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Pat Eastman Memorial Junior Level 5 – August 28-30, 2020

With the cancelation of the Montana State Junior Open Level 4, the Montana board had a call to brainstorm another potential junior tournament. There is limited inventory and our focus still remains on supporting our local providers and facilities. It was agreed upon to host the junior portion of the Billings Labor Day Tournament the weekend before and convert it to a Level 5.

Pat Eastman Memorial Junior Level 5 
When: August 28-30, 2020
Where: Billings MT
Entries close 8/25

Play will take place at Pioneer Park. Off 3rd and Grand. Billings, MT 59101 & The Elks Tennis Center 934 Lewis Ave.

Format: Draws with 3 or 4 players will feature Round Robbin format, Draws with 8 OR 16 players will feature compass draw format, Draws with 5-7 OR 9-15 players will feature modified full feed consolation format.

Scoring: All matches will be 2/3 tiebreak sets with a 10 point tie breaker in lieu of a third set.

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Last Chance Tennis Center is Hiring A Club Manager

Overview of LCTA

 The Last Chance Tennis Center is a nonprofit group of tennis enthusiasts. Members have access to a 3‐court indoor tennis center located near the airport at 2910 Skyway Drive in Helena, Montana. LCTA provides an indoor tennis facility, as well as access to tennis pros, clinics, tournaments, special tennis events, and other playing opportunities.

General

  •   The Manager will report directly to the club President, and will work with the Board members to offer appropriate services to the club members.
  •   The Manager will proactively find ways to create a positive, welcome environment at the club
  •   The Manager will respond promptly to queries and concerns from members and potential members
  •   The Manager will attend Board meetings and report to the Board about club updates
  •   The Manager will be the de facto “face of the Club” The manager will be encouraged to participate in various civic events to promote LCTA and its benefits Tennis Development
  •   The Manager will work with the Board, tennis pros, and members to help organize and administer tennis playing opportunities, such as leagues, tournaments, clinics, social events, and junior tennis events.
  •   The Manager will provide new member orientation to all new members, including providing those members opportunities to get “plugged” into the various groups, leagues, and clinics.
  •   The Manager will make a concerted effort to keep current members using the club and make sure their needs are met.

    Building & Grounds

  •   The Manager will be primarily responsible for maintaining excellent court conditions and cleaning the courts periodically as necessary
  •   The Manager will be responsible for building maintenance, which includes keeping bathrooms and kitchen cleaned and maintained, working with vendors for all repairs as necessary in alignment with Club budget, and making sure the club is properly maintained
  •   The Manager will be responsible for hiring/contracting (subject to Board approval), training, supervising, paying, and scheduling of other personnel/contractors needed for building and court maintenance

    Billing and Club Administration

    •   The Club Manager will work directly with the Board Treasurer to assist with and administer billing of members
    •   The Club Manager will work directly with the Board Treasurer to assist with other accounting and budgeting matters as directed, including paying club bills, overseeing budget, and maintaining accurate accounting records
  •   The Club Manager will work directly with the Board to maintain the Club Automation scheduling/communication software
  •   The Manager will work with the Board to help generate revenue for the club through activities such as fundraising, selling advertising, and developing new marketing opportunities
  •   The Manager will periodically update the club website, social media, and generally assure that members are updated of events and news in a timely manner
  •   The manager will work with the Board and teaching tennis pros to handle court bookings, court allocation, and other items, and to ensure pros have insurance and proper paperwork to teach at the club on file.

    Other Duties:

     From time to time, the Board may assign other projects to the Manager. Those could include projects regarding memberships, maintenance, feasibility studies, and other tennis‐ related items.

    Qualifications

  •   Strong interpersonal skills
  •   Comfort with electronic communications
  •   Ability to multi task and manage projects independently
  •   Attention to detail and strong work ethic
  •   Interest in and general understanding of tennis is strongly preferred
  •   Ability to handle minor repairs and building maintenance is preferred
  •   Comfort with Excel and QuickBooks is preferred, or a desire to learn the software
  •   Prior experience in facilities management and/or hospitality is preferred
  •   Being a current club member is preferred, though not necessary

    Timing

    Compensation

     $15 to $20 per hour, negotiable based on experience
     Free club membership during employment for manager and his/her immediate family

