News from Princeton Racquet Club
How did you rate? The year end NTRP ratings for the 2021 USTA Adult League season are now available. You can check your rating by logging on the USTA site and selecting Tennis Link- NTRP Rating or click here. These ratings are based on play during a two year period because ratings were not released last year because of the shortened and limited USTA match seasons hampered by CoVID.
NTRP ratings are assigned to try to provide fair and competitive play for over 300,000 league players. There are instances where the ratings don’t always reflect a player’s level (due to the behavior of an individual player or external factors). Overall, it is a great system that provides fun and competitive team opportunities.
If you received a lower rating than you had hoped, take advantage of the opportunities that may be available. The advantage of receiving a lower rating is that it affords a player to compete at two levels. For instance, if a player had a 3.0 rating and had hoped to receive a new 3.5 rating and didn’t, he/she can play both 3.0 and 3.5 levels for the upcoming seasons. If he/she moved up to 3.5, their competitive opportunities would be limited to 3.5 teams, because they would unlikely be competitive at 4.0.
The question we hear most often is, how can I improve my rating? If you bake a cake with four ingredients and follow a set plan of instructions, it will probably taste the same, whether you bake it once a week or 5 times a week. How many ingredients does your tennis game have? A player that has a powerful serve and groundstrokes is only effective against a player who doesn’t respond well to power. Developing angle volleys, slice serves, lobs or different spins can give you ingredients to spice up your game and be more effective against more players.
Being able to play at a lower level will provide a player the opportunity to practice new shots and tactics and develop a more complete game. So instead of being disappointed that you didn’t receive a higher rating, embrace the opportunity to practice different strokes and tactics during your lower matches.
Special thanks to Sharon Narsiff, MS League Coordinator, and local league coordinators, Amy Filippone and Diana Kimick, for all of their hard work and dedication to USTA League tennis during two challenging years. If you aren’t participating in a winter league now, captain’s meetings will be held in February in preparation for spring leagues.
Lastly, remember that you are “more” than a number or rating. Play with Pride, Respect and Character and you will always be a champion.