A Real, Official South Carolina Tennis License Plate -- Here's an no-obligation way to let USTA SC know whether you are interested.

    The South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation is considering applying for a specialized tennis license plate to raise money and increase tennis awareness in the state.  Currently, a survey is under way to determine how many people would be interested in such a tennis license plate.

    The link to get to the survey is: http://www.southcarolina.usta.com/About_Us/sctpf_license_plate/. Three other states, including North Carolina, have these. Note that designs shown are just samples. No final design has been chosen. If you have any questions or need any help accessing this, please email stetson@sctennis.com.

+++++++ 

USTA National League Director

     Bud Spencer: "We Are NOT Forgetting Our Super Seniors"

         ISLE OF PALMS SC (TENNIS E-News) -- Bud Spencer of Mt. Pleasant has worked up a series of USTA ladders -- many of them having to do with league tennis and especially Super Senior leagues from the first Hilton Head Island vs. Myrtle Beach matches almost 20 years ago. Inducted Saturday into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, Spencer now is chairman of National's USTA League Committee.

    Spencer has been in on the ground level of Super Seniors, Combo Doubles, Tri-Level and Flex Leagues. With the upcoming league age-restructuring in 2013, the organization chart of national championships does not include Senior divisions higher than 55s.

    "I can assure you that we are NOT forgetting our Super Seniors," Spencer said. The 2012 advanced championships will continue as they have been in 60s and 70s in South Carolina and Southern. South Carolina has held 75s States and Southern is anticipating 75s in the 2012 championships.

    With the restructuring in 2013, the nine Southern states are expected to hold 55s and 65s championships as well as Sectional playoffs at those levels. As to 65s nationals, Spencer said, only the numbers can tell us then, but we are hopeful. Likewise for the 75s.

    The message: Baby Boomers, stick with the sport and it will continue to grow all the way into Nationals.

 +++++++++

The 2011 Year End Ratings are on line.

When searching for your NTRP rating use your USTA # and not your name for a faster response.
Go to www.sctennis.com, then click on TennisLink, then USTA Leagues and then in the Find a Rating box fill in your USTA number.

If APPEAL RATING appears on the new page in BLUE, you can immediately click on it to appeal the rating. 

If you select the "Advanced Search" tab, you will be able to go through dropdowns to show, for example, all Hilton Head Island Women's 3.5 players.

 +++++++++

Late January Season Start

     Spring Leagues Pre-Registration Deadline -- Seniors Dec. 21

        HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- With the calendar rolling very quickly toward year end, the deadline is fast approaching for teams to register for the Spring 2012 USTA League Adult and Senior season that will begin in late January and play through late April.

    Pre-registration forms have been sent to captains and co-captains from the Spring 2011 season. However, those forms may not have gotten to any new captains or those forming new teams.

     Sue Cook, a level coordinator for some Adult and Senior divisions, had a deadline Saturday (10th) for registering intention of entering a team. Initial information needed includes match site and times when matches would be played. "Talk to your director to confirm the time of your matches," Cook emailed to captains. "If you do all of this (including a team name), it will save all the coordinators a lot of time amending the multiple schedules we work with."

    Senior Men's Coordinator Don Grider has set Dec. 21 as deadline for the Spring 50s league captains to complete the pre-registration form.

    Coordinators asked that team members check with their captains to be certain the team is pre-registered ... especially if the Spring team captain has been traveling off-island for an extended period of time. Any Spring '11 captain who will NOT be in that position for Spring '12 should notify his/her level coordinator of that face.

    For pre-reg information, email Cook at hhitennis@aol.com or Grider at dmgrider@roadrunner.com or overall HHI League Coordinator Jackie Reynecke at jackie@palmettodunes.com. For information and registration specific to your level, email your level coordinator listed here:

    Dec 27-31: SC/GA Junior Dual State Championships – Van Der Meer Tennis Center / State Championship (SC Level 2 and Southern Level 4) / USTA-sanctioned / Boys’ and Girls’ 16s and 18s singles and doubles. ID #704110310 / For information, call 785-8388 or go to www.vdmtennis.com.
    2012

    Jan. 25-26: 24rd Annual Clay Court Maintenance Training School / Port Royal Racquet Club / Sponsored by HT Tennis / on-court training on clay court resurfacing and maintenance / For information, contact Denny Bianco 686-8803.

++++++++++