“Why should I pay APTA dues?” – Gary Horvath has the answer

Anyone who has run an APTA sanctioned tournament knows that one of their many responsibilities is the ominous task of collecting dues from those participants who are not members of the APTA. I will never forget the first time I had this responsibility. I mentioned the dues payment to one of the participants who responded by saying, “Why should I pay APTA dues? What benefits do I get from being a member? If they are like most organizations they surely don’t do anything, and besides, I probably don’t want whatever they are selling.”

At the time I fumbled to find an appropriate response, even though the answer was obvious to me. It seems only logical that by supporting the governing body, you are supporting the infrastructure for the sport. In addition, in a sport as small as platform tennis your voice will most likely be heard when you have questions or concerns. This line of thinking is obvious to me because I have been close enough to the sport that I can see the inter-workings of the APTA. To those not as close, the answer is less obvious.

In a nutshell, the APTA serves as the governing body for the sport. In this capacity, its most important duties are to maintain the rules and serve as a focal point for the sport. Initially, these tasks sound rather trivial. As a way of understanding the
importance of these duties, let’s look at some of the suggestions that have been made for improving the sport over the past 25 years. Some of the more memorable proposed changes have been to: lengthen the service box by six inches, allow oversized paddles, allow a let when you bounce the ball out of the court, cut a hole in the back screen so that it is possible to hit winners, allow two serves, color the inside of the ball the same color as the flocking, play on a grade level (tennis court) surface, allow the carry or double hit, round the corners to make the crease shots less predictable, allow let serves, use a tiebreak that was different from the tennis tiebreak, allow winners when a shot hits a 2′ x 4′ target placed on the back screen, and use red balls.

Can you imagine playing interclub matches, tournaments or social events where every club uses a different set of rules and with matches played on courts with different sizes or configurations? Most people find it challenging enough to deal with a constant set of rules and the different shots of their opponents without having to deal with a different set of rules for each facility. When you think about it, the payment of the annual dues is justified by having the peace of mind that there is standardization in our sport that allows it to be enjoyable for the masses.

Now, let’s look closer at the manner in which the APTA serves as a focal point for the sport. First and foremost, it provides communication opportunities with members and manufacturers almost full-time), and the financial support for Platform Tennis
Magazine. By sanctioning tournaments, the APTA provides organized playing opportunities for the members and helps draw attention to the sport. Pages could be written expanding on the value of these member benefits, but hopefully that’s not necessary.

The entertainment value gained from these immeasurable benefits far exceeds the cost of the annual dues, or if you don’t like to be dinged for annual dues there is the painless life membership. I am almost embarrassed to call myself a life member, as I purchased the membership over 20 years ago for $100. Annual dues cost less than a round of golf or cart fees. They also are less than four tickets to a newly released movie or a single ticket to a professional hockey or football game. The APTA annual dues are about the same as a dozen packages of Oreos or Ben and Jerry’s double scoop ice cream cones. The cost is truly a small price to pay for the structure and enjoyment that it brings to the sport.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 3, January, 2001