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CertificationCertification PathwayPathway

Do you have someone teaching tennis at your club, recreation department, or tennis camp whom you would like to get USPTA certified? Do you know the difference between a Tennis Instructor and a Certified Professional? Do you want to know how to earn your Elite Professional status? Below is some general information.

There are 3 levels of membership: L1, L2, and L3 (4 levels when including the Master Professional category). I say levels of "membership" and not certification because L1, the Tennis Instructor level, is not considered a "certified" professional. The L2 membership is the "Certified Professional" level. Generally speaking, the L1 membership is more suited for part-time tennis coaches while the L2 is best for full-time tennis teaching professionals. Liability insurance is available at all 3 levels.

On another note, one might confuse L1, L2, L3 with T1, T2, T3 (like me), however T1, T2, and T3 refer to the Teaching Essential workshops that must be completed as part of the certification process. In the Tennis Instructor level (L1), one of the criteria is to complete the Tennis Essentials (T1) workshops. Tennis Essentials 2 and 3 must be completed for the Certified Professional level (L2). The next two pages list the requirements for L1 and L2 membership. If a person applies to be a Certified Professional (L2), she/he must complete the requirements for BOTH L1 and L2.

To become an Elite Professional (L3), one must first be a Certified Professional in good standing for a minimum of one year. There are additional tests and educational credits that need to be completed to earn the Elite Professional status.

To apply for the Tennis Instructor or Certified Professional levels, or to upgrade to the Elite Professional level, please click here.

We will have a table at the trade show that will be help from 10:00-11:00 am, so please stop by and say, "Hi"!

*The AIM program is a mentoring program to help new members in the USPTA. Click here for more information. **SAM Insurance is Sexual Abuse and Molestation Insurance. FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF BENEFITS, CLICK HERE!

The CEU Deadline is Approaching!!

The current continuing education cycle ends December 31, 2022. This means that you must have earned 15 continuing education units (CEUs) by the end of this year. To check your educational status complete the following steps: go to the USPTA home page (uspta.com), then login once you're logged in, click on your name on the left side of the screen (see below as an example)

you will be taken to your home account page called "My Account" near the top on the right side of the page, there will be several tabs (see below)

click on "Member Documents". You will be asked to "Click here to access member documents". click where it askes you, then you will be taken to your documents page (see below)

click on Education report card

The CEU Deadline is Approaching!!

If you have not earned 15 credits, there are still things you can do to earn them by the end of this year. You can go to tennisresources.com. There are thousands of articles, videos, webinars, etc. that you can watch and read for credit. We are also hosting a Joint Virtual Conference on November 9th and 10th, where you can attend virtually or watch the taped sessions at your convenience (but within a specified time frame.) The theme of the joint conference is "How to Make $$$ on Court". Below is a schedule of speakers and topics. You can earn up to 8 hours of educational credit!! The cost will be $45 for members. A separate communication will be sent on how to register and pay.

Joint Virtual Conference

Angelo Rossetti Continues to be a Force in Angelo Rossetti Continues to be a Force in Pickleball Certifications! Pickleball Certifications!

not that it's a competition or anything....but thanks to Angelo, New England was second in the nation in USPTA Pickleball certifications! Way to go Angelo!! This doesn't include our recent instructors, shown above. This pickleball certification was held at Wentworth-By-The-Sea in Rye, NH. The next pickleball certification is

October 16th, in Rocky Hill, CT. Please click here if you would like to register.

Your Club Needs a Mobile App...Here's Why Your Club Needs a Mobile App...Here's Why

byby AshleyAshley Owens;Owens; founderfounder ofof CourtReserveCourtReserve

Today there is a common thread among all the people at your club. Young or old, novice or professional, competitive player or weekend warrior, all of us have a smartphone. We use our mobile devices to do everything in our lives. Do you remember what it was like to get directions to a place or business you wanted to visit, that you had never frequented before? The yellow pages to look up the phone number and call for open hours and directions, a map to verify or plan your route, and a good old fashioned guess as to what time you needed to leave home to get there.

Our mobile devices have become our lifeline to practically everything we do. As a club you need to put your organization in the same place that your players are using to access and organize their lives - a simple app, right on their phone. Here are a few wins you will realize when you move your club to the thing your players use most.

Convenience for Players: One of the major pain points for players and organizations is the ability to quickly view and book available courts or programming at your club. Players' lives are full and connected to their phones. When they send or get that text about playing on Tuesday at lunch with their friends, the ability to provide a quick and easy way to get on the court sets your club apart. Readily available resources (courts, lessons, clinics) and ease of setup is a proven way to drive additional revenue at your club and enhance the player experience. Bonus: this also reduces administrative work as you are not staffing calls to reserve courts and lessons, but rather letting a tool do that work for you. Convenience for Coaches: What do coaches, instructors, and pros love? They love their sport and teaching it! What do they not love? Administration, keeping up with calendars, running down payments, and tracking hours. What if your tennis and pickleball pros could be on the court more often and handle all the administrative tasks in a fraction of the time? A mobile app allows for easy visibility of the instructor schedule along with other crucial information. Instructors can easily edit classes, sign up players for events, schedule and take payment for lessons, and record attendance - all on their mobile device. Imagine a world where your instructors are doing more of what they love and less of what they loathe. That world is now a reality with a mobile app for your club that caters to their needs.

Clear Communication for All: Clear communication from your club, creates the right expectations, and happy players. You need a mobile app for alerts and notifications whether by email or text. When the weather changes or you need to alert your members quickly, a mobile app is your best friend. Apps help manage communication and notifications, including when there are new opportunities, like new classes or events your players can sign up for. People are on the go and using their mobile device is the easiest way to keep them up to speed with what’s happening at your organization.

If you're interested in a mobile app court reservation software, visit courtreserve.com for more information.

Lisa Gilbride retires after 27 years at the Central Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta, ME.

Maine Maine

Maine state USPTA President, Wilbur Shardlow, and brother Bill, captain their team to the national USTA league finals in January. Their team, Mainely Old Guys, will participate in the 65 & over division.

Massachusetts Massachusetts

Avis Murray makes the cover of this Gloucester publication! Click on the picture above to read about Avis Murray's life and contributions.

J.M. Sorrell voted by the national Executive Committee to serve on the national Nominating Committee.

If you would like to see yourself or your colleagues accomplishments recognized, please email me!! pamela.dodman@uspta.org