Upcoming Event: Arguello Open Tournament May 4

To continue celebration of April Women in History month, SCTC will hold a Women’s Doubles tournament on Saturday May 4, 1:00-5:00pm at Arguello tennis courts. 3.0 and 3.5 level players will be able to compete for the Arguello Open title.

US women doubles pairs are competing well: Sands and Kenin just won Miami Open. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff held 2023 world #1 doubles title. Desirae Krawvzyk has a doubles ranking of world #8.
 Let’s also celebrate remarkable careers of Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams, just to name a few American tennis players. Maureen Connolly Brinker, also from US, won 9 Grand Slam titles in the 50s. And in '20s & '30s, Helen Wills Moody won 16!  Save this date to celebrate these inspirational players!

Registration opens next Tuesday, April 9th.

Upcoming Event: NEW Weekly Mixed Doubles at Menlo Courts

SCTC is sponsoring Free Mixed Doubles on Saturdays starting June 1 from 10:30am-12:30pm.

Signups will open on Monday each week starting on Monday, May 27, at noon.

Play will be held on the beautiful, newly resurfaced courts at Menlo College at the corner of Alejandra Avenue and El Camino Real in Atherton.There is plenty of free off-street parking in a private lot right next to the courts. College restrooms and water fountain are accessible near the courts.

Contact Lisa McKenna with questions: president@sancarlostennis.com

Upcoming Event: Farewell Fun with John Yarley

Our fellow player and long-serving, dedicated board member, John Yarley, is moving to Nashville in May.   In honor of John's service to the club, there will be a free afternoon tennis social open to all members on Saturday, April 27 from 2-5pm.  Register on the Events page. 

SCTC Needs YOU!

The Board is seeking a USTA Coordinator to replace our Interim Coordinator John Yarley.

John completes his interim term in June, so this is an urgent request for a volunteer.

The USTA Coordinator primarily sets the match schedule for USTA home matches and serves on the Board as a policy-maker.

For USTA players and captains who have enjoyed the services of the USTA coordinator, now is the time for you to step up and keep this vital function operating. You know best what is needed to keep captains and teams happily on court. 

Please contact president@sancarlostennis.com or usta@sancarlostennis.com or any board member if you are interested in serving in this role.

Award-Winning SCTC Captains

SCTC's very own Pam Fuerst, long-time member and current board member, has been recognized as the Adult League Captain of the Year for the MidPeninsula section of Norcal.  Ashi Labouisse earned recognition for captaining the most number of teams in 2023. Congrats to both of you and many thanks for your work!

NEW SCTC Gear

Gotta rep your club! Brian Krol shows off the new SCTC cap, while Cascade, owner of  member Michele Michon, is shown modeling a club visor.  These limited edition SCTC items will be available for sale at the April 27 social at Arguello.   Cash and checks accepted.

Thinking of Filing a USTA Grievance? 

What is required and how does USTA handle grievances?  Here's some resources from a recent presentation by Molly Neal, Adult League Coordinator, that explain the details. Captains, you might want to bookmark these for any future needs.

Here's the PDF of the slide deck and the recording of the webinar. 

Note: The $50 check required to file a grievance is held in the office until the decision comes out -- if upheld the check is shredded, if denied or dismissed the check is deposited.

Here's the Questions/Responses summary from your submitted questions.

Member Survey Results

Thank you to the 64 members who responded to the Member Survey that was distributed in January.  The results are summarized below, along with the response of the President, Lisa McKenna, after discussions at the March 13 Board meeting.

The club currently has some 500 active members with 20% San Carlos residents.   59% of the membership resides in the central peninsula (San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Emerald Hills); 14% in the mid-peninsula (Atherton, Woodside, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos); 7% in the upper peninsula (Millbrae, Hillsborough, Burlingame);  7% in greater San Francisco; 4% in the South Bay; 3% on the lower peninsula (Mountain View, Sunnyvale) 3% on the coast; and, 3% in the east bay. 

Members expressed satisfaction with club offerings and requested more interclub and themed tournaments.  Tournaments require significant advance work and day of the event volunteers.  Please contact Dawn Campbell, Tournament Director, tournaments@sancarlostennis.com, to assist with tournaments.

Half the respondents requested club leagues on weekend days.  Starting mid-June, the club will offer free mixed play on Saturdays from 2-5 pm at Arguello.  Signups will open on Tuesdays.

