By James Martin

If you’re interested in getting involved in league tennis, good news: It’s a fairly painless process.

The first step is to ask around at your club to find out if any of your tennis buddies are currently on teams of your NTRP skill level. Chances are you’ll find plenty of players who will want you to join their squad.

And if you don’t understand the NTRP system, or do but haven’t been rated, no worries: Check out TENNIS.com’s explanation of NTRP. You can then self-rate yourself with the USTA. But a word to the wise: Don’t exaggerate and say you’re a 4.5 when you’re really a weak 4.0, because you’ll only be setting yourself up for a beating—and embarrassment. To be as objective as possible, ask your teaching pro what level he thinks you are.

If you’re a good player, you might not even have to go searching for teams—they’ll find you. Savvy captains are always on the lookout for fresh, new players to make their rosters deeper. As scary as it sounds, skippers will know who you are, and they’ll probably have boned up on your playing history through the USTA’s excellent player database.

Or turn the tables. Before committing to any team, go to USTA's website and click on “Tennis Link” to find a team’s, or person’s, playing history in USTA-sanctioned events. You’ll get an idea of how competitive the squad is, and whether your joining a contender to make the playoffs or a sinking ship destined for last place.

Once you agree to play for a team, you’ll have to ante up some petty cash and register on-line (the captain will be able to give you all the key information, including the team registration number).

You should also know that joining one team does not preclude you from hooking up with another. For example, you can belong to two teams in the same area, say, Southern Connecticut, so long as they’re of different NTRP skill levels—the one you’re rated at, and one above that. You’ll see many 4.0 players sign up for a 4.0 team in addition to a 4.5 team. You cannot, however, play down. And, if you’re willing to travel, you can play on two teams with the same NTRP skill level provided they’re in different sections.

After you make a team, remember that the captain is king. Try to get along. You might not get a whole lot of playing action at first—or ever. Best bet is to show up at practices, ask your teammates to play, and overall show a desire to play and win. Back it up with a few Ws and you’ll be a go-to player in no time.