Tennis coaches are in huge demand for obvious reasons and one of the most important methods to become a coach is by getting oneself certified as a tennis coach. In the piece below we look at the whys and hows of tennis coaching certification.
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Introduction to Tennis Coaching Certification
There are various paths to becoming a tennis coach and you do need to do research before you sign up for just any tennis coaching course.
The course you do, and there are many on the market, should be comprehensive, recognised all around the country you live in (not just the state or province), and if possible, be recognised world wide.
There are various levels of coaching certification. Level one would always be entry level coaching, and as you want to progress as a coach, your levels would progress.
Tennis Coaching is as Theoretical as It is Physical
Becoming a tennis coach does not only involve spending many hours on a tennis court learning how to become a coach.
It is as theoretical as it is physical and a good tennis coaching diploma will include a lot of studying, online these days, so that the coach understands the theory and psychology of tennis, and is able to apply that to the actual physical game of tennis.
Becoming a tennis coach, and each certificate and level is different, takes time, effort, and using your brain.
As you progress with each certificate – level one may give you the status of a tennis coach for young school children, level two for private lessons, level three for the more serious player (bearing in mind it depends wholly on the course you do) – you are able to earn more and be taken a lot more seriously as a coach.
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The Skills Behind Tennis Coaching
Tennis coaching involves not just knowing how to play the game, but more importantly how to pass on the skills, how to apply theory to skill coaching, how to know when a player is ready to move forward, and of course, how to move the player forward.
Tennis coaching involves coaching individual players and team players, learning how to deal with players of all ages and abilities and how to engage with such players.
Often, surprisingly, it is the engagement that is most necessary skill of all. Professional coaches need to engage enormous amounts of psychology and motivation, which is why so many professional tennis coaches study sports psychology and sport management.
Tennis Coaching is Multi-Disciplinary
If you are thinking of becoming a tennis coach, take a look at the following list.
- Do you have a good knowledge of the game of tennis?
- What are your people skills like?
- Can you spend time learning the theories of tennis?
- Will you be able to pass these theories on to pupils?
- Do you have a good sense of self and self confidence?
- Are you able to motivate and engage people?
- Would you be able to recognise and grow talent?
Most importantly, because you have to love tennis to be able to teach tennis with passion, do you love the game?
If you are answering yes to the above, and are considering tennis coaching as a career, then you can take a look at the following tennis coaching courses.
Because there are many, we are only mentioning a few, so don’t forget to do your own online research, or talk to tennis clubs or tennis associations, to find out if there is something better or different where you are.
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USPTA and PTR
The United States Professional Tennis Association and The Professional Tennis Registry are good places to look, that will lead you to becoming a tennis coach and offering certification.
Colleges and universities worldwide offer sports management diplomas, which can include or lead to tennis coaching. As a coach, you can do a small course, low level, or follow a professional tennis management degree that will give you all the skills, plus, to become a top tennis coach.
There are requirements to becoming a tennis coach, so check them out to ensure you qualify to look at coaching as a career.
Also Read:
www.ptrtennis.org
The PTR run workshops throughout the USA, in New York, Chicago, Florida, Miami, Los Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Fairmount, VIRTUALLY which is really important, and pretty much, all around the USA.
You will find Level 1 and Level 2 workshops easily, and as you progress up the coaching ladder, the higher level training will be offered to you. Not everyone becomes a professional tennis coach, and after Level 3 and Level 4, you go to Masters.
ITF
This is the International Tennis Federation, worldwide, and they are focused on growing coaches, and in their words, coaching the coaches.
The ITF work with tennis associations worldwide, providing support, information, techniques and offering advice to various coaching institutes, of which there are many.
They offer coaching courses of various skill, level and degree, including online tennis learning. The ITF is always a good place to start, there is a lot of information on their site, for almost every single country in the world where tennis is played.
Professional Tennis Management
Professional Tennis Management, offered by many universities, via the United States Tennis Association, is an excellent add on to a three or four year Bachelor degree.
A student who wants to focus on sport coaching or sport management, and of course with tennis as a major, will find a PTM give those extra skills. You can do a Bachelor’s degree at most universities worldwide, and many then offer the PTM add on.
Some of the universities that offer Professional Tennis Management include:
- Berry College
- The University of Central Florida
- The Ferris State University
- Hope College
- Queens College
- San Diego University
- The Manhattanville College
- The Methodist University
- The Bridgewater State University
There are more.
It’s not a bad idea to follow “Careers Beyond The Court” with host James Blake, courtesy USTA, to get a more general idea about becoming a tennis coach.
You don’t have to do a Bachelor’s degree and you don’t have to specialise in Tennis Coaching; you can choose a shorter tennis coaching certificate, which involves:-
- Online courses and modules
- Power point presentations
- Video or telephone sessions
- Face to face sessions
Why Opt to Do a Tennis Coaching Course?
The simple answer to this is in order to get the job of a tennis coach, and to then be taken more seriously than otherwise, a tennis coaching course becomes a must.
In turn, you will turn the sport you love into a lucrative career (and if you want to understand how much do tennis coaches earn, here’s more information on it).
Most lower-level tennis coaching certificates can be completed within one year, and there are a certain amount of hours that need to be completed.
Many tennis certifications, and it depends on how and where you choose to become a tennis coach, can be completed on the job.
Perhaps you are well connected, as a player, to your sports club or school. You can coach informally while getting your tennis coaching accreditation.
If you are not in the USA, and keen to find a tennis coaching course, look at:-
- AATC Tennis – The Australasian Academy of Tennis
- Tennis SA – South African Tennis Federation
- Tennis Europe
- ATF – Asian Tennis Association
Each country’s tennis association will list coaches, clubs, information on how to become a tennis coach, and also on tournaments, from friendly all the way through to professional tennis.