USPTA
USPTA is the world's oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals and was founded in 1927. With more than 15,000 members worldwide, USPTA offers more than 60 professional benefits to its members, including certification and extensive educational opportunities. USPTA offers opportunities for tennis-teaching professionals to improve their teaching skills and increase their business knowledge. The Association also serves as a forum for the exchange of information, ideas and experience among its members.
USPTA is governed nationally by a democratically elected Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The Executive Committee includes two officers from each of the association's 17 regional divisions, plus the eight-member national Board of Directors and three past presidents. All officers are elected by the membership through divisional and national elections. Various committees are appointed at both the national and divisional levels. The daily administration of USPTA is overseen by the CEO at the World Headquarters in Houston.
USPTA sets the industry standard for certification and education of tennis-teaching professionals. In doing so, it unifies and strengthens the voice and image of its members. There are six categories of USPTA membership: applicant, certified Professional, Recreational Coach, corporate, honorary and retired. The Professional category – for full-time teaching professionals – requires a career-path certification process. The Recreational Coach membership is a noncareer-path category for people who coach or teach part time. USPTA also offers a certification in wheelchair tennis. For information on other categories please review the links below.
Approximately 13,000 USPTA members work in the United States. The rest represent more than 60 countries around the world. Today's tennis teachers are expected to assume a variety of business and social responsibilities in addition to their traditional job functions. USPTA helps prepare its members to meet these challenges.
The majority of USPTA's membership consists of Professional-level members who work full time in the tennis industry. Professionals are rated at two levels, with Elite Professional being the highest, according to their scores on a five-part certification exam. USPTA Professionals have job titles including general manager, director of tennis, assistant professional and coach. They direct tennis businesses, develop tennis programming, oversee tennis operations, teach lessons and coach teams at all types of facilities, such as private and commercial clubs, public tennis centers and parks, colleges and schools. A small and growing part of the membership includes Recreational Coaches, who are part-time teachers of tennis.
Mission statement
The purpose of USPTA shall be to elevate the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches.