By David Rowe, Mixed Doubles Vice President
As the summer Mixed Doubles season is behind us and we turn our attention to winter registration, I think it is important to say a few things about communication and accommodation, which can lead to fewer frustrations between captains and teams. Many problems can be avoided well before the start of play.
The first step is to communicate any possible issues with travel and court details. Living in Atlanta, we know the weekends are busy and traffic can be ridiculous. There are many local festivals and activities about which many people are not always aware, and communicating those events to opposing captains is important. Please make sure you reach out by phone or email to your opponents three to four days before the match, and let them know of any special circumstances with your facility or neighborhood that could cause problems with travel times or parking.
The second suggestion is to try and accommodate teams that need to play a line or two early. Sometimes, a team may not have enough players on match day, so playing a line early keeps them from having to default. It is always important to keep in mind if a team defaults out for the season, all the points you had taken from them will be erased, which can adversely affect your playoff standings.
The last item is a rule that captains either forget or disregard about exchanging scorecards at the beginning of a match. I cannot tell you how many matches go sideways every season because scorecards are not exchanged, which creates uncertainty and even suspicion. If you as the captain cannot be at a match, please ensure someone on the team is present as acting captain and has a scorecard ready to exchange. My suggestion to captains is to not get on the court until the scorecard has been exchanged.
I am just finishing my second season as vice president, but I have learned a great deal from our ALTA members, and I have enjoyed the role. One message I continue to promote is that kindness and sportsmanship are always the right approach. Opposing teams might not always reciprocate as you would like, but afterwards you will never feel bad about yourself or your team if you are guided by those two things.
