Iowa Tennis Association Spring 2016 Meeting - USTA.com

Iowa Tennis Association Spring 2016 Meeting Committee: Officials Committee Chair: Donna Farley Committee Members: Meg Nixon, Matt Bender, Joanne Rickert -No more umpire schools: The USTA Officials Committee met in October and voted to change the school requirement for maintaining certification from in-person classes to on-line modules. The Committee considers this as an improvement making the educational component of the Officiating Program “easily accessible, more comprehensive, and consistent across the country”. -On-line modules: 14 in total number, will be launching at the end of January. Returning officials will work through these modules that incorporate assessments (concise 20-30 questions done after each module). New officials, after taking the Safe Play training and passing the background screening, can also access the appropriate module to complete the on-line training. - USTA certified tennis officials for 2016, “names-only”, are displayed on the ITA website under the “Officials” tab. Iowa has more certified officials (28) than any other District in the Valley (110). Please make use of these qualified umpires at any tournament events in the coming months and throughout the summer. -Umpire Matching Grant: The 2016 form can be found on the ITA website, under “officials”. This grant will provide 50% of the usual fee ($12-$15/hour) paid to roving umpires. The new maximum for one event is $200 due to ITA budget reductions. See the grant form for eligibility and preferences. -The USTA no longer certifying Collegiate Officials: This decision was reached back in August and effective January, 2016. ITA Rules and Regulations will not be in the 2016 Friend At Court but rather in a separate ITA Rulebook, currently available on-line. Future ITA certifications and requirements are being reviewed and will be announced later this year. One thing for sure, a current USTA certification will still be required to obtain an ITA certification, going forward. -New USTA Officiating Uniform: S&H Uniform Corporation (not Honigs) is now the supplier of all uniform components and accessories. The required shirt will be royal blue with the new USTA logo, cost at $24. I am proposing that the $700 approved for clinics be re-directed towards paying for these shirts for all officials continuing to work at our USTA events in Iowa during 2016. -Collegiate officials in high demand: More schools and more conferences are asking for certified officials to cover their dual meets as the collegiate season launches in late January. Many schools require that each match, singles and doubles, have a chair official so this means 6 officials per dual. I’ve have had to reach out to our neighboring USTA districts and sections in order to meet this demand. U of I alone will hold 28 dual meets this season, with 126 official assignments.

- Special Olympics Iowa Summer Games: The three-day event begins on May 19th with tennis competition in singles, doubles, mixed doubles, unified doubles and individual tennis skills. I am hoping that all Iowa tennis officials will volunteer to officiate these important matches. Approved Committee Budget for 2016: $2000 ($700 for clinics; $1300 for grants)