Tennis Instructor Training
Tennis professionals and instructors generally obtain a certification through either the U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) or the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). Both organizations require individuals to be accomplished players and knowledgeable of both the on-court and the off-court aspects of the profession.
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Certification Levels
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The USPTA has four certification levels for tennis professionals. master professional is the highest, followed by professional 1, professional 2 and professional 3. The USPTR has similar levels of certification, with the master professional being the highest, followed by professional, instructor and associate instructor.
Required Skill Level
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Tennis pros or instructors must have a minimum National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) playing level of 4.0. However, at the USPTA professional 1 level and the PTR professional level, you must have a minimum NTRP rating of 4.5. To achieve these levels, an individual spends many years practicing, taking lessons and playing in tennis leagues and tournaments, starting at a young age.
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Age and Work Requirements
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A USPTA tennis professional must be a minimum of 18 years of age for a professional 2 or professional 3 certification. You must be a minimum of 22 years of age for a professional 1 rating. Teaching experience is not required for a USPTA professional 3, however, you will need to have an apprentice teaching background for the professional 2 level and three years of full-time teaching for the professional 1 level.
A PTR associate instructor must be a minimum of 16 years of age, an instructor must be a minimum of 18 years of age and a professional must be a minimum of 21 years of age. At the associate instructor level, no teaching experience is required. At the instructor level, you must have one year of full-time or three years of part-time teaching experience. At the professional level, you must have three years of full-time teaching or five years of part-time teaching experience.
The master professional designation for both organizations requires that the individual maintains the highest level of certification for at least 10 years before becoming eligible. To be approved for this level, you must show your achievements in teaching, coaching, business and contributions to the profession throughout your career.
Certification Exams
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Certification exams are required for both organizations. Applicants are tested on and off the court. The on-court portion tests your playing skills, tennis strokes and your teaching ability in a private and group lesson. To pass the written portion of the exam, you need to know tennis rules, strategies, tennis history, business management, programming, the different grips, court maintenance and professional conduct. Your certification level is dependent upon how well you score on the exam. To prepare for the exams, applicants attend either a USPTA Certification Review Course (CRC) or a PTR certification workshop. The USPTA now offers the CRC online.
Formal Education
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One option for tennis instructor training is to enroll in an approved program at a junior college such as Tyler Junior College (TJC) Tennis Tech in Tyler, Texas. The TJC program prepares students for all aspects of the profession, from playing skills and teaching to business management. Graduating students will have a two-year degree in business and recreation leadership.
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References
- Photo Credit tennis rete image by Adriano La Naia from Fotolia.com
Comments
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Five Stars go to "Tennis Instructor Training." This article provides an informative summary on two methods of obtaining tennis instructor certification. Another certification to consider is the online program through U.S. National Tennis Academy (USNTA).
