TO: Directors of Tennis Academies in South Carolina

TO: Directors of Tennis Academies in South Carolina

FROM:Alexandria Howard, Competition Coordinator,USTASouthCarolina DATE:April 6, 2015

SUBJECT: Clarification of SouthCarolina Junior Residency Policy

WiththerapidgrowthoftennisacademiesinSouthCarolina,includingplayersfromoutsideofthe stateandforeignplayers,itisimperativethataskeystaffinmanagingrolesattheseacademiesyou areawareoftheSouthCarolinaPolicyonResidencyforJuniorDivisionClosedTournamentsand StateRanking.The purposeof thepolicyistosetcriteria for determiningtheresidencystatusof juniorplayersinthestate.Thisisapolicyinwhichyoushouldbewell‐versedinorderto communicate the appropriate eligibility information to your staff, coaches, players, and parents.

Eligibility for Ranking/Standing/State Closed Tournaments

PlayersmustestablishresidencyinSouthCarolinatoearnarankinginthestate.Aplayer’s residenceforpurposesofestablishinghis/hereligibilityistheplayer’slegalresidence.Aperson’s legalresidenceishis/herpermanentdwellingplace.Itistheplacewherehe/sheisphysically presentwiththeintenttoremainthereindefinitelyandreturnwhenabsent.Ajuniorplayer’slegalresidencyis thatoftheparent(s)orguardianwhohaslegalcustody.Shownbelowisan excerpt from the policy:

“ParticipationinJuniorDivisionclosedUSTASouthCarolinaStateChampionshipsandthe awardofannualrankingsshallbelimitedtoplayerswhohaveestablishedalegalresidency inSouthCarolina,holdacurrentUnitedStatesTennisAssociationmembershipassignedto SouthCarolinaandarecitizensoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaormeettheresidentalien requirementsforaUSTANationalranking.Inthecaseof ajuniorplayer,legalresidency is that of the parent(s) or guardian who has legal custody.

Residentalienstatusincludes:permanentalienresidents(“greencard”holders);alienswho have resided intheUnitedStatescontinuouslyformorethanoneyearandaremembersoffamiliesofpersonsinthediplomaticorconsularcorps;alienswithRefugeeStatus;aliens with AsyleeStatus;alienswithTemporaryProtectedStatus;alienswithAdjustmentStatus. Foreign students on a student visa arenot considered resident aliens.”

Tosummarize,playersmustbecitizensof theUnitedStatesormeettheresidentalienrequirementsforaUSTANationalRankinginorder tobeeligibleforarankinginSouthCarolinaandtheSouthern Section.Moreover,playersmustestablishlegalresidencyinSouthCarolinainordertobeeligibleforarankinginSouthCarolina.Ajunior player’s legal residency is that of the parent(s) or guardian who has legal custody. The examplesbelowareprovidedasaguidetodetermine which eventsand rankings forwhich yourplayers are eligible.

Player’s Residencyis withinthe SouthernSection

Ifa player resides in a state within the Southern Section, meets the citizenship requirements listed

above, and attends youracademy, the following is applicable:

 Player will remaina USTA member in his/her home state

 Player will havea stateranking inhis/her home state

 Player may participate only in State Closed Championships in his/her home state

Playerisrequiredtoparticipateinthehomestate’sQualifiertoadvancetotheSouthern Closed Championships

 Player is required to participate in the June Southern Closed Championships to qualify for

the NationalChampionships, based on Southern Endorsementrequirements

 Player iseligible for Southern Ranking, and is thus eligible for various Southern

tournaments, including but not limited to:

o Southern Closed Championships

o Bullfrog Designated

o Southern L3

 Player is eligible for National Ranking

Player’s Residencyisoutside the Southern Section

Ifa player resides in a state outside ofthe Southern Section,meets the above citizenship

requirements, and attends youracademy, the following is applicable:

 Player will remain USTAmember in home state/district

 Player will havea ranking in their home state/district/section

o Player will NOT be eligible for USTASouthern Rankingor SC Ranking

 Player must to go through theirhome section toqualify for the National Championships

based on their section’sendorsementrequirements

 Player iseligible for the following USTA Southern & USTASouth CarolinaTournaments:

o Southern L3 tournaments

 Selection is based first on USTA Southern ranking. Out‐of‐section players

will be placed at bottom of alternate list.

o Southern L4 tournaments ‐Open State Championships

 Some of these events have limited draws and selection maybebased on

their respective state rankings.

o Southern L5 tournaments

o South Carolina L3‐L5 tournaments

 Player is eligible for National Ranking

Player’s Residency lies outside the US

Ifaplayer’sresidency lies outsideoftheUnitedStatesbuthe/sheattendsyouracademy,theymust meettheresidentalienrequirementsoutlinedaboveinorderto obtainarankinginSouthCarolina andtheSouthernSection.PlayermusthaveUSTAMembershiptoparticipateinsanctionedUSTA events.

ForeignplayerswhodonotmeetalienrequirementsarenoteligibleforaSouthCarolina,Southern, orNationalRanking.Thechartbelowshowswhichtournamentstheseplayerscanandcannot participate in:

* Selection is based first on USTA Southern Standing. Outof section players will be placedat bottom of alternate list.

** Some of these events have limited draws and selection may be based on their respective state rankings.

Foreign players who meet the citizenship/resident alien requirements AND whose parents meet

the SC residency requirementsareeligiblefor thefollowing:

 South Carolina, SouthernSection, and National Ranking

 South Carolina Closed Championships, including State Qualifier

 Southern tournaments, including, but not limited to:

oSouthernClosedChampionships oSouthernDesignated(Bullfrogs) oSouthern L3

 National Tournaments

Aplayermusthavehis/herbirthcertificateonfile withUSTASoutherninorderforhim/herto participateintheStateQualifier,SouthernDesignatedTournaments,andtheNational Championships.Tosubmit,pleasefaxacopyoftheplayers’birthcertificatetoUSTASouthern, Attn:Deborah Howardat770‐368‐9091or e‐.

