The United States Professional Tennis Association has announced the dates and locations for its tennis-teaching professional certification exams for the remainder of 2009.
USPTA’s Certification Exam includes an on-court evaluation of tennis strokes and playing skills, stroke and grip analysis, private and group lesson instruction, and other skills needed in the tennis-teaching profession. The exam also includes a two-hour written test covering teaching, playing and business management skills, rules, club activity programming and other topics. Applicants can now opt to take the written exam and the grip exam online after completing the on-court portions of the certification exam.
The exam process also offers a Certification Review Course that covers test topics. The CRC can be taken at Regional Testing Centers, which offer tests every other month on the same weekends, or it can be taken online. The course is also useful to current USPTA members who wish to review specific exam areas before upgrading their certification ratings. CRC topics include student psychology, developing student rapport, class organization, lesson progression and a review of teaching techniques.
“A tennis-teaching professional’s success in becoming certified through the USPTA demonstrates that the individual has the skills necessary to excel in the game, and business, of tennis,” said USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. “We know that tennis players and club owners and managers hold tennis-teaching professionals to the highest standard in regard to professionalism and knowledge and we expect our certification and education process to prepare them to live up to and surpass that standard.”
Contact USPTA at 800-877-8248 or e-mail membership@uspta.org to register for an upcoming exam, or for further details. Advance registration is required. The total fee for the exam and CRC application is $175, plus prorated USPTA membership dues.
Two locations have exams scheduled in the Missouri Valley. The information is below:
July 24, Kansas City, Mo. Oakwood Country Club
Aug. 2, Des Moines, Iowa Wakonda Country Club