USTA National Winter Championships - BG 12 & 14

IMPORTANT!
Due to a new policy from the USTA's legal department, tournament directors will no longer have access to phone numbers and email addresses of the tournament participants unless the player re-enters their contact information at time of event registration. This means that if a player does not enter their phone and email information each time they register for a tournament, the tournament director cannot contact them for any reason, including withdrawals, defaults, byes, rain delays, etc. Your cooperation will ensure that tournaments can continue to communicate necessary information to you. Thank you.

Reffkin Tennis Center & the City of Tucson welcome the 2014 USTA National Winter Championships to Tucson, Arizona!

LEVEL 1 - USTA NATIONAL WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP - Boys & Girls 12s & 14s

Tournament Sanctioned Dates are December 27th - January 2nd

Tournament Director:
Meghan Houk
ustawinternationals@gmail.com
520-791-4896 or 520-262-9330

Tournament Referee:
Ed Osnowitz

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Deadlines
2) Wild Cards
3) Entering Multiple Divisions
4) Sectional Endorsements
5) Doubles Information
6) Draw and Match Formats
7) Date And Time For Draw To Be Made And Posted
8) Tournament Selection Procedures & Alternates
9) Late Entries Policy
10) Withdrawal/Entry Fee Refund Policy for USTA Junior National Championships
11) How Alternates List Is Ordered
12) How Alternates Get Into The Draw
13) On-Site Alternates
14) Check-In
15) Check-In Day Schedule
16) Tournament Schedule ***(Schedule is tentative and subject to change)***
17) Practice Court Reservations
18) Tournament Sites
19) Practice Sites
20) Racquet Stringing
21) Major Airports
22) Official Hotel Accommodations
23) Tournament Training Sessions/Private Hitting Sessions
24) Professional Photography
25) Guest Speaker at Player Registration
26) Weather
27) Tournament Ball
28) Eligibility Requirements
29) Seeding Method
30) Dress Code
31) Thank You
32) Tournament Committee
33) Guest Speaker Information
34) Elevation in Tucson
35) Average Temperature in December
36) Snowflake Singles Tournament (Open) L6
37) Match Point Pro Shop at Reffkin Hours
38) Tournament Sponsor - iTUSA Tennis

__________________________________________________________


1) Deadlines:
Tournament Registration Deadline - Thursday, December 4th at 11:59 AM (EST)
Wild Card Application Deadline - Applications must be received no later than five days after the entry deadline for the tournament for which the Wild Card is sought. Earlier application is strongly encouraged.
USTA Player Selection -- Should be completed by December 6th
Doubles & Partner Registration Deadline - Monday, December 15th at 11:59 PM (EST).
Deadline to Submit Doctor's Note/Trainer's Notes January 2nd, 2015

2) Wild Cards:
Wild Cards are granted for the USTA National Championships by the USTA Wild Card Committee.

**Eligibility**: Applications for Wild Cards will be considered in extreme cases where extenuating circumstances have made the normal procedure of qualification and endorsement impossible. Wild Cards also may be granted based on the recommendation of the USTA National Coaching Staff that a player has demonstrated significant potential at the national and international level.

**Applications**: Request for Wild Cards are submitted by players using an online application. A link to the application is posted on the USTA website and shall be posted by the tournament to its website:
http://www.usta.com/youth-tennis/junior-competition/ntlchampwildcards/

Wild Card applicants do not require Sectional Endorsement, but the application must be approved by the Sectional office. Note: Applications MUST be filed separately for each National Championship and received by the appropriate deadline (See below).

**Deadlines**: Applications must be received no later than five days after the entry deadline for which the Wild Card is sought. Earlier application is strongly encouraged.