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Local Summer Flex League

Flex Leagues are LOCAL, FUN and FLEXIBLE and allow you to play at your own pace and time, so you can fit tennis into your busy schedule.
6 Weeks: July 13 – August 23 Registration Deadline: July 7th
USTA Montana is offering a summer flex league in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula for levels 3.0 – 4.5 for both men and women.
KEY POINTS about Flex League:
  • You are provided with a weekly suggested “play by date” schedule, but you and your opponents decide WHEN and WHERE you will play. (The FUN of leagues with the convenience of FLEX.)
  • Round Robin Format.
  • You can play the week 6 match the first week, or you can play 2 matches (or more) in a week, or none. You just need to complete the matches by the end of the season which ends.
  • The league consists of doubles teams for men and women at the 3.0 – 4.5 level.
  • The number of matches/weeks in a schedule depends on the number of persons/teams who register for your flight level, but we typically do not schedule fewer than four or more than seven matches in a “season.”
  • You can use a SUB when you need to because of travel, injury, or whatever. You do not need to tell us unless you are getting a “permanent sub.”
  • You do not have to be a USTA member to play FLEX league.
  • You can select the NTRP rating level you wish to play, even if you have a current USTA rating. So, you can play UP and you can play DOWN; we just want you to select the best competitive level for all.
  • Your Flex matches NEVER calculate in your USTA rating.

FAQ:

How many players on a team? 2 players to form doubles teams. Subs are allowed.

Do winners from local areas move on anywhere? No, this is just local play.

Do we report scores? Yes, players report their own scores into Tennislink using their match ID.

USTA Membership is not required for these leagues, however, the cost is $10 for the flex league season. This covers administrative fees,
How to Register: Contact Andrea Johnson for team number for you and your partner at ajohnson.mta@gmail.com
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Junior Tournament Updates

The USTA-MT board and Intermountain Junior Committee have met and made a few decisions/updates regarding upcoming tournaments.

-The Big Sky State Games, July 17-19, in Billings, is now a level 5 sanctioned tournament for 2020. Register and more information here.

-Dates have changed for the MT State Junior Open. New dates – July 30-Aug 2, Missoula, MT. The MT State Junior Open is still a level 4, but will also grant National Points to it in 2020. Register and more information here.

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Meadow Lark Tournaments Canceled

Both the MeadowLark Junior and Adult Open tournaments scheduled for July 8-12 in Great Falls have been canceled. Please contact Dirk Baker at dbaker@meadowlarkclub.com  with any questions.

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USTA MONTANA CANCELS 2020 DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Due to the continued situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the USTA Montana Board and Staff has made the difficult decision to cancel its 2020 District League Tournaments which include the Spring Mixed, 18 and over, 55 and over, 40 and over and Mixed 40 & over leagues. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The health and safety of our players is our top priority and of the utmost importance. Currently, the USTA has extended the suspension of USTA sanctioned products and events through May 31, 2020, which includes USTA Leagues. Additionally, the USTA has canceled the 2020 USTA League National Championships and the Intermountain section has canceled all Sectional Championships.  Recognizing the evolving and fast-changing nature of this situation, USTA Montana will continue to monitor and assess conditions to make future determinations about our Tri-level, 65 & Over and ITA Mixed league tournaments. These tournaments are considered to be invitational events and the decision to cancel these at the sectional level has yet to be decided. We will continue to keep you updated as we know more.
We remain hopeful that we can go forward with various types of local league play once the suspension has been lifted. Our focus for the remainder of this 2020 season is to provide support for as many local play opportunities as possible as a way to continue the social and exercise benefits that tennis provides for so many of us.
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Intermountain Sectionals Canceled

Hello fellow tennis players, we have yet another announcement regarding league play for you from the Intermountain Section.

Due to the continued situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the Intermountain Section has made the decision to cancel its 2020 Sectional Championships. This includes Mixed 18’s, 18’s, 40’s and 55’s. Check out this link for more info: https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/intermountain/intermountain-covid-19-updates.html?fbclid=IwAR3nmRkIUH50dODOXVbYQMFpUiNqIxl8Nycl0eXbtJ45pQQ1XkESkjzaBiA

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Scheduling Update

Over the past month, it’s become apparent that we will continue to experience change for some time and it’s very difficult to know when things will improve.
Still, we have a very vibrant community of league players who are optimistic that things will eventually improve and allow league play to begin. We share their optimism but want to assure everyone that our first priority is the health and well-being for all involved in our league programs.
To allow players and facilities to make future plans in regard to leagues and tournaments, we are working on an updated schedule and plan for our 2020 league schedule. Our USTA-Montana Spring Mixed League scheduled for May 29 – 31st in Helena is currently suspended as a result of USTA suspending all league play until after May 31st. We will let you know the status of this tournament as plans develop. As many of you know, Nationals has been canceled. As a result, there is a possibility that Intermountain Sectionals could be canceled. We have not received final word on this yet but will let you know as soon as we know more.
We appreciate your patience and understanding. Know that our goal is to be ready to provide league play to all of you when it is appropriate to do so. Your continued patience throughout this process will be helpful as we are all dealing with so many unknowns. Our No. 1 priority is the health, safety and well-being of all our players.
If you have any questions, please see these FAQ links:
https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/usta-faqs-regarding-coronavirus-and-covid-19.html
https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/intermountain/intermountain-covid-19-updates.html