Should the Pac-12 Allow Heckling at NCAA Tennis Matches?
There’s are new concepts for NCAA Tennis teams to consider that may prove to bring more fans to the games. Allowing heckling is one of them.
The Arizona Wildcats Pac-12 Tennis teams are winding down its season with games through next week, then onto the NCAA Team and Individual Championships. As we wind down the Tennis season, I thought to ask my fellow Tennis sports broadcaster Coach Ken Tolber if there was anything new in college Tennis.
Ken sent me a link to an article written by Tom Perrotta of the Wall Street Journal. The article enlighten readers about a new phenomenon which was born in the NCAA Big-10 Conference. I wondered if the Pac-12 should follow suit, after all, the school moved baseball off campus so that fans could drink beer. Maybe next the Arizona Athletic Department could revamp Tennis Matches.
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In order to draw fans and raise money for the program, the Big-10 conference decided to throw away Tennis etiquette and allow fans to heckle and cheer for their tennis player in each match when they want. They tried it out at a recent Baylor vs. Oklahoma match. They gave out free food and free t-shirts, and freedom to do what is not accepted in most college or pro circles, it was something to behold.
The opinions were a little mixed, most of the fans love it. One would have to admit, no one would want the schools Tennis program to lack funding, but should funding come at the expense of the players? I guess you would also need to weigh the supportive uplifting cheering as well as the negative heckling, and it just might be worth it. Since NCAA Tennis is not a team sport yet, and I am saying yet, all the criticism is going directly at one player or another the entire long match.
Assuming the players can develop a very think skin like basketball and football players, this could work. Oklahoma Men’s Tennis Coach John Roddick (older brother of former Pro Andy Roddick) had this to say after the match, “I love the enthusiasm and everything, but I think it has to be toned down in my opinion. I think it was a little bit too much.” Then acquiesces with, “We proved we can play through it.”
This video gives you a better feel for how this went down:
Coach Tolber invented Team Tennis a way to draw more kids to the sport. He is on a trek to spread this concept throughout the world and also into the college and professional Tennis levels. A new team sport is born, but hasn’t caught on outside of Palm Beach Florida just yet, but Tolber is determined to make that happen.
Ken Tolber Team Tennis Trading card
Coach Ken, as he likes to be called, founded All American Tennis and started a recreation league for young children. They play on teams and switch out players depending on the opponent. They have games each week, they wear uniforms, they even have player trading cards (see insert of Coaches card.)
Mary Thurnwatcher of the Palm Beach Post interviewed Tolber and asked him what makes team tennis so special, he answered, “Team sports out-perform individual sports in participation and player retention because players often play their respective sports for reasons other than the sport itself. It could be friends, the uniforms, the attention, or maybe they enjoy going out for ice cream after the games. Whatever the reason, it works.”
His motto? “Join the TEAM! Because Life is a Team Sport!” Tolber and I have had many long conversations well into his east coast bed time about how broadcasting for tennis needs some updating. Well, it needs some more excitement, and Ken is the guy to bring it to you.
Right now the field of sports broadcasters for tennis seems to be limited to former players, speaking in soft voices after each point. Coach Ken would like to see this updated as well. He has already tried his hand at announcing matches for his team tennis league (he brought speakers, wore a headset and everything) and received positive feedback from the parents.
He even took his team to Disney World in Orlando to celebrate the end of the season:
Tennis Coach Ken Tolber takes his Tennis Team to Disneyworld
I think he has something here.
I have introduced three new concepts to you about how the sport of Tennis can be enriched to possibly draw new fans and to make it fun for existing fans. Let broadcasters make things more fun during the game, explain the game, just get excited! Let the fans loose on the game. And finally, try Tolbers Team Tennis, it sounds like fun.
I think most of us agree, on the college level, the sport needs a lift, students should want to go support their tennis team. Fans want to have fun. Maybe heckling would be easier to take for the players if we started a new division of Tennis in college, team tennis. What would it be like if the Arizona Wildcats will follow suite with Oklahoma and institute new fan rules to allow heckling, cheering, and new ZonaZoo traditions?
I have no idea what the chances are that the Pac-12 would consider any of these ideas, but I think it would have to come from the Tennis program in concert with the Athletic Director, and the AD would have to agree with another school and try it out. Would or could the University of Arizona Wildcats be the trailblazers in the west and try out these concepts? Which ones would you think would work?
I say, do it all. I agree with Coach ken that the sport of tennis can be more exciting and draw more fans. We need to support our Arizona Wildcat Tennis teams, good luck to both the Men’s and the Women’s teams this next couple of weeks!
BEARDOWN ARIZONA!
Next Match Men’s Team: Play Utah tomorrow April 18th in Salt Lake City, Utah, 10:0AM
Next Match Women’s Team: NCAA Championships, April 23rd Time TBD