15—30
The game
A game is the smallest unit. Points score 15, 30, 40, then game. Tied at 40 ("deuce") plays advantage-out — win two in a row to take the game.
A short, plain-English guide to scoring, commitment, college recruiting, and the questions parents ask us most often. Written for the family that's never had a junior in a competitive tennis program — and for the family that has, but wants the Topspin specifics.
The first Thursday of every month, the head coaching panel hosts a one-hour parent info night at the clubhouse. New families and prospective families welcome. Coffee, a fifteen-minute talk, and forty minutes of question-and-answer with whichever parents brought questions.
The scoring system in tennis is small enough to learn in five minutes and confusing enough to make every new tennis parent ask. Here's the structure: four points to a game, six games to a set, two sets to win a junior match. Your match log will reflect this, and your kid's coach can walk you through any specific result.
A game is the smallest unit. Points score 15, 30, 40, then game. Tied at 40 ("deuce") plays advantage-out — win two in a row to take the game.
First to six games wins the set, with a margin of two. At 6–6, a tie-break (first to seven points by two) decides it.
Junior matches are best of three sets. Win two sets and the match is yours. Most matches finish in 60 to 90 minutes; long matches occasionally run two and a half hours.
Junior third sets at most levels are replaced by a 10-point super-tie-break to keep tournament schedules running. First to ten by two.
Time commitment scales with level. Future Stars is a couple of afternoons a week. Performance is most weekday afternoons. Elite is a part-time job your player happens to love. Below: a clear-eyed view of what each level demands of the family schedule.
Tuition is one piece. Other costs include USTA junior membership ($25/year), tournament entries (~$45 each), travel for away events, racquet maintenance, court attire, and the occasional new pair of court shoes every six months at the upper levels. We list it openly because nobody likes surprises.
UTR rating begins to matter. First UTR-rated events. Players begin building a tournament log. No coach contact yet from college programs.
Long list of schools (~30) gets drafted with the academy. Initial program-fit conversations. Players send introduction emails — coaches can read but not respond.
NCAA contact period opens June 15 of sophomore year. Coach calls allowed, unofficial visits begin. List narrows to ~10 schools. UTR target solidifies.
Official visits, scholarship offers, signing window. Most Topspin commits sign in the November of senior year. We've placed 28 in the last six years.
The first Thursday parent info night is the simplest way to ask anything we haven't answered here — coffee at the clubhouse, fifteen-minute talk, forty minutes of open Q&A. Or apply for the next try-out and we'll cover questions one-on-one when you visit.