In the spring of 2019, the USPTA was granted full accreditation by the USTA, making us the first USTA-accredited tennis-teaching organization.
The goal of the accreditation program is to increase the quality and
quantity of certified teaching professionals in this country.
What does accreditation mean to me as a USPTA professional?
As
a fully accredited tennis-teaching association, the USPTA will
collaborate with the USTA in a variety of areas. The short-term plan for
accreditation (which begins now) will include the following:
- The USPTA and USTA will begin to produce co-branded promotions to the public and to employers that
hire tennis professionals that announce the new higher standards and that the USPTA has received full accreditation from the
USTA. These will be seen in traditional media such as print
publications and television, as well as on social media.
- USPTA
certified tennis professionals and the clubs where they work will
receive priority listing on the USTA Net Generation coaches search
website.
- The USPTA will work with the USTA to educate
the next generation of tennis professionals through Professional Tennis
Management undergraduate and graduate programs at over 12 select
colleges throughout the U.S., which will give students a direct path to a
career in the tennis industry.
- USPTA Professionals will have
access to extensive continuing education opportunities, including a
library of best in class USTA and USPTA online education. Be on the
lookout for USPTA-U soon!
- New USPTA
applicants looking to join the USPTA will be required to be Safe Play
compliant and background checked. This will be conducted at no cost to
the individual clubs or pros.
In the longer run, you can expect the following:
- Starting
in 2021, USPTA will require new certification candidates to have 1,500
hours (or 1 year of apprenticeship) of education, which includes 1,200
hours of experiential learning and 300 hours of face-to-face and online
education. Along with the new education requirements, mentors will be
assigned to new applicants to assist them through the USPTA
certification process. This will truly elevate our standards – which is
our stated mission.
- Starting in 2021, existing USPTA members
must become Safe Play compliant. We are also going to increase the
number of continuing education requirements when the new 3-year
education cycle begins in January 2020.
- Finally, USTA Member Org
Clubs with 4 or more courts will be required to hire tennis-teaching
professionals and coaches from an accreditation organization; which starts Jan. 1, 2021! This critically important step will influence and expand the job market for USPTA members.
This is
just the beginning of what to expect as we implement the benefits of
USTA accreditation. In the coming weeks, more information will become
available to our members as we work directly with the USTA to increase
the quality and quantity of certified teaching professionals in the U.S.
Being
granted full accreditation is a watershed moment for our association
and for the industry in general. Thank you for your continued service
and support of the USPTA.
Click Here to begin the process of becoming a USPTA-Certified professional