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USPTA (now called RSPA) and Tennis Coaching
Prior to getting my USPTA certificate, I had coached tennis for over 10 years. I have taught for various tennis programs from the local county courts to the private clubs. Through the years, I've also dabbled in some freelance tennis coaching on the side - mainly for Juniors and beginner students.I have not been paid to do this review but I simply want to share my experience with prospective exam takers. Also, I hope this blog post can help encourage other candidate tennis teachers.
I too was a bit hesitant to spend the $350 at first and unsure if I could pass it because I am not teaching professionally full-time. But if I can do it, so can you and anyone who studies for it*
For more info, please sign up for my free Tennis Coaches Overview Email
I will send email updates about USPTA and other coaching certification options for part-time and full-time coaches and tips for becoming a professional (both on-court and personal skills that help earn you a better living).
USPTA / RSPA Referrals
If you decide to become a tennis coach and get a membership - please add me (Jacky Cheong) as your referral on the USPTA Online Application Form when you sign up.Hopefully, you find my tips helpful below in this article. If you do mention my name, I will be very grateful as it will save me $50 on next year's dues!
I will happily answer your questions from my experience and interactions. The goal is to get more Tennis Education out there in the USA for aspiring coaches of tomorrow*
TopCourt: MasterClass and Netflix for Online Tennis Education
Since Summer 2020, I have promoted tennis e-learning with online coaching pros such as Paul Annacone and Brad Gilbert on TopCourt - "MasterClass for Tennis". It has now expanded to racquet sports like Pickleball.
It's a new "education plus entertainment" platform launched here in the USA by former pros and college athletes. We help rising stars get more press and promote how the tour-level technique and mindset can help the club and amateur players improve.
From interviews with Master-level legends, including the late Nick Bolleterri. These videos cover some of the subtle non-technical and EQ parts of working with different tennis player personalities and styles.
Update: New Pathway to USPTA Certification
- Online Ed (Remote learning)
- Workshops (In-person)
- Experience (On-the-job training)
"No longer will we be having the one or two-day exams with the PTCA1 course. This is being replaced by the new structure which will take approximately 9 months for a pro to complete. It is equated to a year in a tennis college, coursework, online study, internship and more. More information will be forthcoming from the USPTA World Headquarters"
USPTA - 2/12/21
The Online Ed will substitute some of the videos and youth tennis training. More electives will be added to add more specialty areas to the core curriculum.
The Workshops will still incorporate much if not all of the fundamentals that USPTA Pros have studied for decades. Therefore all the information below will still be very helpful for being successful.
The Experience aspect will involve working with more senior pros or at a club. It will also involve some sort of "Continuing Education" such as conferences and online seminars for annual credit requirements.
It's helpful to start with some summer camp classes, and volunteer at USTA or High Schools in order to learn the basics about interacting with larger groups for both kids and adult students of different skills.
USPTA Accreditation
As of 2018, USPTA is now officially "accredited by USTA". There will reportedly be new requirements to have 1500 training hours by 2021 for new applicants. So far no major changes to the program requirements for existing members. This partnership ended in May 2022 but they continue to look for business opportunities from other tennis partners.
Successful Exams during COVID-19
Happy to report in Nov-Dec 2020, I personally helped at least 3 new USPTA pros (Dan, Ron, Sab) locally who got certified. This was done using the special covid-safety masked testing procedures. Glad my guide was helpful to those who followed my tips. Welcome to USPTA!
Choosing the 2-day course vs 1-day workshop options
When you sign up for your on-court exam, you can choose between the 1-day or 2-day courses held across the US during different times of the year.
I signed up for the 2-day course and here's why...
I signed up for the 2-day course and here's why...
The first day was basically what I would call "rehearsal" and Q&A about any questions on the test. We had the test in a bubble, at a local country club. The instructor covers everything you need to know on the first day. If you listen and follow their advice, you should do fine.
On the flip side, I noticed that there were a few "1-day" students who ended up having to repeat (and redo) portions of the group lesson that they failed during our 2nd day.
On the flip side, I noticed that there were a few "1-day" students who ended up having to repeat (and redo) portions of the group lesson that they failed during our 2nd day.
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| USPTA Certification Paths: One-day vs Two-day Options |
Day One: Q&A
All the fellow students (5 total) in my class had some former teaching experience. Their levels ranged from a high school teenager, and a former ATP Top 300 player to a teaching pro with over 30 years of experience.
I was very fortunate to have a good instructor (Ted) who explained everything and set expectations clearly from day 1. It was great chatting and networking with the other tennis instructors too. We went out for lunch together and helped each other with studying for the test. Your fellow students will also be used for various portions of the test.
As a USPTA Recreational Coach certification back in 2006, I had Feisal who was also excellent in demonstrating progression lessons to help kids and juniors learn the game. Lots of hands-on drills helped encourage the use of foam balls and (clever) effective use of limited court space. I still remember he urged coaches to try practicing left-handed (non-dominant hand) to become more emphatic about the difficulty of learning tennis as a new sport.
I was very fortunate to have a good instructor (Ted) who explained everything and set expectations clearly from day 1. It was great chatting and networking with the other tennis instructors too. We went out for lunch together and helped each other with studying for the test. Your fellow students will also be used for various portions of the test.
As a USPTA Recreational Coach certification back in 2006, I had Feisal who was also excellent in demonstrating progression lessons to help kids and juniors learn the game. Lots of hands-on drills helped encourage the use of foam balls and (clever) effective use of limited court space. I still remember he urged coaches to try practicing left-handed (non-dominant hand) to become more emphatic about the difficulty of learning tennis as a new sport.
Day Two: Lesson Plan Testing
The bulk of the on-court tests happened on the 2nd day. Sometimes they compress some into the end of the first day to save time (which I liked). The group lessons are comprised of 3-4 random students they pick from the club. Most are between NTRP 3.0-3.5 in my opinion.
The schedule was 8am-3pm on both days, but the second day was spent completely on taking turns to do the private and group lessons (~25 mins per person). You get about 90 mins for lunch, plenty of breaks, and time to ask additional questions.
The schedule was 8am-3pm on both days, but the second day was spent completely on taking turns to do the private and group lessons (~25 mins per person). You get about 90 mins for lunch, plenty of breaks, and time to ask additional questions.