USTA Junior Competition Committee PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE STRUCTURE OF USTA NATIONAL JUNIOR COMPETITION Revised as of February 14,

2012 The following changes have been made in this February 14, 2012 Revised Proposal 1. At the request of the Constitution & Rules Committee to change one of the similar names of the two tournaments with Masters in the title, the name of the USTA National Masters has been changed to the USTA National Sweet Sixteen; 2. The singles event of one Sectional Level 3 National Ranking Tournament is now required to be held in January, but is no longer required to start on Martin Luther King Weekend; 3. The following changes have been made to the USTA National Clay Court Championships: The draw sizes in the 18, 16, and 14 divisions have been increased from 64 singles/32 doubles to 128 singles/64 doubles. Although the date of the USTA National Clay Court Championships is not included in USTA Regulations, the revised tournament calendar for 2014 and beyond shows the tournament has been moved from Memorial Day Weekend to July. 4. The following additional changes have been made to facilitate the changes to the USTA National Clay Court Championships: Although the dates of tournaments are not included in the USTA Regulations, the revised tournament calendar shows: the Mar/Apr USTA National Sweet Sixteen (formerly the USTA National Masters) and USTA Regional Tournament has been moved to Memorial Day Weekend; The July USTA National Sweet Sixteen (formerly the USTA National Masters) has been moved to October concurrent with the USTA Regional Tournaments; The July USTA Regional Tournaments are now concurrent with the USTA National Clay Court Championships; Because there is no longer a USTA National Sweet Sixteen (formerly the USTA National Masters) immediately preceding The USTA National Championships (Hard Courts), the players no longer qualify for the Hard Courts. The USTA National Sweet Sixteen that has been moved to October shall be a qualifier for the USTA National Winter Team Championships - Level 1. The Level 1 Team Championship draw size has been increased from 16 players in each division to 32, and from 8 teams to 16, to accommodate these qualifiers and so the Level 1 event of 16 teams more closely resembles the final site rounds of the NCAA team championships. BG 16/14 National Hard Court Quota: The total quota has been increased by 16 to replace the 16 players that previously qualified from the USTA National Sweet Sixteen (formerly the USTA National Masters). BG18/16/14 National Clay Court Quota: The total quota has been increased due to the increase in draw size from 64 to 128. Additionally, the minimum quota has been increased from 1 to 2 in these events. BG18 National Clay Court Wild Cards: The number of wild cards has been increased due to the increase in the draw size from 64 to 128. The number is 16, the same number of wild cards available for the National Hard Courts. To preserve the historical significance of the Easter Bowl and to have competition in all divisions on the national schedule between February and the end of May, a new tournament in the 16, 14, and 12 divisions will be sanctioned concurrent with the BG18 Easter Bowl ITF to be held at the same site. The draw size is 32 singles/16 doubles and player will be selected based on the National Standings List. The proposed revisions to the structure of USTA national junior competition are built upon the foundation of our existing tournament structure and the valuable input of the Sectional Associations, maximizing the finest of our current events, but also making modifications that will quickly improve the competition landscape in a number of important ways. The proposals are based upon a belief that true player development happens locally, and that only the very best players should compete at the highest national levels. Players should not be entitled to play nationally, but must have earned their way by being able to beat players at their local, District, and Sectional levels before moving on to Regional and National competition. The resulting benefits of the proposal are many: In answer to the Committees charge, the proposal lowers costs by reducing the number of national tournaments and providing access to national tournaments primarily through Sectional play while reducing days missed on a traditional school calendar. By creating pathways that require Sectional play to advance to most of the Regional and National tournaments and by scheduling tournaments with different national ranking levels in the same date blocks, the proposal provides players a clearly defined logical progression from Section to Region to National play. With the expectation that the QuickStart initiative will be successful and create a significantly larger pool of junior players, the proposal creates a structure that gives players the opportunity for competitive matches at all levels without incentivizing or allowing play beyond a level where the player hasnt first achieved success.

