FAQ

How many playing seasons are there?

Singles:

• There are three Outdoor Singles seasons - spring, summer #1 and Summer #2. 7 matches are played in each 8 week season.  A year-end Playoff Tournament follows the concluson of Summer #2.
• a 4th outdoor season, "Fall", is 5 matches in October , ending in November whenever the weather becomes too cold.  There is no playoff tournament connected to the Fall Season.
• There are 2 Indoor Singles seasons.  Indoor Singles #1 is 5 matches over 11 weeks, during November, December, and January.  Indoor Singles #2 is 5 matches over 10 weeks, during February, March and early April.  A PlayoffTournament follows the end of Indoor Singles #2 in late April and early May.

Doubles & Mixed Doubles:

• There are 2 outdoor seasons.  "Spring" is 5 matches over 9 weeks, in May and June.  "Summer" is 5 matches over 9 weeks, in July and August.  A playoff Tournament in September and early October follows the end of the Summer Doubles and Summer Mixed Doubles seasons.
• There is 1 indoor season.  5 matches over 15 weeks, covering the months of January through April.  Division Winners from the Indoor Doubles and Mixed Seasons enter the year-end playoff tournament in September/early October.

Are there any other costs aside from the $49 entry fee per season?

You must provide a new can of balls for each of your home court matches. Otherwise there are no other costs.

I've read through the skill levels, but I'm not sure which one I should sign-up in. What Should I do?

1. Please self-rate yourself by viewing the Skill Levels page for a description of each skill level.

2. A “ratings match” will be arranged for you by the League Coordinator before the season, IF you have signed up early enough.   The League Coordinator will match you up with a player in the league who is at the skill level you signed up at. You will placed according to how well you do in this match.  Players who sign up in the final week of registration a few days before the entry deadline may not be rated because it may be too difficult with a short amount of time to find a rating player who can play you before the season of play starts.

How old do I have to be to play?

• For our adult league, anyone 18 years and older. We have players as young as 18, and as old as 75. Players are grouped by skill level, not by age.   
• We also have a High School League which is open to players 13 to 18. Exceptions might be made for children younger than 13 after an interview between the League Coordinator and the parent of a player under 13.
• Incoming players choose between Adult and High School when creating their profile.

What if I want to choose a home court that is not listed on the website?

You can submit a request to the League Coordinator for your court to be added. The League Coordinator will determine if your court is within the Gladiator Tennis playing area, and if the courts are public courts. If you request is denied, you can still play at the court you want, as long as each of your opponents is willing. Private or indoor courts will not be included in the listing of outdoor court locations.  Indoor Court locations may only be chosen during our Indoor seasons.

How do I register to play?

1. First time players click the "Login/Signup" button on the home page, then click "New User? Sign Up here" on the next screen.  Then complete your profile on the pages that follow - takes only 1 minute.

2. Click “registration”, then select the season you want to play in. 

3. Complete the entry fee.  You can pay with yuour Paypaql account, or you can see the provision to pay as a guest using your credit or debit card.  

The entry deadline is passed. Can I still sign up?

Maybe. Call or email the League Coordinator. You may be able to replace someone who has dropped out of the league. Or you can be placed on a waiting list, then called as soon as there is an opening. If it’s early in the season, chances are good that you will be able to play.

How will I find my schedule on the website?

On the day the season begins, you will be able to login to www.gladiatortennis.com and see your match schedule with your opponents contact informatiion on the screen that appears.

I've signed up and paid online, but I still haven't gotten my schedule of opponents for the upcoming season. What should I do?

You will be able to login and see your schedule of opponents and their contact information on the first day of the season.

How far will I have to drive?

Gladiator Tennis aims for driving times that are no more than 20 minutes for singles, 30 minutes for doublesa and Mixed. This is true in almost every situation with the following exceptions:

1. At the 2.5, 4.75 & 5.0 levels for the men, and the 4.0 & higher levels for the women.

2. In outlying areas, including: Lake County, South suburbs

95% of the players will find driving times to be between 0 to 20 minutes for “away” matches. Gladiator Tennis is uncommonly strong in this aspect. If you talk to players of other leagues in cities around the country, you will hear complaints of drives from 45 to 90 minutes. Gladiator Tennis has intentionally grown the league slowly from a hub in the Naperville/Aurora/Wheaton area outward each year, so that we’re not spread thin all over Chicagoland.

I think I am going to be out of town/unavailable for a couple of weeks of the season. Can I still play?

Probably. There are several features of our flexible scheduling format that make this possible. First, you can play any of your matches on the schedule ahead of time. Second, you can take a “rain check” once per season, which enables you to play the match at any point before the season ends.