Certification Pathway USPTA The

By Feisal Hassan, USPTA Immediate Past President & Ramona Husaru, USPTA Director of Education and Certification

The USPTA’s mission is to elevate tennis-teaching professionals’ standards. This goal has been consistent throughout the years, and it became even more prominent when we decided to enhance our certification pathway. USPTA leadership felt it was essential to expand the educational pathway and have the applicants undergo further training before getting certified. Since the launch of the new pathway, USPTA applicants have been exposed to a broader range of educational topics that help them become better and more well-rounded teaching professionals.

The USPTA career pathway offers four main categories, with Level 1 Instructor and Level 2 Professional as the main certification pathways.

Elevating the standards of tennisteaching professionals remains the core mission of the USPTA, and the new USPTA pathway equips tennis-teaching professionals with the necessary tools to be successful in their careers. The USPTA remains committed to providing the best educational program to its members and continues to advance it from year to year.

The Level 1 Instructor category is for (but not limited to) entry-level coaches. This pathway focuses on the basics of coaching beginner to intermediate players, including communication and organization during group lessons. This pathway involves an initial application fee of $199 and the prorated portion of annual dues at $215. It’s important to note that Level 1 is done completely online. Applicants are currently required to complete the following steps:

1. Safety training: Undergo Safe Play training, a background check and CPR/First Aid certification.

2. Level 1 online courses: Covering a variety of topics.

3. Online workshop: Attend the Level 1 online workshop and submit a group lesson video. The workshop is divided into two four-hour sessions that cover fundamental coaching concepts and how to apply those concepts to court. Although the workshop is virtu- al, it requires active participation and interaction with other coaches. Once the Level 1 Workshop has been completed, the last step of the Level 1 pathway is to submit a group lesson video.

The Level 1 Instructor pathway involves a time commitment of approximately 35 hours; however, the requirements are self-paced, and the completion time will depend on the applicant’s effort and time availability.

The Level 2 Professional category is designed for full-time coaches who are interested in pursuing or enhancing their career in tennis. This pathway focuses on how to coach players of all levels and conduct successful group and private lessons using our six-component framework (physical, technical, tactical, strategic, mental, environmental). This pathway includes an application fee of $399 and the prorated portion of annual dues at $315. Applicants are currently required to complete the following steps:

1. Complete all the Level 1 requirements before beginning Level 2.

2. Complete the Level 2 online courses and submit a private lesson video.

3. Attend an in-person Level 2 Workshop. This is a three-day in-person workshop that focuses on coaching concepts for teaching both private and group lessons and also focuses on working with players of all ages and levels using our six-component framework. During the workshop, the applicants are also assessed on their stroke production and on conducting a group lesson.

The Level 2 Professional pathway involves a time commitment of approx- imately 75 hours; however, the requirements are self-paced and the completion time will depend on the applicant’s effort and time availability.

Applicants can apply directly for the Level 2 Professional pathway or upgrade from the Level 1 Instructor. The Level 2 pathway differs from Level 1 by including an in-person workshop, allowing tennis-teaching professionals to hone their skills alongside their peers and our coach developers. The program costs about $200 in addition to the Level 1 pricing.

Tennis-teaching professionals who wish to elevate their career further can earn unique opportunities with Level 3 certification. Level 3 Elite Professional is available to all Lev- el 2 coaches and involves additional requirements for upgrading, with its focus being on facility management. To advance in your career, having the Elite Professional certification is a must.

Elite Professionals typically hold positions ranging from head tennis professional, to director of tennis, to director of racquet sports and beyond.

Level 4 Master Professional is the highest recognition offered by the USPTA. It is for those members who have demonstrated mastery of all aspects of tennis teaching and manage- ment, as well as achievements over the course of their career. Master Professional applicants must have held an Elite Professional rating for 10 years and have completed all the Master Professional requirements. If you have any questions regarding our certification pathway, please visit www.uspta.com or email certification@uspta.org.

Collin Brazan Public Relations Coordinator

The National Nominating Committee has completed its task and proudly submits the following slate for the 2024-2025 USPTA National Board of Directors: