Tim Russell, the CEO of the ITA, explains the functions of the ITA, how it is governed by our member coaches, and the benefits coaches receive through their ITA membership. → Learn more
Colleges coaches will face several transitions and play different roles throughout the course of their college coaching career. → Learn more
Many new coaches are unaware that one of the primary roles of a collegiate head tennis coach is fundraising. This can be a daunting task for new coaches with no clear understanding of how to get started in this world. → Learn more
Many of the most successful college coaches understand the vast benefits their programs receive from prioritizing the marketing of their program. Even those coaches with access to a marketing department and a sports information director spend a significant portion of their time marketing and engaging with their community. → Learn more
Many coaches will say that recruiting is the lifeblood of any program. Your teams can only be as good as the players you recruit. The art of recruiting is not just about finding the most talented players, it is also finding the best fit for you as a coach and the culture of your program. → Learn more
Having a nice college tennis venue obviously helps with recruiting, the student-athlete experience, the fan experience, and the ability to generate revenue from lessons and camps. However, figuring out how to upgrade a facility or build one from scratch can seem like a daunting task. → Learn more
Budgeting is another area that a lot of college coaches don’t think about when entering the college coaching profession, but it is something coaches should be prioritizing throughout the year. Budgeting should not just happen once a year when you are requested to do so by your administration. → Learn more
Every team will experience good years and bad years. Regardless of the results, the experience of all involved will be determined by the culture of the team. Establishing a culture and maintaining a culture is one of the key responsibilities of any leader. → Learn more
There are not many better feelings as a coach than to see student-athletes reach their true potential as a tennis player. The development process rarely goes in a straight line and it can be fraught with missteps. → Learn more
We all know that strength and conditioning is an important component of any athlete’s life. It’s necessary to even out muscle imbalances, support muscles, stabilize joints, improve heart and lung functioning plus a myriad of other scientifically proven benefits. → Learn more
Although most coaches agree about the importance of mental skill training, they are not always comfortable implementing a systematic training plan similar to their strength & conditioning or practice regime. The progress made in this area can be difficult to track and therefore manage, so many coaches will only touch upon it from time to time or give up when they don’t see progress. → Learn more
Mental health is now being discussed in a more open and accepting way in recent years. Athletes at all levels are willing to open up about some of their struggles and the ways in which they have addressed some of their mental health issues. → Learn more
Many coaches and administrators are starting to wake up to the role they can play in the discussions and decision making processes to help reduce and eliminate racism, biases, bigotry, sexism and anti-Semitism. → Learn more
Although the college doubles format has been shortened over the last few decades, at most divisions, it still remains a critical part of the college game, and coaches are always looking for that extra edge in how to make their doubles point the best it can be. → Learn more
As the costs for traditional media continue to rise, the tools to showcase your matches through streaming are becoming more accessible and affordable with each passing year. ESPN, Tennis Channel and Fox Sports are out of reach for 99% of college teams at this moment in time, but streaming services, live scoring and social media platforms are within grasp for many tennis programs. → Learn more
Masterclass Chapter 16: Coaches are faced with several ethical decisions on almost a daily basis. Good and bad sportsmanship can show up on days outside of just match day — interacting with other coaches, recruiting, roster management, communication with university staff members, etc. → Learn more
College tennis teams are traditionally known for their small roster sizes. However, some coaches have figured out the many benefits of carrying larger roster sizes and the increased revenue it can provide their institution. → Learn more
One of the advantages college tennis has over many other sports is the ability to open up tennis facilities to the general public on an on-going basis. There are no shortage of examples of college tennis programs all across the country using their facility as a “community-hub” for the sport of tennis. → Learn more
Many great leaders have a very clear leadership model, a set of values, and a leadership philosophy. Having clarity on your values and leadership philosophy can alleviate some of the stressors you feel as a college coach. → Learn more
What is your process for planning your practices? How do you evaluate the quality of your practice planning and execution? How do you adapt when you only have a limited number of courts with a lot of players? What rules or routines do you include in your practices? → Learn more
One of the most important stakeholders in a college tennis program is the coaches’ sports supervisor. Navigating this relationship from the beginning of a coach’s tenure can be challenging at times as coaches are not always sure how much information to share with their sports supervisor and how big a role they want them to play in day to day operations of the program. → Learn more
Many ITA member coaches run numerous tennis events on their campuses for a multitude of reasons. Whether it is to raise some additional funds for the program or just a way to give back to the local community or college tennis, it is important that these events are well organized and are an enjoyable experience for all participants. → Learn more
One of the many roles of the ITA is to establish, edit, add and enforce the rules of college tennis. The ITA Rules Committee meets several times a year to discuss rules related matters and possible changes to the rulebook for the following season. → Learn more
Whether you are a fan of legislation regarding Name, Image & Likeness or not, it appears to be here to stay. It is still unknown how this may impact college tennis student-athletes, but it is likely that coaches will be receiving questions from prospective student-athletes, their parents and their coaches about this topic. → Learn more
The purpose of Collegiate Wheelchair Tennis is three fold: to advance the growth of wheelchair tennis, to encourage individuals with disabilities to pursue a college education and to give students with physical disabilities an equal opportunity to compete in an intercollegiate sport as a representative from their institution. → Learn more