Knowing the Code
Erica Gilbert is considered by many to be the “Mother of Tennis Officials” in Canada. For many years Erica volunteered for the Rogers Cup and coordinated the officials and lines people. No longer able to play the game, Erica remains an active tennis volunteer. She is the social coordinator for the TLTL, membership secretary for the Leaside Tennis Club and for this particular Monday evening she introduced herself to the Ambassadors as “the non-playing captain” for the Leaside Division 4 TLTL team.If there is one thing Erica knows, it is the rules of tennis. Thus, it is particularly difficult for her to not shout out the “no, no” she whispered when one of the ladies served the first point of the tie break from the wrong side of the court. “Players really should know the rules better than they do,” she said while agreeing that there is a lot to know. League players are expected to understand and abide by the current Tennis Canada Rules of Tennis, any TLTL rules and the famous Guidelines for Unofficiated Matches known as The Code. Written by Colonel Nick Powell, The Code is “a summary of procedures and unwritten rules that custom and tradition dictate all players should follow.” He goes on to state that, “No system of rules will cover every specific problem or situation that may arise. If players of good will follow the principles of The Code, they should always be able to reach an agreement, while at the same time making tennis more fun and a better game for all.”
Ask yourself, “when was the last time I read The Code”? Players may compete for years without reading this essential document and clearer knowledge of the rules would certainly have helped Erica’s team at an all important stage in the first set. Serving at 15-love, a great point ended with a crosscourt forehand into the opposing team’s deuce court. Neither opponent saw the ball land and could not make a line call. What is the proper thing to do under The Code? The answer at all times is: “If you have a doubt on a line call, your opponent gets the benefit of the doubt.” Yet, many players are reluctant to enforce a rule even if they do know it. On this night the confusion over the lack of a call resulted in the ladies deciding to treat the point as a let. They then replayed the point, which resulted in a loss of the point for the server, and the score, which should have been 30-love, was now 15-15. With the game score at 5-5, this lack of clarity of the rules caused a crucial momentum change in a tight set.
Yet, it’s a friendly match on a gorgeous, warm evening and Erica made a mental note to share her observations with her team. Points of contention are forgotten over food shared and company enjoyed and maybe that really is the point after all.
Winning Outfits
“She bought a new dress for this match and really wants her photo to be on the Web site,” joked Allan from the sidelines. He then pointed out Marie Tralka, the captain of the Greenwin Tennis Club team, who was playing in her TLTL C level match against Rosedale on the first hot, sunny Wednesday all spring. Marie was delighted to pose in her new dress for the Tennis Canada Ambassador. But is it now a winning outfit? Or will it be relegated to wear strictly for practice or social occasions by noon?Even recreational league players have their match rituals and tennis superstitions. Although none compete with the well known habits of Nadal and his cropped pants, the endless pulling and tugging of Venus Williams to her own line of clothing or the turn around, tuck hair back behind each ear, bounce, bounce endless serve ritual of Maria Sharapova, league players do have some amusing on court quirks.
Hat on to serve, hat off to receive or hat backwards for the entire match? A particular vitamin before a match, a lucky water bottle, or a particular number on the tennis ball? Having your lucky stuffed animal or keychain in your tennis bag. Knowing your partner’s quirks is all a part of getting to know what helps your partner succeed or your opponent fail. Almost all players have them, even if they won’t admit it, but it’s the captains who need to know what they are in order to keep partnerships positive on the court.
Establishing rituals and habits enables tennis players to focus and win key points and matches. So wear that outfit, put that hat back and bounce that ball. And yes, Marie, we are happy to put a photo of you in your new dress on the Miele League Challenge Web site. Only one crucial question remains: Was it a winning outfit?
BACK TO ARCHIVE
President Liz Wood explained, “The Toronto Ladies has been running for so long that it quietly runs itself.” No matter how smooth the operation appears, the success of any organization is the result of people willing to volunteer their time and expertise. A six person committee, voted in for two years at the Annual General Meeting, is responsible for running the non-profit TLTL. The six women who are currently on the committee are very involved in all aspects of tennis. Many are on the board of the Ontario Tennis Association, most volunteer for their local club and some also captain a team. According to Liz, “the committee responds to the needs of the players and makes changes based on feedback.” The evening division, for example, wanted a longer season than the daytime division, so the committee listened and now the ladies play from late April through to the second week in July. Being part of the Miele League Challenge is an exciting opportunity for the TLTL and they are happy to be able to participate. “Miele has been very generous in their support of our league.”