The Major Changes Include:

Emphasis on Sectional Play. The proposal provides a renewed increased importance on Sectional play in two significant ways: Access to the USTA National Championships (Clay Courts and Hard Courts) has been revised to eliminate access through qualifiers and the National Championship Selection List, resulting in an increased quota for these tournaments. Additionally, the selection for the summer hard court USTA National Championship has been revised to give the June singles Sectional Champion an automatic berth into the tournament.

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 The proposal increases the number of Sectional Level 3s from one (1) to two (2) and increases the number of Level 4s from three (3) to four (4), while eliminating the Level 5 ranking tournaments. In comparison, the number of national Level 3s has been reduced and access to the national Level 3s and 4s is achieved only through sectional play by way of a sectional quota. The new emphasis places increased importance on Sections to develop methods for players to age up because access is now primarily through Sectional play and only one category of National tournament - the USTA National Selection Tournaments - will select players from the next younger age division. Periodization of National Schedule. The new periodization schedule enables players to develop their games as efficiently and effectively as possible throughout the calendar year and leaves time for players to schedule training and Sections to schedule their events. The new schedule reduces the number of date blocks on which National and Regional tournaments are sanctioned from 15 to 11. Shifts in the schedule that accomplish this goal include: Sanctioning tournaments of different national ranking levels during the same date blocks; Reducing the number of national tournaments sanctioned in the 12s division, as well as reducing the USTA National Championship draw sizes in this division. Introduction of New Tournaments. Several new events have been included on the schedule that are conceived to meet the evolving needs of Americas junior tennis players in a changing world including events which support the new USTA national player development philosophy (and the new culture being created by the USTAs Regional Training Center program) as well as those utilizing college tennis as the inspiration and model for our junior players. These include: USTA National Grand Masters that introduces a progressive event where the very top finishers in the younger divisions advance to compete with the best older players; USTA National Sweet Sixteen for our top 16 players in the 16s and 14s divisions; New Event Concurrent with BG 18Easter Bowl ITF for top 32 players in the 16s, 14s, and 12s divisions. USTA National Winter Team Championships - Level 1, a Gold Ball tournament where the 32 top players in the country in the 18s, 16s and 14s divisions are waterfalled so that each of 16 teams is comprised of players in all three divisions, and the concurrent Level 2 version of this event where the next best 32 players compete in a similar format on 16 teams; and USTA National Doubles Championship, Level 1 Gold Ball tournament for the top 16s and 14s division players in the country, where the emphasis is solely on doubles; and USTA National Selection Tournaments, which will be sanctioned twice each year concurrently on hard, clay, and indoor hard courts and for which players are selected based on national standing and give the top entrants their choice in playing surface. New Quota System. As part of the renewed emphasis on Sectional play to gain access to National and Regional Tournaments, a new quota system is proposed for the USTA National Championships that considers both size of Section, but also strength of Section when the quotas are calculated. The proposed ratio is 60% strength/40% size. The same quota calculation will be used for Sections to endorse players to the USTA Regional Tournaments, which now will require players to play within their own Region.

In Conclusion:
This proposal submits the revised tournament schedule as but the first (albeit important major) step toward an ultimate transformation in cost effective player development. The implementation of a ratings system that will enable the evolution of truly efficient local-based tennis eco systems and level-based tournaments is still needed to fully complete the player development equation. Until that time, it will be incumbent upon localities, districts, and Sections to provide the best possible competition experiences for the ever-growing number of new young tennis players. Also key to the success of this proposal is a review and possible revision of the national ranking points tables to ensure players have the ability to gain access to the higher levels as they improve their games. As part of this project, a new point table will be developed for the USTA National Grand Masters. The review will also include a study of the Bonus Point tables and the effect Bonus Points have on the rankings players from stronger sections who compete in Sectional tournaments that count for national ranking.

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USTA NATIONAL RANKING TOURNAMENTS

Players must meet the eligibility requirements of USTA Regulation IX.2. to enter and play in the National Ranking Tournaments described below.