If you have players who have appeared on standings lists who DO NOT MEET the alien requirements toobtainarankingAND/ORtheresidencyrequirementsforSouthCarolina,pleasenotifyAlexandria Howardimmediatelyat800‐644‐7282oremail iththeplayer’sname, USTA Membership Number, and age division so that they may be removed from the applicable standings lists.

Enclosure:SouthCarolinaPolicyonResidencyforJuniorDivisionClosedTournamentsandState Ranking

PolicyonResidencyforJuniorDivisionClosedTournamentsandState

Ranking

Purpose: EntryintoSouthCarolinaclosedtournaments and eligibility for state ranking are limitedtoresidentsofSouthCarolina.Thispolicysetsforththecriteriafordeterminingthe residencystatusofjuniorplayersinSouthCarolina. It is the intent of this policy that no one shouldbeallowedtoparticipateinclosedtournaments or be ranked in two or more USTA Districtsduringanysinglerankingyear.

Policy:ParticipationinJuniorDivisionclosed USTASouthCarolinaStateChampionships andtheawardofannualrankingsshallbelimited to players who have established a legal residency in South Carolina, hold a current UnitedStatesTennisAssociationmembership assignedtoSouthCarolinaandarecitizensoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica or meet the resident alien requirements for aUSTA National ranking. In the case of a junior player, legalresidencyisthat oftheparent(s)orguardianwhohaslegalcustody.

Residentalienstatusincludes:permanentalienresidents(“greencard”holders);aliens who have resided in the United States continuously for more than one year and are membersoffamiliesofpersonsinthediplomatic or consular corps; aliens with Refugee Status;alienswithAsyleeStatus;alienswith Temporary ProtectedStatus;alienswith AdjustmentStatus.Foreignstudentsonastudentvisaarenotconsideredresidentaliens.

In establishing the residency of a player (or theirparentorguardian)inSouthCarolina,the

AssociationfollowsthecriteriaadoptedbytheSouthernSection,statedasfollows:

A person's legal residence is his/herpermanentdwellingplace. It is the place where he/she is generallyunderstood to reside with theintenttoremainthereindefinitelyandreturnwhen absent.Theremustbeaconcurrenceofactual residence and of intent to remain

indefinitelytoacquirelegalresidence.Examplesofevidenceofresidenceareasfollows:

1. EmploymentinSouthCarolina,

2. Locationofresidenceoftheindividual,

3. Locationofeligibilityof voter registration,

4. Locationofindividual'spersonalproperty and payment oftaxesthereon,

5. Place where the individual has filed and paid state income tax,

6. Addressandotherpertinent factslistedonfederaland state income tax returns,

7. Address listed on credit cards,

8. State where individual'spersonalautomobiletitleis registeredandthepaymentof propertytaxthereon.

9. Addressonindividual'sdriverslicense.

Theaboveareonlyexamplesofmanyfactorsthatmightrevealone'strueintentwithregard to residency. Intent should not bedeterminedonthebasisofone of these facts alone; neithershouldapredeterminednumberof facts be required. Instead, all the facts that tend todisplayintenttobecomealegalresident ofSouthCarolinashouldbeconsidered.

TheburdenofproofofeligibilityforentrytoUSTASouthCarolinaclosedtournamentsand forUSTASouthCarolinarankingisonthe playerseekingtobedeclaredeligible.

Juniors who desire to qualifyfor the Southern Closed ChampionshipsfromSouthCarolina willberequiredtoplayintheassociationQualifyingTournamentorreceiveawaiverfrom the association Boys or Girls Endorser if theyarelegalresidentsofthisDistrict(state)on theMay15immediatelyprecedingthe association Qualifying Tournament.

Junior players who meet any one of the followingcriteriacanregistertheirintentto participate in closed state championship tournamentsinSCand/orreceivearankinginthis state if their parents are residents of South Carolina:

1. Juniorsgoingtoschool/collegeoutsideofSouthCarolina;

2. Juniorswhospendtimewith joint-custody parents;

3. Playerswholiveinmorethan one location during the year; and

4. Familymembers of the military.

Theintentmustberegisteredinwritingwith the association Office before the first closed tournamentheldbytheassociationduringtherankingyearinquestion.

If a player (or parent/guardian acting on his or her behalf) wishes to determine if their eligibilityasaSCresidentisvalid,theplayer may request a written determinationoftheir eligibility bythe USTA SC JuniorCompetitionCommittee.Suchrequest,inwriting,must precede,byatleast15days,thecommencementofanyclosedtournamentwhichthe player wishes to enter. In the case of ranking,therequestmustbesubmittedwithinthe prescribedappealsperiodforUSTASouthCarolinarankings.Asidefromthe criteria listed above,theJuniorCompetition Committee may considerotherextenuatingcircumstances. A decision of the Junior CompetitionCommitteemaybegrievedtotheGrievance Committee.

Aplayer(orparent/guardianactingonhisorherbehalf)maycontesttheresidencyof anotherplayerbyfilingawritten grievance to the USTA SC GrievanceCommittee.The grievancemustbesubmittedwithintendaysofcompletionofaclosedtournamentthatthe playerinquestionhasentered. In the case of ranking, thegrievancemustbesubmitted withintheprescribedappealsperiodfora USTA South Carolina ranking.

Determinations by the Grievance Committee maybeappealed,inwriting,withintendays, to the USTA South Carolina Executive Committee.

BoardApprovalDate: February 1, 2008, revised byBPCAugust25,2009.