**Awarding of Wild Cards***: The Wild Card Committee will meet as soon as is practicable after the entry deadline to select from among the Wild Card applicants. The USTA Junior and Collegiate Competition Department will coordinate distribution of applications and the meeting time. As soon as Wild Card players are selected, they are notified by the USTA Junior and Collegiate Competition Department. The Tournament Director should also attempt to make contact with the player to receive the entry fee and any additional information that is required.

3) Entering Multiple Divisions:
A player may be entered in up to two age divisions of USTA National Championships when entries close. The TennisLink system will select players for these divisions in the following order: 18s, 16s, 14, and 12. If a player is entered in two age divisions and is selected into the older division, that player shall not be eligible for selection into the younger division. If a player is NOT selected for the older division, that player is eligible for selection in the younger division and is eligible to be an alternate in the younger division, but not the older division.

Additionally, a player may not enter one division in singles and a different division in doubles at sites where two divisions are held.

Contact the Director of Junior Competition IMMEDIATELY if it is discovered that a player is entered, at the time entries close, in two concurrent USTA National Championships. Players who are found to be entered in two concurrent National Championships will not be accepted into either USTA National Championship and must be levied Suspension Points.

4) Sectional Endorsements
Make sure that your junior player is on your section's endorsement list for this tournament. To find out if your player is on the list, please contact your USTA Junior Competition Manager for your section.

5) Doubles Information:
1. All players entered into singles will automatically be entered into doubles as well. If you WOULD NOT like to play doubles, you need to email the tournament director to withdraw from doubles at ustawinternationals@gmail.com

2. The deadline to specify a specific partner is Monday, December 15th. If you do not specify a partner or withdraw from doubles by December 15th, you will be randomly assigned a partner.

3. To register with your doubles partner, you need to email the tournament director your child's name and USTA number along with the name and USTA number of their partner. You must CC: (copy) your doubles partner when you email the tournament director with the pairing.

6) Draw and Match Formats:
Boy's & Girl's 12s
Singles - 128 Draw - Compass Draw - Main Draw Format is Best of 3 Sets (4 guaranteed opponents)
Singles Consolation - Match Tiebreak in Lieu of Third Set
Doubles - 64 Draw - Single Elimination - Match Tiebreak in Lieu of Third Set (1 guaranteed round)
Doubles Semi-Finals & Finals - Best of 3 Sets

Boy's & Girl's 14s
Singles - 128 Draw - Compass Draw - Main Draw is Best of 3 Sets (4 guaranteed rounds)
Singles Consolation - Match Tiebreak in Lieu of Third Set
Doubles - 64 Draw - Single Elimination - Match Tiebreak in Lieu of Third Set (1 guaranteed round)
Doubles Semi-Finals & Finals - Best of 3 Sets

7) Date And Time For Draw To Be Made And Posted
Draw is to be done on Monday, December 22nd at 3PM (EST) at the Jim Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson, AZ. Draw will be made public on Friday, December 26th. All players are instructed to Check-In at their match site 15 minutes prior to their scheduled match time.

8) Tournament Selection Procedures &Alternates:
http://www.usta.com/youth-tennis/junior-competition/ntlopenselec/

9) Late Entries Policy:
Late entries are not accepted into the tournament. Their only option is to apply for a Wild Card.

10) Withdrawal/Entry Fee Refund Policy for USTA Junior National Championships
After Entry Deadline:
Immediately contact the tournament if to withdraw from the tournament - telephone numbers and email addresses of the Tournament Director will be posted on the tournament's USTA TennisLink Home Page. Players must also fulfill the written verification requirements described below if the withdrawal is for injury, illness, or personal circumstance and the player wants to avoid being levied USTA Suspension Points.

Withdrawal After the Entry Deadline:
Players who withdraw after the entry deadline for any reason are NOT entitled to a refund.

http://www.usta.com/youth-tennis/junior-competition/withdrawalsentryfeerefunds/

11) How Alternates List Is Ordered:
The Tournament Committee shall prepare an alternate list of those players with timely entries not accepted into the draw who appear on the Sectional Endorsement Lists and who are doubles finalists from the four preceding USTA National Opens. Alternates shall be ordered using the National Standings List used to accept players into the draw to fill remaining vacancies. Late entrants who are eligible for selection shall be listed below these players by the date and time on which the late entry is made. If multiple late entries are received at the same time, they shall be ordered by lot. Late entrants are not ordered by position on the National Standings List.

