USPTA has added the specialist categories to the Career Development Program to recognize tennis-teaching professionals who choose to pursue specialized skills out of personal interest and future development of their careers. The Specialist in Little Tennis degree is USPTA's way of recognizing the importance of having knowledgeable professionals teaching the game to children and their families.
The Specialist in Little Tennis certification is designed to:
- Create a market demand for tennis-teaching professionals who can bolster the financial health of a tennis business through the administration, marketing and teaching of Little Tennis programs.
- Provide continuing education to professionals who seek to further their careers by emphasizing children’s programming.
- Provide measurable opportunities for professionals with the greatest competency in this area that will allow them to be recognized for their expertise.
- Increase the player base through participation of children and families in Little Tennis and emphasize the merit of an industrywide focus on children.
USPTA has chosen Little Tennis as the program to be used in this specialist category. However, this should not be interpreted to mean that USPTA does not recognize all of the valuable grassroots children’s programs being run by certified professionals across the country. It is USPTA’s philosophy to be inclusive of all its members’ good programming ideas. The Specialist in Little Tennis designation is available to qualified professionals who run children’s programs of any name.