Note: The list of tournaments below includes only the National Ranking tournaments sanctioned by the USTA or its Sections, except for USTA International Tournaments (USTA tournaments played using ITF tournament regulations). ITF tournaments and USTA International Tournaments will also count for national ranking, and it is anticipated they will have the same ranking levels as today.
LEVEL 1 USTA National Grand Masters. This new singles-only tournament will have a special points table developed that will award points appropriately comparable to a Level 1 tournament. The goal is to have this be a hospitality event whereby the lodging and meals are paid by the tournament. The tournament shall consist of 25 players selected from the most recently published National Standings List as follows: 4 boys and 4 girls in the 14s divisions shall compete on the first day. The winner in each division advances to compete with the 16s and the remaining 3 stay to train. 7 boys and 7 girls in the 16s divisions (plus the 14s division winners) who shall play two rounds in a regular draw (first round losers play a consolation match) with the players reaching the finals advancing to compete with the 18s. The remaining 6 stay to train. 14 boys and 14 girls in the 18s divisions (plus the 16s division finalists) who shall play a Compass Draw. USTA National Championships. The USTA Nationals Championships: BG18/16/14 - singles draw of 128/doubles draw of 64; BG12 - singles draw of 64; doubles draw of 32 USTA National Clay Court Championships: BG18/16/14 - singles draw of 128/doubles draw of 64; BG12 - singles draw of 64; doubles draw of 32 Draw Formats: BG 18: Singles MFIC Draw Format (losers of first three rounds fed into the consolation, a new draw format to be programmed into TDM); BG16: Singles FIC Draw Format; BG14/12 Singles Compass Draw Format. All doubles draws will be single elimination, unless a special request by a sanction holder is approved by the Committee. Selection: Hard Courts Method of Acceptance USTA National Boys and Girls 16 and 14 Masters Participants* Sectional Champions Sectional Quota** Wild Cards BG18 128 Draw n/a 17 95 16 128 * BG 16/14 128 Draw n/a 17 103 8 128 BG12 64 Draw n/a 17 44 3 64 BG18 128 Draw n/a n/a 112 16 128 Clay Courts BG 16/14 128 Draw 16 n/a 108 4 128 BG12 64 Draw n/a n/a 60 4 64

Remaining vacancies shall be filled using the most recently published National Standings List. USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Masters Participants must play the tournament to completion to be eligible for selection. This means a player must not have withdrawn from the tournament or had their opponent advance due to a walkover. See description of this new Level 1A tournament below.

** Sectional quotas shall be based on the ratio that a Sections junior membership and number of players in the Top 150 in all divisions bears to the total junior membership and total players in the Top 150 in all divisions. All sections shall be guaranteed a minimum of 1 at the USTA National Hard Court Championships and the BG 12 USTA National Clay Court Championships. All sections shall be guaranteed a minimum of 2 at The BG 18, 16, and 14 USTA National Clay Court Championships. There shall be no maximum quota. 60% shall be based on strength of section; 40% shall be based on size of membership. See table that follows for actual quota numbers based on membership and Top 150 players as of the previous years end. Replacing Withdrawing Players: Withdrawing players shall be replaced using the same method as currently used: Before the draw is made, a withdrawing quota player or Sectional Champion is replaced with the next highest player on the Sections endorsement list and other withdrawing players (Masters participants and wild cards) are replaced using the most recently published National Standings List. After the draw is made, all withdrawing players are replaced using the most recently published National Standings List.

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Sectional Quota: The quota calculations below are based on the membership and rankings as of December 31, 2010.
BG18 Hards: Sectional Champion + 95 Quota for 128 Draw 2 9 10 2 5 6 5 12 4 5 3 6 4 16 11 4 8 112 BG16/14 Hards: Sectional Champion + 103 Quota for 128 Draw 2 9 11 2 5 6 6 13 5 5 3 7 4 17 12 4 9 120 BG12 Hards: Sectional Champion + 44 Quota for 64 Draw 2 5 5 2 3 3 3 6 2 3 2 3 2 8 6 2 4 61

Section Caribbean Eastern Florida Hawaii Pacific Intermountain Mid-Atlantic Middle States Midwest Mo. Valley New England Northern NorCal Pacific NW Southern SoCal Southwest Texas