12) How Alternates Get Into The Draw:
Before the draw is made, withdrawal of a player that was accepted as part of a section's quota will be replaced with the next available player on that section's endorsement list. Withdrawal of a player who was not accepted as part of a section's quota will be replaced with the next highest remaining alternate. After the draw is made, withdrawing players will be replaced with the next highest remaining alternate.

13) On-Site Alternates:
Only those players that have gone through the registration process and appear on the alternate list will be considered for on-site alternate substitution. On-site alternates will be considered in the ranking order that they appear on the alternate list. Any alternate player wishing to be an on-site alternate must check in with the desk at the appropriate location, ready to play, 30 minutes prior to the first round commencing (so be there at 8:00am). Alternates checking in after the first round has commenced will be placed at the bottom of the on-site alternate list, regardless of ranking. If any player shows up after 8am they will be on the bottom of the list regardless of what number they were on the ordered alternates list.

On-site alternates should report to:
Boys' 12s - Reffkin Tennis Center
Girls' 12s - Reffkin Tennis Center
Boys' 14s - Tucson Racquet Club
Girls' 14s - Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort

If you would like to be an On-Site Alternate please fill out the survey at the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V97QGZ7

On site alternates for DOUBLES should show up 30 minutes before the first

14) Check-In:
All players must check-in on December 26th from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm at the DoubleTree Hotel - Tournament Registration Desk.

If you absolutely can not attend check-in, go to the link below, provide us with the reason you are not attending, and fill out the other information requested.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JTHVCJR

15) Check-In Day Schedule:
December 26th, 2014
9:00 am ---- Training Workout Sessions Begin @ Reffkin
11:00 am - 6:00 pm ---- Event Check-in @ DoubleTree Hotel (Boojum Room)
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm ---- Mandatory Parents Meeting @ DoubleTree Hotel (Ballroom)
5:30 pm ---- Training Workout Sessions End @ Reffkin
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm ---- Players Party, Dinner & Entertainment @ DoubleTree Hotel (Ballroom)
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ---- Guest Speaker Dr. Jorge Valverde @ DoubleTree Hotel (Ballroom)
(Times and Locations are subject to adjustment - please check back often)

16) Tournament Schedule (Schedule is tentative and subject to change)
---Dec. 27 (Day 1 of 7)
1 Round of Singles + 1 Round of Doubles
---Dec. 28 (Day 2 of 7)
1 Round of Singles + 1 Round of Doubles
---Dec. 29 (Day 3 of 7)
1 Round of Singles + 1 Round of Doubles
---Dec. 30 (Day 4 of 7)
1 Round of Singles + 1 Round of Doubles
---Dec. 31 (Day 5 of 7)
1 Round of Singles (for Main Draw), 2 Rounds of Singles (for Consolation Brackets) + 1 Round of Doubles (Semis)
---Jan. 1 (Day 6 of 7)
1 Round of Singles (Main Draw Semis), 1 Round of Singles (Consolation Bracket Finals) + 1 Round of Doubles (Finals)
---Jan. 2 (Day 7 of 7)
Singles Finals, Singles 3rd/4th Play Match, Singles Gold Bracket Finals

17) Practice Court Reservations:
Limited courts will be available for reservation December 25th & 26th at Reffkin Tennis Center. $10 per court, Non-refundable. Call (520) 791-4896.

