Tennis NZ Coach Development Pathway
There are many different ways that tennis coaches and deliverers can engage in ongoing professional development. The Tennis NZ Coach Development Pathway offers both formal (courses & qualifications) and informal (workshops and online learning) for volunteers and beginning coaches through to internationally recognised qualifications for those committed to coaching as a vocation.
There are opportunities for ongoing professional development through a range of extension modules, workshops, conferences and online learning extension modules.
Why do I need a coaching qualification?
Holding an ITF recognised coaching qualification will give you access to many benefits, including:
Tennis NZ Performance Coaching
- Working alongside the Tennis NZ Performance team in delivering regional and national players camps
- Captain / travelling coach for NZ National teams
- Contract coaching on Tennis NZ overseas tournament trips with players
- Tennis NZ (NSO) endorsement for High Performance coaching initiatives and projects – such as High Performance Sport NZ and Sport NZ Initiatives
- Invitation to targeted Performance Coach workshops
- Access to the further coach development qualifications
Club Coaching
- Access to Tennis NZ National Programmes Registration – Hot Shots, Cardio Tennis and Tennis Xpress
- Supporting your club in accessing the Book a Court Subsidy
- Online promotion of your programmes and Tennis NZ social media campaigns
- Access to a range of printed and online marketing and promotional resources
- Discounted equipment and apparel
- Free / discounted Professional Development - Tennis NZ Coach Development workshops and webinars and the annual Coaches Conference. This offer is also extended to any other coach in your business
- Coaching Assistant Course subsidy to support your assistant coaches
- Hot Shots Competition Resources – free tennis balls, player gifts, printed and online certificates and promotional resources
- AON Professional Indemnity Insurance
Types of Coaches
Who are Foundation coaches?
Foundation coaches understand the needs of beginner players and support players of all ages to enjoy their first experiences in organised tennis. Foundation coaches could be:
- Volunteers who coordinate or deliver play based opportunities for players
- Junior coaching assistants
- Those who have just started coaching tennis
- Experienced coaches who have a special interest in developing beginner players.
Who are Beginner players?
A player in the beginner stage is someone of any age who is having their first tennis experiences and learning the basic technical and tactical aspects of tennis, learning the rules of tennis and developing positive attitudes towards competition. It is at this stage where players are most likely to fall in love with tennis if they are supported and develop the basic skills. Around 60% of all tennis players in New Zealand fit into this stage.
Courses and qualifications suitable for Foundation coaches:
Who are Development coaches?
Development coaches understand the needs of development players of all ages (the widest playing range). Most Development coaches are…
- Qualified coaches with Senior Coach or Head Coach roles
- Experienced coaches who could be running their own small business providing coaching services for one or more venues
- Development coaches might also be coaching juniors developing to play at an Association or Regional representative level
Who are Development players?
The Development stage represents a broad range of players with a reasonable level of skill who can regularly execute all aspects of playing tennis. Enjoyment and competition are the key drivers for these players, but at the same time challenge and improving are often key motivators. Around 40% of all players fit into this stage.
Courses and qualifications suitable for Development coaches:
Who are Performance coaches?
Performance coaches usually have the same coaching qualifications as a development coach but have a more specific focus of developing a smaller number of players to a higher level. Performance coaches are generally playing (or have played) at a high level and have a first-hand understanding of what it takes to become a performance player. Performance coaches often face the challenge of balancing their focus between running a successful coaching business (Development) and developing performance athletes (Performance).
Who are Performance athletes?
This stage can begin from a young age and involves those athletes who have the ability to play tennis to a high level and are likely to be moving towards national representative tennis, and players who are competing in international competitions. It is at this stage that many performance players are part of talent identification programmes designed to lead towards high performance tennis. Less than 1% of all players fit into this stage.
Which qualifications should Performance coaches hold?
- Club Professional Coach
- Tennis Australia High Performance Coach
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