At your tennis club, you serve a range of individuals through daily programming, open clinics, tournaments, and more. When it comes to growing your tennis offering and setting your club up for long-term success, you need to focus on your junior program.
GETTING STARTED
For those who may already have a junior program, or those who are hoping to get one started, the first step is to account for existing interest in the sport in your area. Consider the level of local competition, opposing sports, location of competitors, and more before crafting your schedule and hitting the ground running.
After evaluating those factors, you needed to establish a program structure that creates a clear pathway for student progression. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! After you’ve established the ground rules, what do you need to do to keep your junior tennis program growing and thriving?
We’ve laid out four important considerations.
ESTABLISH STANDARDS
To have a reputable program, and to help students grow to be successful players, your program must be founded on clear standards. For many program directors and club operators, these standards live only in their heads, but the most effective way to carry out standards and instill them in tennis teaching pros is to write them down and make them visible somewhere in your facility.
Every tennis program has its own nuances when it comes to standards, but ultimately, all tennis programs are working toward building proper and safe mechanics for players and instilling a love of the game that follows players through their entire lives.
BE THE EXAMPLE
The key to growing your junior tennis program is twofold: You have to 1) create an environment where the students have fun AND learn, and 2) create a space where pros want to be part of your team. As the program leader, you have to be present in the day to day, and you have to lead by example. That may mean teaching a few youth sessions yourself.
When you’re present and you exude positivity and passion, you naturally attract pros and team members that care as much as you do about helping the next generation develop a love for the game.
HAVE FUN
For young participants, it’s all about energy and enthusiasm. The more fun they’re having, the more willing they will be to follow your lead, and the more they’ll learn along the way.
Think of ways to incorporate fun into your recreational and academy programming. Instead of running laps, could the kids race each other? Don’t hesitate to get creative.
ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD
Oftentimes, the best tennis teaching pros for your club are the ones who grew up in your program. They’ve already bought into your club’s culture, they are well connected to the community, and they’re invested in paying it forward.
In the grind of everyday teaching, try to also think about breeding the next tennis pros that will help grow your program well into the future.
MAKE SURE YOUR SOFTWARE CAN KEEP UP
In tennis, equipment has the power to make or break a player’s success. The same is true of your tennis club management software solutions.
Consider Club Automation’s suite of tennis club software built to help your club outrival the best.
