Tennis Team Guidelines  

These guidelines explain how Club Towers tennis teams work and how we would like captains and players to support each other. It also helps new members get to know about team tennis at Club Towers.

There are approx. 100 members involved in our teams. This winter (2025-26) we increased to 19 (from 18) Beds League teams. 11 teams are in the main league and 8 are Vets teams. We perform very well in the county leagues each season.  

The aim of team tennis at Club Towers is to promote competitive playing opportunities that will test players abilities to the full, enable them to achieve and celebrate success and (hopefully) lead to improvement in playing standards. Whilst at the same time ensuring a commitment to fair play and teamwork, social interaction and plenty of enjoyment.

Captains should put a high priority on providing adequate playing opportunities for all members of their squads. A tactical emphasis on selecting the ‘best’ players to win matches is also reasonable …. especially in the 1^st and 2^nd teams.

For teams to run smoothly, captain and players must work together and communicate well.

Arrival and Start Times to Matches

Evening matches can go on late, and time may be limited in enjoying teas and hospitality with the opposition players. Please rendezvous on-court with all players and opposition 10 to 15 minutes before start times and keep knock-ups to a minimum. Knock-ups must be with the opposition pairs, NOT with your own team pair. This is the county league guidance to ensure prompt starts, which the Club supports.

Player Lists and Publication

Player lists per team are updated at least once per year and the WhatsApp groups then aligned to match. The lists represent a snapshot of the teams at a point in time, informed by the captains to Steve Adams, and a copy of the lists and guidelines is available on the Tennis noticeboard too.

The lists are not used for registration purposes in the Beds League. It is inevitable that some players may drop out of teams and new players come in mid-season.

Keeping Things Fresh – Rotation

Remember the captain’s role is voluntary and the onus is on them to organise their team, pay for teas and collect fees. We ask players to appreciate the captains rely on their commitment and quick response to their requests. Captains make decisions for the good of the team without favouring individuals. Captains may continue in their role indefinitely, but we encourage players to offer to step up as captains too, passing on the baton and evolving the teams over time.

Player Crossover Between Teams

Note that player crossover between teams mid-season is a good thing but captains must first check with each other before booking individuals from other squads into one of your matches. This will avoid players becoming inadvertently ineligible for their primary team.   

And now to some specifics ……

Captains are expected to ….

1. Run a squad WhatsApp group through which all team communication goes. Keep the group current and match the names with the central list held by Steve Adams. A good squad number is likely to be 7 to 10 players, depending on the level of commitment and availability from each player. 
   
2. Communicate all match dates to players via WhatsApp group immediately once fixtures are confirmed, so the team are aware of all dates through the season. 
   
3. Seek availability / commitment from players for each match date. Give all players in your squad fair opportunities to play a fair proportion of matches and explain your logic to them if needed. 
   
4. Suggest squad players test pairings as often as possible. Commitment to attend the weekly/fortnightly practice sessions  is important from players so please lead by example.
   
5. Try to have a reserve player on standby in case of emergency for each match. Not easy we know!
   
6. Confirm with opposition captains at least a week before each match. For home matches, stress the need to arrive 10-15 mins before the official start time and ask about any dietary requirements/allergies for the tea.
   
7. Know the rules! These are available to view on the MYDIV portal and also printed on the noticeboard.
   
8. Sign the scorecard at both home and away matches to prevent any disputes afterwards and then immediately update the results on to MYDIV portal. Win or lose you still need to ratify results on MYDIV.
   
9. Collect match fees from players. Explain to the group how match fees are calculated.
     
10. Always return tennis balls to Reception at the end of each home match. 
    
11. Plan well to minimise postponements. Rearranged matches make extra work for everyone. Postponements must be notified to [email protected] at the earliest opportunity.
    
12. Work with fellow captains and Steve Adams on player selection. Treat this as a transitional process and manage all players’ expectations with care and respect. Allow the better players to progress to higher level teams if they have that personal goal. This is a collaborative process between captains and Club, overseen by Steve Adams, as squads may change between seasons.

Players are expected to …….

1. Reply in a timely fashion to all team WhatsApp messages from their captains.
    
2. Communicate well and give commitment to play as many of the match dates as you can. Make yourself aware of all match dates at the start of each season.
   
3. Attend organised practice sessions as much as you can.
   
4. Give team matches a higher priority than friendly/social games. Try hard to avoid postponements or match concessions.
   
5. Host opponents after home matches by staying for teas. Captains will reasonably expect players to assist with hosting arrangements, and to give advance notice in the rare instances when unable to stay after a match. 
   
6. Embrace the team ethos and accept that wide-ranging perspectives have to be balanced by captains and the Club.

Any questions please discuss with Steve Adams ([email protected]) or your captain.