Tennis startup Match Tennis App has COVID-19 social distancing rules coded into their Virtual Tournament Desk (VTD) platform as a way to get the game moving forward. Coronavirus has permeated society worldwide making large gatherings such as a sport tournament somewhat risky even with the most well thought out and executed health and safety plans in place. Live sports, whether as participants or fans seems to help people cope with the realism of where the United States is at in terms of defeating this nasty little virus. To address this serious and potentially long-term problem, this new technology solution uses API to integrate with the USTA’s present tournament management system as a means to enhance social distancing etiquette. The three largest USTA Section areas are required to use the app for tournaments. Any sized tennis venue nationwide that hosts competitions needs to be aware of this time saving application.
Match Tennis App VTD
In a well-thought out attempt to normalize a tennis Major as much as possible, the French Open in Paris began play on September 27 and runs through October 11, dates normally dominated by football and rugby matches. American tennis is following the same game-plan and running events with player and staff safety as the top concerns. State side tennis is pressing on with the support of sports tech products aimed to combat COVID.
“Running a tennis tournament technology company, we felt not only a responsibility, but rather a duty to take expedient action to help get the sport we love back going again. Playing and attending tennis tournaments for the last 30 years, I knew first-hand tournament desks were the primary bottlenecks where social gathering occurred at tennis event,” said Lindsay Lee-Waters, Match Tennis App, Founder and CEO.
Some 50 tournaments per week use Match Tennis App’s VTD innovative technologies. Each tournament player can check-in for tournaments and matches as if using an airlines and restaurant reservation system. The tech operates like a TV production team enabling tournament directors to quickly and easily interface with the solution while providing an extra layer of safety for tournament staff, optimized scheduling and keeping tournament pace.
Technology solutions for tennis venues that deal with COVID-19 safety are much needed. Competitions in the form of tournaments is how many young tennis players get the kind of exposure needed to attract college scholarship offers.
The former WTA world-ranked No. 33 player, Lee-Waters founded Match Tennis App in 2017 along with her husband, Heath Waters, and his brother Matt Waters. The couple are parents as well to a top-ranked 14-under world-ranked junior.
The product team understands the needs of those associated with junior tennis tournament events. Their technology provides players and parents along with tournaments staff access to the digital experience.
“Tennis tournaments are integral for the development of a young player’s character and tennis game,” Lee-Waters added. “Tournaments are also where college coaches recruit players. So many kids across the country have worked so hard and have dreams of playing college tennis. The COVID-19 shutdown was crushing those dreams and we were compelled to act. Our VTD simultaneously helps venues stay safe while providing parents the confidence that their children are also being protected.”
Virtual Tournament Desk technology benefits:
■ Enables players to access match times and submit scores from the safety of their cars.
■ Announces important tournament information and updates.
■ Eliminates waiting in long lines at tournament desks.
■ Allows juniors to continue being recruited and pursue their dreams of college scholarships.
■ Reduces the workload of tournament staff and keeps their social distance from players.
In April, Match Tennis App contacted the USTA Sections and showed them a presentation of their tech solution as a means to facilitate tennis tournaments across the nation. As a result, the USTA Sections decided to include the app as an integral component of the many layers the USTA Sections resumption and planning protocols have for COVID-19.
Trevor Kronemann, Director of Junior Tennis, USTA Southern California, said, “Match Tennis App’s Virtual Tournament Desk has offered us another avenue to make sure we are running our tournaments and programming in the safest way possible for our players and parents. The immediate success is noticeable in many ways. Match Tennis App is a responsible and simplistic way to move junior tennis forward into the future.”
USTA Georgia’s Director of Competition Eva Marie McCravy added, “I appreciate the time and energy the Match Tennis App team has put into this product in order to keep our players safe. Players go straight to their assigned courts to play and then, once the match is completed, enter their scores on the app as they walk back to their cars.”
For more info, see https://matchtennisapp.com.
Sports Techie, Match Tennis App wants to change change the world of tennis through innovative digital experiences.
CTO, Matt Heath, led his development team to construct the app after working on NCAA football recruiting software.
“VTD is getting the job done across the entire country, from New York to California,” said (Heath) Waters, a veteran, registered ATP/WTA Tour Coach. “We have been going strong since June now and to date not a single report of any person has contracted COVID-19 at a tennis tournament using VTD.”
American sports and tennis are pushing on with the help of COVID-19- centric sports technology like VTD.
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