BG18 Clays: 112 Quota for 128 Draw 2 9 11 2 4 5 5 13 4 5 2 6 3 18 12 3 8 112

BG16/14 Clays: 108 Quota for 128 Draw 2 8 10 2 4 5 5 13 4 4 2 6 3 17 12 3 8 108

BG12 Clays: 60 Quota for 64 Draw 1 5 6 1 2 3 3 7 2 2 1 3 2 9 6 2 5 60

2011 128 Quota 2 4 4 2 2 2 2 7 2 2 2 3 2 13 4 2 5 60

USTA National Doubles Championship. This existing USTA National Doubles Tournament will be replaced with the new Level 1 championship and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers shall receive Gold, Silver and Bronze Balls. The draw shall be 32 teams in the 16s and 14s divisions only, with a Compass Draw format. Players must enter as teams by the entry deadline. Teams with the highest Combined Standing are selected. Combined Standing is determined as follows: If a team must be selected from among one or more teams with the same Combined Standing, the team with the highest Combined Doubles Ranking Points shall be selected. Combined Doubles Ranking Points is determined as follows:

Player A holds the #200 standing and Player B holds the #201 standing. The Team of A&B would have the combined standing of 402.

Player A has 25 doubles ranking points and Player B has 10 doubles ranking points. The Team of AB would have combined doubles ranking points of 35.

USTA Team Championships. USTA Boys and Girls 18 National Team Championships USTA Boys and Girls 16 Intersectional Team Championships New Team Championships: USTA Boys and Girls 14 Intersectional Team Championships: This new tournament shall have the same format as the existing 16s Intersectional tournament. USTA National Winter Team Championships - Level 1: This new team championship shall select the top 32 players in the 18, 16, and 14 divisions (96 boys and 96 girls) and waterfall these players onto 16 teams in the boys event and 16 teams in the girls event. The players who play to completion the immediately preceding USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Masters will be eligible for selection - this means a player must not have withdrawn from the tournament or had their opponent advance due to a walkover. The remaining players shall be selected using wild cards and the most recently published National Standings List. The Committee has yet to determine the number of wild cards and will be making this decision prior to the submission of call items. The competition shall be modeled after the college format (doubles 8-game pro sets followed by Best of 3 singles matches) using a Compass Draw format. Each team shall be comprised of two (2) 18s, two (2) 16s, and two (2) 14s. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams shall receive Gold, Silver and Bronze Balls. Coaches will be selected by the national Player Development Staff from among national coaches, RTC coaches, and USTA faculty coaches. The competition will include 2 days of training and education followed by 4 days of competition.
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LEVEL 1A USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Sweet Sixteen. This new tournament will have singles draws of 16 (Compass Draw) and doubles draws of 8 (single elimination), and shall have the 14s and 16s played at one tournament location. Participants who play the tournament to completion shall be selected into the subsequent USTA National Championship, provided they submit a timely entry. Players shall be selected as follows: Up to 4 wild cards using the same wild card committee process as is used for a USTA National Championship; 12 players from the most recently published National Standings List; Remaining vacancies and alternates selected using the most recently published National Standings Lists. The Committee has yet to determine the exact number of players selected as wild cards and from the National Standings List and whether players must have played one sectional tournament during a set period of time prior to the event in order to be eligible for selection. The Committee will be making this decision prior to the submission of call items. The 3- day tournaments shall incorporate training and education, with the competition taking place on the final two days of the tournament. Boys and Girls 16, 14, and 12 Event Held Concurrent with BG18 Easter Bowl ITF (Name TBD). This new tournament will have singles draws of 32 (consolation format to be determined) and doubles draws of 16 (single elimination). The intent is to hold this tournament concurrent with and at the same site as the Easter Bowl ITF 18s. LEVEL 2 USTA National Selection Tournaments. USTA National Presidents Day Tournament USTA National Thanksgiving Tournament Three concurrent tournaments shall be sanctioned for 3-day date blocks over the Presidents Day weekend and Thanksgiving weekend. The draw sizes shall be 32 singles with an FIC format and 16 doubles single elimination. One tournament shall be sanctioned on hard courts, one on clay courts, and one on indoor hard courts. The Feed-In shall be played through the semifinals. Selection shall be based on the most recently published National Standings Lists. Similar to the existing USTA National Opens, players may enter up to 3 tournaments and up to 2 divisions. USTA Team Championships. USTA Boys and Girls 16, 14, and 12 Zone Team Championships New Team Championships: USTA National Winter Team Championships - Level 2: This new team championship shall be held at the same time and location as the USTA National Winter Team Championships - Level 1. The next top 32 players shall be selected in the 18, 16, and 14 divisions (96 boys and 96 girls) and waterfall these players onto 16 teams in the boys event and 16 teams in the girls event. Selection shall be done using wild cards and the most recently published National Standings List. The Committee has yet to determine the number of wild cards and will be making this decision prior to the submission of call items. The competition shall be modeled after the college format (doubles 8-game pro sets followed by Best of 3 singles matches) using a Compass Draw format. Each team shall be comprised of two (2) 18s, two (2) 16s, and two (2) 14s. Coaches will be selected by the national Player Development Staff from among national coaches, RTC coaches, and USTA faculty coaches. The competition will include time for training and education. LEVEL 3 USTA Regional Tournaments - Level 3. Four concurrent USTA Regional Tournaments - Level 3 shall be held three times each year concurrent with the USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Sweet Sixteen and USTA National Clay Court Championships. The draw sizes shall be 32 singles with an FIC format and 16 doubles single elimination. Each time a concurrent segment of USTA Regional Tournaments - Level 3 is held, one will be sanctioned in each of four Regions. Players must play in their own region and shall be selected based on the same sectional quota formula used for the USTA National Championships. The Sections in each Region and the quota to each tournament are as follows (The quota calculations below are based on the membership and rankings as of December 31, 2010.):
Region 1 Hawaii Pacific No. California So. California Southwest Texas 1 7 12 3 9 32 Region 2 Intermountain Midwest Missouri Valley Northern Pacific Northwest 5 16 5 2 4 32 Page 5 of 8 Eastern Mid-Atlantic Middle States New England Region 3 12 7 7 6 32 Region 4 Caribbean Florida Southern 1 12 19 32