A majority of respondents requested rules be established for the composition of USTA teams.  There were complaints about captains recruiting outside the membership and refusing club members a spot on a roster.  For the summer USTA leagues and beyond, the club will establish an online sign-up list for anyone wanting to play on a USTA team with the board helping to place that member on a team.

Two thirds of respondents voted yes for a holiday party this year however given the low overall response to the survey this is insufficient to warrant the time and financial investment to have an event.

There were many write-in comments about insufficient court availability and conditions of the Arguello courts.  The board recently completed an investigation into all public and private court venues with four courts or more on the peninsula. Most of the venues that are available for rental do not have lights and court fees are $25/hr (compared to Highlands at $12/hr and Arguello at $15/hr). The board has met with the school district and requested the resurfacing of the Arguello courts. There is another meeting with the school district in April to discuss a resurfacing and lighting plan.

What the UTR?

So what is Universal Tennis Rating (UTR)?

Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is an index that was launched in 2008 that rates players' tennis skill.  UTR rates all players—men, women, and children—on a single 16-point scale with two decimal places, from beginners to top professional competitors.

UTR's algorithm calculates ratings from the last 30 eligible matches played within the preceding 12 months. The main data points are the percentage of games won, not just the win/loss result. Each match played generates a rating; a player’s UTR is a weighted average of all eligible matches.

At a UTR event you are guaranteed to play against players of your skill level.

How do I get a UTR rating?

Go to the UTR site - www.utrsports.net - and create a free account for yourself.   UTR will take USTA match results to help generate a UTR rating.

USTA Teams for 18+ M, W and Adult 55+ 

How do you find a team to join? The current SCTC teams for USTA can be found here.  If you want to join a team, contact the captain for permission.  Still unsure? Contact John Yarley for help. usta@sancarlostennis.com

Know the Rules before the Match

New USTA Norcal League Rules & Etiquette Flier 

Here's an easy reference to common issues in USTA match play. Keep a hard copy in your tennis bag!

Ball Recycling program is a Winner!

We've just sent another shipment of 90 lbs of used tennis balls for recycling. 

To help, simply bring used balls to the Arguello courts and deposit them in the green plastic bin by the side of Court 1.  At club events, the mailing bins will be made available courtside (ask your event coordinator if you don't see them).  The bins are stored in the Shed until sent for recycling. If you would like to help with this program, please contact Lisa McKenna president@sancarlostennis.com

Did You Cancel Your Event Registration?
SCTC does not give refunds, but your account will be credited for the full amount of registration. The system doesn't automatically apply a credit, if you have one. Please follow these instructions to register for paid events using any credits in your account: Using a credit to pay for a new event.pdf

What's a BATT? - Best Absorbent Tennis Towel

Due to popular demand, here's the basics of BATT usage: Place the foam piece with its flat side down, and towel panels spread flat behind it.  Hold the plastic grips on the rope handle and walk forward. For deeper puddles, go slowly and let the foam push the water ahead.  The panels will hug the court surface, even where the court surface is not level. 

Walk across the entire court, pivot around and cross back.  Continue making switchbacks until court has no puddles and remaining water is spread evenly for faster drying. At this point, it is useful to use a leaf blower on the damp areas.

The BATT replaces both squeegees and rollers. It works best when there are both wet and dry areas on the courts. Details and links are posted in the shed. Don't forget to rehang BATTs in the shed so they can dry. 

For videos of BATTs in action:

https://battowel.com/Instructionalvideos

Chutes and Ladders, Tennis Version

Move up and down the ladder by challenging players, plan matches on your own schedule, and meet new tennis buddies.  Instructions on how to register for the SCTC Men's or Women's ladders and other logistics are on the Ladders page. Also check out the Ladder Challenge Rules.

Contact Chris Guslani @ chris@guslani.com with questions about the Men's ladder.

Contact Laureen Cortez at laureentc@yahoo.com regarding the Women's Ladder.

Tennis Lessons at Arguello Courts

 Are you looking to make a positive change to your game?  Improve your skills or add new ones?   Do you want to work on doubles strategy with a partner or set up a team clinic?

Silicon Valley Tennis Academy offers adult tennis lessons at the Arguello courts.   Please contact the Academy for prices and available time slots at contactus@svtennisacademy.com