18) Tournament Sites:
(Age Groups Listed Below next to each site are subject to change. Towards the end of the tournament, majority of the matches will be played at the Reffkin Tennis Center. Satellite sites below are subject to change. Time mentioned below is an approximate travel time from Main Site Reffkin to site listed.)
1.(REFF) Reffkin Tennis Center - BOYS & GIRLS 12s -(12/27-1/2)- (Main Site) - 50 S. Alvernon Way
2.(TRC) Tucson Racquet Club - BOYS 14s -(12/27-12/31)- (12 min. from REFF) - 4001 N. Country Club Rd.
3.(ELCON) Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort - GIRLS 14s - (12/27-12/31)-(32 min. from REFF) - 10000 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ
4.(PUEB) Pueblo High School - BOYS 12s - (12/27-12/30)-(16 min. from REFF) - 3500 S. 12th Ave
5.(HIMM) Himmel Tennis Center - BOYS 14s -(12/27-12/30)- (11 min. from TRC) - 1000 N. Tucson Blvd.
6.(WWL) Westward Look Resort- GIRLS 14s - (12/27-12-30) -(10 min. from ELCON) - 245 East Ina Road, Tucson, AZ 85704
7. (PCCW) Pima Community College WEST - GIRLS 12s - (12/27-12/30) - (18 min. from REFF) - 2202 West Anklam Rd., Tucson, AZ 85709

19) Practice Sites:
SITE NAME (Distance from Reffkin) - ADDRESS
1. DoubleTree Hotel - 3 Courts - (2 min.) - 445 S. Alvernon Way
2. Catalina Magnet High School - 10 Courts - (8 min.) - 3645 E. Pima Street
3. Ft. Lowell Tennis Center - 8 Courts - (10 min.) - 2900 N. Craycroft Rd.
4. Palo Verde High School - 10 Courts - (11 min.) - 1302 S. Avenida Vega
5.Tucson High School - 6 Courts - (10 min.) - 400 North 2nd Avenue
6. Rincon High School - 10 Courts - (5 min.) - 300 N. Swan Rd. - This site has limited availability, official hitting sessions have priority.

20) Racquet Stringing:
Stringer will be onsite at Reffkin Tennis Center and Tucson Racquet Club during the duration of the tournament. Prices differ at both sites so please be sure to check with the site in advance. Links are provided below for more information:
Reffkin Tennis Center: http://reffkintenniscenter.com/other/proshopinfo/
Tucson Racquet Club: http://tucsonracquetclub.com/pro-shop-tucson/

21) Major Airports:
Tucson International Airport -- (8 miles from the Tennis Center, approx. 18 min)
7250 S Tucson Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85756

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport -- (115 miles from the Tennis Center, approx. 1 hr & 45 min)
3400 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034

22) Host Hotel Options:

MAIN HOST HOTEL
DoubleTree Hotel at Reid Park - Rate: $99
Phone Reservations: (520) 881-4200
Mention Reffkin Tennis Center or Group Code "RF3" or " RF4"
445 S. Alvernon Way
Tucson, AZ 85711
Recently Remodeled 295 Guest Rooms, Pool, 3 Tennis Courts, Fitness Center, Day Spa, Business Center, 10,000 sq. ft. ballroom - Across the street from Jim Reffkin Tennis Center, 2 Championship Golf Courses, and a 3-mile jogging path.
Distance from Reffkin (Main Site): Across Street

Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort-
Rate: $95
Phone Reservations: 520-544-5000
Mention Group Code: HET
10000 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704
Distance from ELCON (GIRLS 14s Main Site): Walking Distance
Distance from Reffkin (Main Site): 15.5 miles

La Quinta Inn & Suites (Reid Park) - Rate:$85.00 & Breakfast
Phone Reservations: (520)795-0330
Mention code "RTC" (Tennis Event @Reffkin)
102 N Alvernon Way (Broadway/Alvernon)
Distance from Reffkin(Main Site): 0.6 Miles

