New Certification Pathway FAQ Important dates to remember These are requirements new applicants must fulfill if they want to join the USPTA at the Professional level. Applicants must be 18 years or older. The new pathway includes: 1. 6 to 9 months of hands-on work experience under the guidance of a USPTA-approved mentor. 2. 300 hours of online and/or inperson education. 3. USTA Safe Play, including a background check. The background check must be completed every two years. The USTA will cover the cost of Safe Play and background checks. The pathway will take effect for all applications started on or after Nov. 1, 2020. All applications started on or before Oct. 31, 2020, will follow the current certification pathway and must complete all tested components by Dec. 31, 2020. Additionally, in 2021, the continuing education requirement will increase from 12 hours to 15 hours in a 3-year period.
Why is the pathway changing? The USPTA’s stated mission is to “elevate the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches.” This new certification pathway will ensure all USPTA-certified tennis teachers will at least meet, if not exceed, these standards. It is important to note that not all of these requirements apply to the Tennis Instructor category, which is also certified. The key difference is Professional level certification is for those that teach tennis full-time, whereas the Tennis Instructor category is for those that teach seasonally or part-time.
Tennis Instructor certification pathway: (begins Jan. 1, 2021) 1. Teaching Essentials 1 (14 hours in person) 2. 16 hours of online education, including Coach Youth Tennis b. USTA Safe Play, including a background check c. CPR/AED d. Additional 3-4 hours of online education
I am a certified Professional. Do I need to do anything? No. But please note, beginning in January 2021, your continuing education requirement will increase to 15 hours over a three-year period. To check your continuing education status, log into uspta.com and go to My Profile.
What counts towards the 300 hours of online education? The USPTA offers thousands of hours of online education, covering everything from teaching philosophies to fun drills for all ages and skill levels. These videos, courses and webinars can be found online at TennisResources.com. You can also submit other online education opportunities to the USPTA Education team for approval.
I am currently applying to be a certified Professional. Does the new pathway apply to me? Not if you started your application prior to Nov. 1, 2020, AND you complete all tested components of your application by Dec. 31, 2020. Tested components include: -The on-court assessment (teaching private and group lessons, 5 elements of stroke production: forehand, backhand, volley, serve, miscellaneous) -Online education and exams: PTCA 1, 2-hour written exam, 20-minute grips exam To ensure as many applicants complete their testing as possible, the USPTA is increasing certification dates by at least 15% across all divisions in the fourth quarter of 2020. Additionally, Los Angeles, New York and Orlando will have weekly testing, while Dallas and Houston will alternate weeks, during November and December of 2020 (holiday weeks excluded), if needed. If you started your application prior to Nov. 1, 2020 but DO NOT complete all tested components by Dec. 31, you will be required to follow the new certification pathway. *
September 21-15, 2020 Spring 2020 Midwest Connection 5
