Selection Process
The coaches on the Board of Directors select
the All State teams. The Board is made up of coaches throughout the state and
from all Divisions. Any coach can give input to any member of the Board before
the meeting. Player record forms for players that qualified to the state tournament,
as well as state tournament results must be on hand at the meeting. A coach of a
player that did not qualify for the state tournament can get player record forms
to any member of the Board so that that player can be considered by the Committee.
The
Board divides up into subcommittees (by Division) made up of coaches from that
division.
There is no set number of player/teams for All State or Honorable
Mention. The number varies from year to year depending on the overall quality
in the given year. No one is guaranteed a spot on All State based on his/her finish
at the state tournament, however, there is criteria for consideration. Sportsmanship
issues can be a cause for a player to be excluded from All State or Honorable
Mention.
Strong consideration is given to the following singles players:
State quarter finalists at #1 Singles
State
semifinalist at #2 Singles
State finalist
at #3 Singles
A player with an outstanding
record who did not qualify to the state tournament
Strong consideration is given to the following doubles teams:
State semifinalists at #1 doubles
State
finalists at #2 doubles
A doubles team with
an outstanding record who did not qualify to the state tournament
The goal is to give recognition to the strongest players in each Division in
the state. The above does not guarantee that a player is selected All State, but
is a starting point for discussion. Other things that factor into the decision:
Who the player defeated and lost to in the state
tournament. In other words, the committee looks at the players a quarter finalist
defeated in getting to the quarters. Some players can reach the quarters without
playing a seeded player, so may not have established himself/herself as All State.
His/her season record and score in the match at state in which he/she lost would
come into play here. If someone reaches the quarters without playing a seed, then
gets beat decisively by the first seed he/she faces, they may not end up being
All State.
Strong scores in losses against
a top player; e.g., a three set loss to a top seed (along with a good season record)
A
players total record for the season - who they defeated (All-Staters) and who
they lost to (along with the scores in losing matches)
Before
#2 singles players are considered, the #1 player on the team must be selected
All State. If the team's line-up is in the correct (legal) order, the #1S must
be better than the #2S. Thus, if the #1S is not All State, the #2S, which is a
weaker player (according to the line-up submitted by the coach) would not be able
to be All State. The same is true for #3S and #2D.
Before
#2 singles players are considered, it must be established that he/she is stronger
than other #1 singles players who have not been selected. This can be a bit subjective,
but every effort is made to make sure the decision is accurate.
During the Division meetings, members will consult with coaches in the other
Divisions to help establish the relative quality of players.
When the Divisions
are finished, the Board meets as a group (generally there are 35-40 coaches in
attendance) and lists each individual so that coaches in other Divisions can give
additional input before the selections are final.
Tip
of the hat to Gary Ellis for this explanation of the All-State selection process.
Timelines
Our goal is to present an All State list that is accurate the first time it is posted.
A meeting of MHSTeCA's Board of Directors to determine All State Singles and Doubles Players for tennis is usually held two weeks after the Finals Tournament (usually on a Saturday).
The Board is able to gather the necessary information needed to help in making their decision using the above guidlines.
Member coaches can send in player information that might help the Board to include their player(s).
Within one week after this meeting, the All State list is posted on MHSTeCA's web site.
This allows the Board time to check on the spelling of players names, schools, grade level and any one that might have been missed or needs to be removed for Sportmanship reasons.
Appeals Process
An appeal must be made within three months af the the publication of the All State team on MHSTeCA's web site.
All appeals/requests must come from the coach/Athletic Director of the player or from a member of the Board of Directors.
The request should be made to the appropriate Grievance Person.
The Grievance Person will review the player(s)’ records and determine whether the appeal has merit.
If merit is determined, the Grievance Person will contact other members of the selection committee to review the request.
If the determination is made to add a player to All-State, the Grievance Person will notify the President and Board Members.
The Grievance Person will inform the player(s)’ coach of the subcommittee’s decision.