Residence Inn Marriott at Williams Centre - Rate: $118 & Breakfast
Phone Reservations: (520) 790-6100
Mention code "USTA" (Tennis Event @Reffkin)
5400 E. Williams Cir., Tucson, AZ 85711(Broadway/Craycroft)
Distance from Reffkin (Main Site): 2.3 Miles

Hampton Inn by Marriott- Rate: $79 & Breakfast
Phone Reservations: (520) 514-0500
Mention Reffkin Corporate ID#0002763162 (USTA Tennis Event @Reffkin)
251 S. Wilmot Rd. Tucson East (Broadway/Wilmot)
Distance from Reffkin (Main Site): 3.2 Miles

23) Tournament Training Sessions/Private Hitting Sessions:
December 26th, 2014
Get prepared! And get acclimated to Arizona - with a hitting session on the courts you'll be playing on! 2-hour sessions grouped by gender and ability. Supervised by the Smith-Perry Tennis Academy. You may sign up for more than one session if available. These sessions may sell out, so get signed up early! Fees are non-refundable after December 15th. Each player should check in 15 minutes prior to session start time. Show up on time! Late arrivals will be replaced with on-site alternates. To be placed on the alternate wait list, please arrive 15 minutes before sessions begin.

Training Registration: (520) 791-4896 with credit card (Master Card or Visa only)
Training Location: Reffkin Tennis Center - Main Event Site
Training Session Fee: TBD per session per player (2 Hours)
Session Times: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm

Private Hitting Sessions are available through the Smith-Perry Tennis Academy for Winter National participants from December 27th through January 2nd. Call (520) 861-0302 and (520) 609-4683 or email RonSmithTennis@aol.com

24) Professional Photography:
YourGameFace.com Photography - Professional photographers Lloyd & Melissa Clayton will be onsite to provide action portraits and commemorative posters of match play by appointment. Please sign up early! Email: yourgameface@mac.com Phone: (214) 543-5437

25) Guest Speaker at Player Registration:
Dr. Jorge Valverde 7:00 pm on Registration Day, December 26th. The presentation will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel Ballroom.

26) Weather:
In the event of inclement weather, we will be posting updates on both this Tennislink tournament page and the voice message on our pro shop phone line at (520) 791-4896. Please don't assume anything - always check for updates! Thank you!

27) Tournament Ball:
Wilson US Open Balls - New can of balls will be provided for third set.

28)Eligibility Requirements:_
http://www.usta.com/Youth-Tennis/Junior-Competition/Eligibility

29) Seeding Method:
Seeding Criteria for USTA National Championships
http://www.usta.com/Youth-Tennis/Junior-Competition/Seeding/

30) Dress Code:
All players are required to wear appropriate tennis attire. Cut off shorts, bare midriffs, compression shorts & tights (alone), or any other attire that is simply recreational and is not tennis oriented is not acceptable.

31) Thank You:
Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
www.visitTucson.org
Old Pueblo Grill
www.metrorestaurants.com
Bruegger's Bagels
www.brueggers.com
Tucson Parks and Recreation
www.cms3.tucsonaz.gov

32)Tournament Committee:
Chair Person and Tournament Director: Meghan Houk
Tournament Referee: Ed Osnowitz
Committee Member: Lindsey Kotz
Committee Member: TBD

33) About the Guest Speaker:
Dr. Jorge Valverde will be giving a presentation on Sport Psychology and Mental Toughness at 7:00 pm on Registration Day, December 26th. The presentation will take place at the DoubleTree Hotel (Across from Reffkin). Dr. Valverde is a regular contributor at National Championships and will be available for individual consultations during the event. Don't miss this great opportunity!

Free 20-Minute Mental Toughness Consultation

Dr. Jorge Valverde, a renowned psychologist who has developed a specialized system to train the minds of tennis players in a positive and effective way, will be providing 20-minute free consultations (compliments of the Tournament) for players, parents and coaches during the tournament. This is an excellent opportunity for players who want to develop mental toughness.

