NOTE: On December 1, 2021 I received notice of my USTA reclassification as a 5.0 NTRP tennis player. The following is my letter of appeal in response:
December 11, 2021
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing this letter to appeal my rating bump from 4.5 to 5.0 NTRB rating.
I suspect my recent rating change happened because of a USTA computer algorithm, and that no living person was involved in this decision. So I am writing this appeal to an actual human being who is knowledgeable about tennis and who can better judge who I am as a competitive player.
Or maybe it was that I had an end of the year record of 25 wins and 5 losses in regular USTA matches? (It would have been 27-9 if sectional matches were taken into consideration.)
But, for the record, please take the following into consideration.
A large number of those victories in 2021 in USTA League play (in leagues other than tri-level where there is only one 4.5 line) were on line two where I was the “clean up” guy with Julio playing not very good players. I was lucky enough to make it to sectionals twice this summer, and my record there was 4 losses and 2 wins; If I were the typical 4.5 sandbagger who belonged at the 5.0 level, I would have won almost all those matches. I did not win most of them, and there was no way I was going to win them. The other players had another gear I did not have. The outcome of those matches was never really in doubt.
I know those 5.0 players – younger, faster, better; often former college players, they cover the ENTIRE COURT and hit the ball HARD – and I know I am outside of my level when I play them. That is not where I belong, no matter what some mindless USTA computer algorithm might think.
I am not a 5.0 player.
I am almost 55-years old, and only seven years ago I was a 4.0 player. I am a relative late-comer to tennis, not to mention tennis at the 4.5 level.
I am not trying to move my game to the next level. I am trying to keep my game at the 4.5 level as I age. I am ready to start playing in the 55-and over leagues next year where I can play those around my age. I do not wish to go into 5.0 exile where I have no known friends nor avenues for competition. I don’t want to be the inferior player on the court holding back a true 5.0 player in competition.
My USTA league play is a vital outlet for my social-emotional support. With kids and wife at home, my weekend USTA match is maybe the highlight of my week; during this pandemic, this outlet has only been more important than ever in helping me get through the day. I get to see my friends, enjoy good tennis, and have a beer and conversation afterwards once per week. This is why I play so much USTA, and maybe that is why I have so many victories. Hence I triggered something in the computer system which bumped me up to a 5.0 rating and be ineligible to play? How ironic!
But if I lose this appeal and fail to move back to the 4.5 level, I will be unable to play league tennis with my long-standing friends. This is threatening to me. When I was informed I had been bumped up to 5.0 two weeks ago, the ground began to shake underneath my feet. What had been previously sure was suddenly unsure. I felt as if I were being exiled to 5.0 tennis Siberia for an indefinite amount of time (I have seen this exile happen to others). I had never thought I would ever be classified as a 5.0 player. I don’t even usually play on line one for my team in those USTA League seasons where there are three lines. Again, I am the “clean up guy” on line two.
So please, dear sir, take into account my age, my relative short time at the 4.5 level, the reality that most of my victories were not on line one – and the fact that I am not some former college player sandbagging at the 4.5 level and who beats everyone all the time on line one of USTA league play and at sectionals. I am an aging weekend warrior who can play solid 4.5 tennis, and who wants to continue to enjoy the social and emotional benefits of USTA League play at that level. Winning and losing tennis matches is of secondary importance. Having the option to participate and play is what is most important.
And it is exactly that which is put directly at risk by my being re-rated at the 5.0 level.
So, please, I ask you to re-rate me at the 4.5 level for the 2022 year. It is where I belong.
If a USTA computer algorithm mindlessly bumped me up to the NTRB 5.0 level, I will hope a flesh and blood human being can see the bigger picture and move me back down to where I belong at the 4.5 level.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Very Truly Yours,
Richard Geib
From: USTA Adult Competitions
To: Richard Geib
Date: Dec 12, 2021, 5:23 pm
Subject: appeal letter for Richard Geib
Hello Mr. Geib-
Thank you for reaching out about your rating. I am sorry for the frustration this is causing. We have reviewed the data which led to your 5.0 rating and it is valid, you are best suited for play at the 5.0 level. The USTA NTRP system compares projected outcomes for every match to actual outcomes of the match and then adjusts player ratings accordingly. Your record shows many solid wins over competitive 4.5 players. We will try one last hail mary for you but unless that comes through, there is a medical issue or the scores are incorrect, you will keep your 5.0 rating. Let us know if you have any other questions or need more information and we will let you know when we hear back from the National rating’s committee. Thank you.
From: Richard Geib
To: USTA Adult Competitions
Date: Dec 12, 2021, 5:40 pm
Subject: appeal letter for Richard Geib
Thank you. Please try one last “Hail Mary” to keep me out of 5.0 jail for 12 months.
From: USTA Adult Competitions
To: Richard Geib
Dec 15, 2021, 10:08 AM
Subject: appeal letter for Richard Geib
Dear Richard,
The National committee reviewed your appeal and it was granted. You are now rated at the 4.5 level.
Happy hitting!
From: Richard Geib
To: USTA Adult Competitions
Date: Dec 15, 2021, 10:48 am
Subject: appeal letter for Richard Geib
Thank you so much!
USTA tennis for me has always been much about the exercise and camaraderie than the winning or losing.
I look forward to playing USTA League tennis in 2022 with my friends.
Thank you again…
POSTSCRIPT:
Holy cow! I appealed the denial of my SoCal appeal to the USTA National Committee and it was granted, as you can read above.
I am now a NTRB 4.5 player again, God be praised!
My exile in tennis Siberia has been reprieved.
Well, all’s well that ends well.
But I sure enjoyed making all the photos on this page…
How does the year-end NTRP calculation work?
Computerized ratings are affected by the score of a match as well as the dynamic ratings of a player’s partner and the player’s opponents. Based on player dynamic ratings at the start of a match, the NTRP algorithm expects a particular outcome of a match. The actual outcome is then compared to the expected outcome, and as a result of this comparison, the player’s dynamic rating is adjusted up or down (or there is no change, if the outcome was as expected). Computerized ratings are not directly affected by what position a player played, actual number of wins and losses, age, or team standing. (source)
