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How to Join an AATL Team:
The Aiken Area Tennis League is a division of
the USTA (United States Tennis Association).
Basically, to participate in league tennis, you just
need to do four things:
1. Get an a USTA player number
2. Get a NTRP rating
3. Get a USTA team number
4. Sign up for the team online through USTA
Here's how:
1. Get a USTA Member Number:
To get a player number you gotta be a USTA Member. You can obtain an
annual single membership or family membership. Your AATL dues will be
included in the TennisLink fees paid when you register. To join USTA,
click here and fill in the form (this is where you'll state your NTRP rating).
The cost for each League may vary. Have a credit card ready to pay the
fee. Write down the member number USTA assigns to you.
- You may register as an Adult, if you have reached the age of 18 prior to or during the
calendar year in which you play your first adult local league match.
- You may register as a Senior, if you become 50 prior to or during the calendar year in
which you play your first senior local league match. Seniors may register as Adults too.
- For info on how to register as a Junior (kids - age 17 and under) click here.
2. Get an NTRP rating:
You will need an National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) rating to fairly play against players of
similar ability. Players with equal ratings participate in the same "flights." If you have played
USTA league tennis in any state within the last 5 years, you already have an NTRP rating
assigned by USTA. (To see how to appeal your NTRP Rating, click here.) If you have not played
within the last 5 years (or not played at all), you may self-rate when you sign up for your team. To
self-rate, match your tennis abilities to the NTRP general characteristics, which the USTA has
established, or contact a tennis pro at one of the local tennis facilities. Please self-rate honestly;
self-rating abuses can have serious consequences to you, your Captain, and others on your
team, including but not limited to disqualification, voiding of team matches, suspension from
league play, or other league sanctions. For an explanation on how USTA annually updates
NTRP ratings based on performance, please click here.
3. Get a Team Number:
Every season, each Captain has a new Team Number assigned by USTA. Teams are formed by
Captains in "flights" according to NTRP ratings (for example, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, etc. ). Once
you have an NTRP rating and you know what facility you want to play out of, contact the pro for
that facility (to see a list of Aiken-area pros, click here) or the AATL League Coordinator to put
you in contact with team Captains that need players at your NTRP level. (Hint: you can look up
currently formed teams in the "AATL Team Information" table on our Home Page, or post a
request on our "Want-Ad" page.) If there are no Captains or no room on an existing team, build
your own team - the form used in Step 4, below, is the same! (Click here for a guide on "How To
Be A Team Captain.")
4. Sign up for the team online through TennisLink:
Once you have a USTA member number and a team number, you're
ready to register for the team online through TennisLink, the USTA
online database for League Tennis. You'll have to pay a registration
fee ($13-$28, [depending on the league] plus a $3 TennisLink fee), so
have your credit card handy. These team registration fees also are
intended to cover any league-play court fees at USTA member-facilities.
That's all there is to it - You're on a team!
After the initial sign-up deadline, the AATL League Coordinator will finalize a match schedule for
your flight. Even if you didn't make the initial sign-up deadline, you can still join an existing team
(if there's room) before the team's second-to-last regular season match. You can find team
rosters, Captains, schedules, and match results by clicking in the "AATL Team Information"
table on our AATL home page. Your team Captain will announce practice schedules, make
player assignments for each match, and record scores. Be sure to let the Captain know when
you're available for matches - don't make him/her do all the work of communicating. Definitely
show your appreciation for their service and consider being a Captain yourself.
Good luck and HAVE FUN!
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| Any team members from outside of SC must be approved by the Local League Coordinator before they sign up in TennisLink (see AATL Rules for the form to use). |
"MAKE 'EM CRY !"
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