On behalf of Tennis Canada, Miele and the OTA, thank you to the TLTL and the ladies teams for welcoming the Ambassadors to your matches. Teams and clubs are taking advantage of all that the Miele League Challenge has to offer. They are entering the contest, signing up for Ladies Day at the Rogers Cup and clubs like the Greenwin Tennis Club have booked the Rogers Cup Suites Offer for their league members and will be attending the Thursday day session as a way to spend a day together as a team.
The TLTL rules state that the winner of each division moves up a level the following spring. For the A1 division winner they get the pleasure of moving into the premier level where they “suffer through for a season” and typically come back down. Cheryll’s A1 team moved up a couple of years ago so she speaks from experience. She said “they kept their sense of humour and played hard each week,” but success in premier was even more difficult when her line one player got injured and was out for the entire season. They are now back to the A1 division where they don’t have to worry about anyone with a world ranking coming along one evening.
Spotlight on the Toronto Ladies Tennis League
A strong foundation is the key to success and longevity and no league in Canada exemplifies that more than the Toronto Ladies Tennis League (TLTL). Founded in 1929 as a way to provide ladies with an organized morning tennis outing, this spring league still has a strong daytime component, with seven levels of play and 47 teams participating in the daytime division this year. The evening division was added when women started entering the workforce in larger numbers, and the evening division now has six levels of play and 34 teams. At more than 1000 players, the league is so popular that many women organize their work schedules so they can participate in both day and evening divisions.President Liz Wood explained, “The Toronto Ladies has been running for so long that it quietly runs itself.” No matter how smooth the operation appears, the success of any organization is the result of people willing to volunteer their time and expertise. A six person committee, voted in for two years at the Annual General Meeting, is responsible for running the non-profit TLTL. The six women who are currently on the committee are very involved in all aspects of tennis. Many are on the board of the Ontario Tennis Association, most volunteer for their local club and some also captain a team. According to Liz, “the committee responds to the needs of the players and makes changes based on feedback.” The evening division, for example, wanted a longer season than the daytime division, so the committee listened and now the ladies play from late April through to the second week in July. Being part of the Miele League Challenge is an exciting opportunity for the TLTL and they are happy to be able to participate. “Miele has been very generous in their support of our league.”
On behalf of Tennis Canada, Miele and the OTA, thank you to the TLTL and the ladies teams for welcoming the Ambassadors to your matches. Teams and clubs are taking advantage of all that the Miele League Challenge has to offer. They are entering the contest, signing up for Ladies Day at the Rogers Cup and clubs like the Greenwin Tennis Club have booked the Rogers Cup Suites Offer for their league members and will be attending the Thursday day session as a way to spend a day together as a team.
A League of Their Own
The premier division is truly “a league of their own” according to Cheryll Corness, treasurer of the TLTL and captain of the A1 evening division team for Moore Park Tennis Club. Comprised of former college and tour players, teaching pros and national team players, premier division matches are fierce battles every Monday evening. Well-known Canadian tennis icons such as Rene Simpson, Sharon Fichman and Sonya Jeyaseelan have been known to take to the courts for their clubs on occasion, incurring fear and awe for those on the other side of the net. For the most part though, the players are likely to be successful businesswomen, busy mothers or highly involved volunteers in their communities, but some things remain the same, they still want to play like they used to and they still want to win. Competition to participate on July 27 at the Rogers Cup is heating up with perennial winner, Toronto Lawn just ahead of Kew Gardens and Banbury. The first and second place teams from the premier division will represent the TLTL at the Miele League Challenge on July 27 at the Rexall Centre.The TLTL rules state that the winner of each division moves up a level the following spring. For the A1 division winner they get the pleasure of moving into the premier level where they “suffer through for a season” and typically come back down. Cheryll’s A1 team moved up a couple of years ago so she speaks from experience. She said “they kept their sense of humour and played hard each week,” but success in premier was even more difficult when her line one player got injured and was out for the entire season. They are now back to the A1 division where they don’t have to worry about anyone with a world ranking coming along one evening.