Dr. Valverde graduated from the University of Kansas with a Doctoral dissertation research on the mental preparation of highly ranked tennis players. He has served as sport psychologist for numerous tennis academies and universities throughout the US, Mexico, Poland and South America. He has also worked with many elite players such as Luke Jensen, French Open Doubles Champion, 1993, Daniela Hantuchova, ranked as high as 5 in the WTA, Anna Lenna Groenefeld, number one junior player in the world in 2003 and ranked as high as 14 in the WTA Meghann Shaughnessy, ranked as high as 11 in the WTA, Timothy Neilly, 2004 Orange Bowl Boys' 18s Champion, Tim Smyczek, singles Semi Finalist at Wimbledon 2005, Kim Couts, 2006 Girls 18s Easter Bowl Champion, Gabriel Flores, 2006 Boy's 14 Winter National Finalist, and Ashley Weinhold, 2007 Girls18's Super National Hard Court Champion, Austin Krajicek. Kalamazoo Champion, B18s, 2008, Jordan Cox, Kalamazoo Champion, B16s 2008, Mac Styslinger, 2011 Australian Open Junior Quater-finalist, Alex Del Corral, 2011 Boys 12's, Spring National Singles and Doubles Champion.

Please call Dr. Valverde to set up your free-20 minute consultation at (785) 979-1264 or visit his web site: www.bmentallytough.com Email: valverdeinfo@aol.com

34) Elevation in Tucson:
The city's elevation is 2,643 ft (806 m) above sea level.

35) Average Temperature in December:
Average temperature in Tucson is high of 64 and a low of 41.

36) Snowflake Singles Tournament (Open) L6
December 31st, 2014 - January 1st, 2015
Tournament ID: 750010314
All Age Divisions
Played at Multiple Sites

37) Match Point Pro Shop at Reffkin Hours
Wed. 12/24 - 10am-4pm
Thur. 12/25 - CLOSED
Fri. 12/26 - 12pm-5pm
12/27 - 1/2 - 10am-4pm

38) Event Sponsor - iTUSA Tennis
SPECIAL OFFERS!
iTUSA Tennis Academy, a high-performance academy in Glendale, AZ is offering Winter Nationals confirmed players specially discounted, individualized training programs in preparation for the tournament starting in early December and for weekly training sessions through Spring 2015. iTUSA will also be awarding training scholarships as prizes to the winners and runners-up in each division of the tournament.

iTUSA features the availability of all court surfaces (clay, Har-Tru and hard) along with world-class Spanish-style coaching, cutting edge technology, an exercise room, fitness pool, hot/cold contrast spas and on-site housing, meals and massage. All full-time iTUSA graduates have received scholarships from major universities or moved on to professional tennis.

For more information, please visit: http://www.itusatennis.com/WinterNationals2014


OTHER INFO:
For the host hotel options and discount information, copy and paste the following link into your website browser:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/iw5477cpnsi5np7/LIST_OF_HOTELS_TO_RECOMMEND_REVISED.Winter.Nationals-2.doc

This event is restricted to the following Junior players: U.S. Citizens Permanent Resident Aliens Diplomats, Refugees and asylees Junior players residing in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Samoa or Guam and Canadian residents of British Columbia. You may be asked for proof of status. Refer to USTA Regulation III.A.2.a.

Players are selected from a variety of National Lists and generally require Section endorsement.

Entry to this tournament is restricted. To see how entrants will be selected, follow the “Selection Process” link to the left. It is the player’s responsibility to check the selection list(s) after registering online to be sure that a check mark appears beside the player’s name on the list, in order to insure proper registration. Entries must be submitted by Thursday, December 4, 2014 11:59:00 AM Eastern Time. Only USTA members can register online if available.

In the future, you can jump straight to this tournament by entering the tournament identification number: 759203614 from the searchable schedule homepage.

Division and Draw Type Abbreviations Legend

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