Parents Page

They do, actually, but it takes a while to get there.

For older players with cars, it's not an issue, but we have a lot of young players every year, and their mobility is limited. I ask you to be patient with them and me. I want them to stay at the home match until that match is decided—until one team has four wins. After that they may leave.

For away matches, this is not an issue, but again, it's sometimes a long day. Getting home before 7:00 is usually a treat, even when we're playing close by: one long contest can dictate the entire match. You may be picking up at 7:30, so let me apologize in advance. I'm sorry. (On the day of, I'll be too hungry to apologize.)

If you need to pick up your daughter and take her home from an away match, I'll provide you with a form to sign and you may do so. If you are planning to take someone else's daughter home along with yours, I need the other parent to sign off too. Plan in advance.

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You cannot "coach" your daughter in a match. You aren't even supposed to talk to her. You can yell encouragement ("Come on, you can do this!") but you can't yell specific encouragement: ("Come on, make her come in on the forehand side!") The other coach will yell at me and I'll have to yell at you. I'm not a good yeller. Having said that, if you do know the game and notice something that I don't, tell me and I'll relay it to the player legally.

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Kids do eat during matches. I don't think the match should be an excuse for a picnic, but I understand. But although I'm not a dietician, I'm pretty sure scoffing down a Subway grinder before a match will not bring out the best in a player. The road to perdition is paved with good intentions, like bringing your daughter something good to eat. You know her better than I do, and she knows herself. Feed wisely.

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Although I'm the worst offender, we should not watch the match with our noses pressed against the fence. That goes for coaches too, though sometimes I forget. The girls need some room to breathe, to make mistakes, to concentrate without obvious judgment. Tennis is a tough sport because the player is out there alone. Doubles is a little less lonely, but since some doubles teams never speak to each other, it's about the same. Being there to support them is invaluable--try to come to as many matches as you can. If you say you know me, you can get in free. You can also get in free if you say you don't know me.

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There will be no third set this season; instead we will play a super tiebreak for the match. More about that in RULES.

Away matches, travel, travel release form

Every match we play comprises seven individual contests: four singles and three double. That means ten players participate on the varsity level each time we play. But we also play "ghost matches" or j.v. matches which follow the same rules but match up the up-and-coming players. When the varsity match ends, all other matches are suspended.

An individual set is decided when one player wins six game and ends up with two more victories than her opponent. You can win 6-4, but must continue playing at 6-5. If the person with 6 wins the next game, she wins the set 7-5. At 6-6, however, the players begin a tie-break—a game within a game in which the first player reach seven points and exceed her opponents total by at least two, wins. It's not unusual for a tiebreak to end up at 10-8, even 13-11. But it does end. Mercifully.

Players have to call their own lines, i.e., your daughter is the competitor and the official. Sometimes she will miss a call and sometimes a bad call goes against her. I tell all my players to (1) make the call that they see, (2) not try to make up for a bad previous call—either for or against them, and (3) not make a habit of continuously questioning the opponent's calls. If the situation becomes untenable—and that can happen—the coaches will take care of it. Under no circumstances should fans or other players become involved.

Players do not leave the court between sets. An exception would a very hot day when refilling a water bottle or a little added time off the court would be beneficial.

A small break is allowed between the second set and the super tiebreak.

The most positive change in coaching over the past ten years has been the smartphone, with its resultant instantaneous communication between parents and coaches, players and coaches, players and parents, etc. Student-athletes no longer wait at the courts in the rain for a ride, nor do parents sit in the school parking lot wondering when the bus will drop off their daughter.

I generally communicate through email, and every time I send one to your daughter, I will copy it to Mr. Farrell, our athletic director. Most times if it will have any impact on the parents, they will receive a copy also. I realize that mailboxes fill up rapidly that way, but my emails will annoy you for only 25% of the year. That's better than the usual barrage our spam filters miss.

To reach me by email:

raddac@plainvilleschools.org

chuckradda@gmail.com

You can text me at 860-614-7304

I have always tried to keep expenses to a minimum, but one of the unavoidable expenses is uniforms. Several years ago we moved away from school-purchased uniforms to those purchased by the individual and retained year after year. A player's freshman purchase could then last for the full four years.

In 2018 the total price of the top and the skort was close to $80. Since not too many things drop in price, I would expect the same for this season. The girls will be informed about purchasing them before the season starts. If this presents any hardship, please let me know immediately.

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Sometimes I just want a new tennis racket. Only once has that desire improved my game, and that's because I began using a smaller grip. The lesson here is this: if you know something about tennis and your daughter wants a new racket, be sure to advise her. If you're not conversant with the process, have her ask me or visit a reputable tennis store to make the purchase.

A beginning player does not need a $200 racket; in fact, something about 1/10 of that cost will do until the player decides whether or not she even likes the game. It's easier to move up at a later time than to have a special garage sale to sell a racket nobody wants.

The same for footwear: comfort and safety are the keys. Tennis shoes are flatter and smoother than running shoes and allow for some sliding on the court, but in a pinch most athletic shoes will suffice. There are lots of pretty shoes out there, but they don't make for a better player

Most of all, keep the kids safe.

I won't put an injured or ill player into a match, nor will I allow an unskilled player to compete and run the risk of being injured.

I won't allow opposing teams' parents or coaches to interact negatively with my players. It has happened.

I won’t allow kids to wait around for a ride after a game or practice unless I'm waiting with them. I may be sitting in my car, calling in a score, but I won't leave until they do.

I'll monitor the attendance of my players. Team members who turn up missing three times in succession will have their names turned into the athletic director. If possible I'll notify the parents or guardians.

At the risk of being a helicopter coach, I won't allow kids to open a can of tennis balls. It's my idiosyncrasy, but I have a vivid memory from long ago of a girl opening the can, slicing her finger, waiting for the trainer, and trying to remove blood from area. One of these seasons I'm going to require parental permission for opening a can, but not this year.