If the University Interscholastic League has its way, come January, high school’s fall team tennis season in classes 4A and 5A will be played under a new format starting in 2008.
It will have the same win 10 individual matches, win the overall dual match concept, but with an added twist — no true lineup.
Coaches will be permitted to position their players at any doubles and singles flights, with the final goal being winning 10 individual matches before the other team does.
Instead of out-coaching the opposition, coaches will try to outwit the opposition.
In other words, stacking, where coaches purposely place players in flight positions no matter what their individual rankings are on the team ladder in order to better their chances of winning, will now be a rule.
Cheating, which stacking is, officially will be legalized.
Days after the announcement was made at the Texas Tennis Coaches Association’s annual convention in New Braunfels, opposition to the proposal is still steadily flowing in.
“As I mentioned at Newk’s (John Newcombe Tennis Ranch), I am not in the least happy with the resolution that UIL is pushing down our throats,” Mason High School coach Paul Smith addressed to an eight-member committee set up at the convention to hopefully come up with a better solution to the stacking dilemma.
“I feel that they have not done their part in trying to create a just and fair system to monitor this problem,” continued Smith, who will chair the committee. “This was simply a quick Band-Aid fix for a problem that is much deeper.”
Sad but true, only a small percentage of 4A and 5A tennis coaches throughout the state are guilty of the infraction.
But over the years, the UIL has received enough complaints from concerned parents and participants about the select few breaking the rule, thus resulting in a surprise compromise between the UIL and the TTCA.
“We all agree there is a problem,” Smith said. “We all agree we don’t like our current solution. We all agree we have to come up with something that we can all live with that is fair to everyone.
“Even though I don’t coach in 4A or 5A, I believe in the system we have had since team tennis’ inception, and I will fight for this.”
Smith, who is concerned the proposal will chase away some of the top juniors from high school tennis, urges coaches who oppose the proposal to let their respective school district superintendents know how they feel, so they can vote “no” when the proposal is presented to them.
Coaches in Region III who would like to give their input to a possible solution to stacking can contact 5A representative Tommy Heim at Clear Lake High School, theim(at)ccisd.net, or 4A representative Chad Baron at Willis High School, CBaron(at)willisisd.org.
Smith’s e-mail address is paul.smith(at)masonisd.org.
Dates to remember
• Jan. 11-14 – Super Championship Major Zone Tournament (12s & 14s), Austin;
• Jan. 11-14 – Super Championship Major Zone Tournament (16s & 18s), San Antonio;
• Jan. 12-13 – Zone Advancement Tournament, Katy;
• Jan. 12-13 – Championship Major Zone Tournament, Bryan-College Station;
• Jan. 19-21 – Super Excellence Championships, Waco.
Tip of the day
Track the ball with your eyes.
Do not move your head.
Manuel Moreno Jr. is the head tennis coach at Pasadena J. Frank Dobie High School. He also is Region III vice president for the Texas Tennis Coaches Association. E-mail mmjtenicon(at)aol.com.
