Working as a USTA roving umpire - some observations

I just got back from working as a roving official at a National Level 3 tournament in Rome, Georgia.  This was the first National tournament that I've gotten to work so far, but I'm scheduled to work two more over the next 5 months.

I had worked a Southern Region Level 2 tournament in Macon, Georgia in February, so I thought I knew what to expect regarding the quality of the players, ages 12-18.  What I didn't know was that a National tournament actually attracts better players than a Region tournament, so the Level 3 kids I watched play in Rome this weekend were better players than the Level 2 kids I'd watched play in Macon.  I'm sure some of the same kids were in both tournaments, as both are close to Atlanta where there are a lot of youth tennis players.

There were nearly 400 players in this tournament:  12, 14, 16 and 18 years old, boys and girls.  The first day, Saturday, was a long 13 hour (only briefly delayed by sprinkles of rain) day.  Whew!  Sunday's matches were delayed 4 hours - from an 8 AM to a noon start - due to rain.  As an official, I was expected to help squeegee the courts' puddles so that the wind could dry them.  One would think a late March tournament in Georgia would be warm, but the temperatures were in the 40's and the wind made it feel even colder.  Sunday was a 9 hour day and so was Monday, when the semi-finals and finals of the singles, the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the doubles were played.

I got to meet a lot of other officials, one of which came from as far away as Knoxville, TN to work, while most were from Georgia (even the Atlanta metro area):  men and women who are for the most part were in their 50's or older, though there were at least three I met that were younger.

The hardest part about being a roving umpire is the physical demands of the job, while knowing and applying the rules seems easier, at least for me.  Standing on one's feet for more than an eight hour day with few breaks and (usually) one supplied meal can be difficult, especially if one's heart isn't in the right place.  But the desire to be a loving servant of the game and (guide for) its youth supplies me with all I need.  More to come ...