Notes From 7th Listening Meeting in Troy, Michigan
- Lisa Stone
- February 9, 2013
Unfortunately, I don’t have much to report from last night’s “listening” meeting in Troy. The only word I’ve gotten is that there were only a small handful of people there, and that everyone stayed cool, calm, and collected.
Paul McDonald and Mark Bey were the USTA representatives leading the meeting. Apparently, Scott Schultz was also supposed to be there but got delayed by the weather. The parents in attendance who did speak were against the 2014 changes to the junior competition schedule, but the opposition was voiced in a very factual rather than impassioned manner. From the emails I received, it seems that the overall feeling was one of resignation – one attendee reported that it just felt “flat out terrible for the sport more so than terrible for the cause.”
To me, this just underlines the sentiment that we in the tennis community need to find a resolution – and fast! – to this latest rift between USTA and its constituents. The longer this goes on, the more harm will result. Parents are talking to each other at tournaments and on social media outlets, and the frustration we feel has gone beyond idle chatter. I think (I hope!) USTA realizes that it needs to seriously reconsider these changes and to, at the very least, put them on hold until more work can be done.
If any of you were among the 25 or so attendees at the Troy meeting, please add your insights in the Comments below. Monday’s ParentingAces radio show will be dedicated to a discussion of the 2014 changes and their potential impact on players and families – I hope you’ll join in by calling the show at 714-583-6853 and sharing your thoughts and questions!
Please note that the next meeting is Monday, February 11th at 7:00pm at the Mountaingate Country Club in Los Angeles – click here for a link to the flyer. Scott Schultz is scheduled to be the USTA representative there.
