SM Tonight & Cheering Expectations

Regarding tonight at Stone Memorial.  I asked Nicole and Eric Masgood (SM Coaches) what type of atmosphere they wanted for their senior night tonight and they shared via text: "We have a food truck for our team and yours.  FUN AND HAPPY GO LUCKY! We have a radio station coming and playing music as well.  So very fun atmosphere.  Cheering recommended!"

Yall, I eat, sleep, and breath tennis coaching through my social media and news media.  There's a lot to learn from it.  

We coaches had conversations with athletes at practice on Monday regarding our expectations for our team for cheering and sportsmanship as there has been some question from opposing coaches & fans lately. 

Here's a Facebook post from down the road in Atlanta that came through my stories of the Georgia Bulldogs implementing the "I" Formation in doubles play.  There a few quick things to notice at this level that relates to our conversations on the court about attitudes.  https://www.facebook.com/reel/1466717828299916

• 1) Yes, various doubles formations beyond the standard "1-Up/1-Back" are used, especially when serving.

• 2) The crowd volume is loud, and that is routine across good collegiate tennis that I watch on a regular basis. 

• 3) The players winning the point do emit high passionate emotion, the players who lost the point immediately limit their emotion so they don't give any extra mental "momentum points" to their opponent.

• 4)  The coach is on the court immediately after the point to talk strategy of the next point. That is very common in collegiate matches.  If you watched Tennessee Tech last year, Fairfield Glad Pro Dylan Nelson was on the courts in between every doubles point.  Coaching is very active.

Here are a few follow-up thoughts. 

• 1) We're teaching good tennis in strategy, team support, and coaching support. 

• 2) We do need to be cognizant that tennis around the world is changing to be more exciting and crowd inclusive.  The golf-clap-only mentality is changing but it is a slow change.  Read about the tension in the NY Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6573033/2025/08/25/tennis-etiquette-rules-crowd-us-open/

• 3) We need to be respectful.  Many people who play tennis in our area have never seen the excitement level surrounding the competitive tennis-courts because they've never experienced tennis outside this area.  I've had some of the best seats at the Atlanta Open and Cincinatti Open.  I've been to collegiate tennis matches and I watch them on TV to support some players I've hit with.    Many in our area are used to the traditions of tennis decades ago where tennis was only available to the elite rich who could afford high quality lessons, therefore our passionate cheering, direct coaching, and fun side are uncomfortable for them.  Because their experience is limited to what they watched on TV of old, we choose to be respectful and limit ourselves at some times. 

• 4) We will continue to play by the rules as we are governed first by TSSAA Rules and then by USTA Rules.  We aren't a college program governed by the ITA, so don't have quite as much lee-way on cheering as they do, but we still can cheer for our athletes in positive moments!

  
  

Download the TSSAA Tennis Handbook for the 2025-2026 season here.  https://cms-files.tssaa.org/documents/tssaa/2025-26/sports-regulations/2025-26Tennis-Regulations.pdf  Sportsmanship and Coaching are handled on the bottom of page 1 and the top of page 2.

Here is an AI Summary of the USTA Cheering Expectations for crowds. 

USTA tennis rules require spectators to cheer respectfully, maintaining silence during points and applauding only after a point ends. Cheering must be positive, focusing on good shots rather than opponent errors or double faults. Distracting behavior, including coaching, line-call interference, and loud noises during play, is prohibited.

Key USTA Spectator Guidelines:

• Silence During Play: Keep noise to a minimum while the ball is in play to avoid distracting players.

• Positive Cheering: Applaud good play for both players. Do not clap or cheer for an opponent’s mistake or double fault.

• No Coaching/Interference: Spectators cannot give advice, make line calls, or dispute calls.

• No Disruptions: Avoid making sudden noises or moving around during a rally.

• Consequences: USTA officials may warn spectators, and if inappropriate behavior continues, they may be asked to leave the premises.

Now that all that has been shared, here's what I'm asking.

1) White County tennis players and fans, continue cheering for positive moments.  If your athlete does something good, boost them up! 

2) Let's remove "kick-lines" and large group distracting demonstrations from our activities.  I agree with you, it's all good fun. Some of the opposing parents and coaches can't handle it.  I still like Cheering tunnels at the end of the night, but let's read our atmosphere first.

3) Let's show grace and hospitality to all our opponents. Let's let our treatment of others speak louder than the score-line. 

4) Keep focusing on the good tennis and positive encouragement that has improved our program and made our community proud over the last 4 years.  

Regarding tonight at Stone Memorial.  I asked Nicole and Eric Masgood (SM Coaches) what type of atmosphere they wanted for their senior night tonight and they shared via text: "We have a food truck for our team and yours.  FUN AND HAPPY GO LUCKY! We have a radio station coming and playing music as well.  So very fun atmosphere.  Cheering recommended!"