Report from NCHSAA Board of Directors Meeting

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Written by: Vic Ramsey

Published: May 26, 2026

The NCHSAA Board of Directors met on Tuesday & Wednesday, May 5th & 6th, and among many items of business, discussed four proposals submitted by the NCHSTCA. Those proposals were: 

• A return to a 16-entry state individual tournament.
• An extension of the postseason schedule from three weeks to four weeks.
• A clarification of the rules surrounding regional seeding meetings.
• A clarification of the rules concerning "small-roster" teams ... teams with three or fewer players.

Our request to attend the Sports Committee meeting in order to answer questions about our proposals was denied.

All four proposals were voted down. Only the postseason schedule proposal made it out of the Sports Committee, and it was voted down by the full Board by a vote of 16-1.

As of this writing, we have not received any formal communication from the NCHSAA as to why these proposals were rejected.

In the interest of allowing our membership to see exactly what was submitted, we are releasing the full text of our submittals. 

16-Entry State Tournament

We argued that returning to a 16-entry state tournament was the overwhelming preference of the coaching community, that current facilities were sufficient to host such events, and that doing so would provide more of our student-athletes the opportunity to participate in the state tournament.

This proposal was not advanced by the Sports Committee for consideration by the full Board of Directors.

Click here for the 16-entry state tournament submission form.

Postseason Schedule

We argued that playing the postseason over a four-week schedule would reduce the physical burden on players, reduce the academic impact of multiple classes missed within a short period of time, and provide the NCHSAA with more flexibility to deal with inclement weather.

This proposal was advanced out of the Sports Committee and considered by the full Board, which rejected it on the premise that the 2026-27 was already set, that venues had been contracted for, and that the Calendar Committee could, perhaps, weigh this request as part of its proposal for the 2027-28 sports calendar.

Click here for the postseason schedule submission form

Pre-Regional and Regional Seeding Meetings

We submitted a comprehensive rewrite of the handbook language regarding regional seeding meetings. We argued that the current language was vague and archaic, that coaches should be able to present whatever evidence they wished, including UTR, WTN, or USTA rankings. We also presented several suggestions regarding the construction of the brackets, all of which were supported by a majority of coaches responding to our fall postseason survey.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, NCHSAA staff contacted us and asked for an abridged version of the language, with the understanding that many of our ideas would be included in a resource document, and not in the handbook proper. We provided that language.

Nevertheless, the Sports Commitee declined to recommend our proposal to the full Board.

Click here for the pre-regional and regional seeding meetings submission form.

Small-Roster Teams

We've identified several teams, in both the men's and women's season, who are playing with three or fewer players, and there is considerable confusion about how these schools are to be accommodated during the regular season. We submitted a proposal to clarify that players from such schools were welcome in the individual tournament, but that such schools would be automatic "opt-outs" for the dual-team tournament (since a 3-player team cannot, mathematically, win a dual-team match.)

The Sports Committee declined to recommend our proposal to the full Board.

Click here for the small-roster teams submission form.

 

 

Nick Walker's Handbook for High School Tennis Coaches

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Written by: Donald Clark

Published: May 25, 2026

Nick Walker, who coached high school tennis for seventy seasons in North Carolina, has written an outstandng handbook for high school coaches in our state. He has shared so many things he has learned over the years and included handouts on grips, practices, etc. Walker coached 38 men's seasons and 32 men's seasons at Hillsborough Orange, Chapel Hill, and East Chapel Hill high schools.

He is one of only three coaches in the history of North Carolina to win over a thousand matches in men's and women's tennis.

Click here to access the Handbook for High School Tennis Coaches.

McDow Publishes Book for High School Tennis Coaches

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Written by: Donald Clark

Published: March 08, 2026

Charlie McDow, the Rock High School in South Carolina tennis coach from 1976 to 2025, has published a book that covers the basics of coaching high school tennis from A-Z called More Than A Match.   Coaches are encouaged to call Coach McDow at 803-389-0047 for more informatoin or to order a book.