That's the Parham Bridges website and they always have **** going on. Just sign up for something and then you will find people you play with thus getting on a team that plays USTA League tennis.
Also try http://mstennis.com
Also, call the people at Parham Bridges (601-956-1105), give them your e-mail address and ask to be put on the list to receive their updates. They'll e-mail you about once every week or two letting you know what they have going on. When they have a mixer, sign up for it. You'll meet people, have a lot of fun and play some tennis. You can also ask them if they know of any summer mixed doubles teams that might still be looking for players. If you see they're having a tournament and you don't have a partner, let them know you'd like to play and they'll try to find you a partner.
The fall combo leagues will start in late August (teams will start forming in early August). Let them know you're looking for a team. Teams play once per week for about 10 weeks. Typically you'll play in about 1/2 the matches. Some teams are super serious about winning and others aren't so much.
The fall combo leagues will start in late August (teams will start forming in early August). Let them know you're looking for a team. Teams play once per week for about 10 weeks. Typically you'll play in about 1/2 the matches. Some teams are super serious about winning and others aren't so much.
gone to hell. It started out as a way to encourage people to play & play competitively against people of like ability. It is not just MS's system--the same problems exist in TN, LA, AR, etc. But you are right, it has gotten significantly worse since they allowed self-rating. I dont much care about guys/teams that sandbag because they usually either get DQ'd or shamed into playing their own level. Besides, if they get far enough,--regionals & on, it pretty much takes care of itself because most players that get that far are playing well above their level. I have found at the regional level it is much more competitive & even in terms of ability. More responsibility/authority should be placed on the local coordinator to ensure that when people sandbag, they are dealt with harshly, i.e. suspended from USTA play for one year, etc. (not a rule but should be). My biggest gripe is the inconsistency of the computer adjusted ratings. ALL USTA play should be considered & not just spring league play.
I play 4.5 in Memphis and many of our 5.0s have been pushed down to 4.5 and many 4.0s pushed up to 4.5 which creates a much larger pool of 4.5 players but with a wide range of actual ability. The 4.0s is pretty much strong 4.0s or guys who really should be playign 3.5--not much middle ground.
If you have ever made it to regionals, you have likely seen teh vast difference avility wise in teh GA teams, specifically Atlanta teams. Atlanta plays AALTA in the spring & USTA leagues in teh fall. Many of these stronger players get bumped up @ year end after USTA play and play AALTA @ their new higher rating level. They then are allowed to go back to tehir fall rating & play State/Regionals, etc. USTA told teh GA Tennis Assoc. that they had to change & they basically told teh USTA to pound sand since they have 500,000 USTA members in Atlanta alone. When faced with the possibility of losing $12.5mm in dues, the USTA backed off.
Overall, the system sucks & I have been playing in it for 15 years--it has steadily gotten worse. If not for the love of the game, I would probably quit playing NTRP leagues & tournaments.
I play 4.5 in Memphis and many of our 5.0s have been pushed down to 4.5 and many 4.0s pushed up to 4.5 which creates a much larger pool of 4.5 players but with a wide range of actual ability. The 4.0s is pretty much strong 4.0s or guys who really should be playign 3.5--not much middle ground.
If you have ever made it to regionals, you have likely seen teh vast difference avility wise in teh GA teams, specifically Atlanta teams. Atlanta plays AALTA in the spring & USTA leagues in teh fall. Many of these stronger players get bumped up @ year end after USTA play and play AALTA @ their new higher rating level. They then are allowed to go back to tehir fall rating & play State/Regionals, etc. USTA told teh GA Tennis Assoc. that they had to change & they basically told teh USTA to pound sand since they have 500,000 USTA members in Atlanta alone. When faced with the possibility of losing $12.5mm in dues, the USTA backed off.
Overall, the system sucks & I have been playing in it for 15 years--it has steadily gotten worse. If not for the love of the game, I would probably quit playing NTRP leagues & tournaments.
You playing in Memphis brings up another thing I gripe about.
I don't like the rule that allows teams along the border of MS to pull from other states within a certain vicinity. I say this because most of those areas that border other states already have enough good players without pulling from out of state.
For instance....I play in the North Central division. As a division, we are weak. Oxford & Greenwood usually have decent teams, but for the most part our area is made up of small rural towns. I live in Batesville and play in Oxford because men's tennis is weak in Batesville. Other teams in our area are Winona (terrible), Grenada (once good), etc. The lack of players to chose from in the small towns makes it tough. Then to compound it, they play teams from larger towns who also get to pull more players from the neighboring state.
For instance...the Desoto county area has plenty of players without teams pulling on players from Memphis. Greenville, MS is a big tennis town (little known fact...Greenville has more USTA players per capita than any other Southern town). Greenville gets to pull from Lake Village, Ark. Vicksburg and Natchez are both nice size towns for MS and they get to pull players from LA. The whole coast is well populated, and some of those towns can pull players from LA or AL. Meridian and Columbus are both good size towns for MS. They can pull players from AL. Teams in Corinth can pull from AL or TN.
You also end up with players who qualify for both state's championships, then chose to play in their home state's tournament.
UnknownDawg....you ever play Jeff Meek up there?
I don't like the rule that allows teams along the border of MS to pull from other states within a certain vicinity. I say this because most of those areas that border other states already have enough good players without pulling from out of state.
