Sportsmanship Guide Completion Certification Form
All Parents/Guardians must watch the Sportsmanship Guide presentation and signify they have done so by submitting the following form. A form submission must be completed for each junior player.  If you have more that one junior player, after submitting the form you will be provided a link to bring you back to the form to submit for additional players.

**TENNIS PARENT ALERT**
Junior tennis should be a fun and rewarding experience for our children. Character building lessons such as hard work, discipline, good sportsmanship, and handling adversity are regularly on display. Parents of junior players should also enjoy the time spent with their children and watching them develop not just into better tennis players, but into good citizens.

Regrettably, verbal abuse by some parents, coaches, and spectators directed at tournament referees, officials, and even other junior players and their parents is becoming more commonplace. These incidents adversely impact the players' and parents' tournament experience and create a negative and distressing atmosphere for all participants, parents and officials. Such abusive and improper conduct by a few is in violation of the governing rules and shall not be tolerated.

In response to the actions of a few, USTA Southern has instituted this alert to remind parents and players that abuse of players, referees, or officials by a parent, relative, coach or other person associated with a player is prohibited by the governing rules, and any such abuse may result in the issuance of directives for that person to leave the tournament area and/or the imposition of point penalties and other sanctions authorized by applicable regulations. Abusive behavior in any form shall not be tolerated. Tournament officials and referees will report all instances of such misconduct, and the consequences of such misconduct will be fully enforced. Parents and players are governed by, and should become familiar with the Friend at Court and particularly, Part 3 USTA Regulations, Section IV.C. which addresses Standards of Conduct. An excerpt of that Section is provided for reference on the back of this form and a full copy of Friend at Court is available online at no charge at http://www.usta.com.

USTA Southern is confident that strict enforcement of the applicable regulations will reduce or eliminate these instances of misconduct and enhance everyone's tournament experience.

Friend at Court IV.C

IV.C Standards of Conduct

IV.C.1. General. Players, persons who appear to be associated with a player (including, but not limited to, parents and coaches), officials, and organizers of any tournament are under a duty to encourage and maintain high standards of proper conduct, fair play, and good sportsmanship. They are under an obligation to avoid acts which may be considered detrimental to the game of tennis. Such detrimental acts include, but are not limited to, the acts set forth in USTA Regulation IV.C.

IV.C.10. No abuse of players or officials
a. No person shall abuse an official or player. The Chair Umpire, Referee, and any other official responsible for ensuring that a match is played under conditions which are fair to all players shall make certain that no parent, relative, coach, or other person associated with a player abuses an official or player.
b. Official may request abusive person to desist or leave tournament area. A player who enters a sanctioned tournament or match consents to being penalized under the Point Penalty System for abusive conduct by a person who appears to be associated with the player. If the official observes the conduct, the official shall suspend play and request that the person desist. If the abuse continues, the official may direct the person to leave the tournament area. In a flagrant case, the official may immediately direct the person to leave without requesting the person to desist.
c. Point Penalty System applies to abuse. If the person refuses to follow the instructions to leave, then the official may penalize the player associated with the person under the Point Penalty System. (USTA Regulation IV.D.8. outlines the right to appeal)
 

All fields are required to be filled in.
Parent/Guardian First Name
Parent/Guardian Last Name
Junior Player's First Name
Junior Player's Last Name
Junior Player's USTA Membership Number  Make sure this is accurate, otherwise Tournament Directors will not be able to verify this requirement for tournament registrations.
Junior Player's Resident City 
Junior Player's Resident State
Email Address
By clicking on the yes box, you are certifying that you have watched the presentation titled "A Guide for Good Sportsmanship and Successful Tennis Parenting", and have familiarized yourself with the applicable rules and regulations regarding standards of conduct by parents and/or players as set forth in "friend at court."  You further acknowledge and agree to honor your obligations under the rules and the sanctions set forth therein. YES