66th
ANNUAL ULSTER COUNTY OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT
DICK
SMITH MEMORIAL, July 16-26th, 2015
Application
Information
Sponsored
and run by the Mid-Hudson Valley Tennis Association (MHVTA)
in
cooperation with the City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department
When? Thursday, July 16-19th
for all doubles events, and July 23-26th for all singles events.
Where?
Kingston
High School (401 Broadway, Kingston), Forsyth Park (Lucas Avenue, Kingston),
and Ulster County Community College (Stone Ridge). If we have more than 16 singles players or 16
doubles teams in a draw, the first round will be moved ahead to the Tuesday evening
before the dates listed above.
What is important about the tournament? We are running all the doubles events during
the first week of the tournament from Thursday, July 16th to Sunday,
July 19th. All singles events
will run during the second week from Thursday, July 23th to Sunday July
26th. All open events are for
anyone. Sr. events require each
participant to be 50 or over. Super senior
events require each participants to be 60 or over. For participants in the B-level events, you
self-rate and should be a 2-3.5 level player based on the USTA rating scale
from 1-7. The tournament directors
reserve the right not to accept a B level applicant if it is determined that
the applicant skill level is too high.
We want to make the B tournaments for those at that skill level and want
to prevent “sandbagging,” a sad phenomenon when a high level player intentionally
plays at a lower level to get rated lower so the player can dominate the lower level. This totally ruins the concept of the USTA
rating system to provide competitions for people at similar skill levels, and
we want to avoid this. There are no age
restrictions for the B level tournaments, so if you are a new player in your
20s or older, you qualify as long as your skill level fits the description
above.
What
happens if there are more than 16 people in a draw? How will you get that completed in four days? If this happens we will have to have some
people play a qualifier round to get to the round of 16 the weekend or
weeknights before the tournament officially begins on Thursday evenings for the
doubles and singles. We will schedule this for the Tuesday night before the
tournament begins, but both players or doubles teams can complete it even
before that.
When are entries
due by? July 4th. (Absolutely no entries allowed beyond July 4th!!) The draws for all the events will be started Monday,
July 6th and completed no later than July 10th That’s why we need your entries by July 4th.
Where can I find
the Official Draws once they are completed?
They
will be posted no later than July 11th at Forsyth Tennis Courts,
emailed to all participants who provide an email address, and at the following
websites:
www.midhudsontennis.blogspot.com or www.kingston-ny.gov/content/120/1112/default.aspx (click on parks
and recreation and find tennis).
What is the entry
fee?
$25 per singles event; $50 per doubles team event. Your entry fee is tax deductible to the
extent allowed by law. EARLY BIRD
SPECIAL – $20 for each singles event and $40 for each doubles event if paid
and signed up by June 25th. NOTE – in doubles events there is the
option of only one person from a doubles team who needs to pay for a doubles
event and that person will register both players on that team.
How do I sign
up? Fill out your registration form
with a check made payable to MHVTA to MHVTA, 48 Dewitt Mills Road, Hurley,
NY 12443. NOTE: The entry must include the check or else it is not an
entry.
Who is the Mid-Hudson Valley Tennis
Association? The Purpose of the
Mid-Hudson Valley Tennis Association is to grow and enhance the development of
tennis in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley and surrounding areas by providing
community tennis programs and services to adults and youths and to support
organizations and programs that enhance the lives of people through tennis and
education programs that are based on health, fitness, character-building, and
self-improvement. It is dedicated to building, improving and maintaining public
tennis courts and facilities in order to improve the quality of life of
children and adults through tennis. MHVTA
was formed in 2011 as a not-for-profit corporation to raise funds to repair
these public courts and to promote tennis programs for players of all ages in
the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Who benefits from
the proceeds? All proceeds will
benefit the NJTL program to develop Jr. Tennis players as well as make
improvements for the tennis courts at Forsyth Park.
What is the
maximum # of events per player? Three
doubles events and one singles event. If you sign up for two or three doubles
events, expect to play multiple doubles matches in one day. Use discretion. A minimum 1-hour rest period between matches
will be granted unless waved by the players who have to play more than one
match in a day.
What is the time
commitment expected from the participants?
You must be able to play Thursday or Friday evenings from 5:30 P.M. on
and all day and evenings on Saturdays and Sundays if you play singles or
doubles. You must be able to play when assigned or risk
forfeiting at these times. You must bend to our time frames. We cannot run a tournament around your
schedules.
Tentative
schedule: Thursday and
Friday evenings will be early round matches with the semi-finals and finals
planned for Saturday and Sunday on the respective weeks for the doubles and
singles events. The awards ceremony and
picnic for ALL events will conclude after the singles finals on July 27th
at Forsyth Park. The awards ceremony and
picnic will happen on Sunday, July 27th.
What happens if it
rains? How will that change the schedule? Rescheduling due to rain is at the sole
discretion of the tournament director(s).
All decisions by the tournament director(s) are final. For example, if it rains on Thursday, July 17th,
those matches might be transferred to Friday, with a second match played Friday
or two matches played Saturday to catch up.
YOU must be flexible to our schedule, as we cannot run a tournament
around everyone’s individual schedules.
Can you change a
scheduled match in the early rounds? Yes but ONLY for matches
before the semi-finals and finals if you can play your match before the
scheduled time and as long as all participants agree when and where to
play. You are responsible to set
up the match time with your opponent(s) and complete it before the scheduled
date and time by the tournament director.