For instance....I play in the North Central division. As a division, we are weak. Oxford & Greenwood usually have decent teams, but for the most part our area is made up of small rural towns. I live in Batesville and play in Oxford because men's tennis is weak in Batesville. Other teams in our area are Winona (terrible), Grenada (once good), etc. The lack of players to chose from in the small towns makes it tough. Then to compound it, they play teams from larger towns who also get to pull more players from the neighboring state.
For instance...the Desoto county area has plenty of players without teams pulling on players from Memphis. Greenville, MS is a big tennis town (little known fact...Greenville has more USTA players per capita than any other Southern town). Greenville gets to pull from Lake Village, Ark. Vicksburg and Natchez are both nice size towns for MS and they get to pull players from LA. The whole coast is well populated, and some of those towns can pull players from LA or AL. Meridian and Columbus are both good size towns for MS. They can pull players from AL. Teams in Corinth can pull from AL or TN.
You also end up with players who qualify for both state's championships, then chose to play in their home state's tournament.
UnknownDawg....you ever play Jeff Meek up there?
because they don't want to drive to Grenada, and Winona. They have enough players in their own areas..(.like Jackson), so they don't have too. Heck from Grenada we've had to drive to Iuka, thank God they changed that.
regarding the border cities. I know many from here that have played in both MS & TN during the same season & chosen to play for whichever team gets further. I don't agree with that either. I think you should play in the state in which you currently reside. However, some of these border cities, i.e. Natchez, Corinth, etc. that are smaller cant get a full team without using cross border players in their immediate area. So I suppose some exceptions can be warranted. But you are right Desoto county does not "need" TN players to fill their spots--they choose them.
Yes I know Meeks very well. I played on a TN team with him several years ago that did very well--since then we have both moved up & he has continued to be heavily involved in USTA Team Tennis. Great guy but he typically has teams in both TN & MS each year. I, on the other hand, am somewhat burned out on it. I have been fortunate enough to have made it to Regionals on 4 different occasions (men's & mixed) and been State a bunch but it no longer is that big a deal to me. Many here are obsessed with making it to State & building the greatest team ever & somewhere in there the fun is lost. I prefer playing fun social tournaments & MS has a lot of them. Not so much in Memphis. Tournaments here run for a week at a time & you go play your match & go home. Not much social to it.
In fact, I and my partner (from New Orleans) played in Natchez a couple of weeks ago & were planning to play in Greenwood next weekend but didn't work out. We may play in a tournament the first weekend in August in Greenville @ Cypress Hills. Know of any tournaments in late July or August in the Oxford area or N. MS?
Yes I know Meeks very well. I played on a TN team with him several years ago that did very well--since then we have both moved up & he has continued to be heavily involved in USTA Team Tennis. Great guy but he typically has teams in both TN & MS each year. I, on the other hand, am somewhat burned out on it. I have been fortunate enough to have made it to Regionals on 4 different occasions (men's & mixed) and been State a bunch but it no longer is that big a deal to me. Many here are obsessed with making it to State & building the greatest team ever & somewhere in there the fun is lost. I prefer playing fun social tournaments & MS has a lot of them. Not so much in Memphis. Tournaments here run for a week at a time & you go play your match & go home. Not much social to it.
In fact, I and my partner (from New Orleans) played in Natchez a couple of weeks ago & were planning to play in Greenwood next weekend but didn't work out. We may play in a tournament the first weekend in August in Greenville @ Cypress Hills. Know of any tournaments in late July or August in the Oxford area or N. MS?
1. All Jackson teams are known as cheaters.
2. The MTA is Jackson based and has a reputation for favoring Jackson teams/players when it comes to disputes, ratings, etc.
3. River Hills was always my favorite place for tournaments.
4. The rating system is a joke.
5. Tennis in the state as a whole is not what it used to be -- I hope it is beginning to make a comeback.
2. The MTA is Jackson based and has a reputation for favoring Jackson teams/players when it comes to disputes, ratings, etc.
3. River Hills was always my favorite place for tournaments.
4. The rating system is a joke.
5. Tennis in the state as a whole is not what it used to be -- I hope it is beginning to make a comeback.
********! There are some cheaters in Jackson, just like in every other district. We played a 6.5 match against Pontotoc last fall and they had a 4.0 playing with a self-rated 2.5 who didn't play in the spring. He had played minor league baseball the previous year and was a much better player than the 4.0 or anybody else in the tournament. If that isn't cheating, I don't know what is.
Again, ********. We've lost our share of disputes to prove it.
Never played a tournament there, but it is a great facility. Parham Bridges runs tournaments as well as they could possibly be run. And they have free beer.
Agree completely. The concept is good, but it sometimes seems that players get bumped up or stay down is random. They need to make some changes to their computer algorithm. Also, self-rating should be outlawed. Sure people used to sandbag in the verification clinics, but there's no way the guy I mentioned above could have possibly been rated below 3.5 if he'd gone to a verification clinic, even if he had tried to sandbag.
I agree. Tournament fields are pretty small these days. A lot more round robins or 8-team draws than in the past. I remember my first tournament had a round of 32 (I'm sure there were some byes, but there were definitely more than 16 teams entered). You never see that any more.
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