Wayne Bryan Responds to ITA Announcement Regarding 2015 College Tennis Format

Written by: on 13th January 2015
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Wayne Bryan Responds to ITA Announcement Regarding 2015 College Tennis Format  |

Original Link via Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=773585466046944

 

Dear Tom,

Thanks for your press release below . . . I played college tennis, my wife played college tennis, my twin sons played college tennis, and I have attended hundreds of college tennis matches while taking lots of juniors and I have been a big supporter of college tennis through the years in all kinds of ways.  And I must tell you that the doubles point has always been the most exciting part of a college match.  To me it is the very essence of college tennis and teamwork and excitement . . .

And what have you all done?  Yeah, you have cut the one set of doubles from 8 games down to 6.  Makes no sense to me . . . start matches on time, eliminate warmups, eliminate the break between the doubles and singles, but for crying out loud, do not trim doubles even more!!  And play all three doubles matches to completion and go ahead start whatever singles that you can . . .

***  I coached World Team Tennis for 13 seasons and, without a doubt, the fans loved and got way more fired up for the three doubles matches than the two singles.

***  80% of matches played in America on Saturday morning at 10:00 at any club, park or school are doubles matches.

***  The Tennis Channel folks informed me last week that the highest ratings at the ATP Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London were the doubles matches and not the singles matches.  The matches were closer and more dramatic and the points were more exciting . . . Not to say that pro singles is not hugely popular . . .

***  With more promotion, programming, and coaching for doubles we could greatly increase the number of kids coming to tennis and staying in tennis.  Doubles gives our sport more width and breadth.  Doubles is fun for juniors and it really rounds out skills and teaches additional life lessons – – – and some youngsters just love the “team thing”.  Plus, it gives them a second chance if they lose their singles match at a tournament.  And there are always more smiles on the doubles court . . .

***  And by the way, what’s the hurry?  The shortest college matches I have seen were the worst and the absolute best college matches were the longest . . .

***  You all think that there is gonna be this huge TV market for college tennis?  There sure should be, but the US Open singles final this past September only drew 1.6 million viewers.  How many viewers does the Big Bang Theory sitcom have by way of comparison?  Yeah, you guessed it, 20 million plus.

***  I say, work like hell on filling the stands and get off this TV infatuation for now.  Fill stands first, get TV second.  By the way, congrats to David Roditi and TCU on the great job they are doing in getting fans out to their matches and thanks and congrats to so many other coaches who are working hard on that too!

***  And what about Live Streaming first?  Why not work on getting 725 people in the stands and having 85 watching on Live Streaming first and then worry about TV later.

***  And bigger than any of the above, ask American tennis parents and American tennis juniors how they like the glut of foreign players in college tennis in this country . . . Please publish in a Press Release the number of foreign players on US college tennis teams.  Publish in a Press Release the total amount of tennis scholarship dollars awarded in these harsh economic times to players from overseas whose parents do not pay dime one in taxes . . . To me college tennis should be for our American kids and not for our American College coaches . . .

I can’t like, love and respect my long time pals Greg Patton and David Benjamin more, but I sure disagree with this decision and I suspect college tennis fans across the country will agree with me . . . then, again, maybe I am the only person in the country that feels this way . . .

Like with other issues that I have worked for in tennis – – – like battling the: harmful influence of USTA PD on American junior tennis; ruining the fairness and accuracy of  USTA junior rankings; tearing down of so many great long standing redwood junior tournaments on the national schedule the elimination of doubles rankings; the Green Ball Mandate; and offering less junior doubles tournaments; – – – I realize I have no power and will lose once again . . . and looks like I have absolutely no wisdom because of those overwhelming votes quoted in the glowing Press Release below:  25 yes, 0 no, 9 abstentions and 30 yes, 0 no, 4 abstentions.  Wow!!  Absolutely zero “no” votes!  Pure as the driven snow . . . And I certainly have no position on those two august organizations:  the ITA Division I Operating Committee and the NCAA Division I Tennis Committee, but I hearby vote no, hell no . . .

If you are still reading, thanks . . . I will continue my 100% support of the great sport of college tennis . . . but I am greatly saddened by the 25% reduction of the best part of a college match – – – the doubles point.

Best and happy holidays,
Wayne Bryan

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