It’s up to you and your opponent to do that and inform the tournament
director of this. However, for all
semi-final and final matches in all tournaments, you must adhere to the
tournament schedule, as we want spectators to be able to come see those matches
and know when they are played. No
changes in the schedule and place of matches can be made without prior
permission of the tournament directors.
What are players
responsible for? One
can of championship USTA approved tennis balls per event (winner gets the new
can); each player is responsible to bring enough water for proper hydration in
the summer months. Finding out their
starting times; players will be defaulted for arriving more than 15 minutes
late of an assigned match. Only the
tournament director(s) can default a player.
The winning player or team must immediately report the score to appropriate
personnel to find out the next scheduled match. This is important in order to
keep the tournament running smoothly.
What is the
scoring?
For all open events, two out of three sets with a 12-point tiebreak at 6
all. For all Senior events, B level
events, and Super Senior doubles best of three sets with a super tiebreaker
(first one to 10 points) in lieu of a third set. Scoring may be changed or
modified at the sole discretion of the tournament director(s) for all rounds.
A polite request
for tennis etiquette: We remind all participants that this is a public event, and even in
competitive situations appropriate sportsmanship and behavior is expected. We will (if necessary) impose penalties for
infractions for ball and racquet abuse, obscenities, or unsportsmanlike
behavior. We ask that all participants follow the USTA code of conduct, be fair
in line calls, not foot fault, and ask for help if there is an unclear
situation.
Who can I call or
email for more information? Scott Taylor at 845-750-8542 or taylortennis1@gmail.com or Tom Turco at
845-389-1488 or ttur73@yahoo.com (Co-directors) or
email mhvtennisassociation@gmail.com.
NOTE: ALL decisions regarding the Tournament are
the sole discretion of the Tournament Director(s).
66th
Ulster County Open Tennis Tournament/Dick Smith Memorial 2015 Application Form
Sponsored
by the Mid-Hudson Valley Tennis Association (MHVTA)
in cooperation with the City of Kingston Parks
and Recreation Department
Please
Print VERY clearly
and return by July 4th to
MHVTA, 48 Dewitt Mills Road, Hurley, NY 12443:
Entry Fees: $25 for each singles
event; $50 for each doubles event. EARLY
BIRD SPECIAL if paid by June 25th – $20 for each singles event;
$40 for each doubles event.
Name_______________________________
Phone: Home_____________________
Cell/Work_____________________
Address__________________________________________________________________________________
Email Address
______________________________________________ @ ___________________________
Doubles Events (held from July 16-19th); limit—up to three doubles events
Open Men’s Doubles name and partner
_____________________________ and _________________________________
Open Women’s Doubles name and
Partner __________________________ and ________________________________
Open Mixed Doubles name and partner
______________________________ and ________________________________
Sr. Men’s Doubles (both 50 and older)
name and partner _________________________ and ________________________
Sr. Women’s Doubles (both 50 and older)
name and partner ____________________ and __________________________
Sr. Mixed Doubles (both 50 and
older) name and partner ____________________ and __________________________
Super Senior Doubles (each person
must be 60 or older) _________________________ and ________________________
B Level Men’s Doubles name and
partner _____________________________ and ____________________________
B Level Women’s Doubles name and
partner _____________________________ and ____________________________
B Level Mixed Doubles name and
partner _____________________________ and ____________________________
Singles Events (held from July 23-26th); limit-one singles event
Open Men’s Singles name
_______________________________________
Open Women’s Singles name
_____________________________________
Sr. Men’s Singles (50 and over) name
______________________________
Sr. Women’s Singles (50 and over) name
___________________________
B Level Men’s Singles __________________________________
B Level Women’s Singles
______________________________
Liability release: In consideration of my participation in the
Ulster County Open Tennis Tournament and its related events and activities, I
the undersigned, acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that:
1. By condition of this release, I
acknowledge the inherent risk of playing in an athletic event, (including but
limited to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or heart attack) and declare that I am
in good physical health and have had a physical check-up by a certified
physician within the last calendar year.
2. I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL
SUCH RISKS, both known and unknown, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE
RELEASEES or others, and assume full responsibility for my participation.
3. I willingly agree to comply with
terms and conditions for participation. If I observe any unusual significant
hazard during my presence or participation, I will remove myself from
participation and bring such to the attention of the nearest official
immediately.
4. I, for myself and on behalf of my
heirs, assigns, personal representatives and next of kin, HEREBY RELEASE,
INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS The Mid-Hudson Valley Tennis Association, its
members, officers, officials, agents and/or employees, other participants,
sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used
to conduct the event (RELEASEES), The City of Kingston, Kingston City School
District, Ulster County Community College from any and all claims, demands,
losses, and liability arising out of or related to any INJURY, DISABILITY OR
DEATH I may suffer, or loss or damage to person or property, WHETHER ARISING
FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, to the fullest extent
permitted by law. I HAVE READ THIS RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK
AGREEMENT, FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS, UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP
SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT, AND SIGN IT FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT
ANY INDUCEMENT.
5. I acknowledge that I have read
the application information and agree with its contents.
Participant’s Signature
_______________________________________ Age _______ Date
__________________________
Parent’s Signature if participant
is under 18 ______________________________________________________