Note: Because USTA Regional Tournaments (both Level 3 and Level 4 described below) are held concurrently with the USTA National Grand Masters, USTA National Sweet Sixteen, and USTA National Selection Tournaments, an automated selection process will be in place that allows players to enter USTA Regional Tournaments and these other higher-level tournaments, but shall require a deadline by which a player must commit to an acceptance in a USTA Regional Tournament and no longer be considered an alternate for the higher-level tournament. Sectional Ranking Tournaments - Level 3. Each Section shall have two tournaments designated as national Level 3 tournaments provided they are sanctioned as follows: January: The singles events of one Level 3 Sectional Ranking Tournament shall be held in January. At its discretion, a Section may sanction the doubles events on any other weekend during the calendar year. June: The Sections shall sanction a Sectional Championship in June of each year. The first place finishers in the singles events shall qualify for acceptance into the subsequent USTA National Championship, provided they submit a timely entry. LEVEL 4 USTA Regional Tournaments - Level 4. Four concurrent USTA Regional Tournaments - Level 4 shall be held two times each year concurrent with the USTA National Selection Tournaments. All aspects of these tournaments shall be the same as the USTA Regional Tournaments - Level 3, except the national ranking level assigned to the tournament. Sectional Ranking Tournaments - Level 4. Each Section shall have four tournaments designated as national Level 4 tournaments. They may be sanctioned at any time during the year; however, it is recommended that one of the tournaments be held on Labor Day weekend.

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2014 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

Note: The list of tournaments below includes only the National Ranking tournaments sanctioned by the USTA or its Sections, except for USTA International Tournaments (USTA tournaments played using ITF tournament regulations), and the Easter Bowl ITF. ITF tournaments and USTA International Tournaments will also count for national ranking, and it is anticipated they will have the same ranking levels as today.
JANUARY Kick-Off to Junior Competition Year: Sectional Ranking Tournaments, to be held any time in January - Level 3 Presidents Day Weekend: USTA National Selection Tournament Segment: Three USTA National Presidents Day Tournament (Hard/Clay/Indoors) (all divisions) - Level 2 USTA Regional Segment: Four USTA Regional Tournaments (all divisions) - Level 4 Held on concurrent date blocks in late March/early April: BG18 Easter Bowl ITF - Level 1 Boys and Girls 16, 14, and 12 Event - Name and Level 1A or 2 TBD

FEBRUARY

MAR/APR

Note: The intent is to sanction the BG18 Easter Bowl ITF and To Be Named Event at the same site.

