There is a process for ranking those who want to represent the club in the various leagues.  It is important that all club members understand that everyone involved in the ranking process is volunteering their time; attempting to make accurate decisions, as far as is possible, in an area that is always going to have some subjectivity involved. The rankings are published each season on the Wirral Tennis League website at the start of each season.

Current Winter Rankings are available here:  HLTC Winter League Rankings

The Ranking Process

Rankings are determined based on input from the coaching team and results from past seasons and Spring/Autumn match practices.  Match practices are structured so that players with adjacent rankings regularly compete against one another, facilitating the accurate determination of ranking order.  Coaches attend match practices to observe and allow members to discuss their performance and ranking.

Before the season begins, the club captain, summer mixed league captains, and the coaching team meet in person to discuss and determine rankings. If they cannot reach a majority agreement, the club captain makes the final decision. Afterward, the rankings are reviewed over the next few days to ensure all important information has been considered and no results have been missed.

A further ranking committee meeting takes place halfway through the season to assess whether any significant changes to rankings are required. If there are only minor or no required changes, the ranking committee discusses this through email correspondence.

If players join HLTC during the season, their skill level will be evaluated through a scheduled match with an appropriate member of the ranking committee.

Team Captaincy Role

Summer Mixed/Winter Open/Winter Ladies

A single poll is distributed to determine player availability across all teams. The current Club Captain compiles this information into a team sheet for distribution. Individual Team Captains are responsible for making any necessary substitutions on match day in response to the opposing team's lineup, addressing any issues that arise during the event, providing match balls for their respective home games, and recording scores in the online system at the end of each evening.

Summer Open/Chester Mixed/Chester Mens/Chester Ladies/Winter Floodlight

These leagues compete on different weekdays, which rotate weekly; as such, Team Captains distribute polls on an ongoing basis. Team Captains are tasked with ensuring polls are sent out promptly ahead of each match day, selecting team members based on poll responses and communicating assignments, arranging lineup changes as needed according to the opposition, addressing any issues that arise during matches, supplying match balls for home games, and accurately entering scores into the online system at the conclusion of each event.

Team Captain Appointment Process 

Team Captains are appointed by the HLTC Committee, following nominations from the sitting Club Captain prior to each season. Captains typically continue in their roles annually unless there is evidence of unacceptable conduct or they choose to resign. Should a situation arise that necessitates the removal of a captain, the Club Captain will present the case, with supporting context, to the committee. The committee will then determine whether to approve or reject both the removal and the appointment of the Club Captain's nominated replacement.

Current HLTC  Team Captains

Summer Mixed Wirral League

1sts- TBA

2nds- Trev Merrick

3rds- Tom Evans

4ths- Kate Todd

5ths- Judy Hughes

Summer Open Wirral League

1sts- Tom Evans

2nds- Neil Elsby

Chester Mixed League

1sts- Suzi Hassall

Chester Mens League

1sts- Rod Bennett

Chester Ladies League

1sts- Nic Roberts

Winter Open Wirral League

A- Trev Merrick

B- Lewis Quail

C- Neil Elsby

D- Pete Weller

Winter Ladies Wirral League

A – Nic Roberts

B – Suzi Hassall

C – Kate Todd

D – Carolanne Minnis

Floodlight Winter Wirral League

A - Trev Merrick