TOURNAMENTS
At NJTP, we strongly believe in playing tournaments as a way to gain competitive experience and improve your skills as a tennis player.
Playing tournaments is an essential part of our Pathway to Success for junior tennis players. We have seen it proven over and over: kids who play lots of tournaments are better tennis players!
Playing tournaments helps motivate kids to practice hard and play well in their practice matches. It teaches them to handle the ups and downs of competitive match play. It requires kids to develop strategies to win against new, unknown opponents with different styles of play.
01
Types of Junior Tournaments
Here in the San Fernando Valley, we are very fortunate to have several different types of tennis tournaments and other match play events for junior players: USTA/SCTA sanctioned tournaments—These tournaments provide a path to increased competition and let you earn sectional and national ranking points. Universal Tennis (UTR) events—These are one-day or multi-day events that offer level-based matches to build your UTR Rating. USTA Junior Team Tennis (JTT)–This is a junior league that consists of multiple matches in a season. The matches are USTA-sanctioned and also let you earn sectional and national ranking points depending on your results and your team’s results.
02
Junior Rankings and Points
For tournament players who meet certain requirements (including playing a certain number of tournaments or other sanctioned matches in a year), the SCTA computes rankings which compare players’ tournament records against one another, within each age/gender division. The SCTA awards ranking points using what is called a “points per round” ranking system. This means that when you play a tournament at a particular level, you will receive a number of ranking points depending on how far you advance in the tournament. The idea is that as you move to higher-level tournaments, and as you advance farther in each tournament, you will receive more ranking points.
03
Tennis Attire
At many tennis clubs, proper tennis attire is a requirement, and you might not be allowed to play if you are not dressed properly! It’s always a good idea to check the dress code where you are going to play, but here are some general rules:
04
Bag Check
Here’s a checklist of things you should bring to any competitive match:
05
Player Etiquette
Tennis is founded on courtesy, mutual respect among players, and good sportsmanship. We want all our students to follow these rules in any tennis match because you will represent not just yourself but NJTP as well.
06
Parent Etiquette
During most sporting events, cheering, clapping, and yelling are part of the culture. However, tennis has a different set of rules and guidelines for spectators. Below you will find the guidelines and regulations for spectators during a tennis match.