MAY

Memorial Day Weekend: USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Sweet Sixteen - Level 1A USTA Regional Tournament: Four concurrent USTA Regional Tournaments (all divisions) - Level 3 Any time during the month of June: Sectional Ranking Tournaments - Level 3 4th of July Date Block (July 4-8, 2014): USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 Intersectional Team Championships - Level 1 USTA Boys and Girls 16, 14, and 12 Zone Team Championships - Level 2 Two Days Following Intersectionals and Zonals (July 10-16, 2014): USTA National Clay Court Championships (all divisions) - Level 1 USTA Regional Tournament: Four concurrent USTA Regional Tournaments (all divisions) - Level 3 Beginning 4th Thursday (July 24, 2014): USTA Boys and Girls 18 National Team Championships - Level 1

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

Beginning 1st Weekend in August (July 31/Aug 1, 2014) (in some years, may start at end of July): The USTA National Championships (all divisions) - Level 1 Proposed at site of Winston-Salem Professional Tournament: USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Doubles Championship - Level 1

SEPTEMBER

Labor Day Weekend: Sectional Ranking Tournaments - Level 4 recommended Early/Mid October: USTA Boys and Girls 16 and 14 National Sweet Sixteen - Level 1A USTA Regional Tournament: Four concurrent USTA Regional Tournaments (all divisions) - Level 3 Late October: USTA National Grand Masters (BG 18/16/14) - Level 1

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Thanksgiving Weekend: USTA National Selection Tournament Segment: Three USTA National Thanksgiving Tournament (Hard/Clay/Indoors) (all divisions) - Level 2 USTA Regional Segment: Four concurrent USTA Regional Tournaments (all divisions) - Level 4 Between Christmas and New Years: USTA National Winter Team Championships (BG18/16/14) - Level 1 USTA National Winter Team Championships (BG18/16/14) - Level 2

DECEMBER

Note: The intent is to sanction the two team championships at the same location.
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TWO-YEAR PHASE IN
In an effort to: give the Sections and Districts sufficient time to go through a process similar to that undertaken by the Junior Competition Committee and make adjustments, if necessary, to their own tournament calendars; allocate time in the Active programming calendar to re-program tournament selection processes for the 2014 tournaments; and undertake an educational and marketing campaign to educate our constituents, the players, parents and coaches; the proposed changes shall be phased in over two years with only those listed below becoming effective in 2013: Effective January 1, 2013: USTA National Grand Masters to be added to the National Junior Tournament Schedule and held October 2013. The USTA National Doubles Tournament will become the USTA National Doubles Championship with the draw and selection as described in the proposal, and a Level 1 national ranking tournament with the top finishers receiving a gold, silver and bronze ball. The Boys and Girls 18 and 16 USTA National Clay Court Championships and The USTA National Championships (hard courts) shall be reduced to a 128 draw size. The July 2013 USTA Regional Tournaments shall be singles draws of 32 and doubles draws of 16. Ratings pilot will begin.

All remaining changes will become effective January 1, 2014.

EDUCATION, MARKETING AND BRANDING

The Committee recognizes that a comprehensive educational effort will need to be undertaken between adoption of the proposals and the effective date on January 1, 2014 of the most significant changes and vows to dedicate time and resources to the effort. Strategies under consideration include a Z-Card, an FAQ document, and informational sessions. Additionally, the Committee hopes to brand the tournaments that count for national ranking using a consistent logo and phrasing and will be working with the USTA marketing department to develop ideas that clearly identify the tournaments and the competition pathway. Preliminarily, the Committee is considering the use of the Advance Your Game logo as the basis for creating the brand with an identifier (similar to the ATP logo) that includes the ranking points earned for winning the tournament.

Revised Proposal Distributed to Association February 14, 2012

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