By Charles E. Vasoll

Umpires certified by the American Platform Tennis Association are vital. That is the second lesson that I learned from conducting the Senior Men’s National Championships for 50+, 60+ and 70+ last month. In the first article, I called for a review of the provision that permits (and even encourages) a player to enter two draws in these championships. Here I want to voice a request for action to require and provide umpiring of our championship matches.

Our sport should have its own cadre of officials to oversee its championships. Currently we usually call upon men and women who have been certified by the tennis official’s organization. I vividly recall a match in Scarsdale when the chair umpire from the tennis officials organization called a loss of point when the ball passed through a team only to have the ball played successfully off the screen. It had to be explained that this was a valid play in platform tennis.

Jim Healy, a member of the Committee that conducted the APTA Senior Men's Nationals for 50+, 60+, and 70+, volunteered to umpire the final in each of the age group competitions. It was his first experience in this role and he did an outstanding job.

For our event, obtaining an official from the tennis group failed. We thought that we had made arrangements with a local representative who had served in this role on prior occasions. We were let down. We were fortunate, however, to have Jim Healy, one of our committee members, who was willing and proved very capable of manning the chair. We must find a way to invigorate this area of our sport.

I can remember one of my early encounters with championship platform tennis at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club. There was not only a chair umpire but also four members stationed outside the court to call the lines and foot faults. That was during the zenith of platform tennis in the late 70’s.

Please don’t misinterpret me. I believe the players of that day were just as honest as our competitors today who make their own calls. But let’s be truthful. It is difficult enough to be playing in today’s hard hitting game without having the added burden of making accurate calls on the lines, especially the service lines.

The APTA must find a way to certify players who have an interest in this facet of the sport. No one is going to do it for the measly fee that is offered. It will only be done for the love of the sport. Don’t we all confess to that? Each of our local organizations in the seven Regions should be expected to have several individuals gain experience in their events and pass a written test on the rules. They would then become eligible to umpire championship matches when their area is called upon to host such tournaments.

The APTA should give this a real “push”. Chair umpires give a dignity to the contest that means what happens here is important.