TEXAS TENNIS HALL OF FAME TAPS FORMER HTA DIRECTOR

Houston’s own Harriett Hulbert joins list of tennis notables

              HOUSTON (Oct. 16, 2009)--Harriett Hulbert, Houston Tennis Association director  emeritus, was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Waco October 10.

              Considered by many to be one of the most influential women in the Texas community tennis family, Hulbert began her lifelong service with the HTA by volunteering to run junior tournament sites in the 1970s.  She later became president of the HTA for two years and in 1984 accepted the position of assistant executive director.  In 1986 she assumed full responsibility for the HTA as executive director, a position she held until her “retirement” in 2007.  She continues to run tournament sites and assist in other ways. 

              Hulbert has also served the USTA Texas Section for 30 plus years and has received numerous awards, including the HTA Sampson Award, the W.T. Caswell Award, and Tournament Director of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award from the section.  She is a member of the Texas Section Awards Committee and the Junior Tennis Council, as well as a certified USTA umpire and referee.

HTUA Members AT US OPEN 2009

Our congratulations and cheers to the members of the HTUA family pictured above at the US Open this year.

Richard Soukup with Margaret Smith Kathy O'connor and Beatrice Hummel are in the picture on top. Susan Burns is in the chair on Louis Armstrong Stadium in the lower picture.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to all that attended the National certification School in Houston in January.

Welcome to all the New Provisional Umpires

Upcoming Officials Schools

Please send your messages regarding the Web site and any comments and requests to Danny Tangri

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

This is just a reminder notice. By now you should have all received the invitation to register through the Nucula system.

It is of great importance as all your work records, Certifications, Evaluations, Schools and other information will now be permanently on line.If you have not already done so please Request your

New Nucula account at https://tumps.usta.com/nucula/

If you have problems or questions please contact me at my home email account

New ITA Officials,

Let us know if you would like to attend the 2010 ITA Chair Training Academy in Plano, Texas. This is a great opportunity for you to learn better ITA techniques and to be seen by other ITA coordinators who schedule matches at other Texas colleges.  This is a great opportunity for you to move up to the next level of ITA officiating.  If you have never had any solo chair training, we have time to work with you to get you some chair training. Just let me know right away so that we can get started on a program. 

Here is more information about the Plano Chair Academy:

Date:  May 9-11, 2010      Location:  Plano, Texas.Academy Hotel:  Southfork Hotel, Plano.                              Phone:  972 578 8555Tournament:  Men’s National Junior College Tournament, Collin College, Plano, Texas. The 2010 Texas Section Chair Academy is a unique training opportunity for officials from throughout the state.  Participants will be recommended by Texas Section leadership and invited on an individual basis.  All participants are required to have some chair experience as you will be chairing matches at the National Junior College Men’s Tournament. The Academy will be taught by a National Instructor as well as a Texas Instructor.  Listed below is the training schedule:                 Sunday, May 9th                Classroom instruction beginning at 6:00 p.m. Monday, May 10th           On-court training in conjunction with the NJCAA Tournament.               

Tuesday, May 11th           On-court training in conjunction with the NJCAA Tournament. The goal of the 2010 Academy will be to train our officials in advanced chair techniques.  In order to be invited, a participant must commit to the entire three-day training period unless given prior approval by Randy McDonald. 

Following expenses will be covered by the Texas Section:          Hotel, noon meal, and evening meal. 

Travel expenses are the responsibility of the participant. 

Tennis Attire Requirements:  All officials must wear khaki shorts and an NJCAA shirt which will be provided for you.

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Local Training events: Please note the following Local Traing Events

March 1st- Monday at the National Senior Women's event at the Houston Racket club off Memorial and Voss.

Roving clinic and shadowing

March 6th - Saturday.--- Line and chair clinic. Possible roving clinic.at the same event.

In June 12th through 13th at The Missouri City CTA Tournament

tional school. uston school will be on January 23 & 24 and will once again be a National school.

Any member that would like a copy of the current roster please email Danny Tangri

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One of the most frequently asked questions that we receive is, "How do I get ITA training?"

The following is an excerpt from a blog post by a senior USTA, ITA official.
First, we all need to understand that ITA officiating is really a creation all its own. Its not the same as USTA tournaments and certainly isn't the same a pro level tournaments. As an ITA official, you have coaches and players right there on the court with you and many times are placed in a high-charged and adversarial atmosphere--so you need to know your stuff!
Here are your options for training:
1. Contact your local ITA coordinator.  For Houston, this would be Ginny James.
2. Ask your coordinator to submit your name to the Chair Academy in Plano in May, or the Live Fire Workshop at Baylor in September. These are the two highest quality training opportunities in the nation but it is by invitation only and you can only be recommended by your local coordinator.
Here are some things to remember when you are looking for ITA training:
* You must know the ITA rules backwards and forwards. There is no substitute for this quality.
* You must have a teachable spirit.
* You must be willing to rove as well as do chairs.
* You must be willing to do matches without pay at the first.
* Make yourself as available as possible.
* Email or call your coordinator and let them know you are interested in training.

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