Graduates of the Professional Tennis Management program at Hope College will continue to have the advantage of national certification when they seek employment as instructors, coaches and tennis professionals.
The sport’s two professional associations, the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) have both renewed their partnerships with Hope’s program, relationships that have existed since the program began in the fall of 2017. The agreements reflect that Hope’s program, which combines academic coursework and hands-on experience, meets the new level-based standards that each of the professional organizations have implemented.
“Certification by the PTR and USPTA is an important benefit for our graduates as they come into the industry,” said Adam Ford, who directs Hope’s PTM program and is a tennis professional at Hope — and was named Michigan’s 2021 Tennis Professional of the Year by both the PTR and the USPTA. “It tells prospective employers that they know how to run a class; that they know how to coach the sport; that they’re CPR certified; and that they’re certified in Safe Play, which is the United States Tennis Association’s comprehensive program that includes background checks and training in appropriate conduct as a coach and professional. We provide all of that through our program, and are approved to provide the required testing here on campus.”
Ford explained that there are other benefits to graduates as well, including access to insurance and to continuing education. In addition, the relationships with the PTR and USPTA run alongside the program’s long-time affiliation with Wilson Sporting Goods, which provides students with discounts on rackets, strings, and other equipment and supplies.
Ford noted that PTM-program graduates are much in demand. Hope’s job placement rate is 100% for those who seek employment in the tennis industry. A total of 15 students are currently enrolled in the college’s program.
He explained that he appreciates the opportunity to connect with the larger tennis community, since everyone shares the same goals: to advocate for the sport of tennis, and to prepare new generations of leaders well.
“There are a lot of people in this tennis-education business that have a passion for helping tennis grow on a mass level,” he said. “If we stay the same and we don’t progress and we don’t make agreements like this, we don’t improve — and I want students’ experience to be the best it can be.”
Students in Hope’s PTM program complete an academic minor in kinesiology in addition to a major of their choice. They gain applied experience through school-year practicum placements and paid summer internships in tennis management, including staffing the college’s DeWitt Tennis Center and running programs such as tournaments, and teaching lessons for players of a variety of ages.
“They’re fully integrated here at the club,” Ford said. “We have programs running every day, giving them real experience with real students.”
Ford noted that the college could have opted to gain approval for certification through only one of the two national associations, but has pursued both to best serve graduates, since some employers prefer one over the other.
Students in Hope’s PTM program will qualify for level-one certification by the conclusion of their freshman or sophomore year, reflecting qualification to teach classes, coach or serve as a staff tennis professional. By the time they graduate, they will qualify for level two, suited to serving as a head professional at a tennis club. They can continue to seek to earn higher levels of certification after graduation; the progression tops out at level four, which Ford said would reflect qualification to run an entire facility.
Hope’s tennis facilities are grouped within the Etheridge Tennis Complex, and include the six-court, indoor DeWitt Tennis Center and the 12-court, outdoor VandePoel-Heeringa Stadium Courts, both of which are national award-winners. The facilities are available to the college’s students, faculty and staff, and serve as home court for Hope’s varsity men’s and women’s tennis teams. The DeWitt Center also offers paid memberships, hosting about 500 members from throughout West Michigan, and classes and private lessons for children and adults. The center’s staff includes five full-time professionals as well as part-time professionals, all of whom are certified by the PTR or USPTA or both.
More information about Hope’s Professional Tennis Management program is available online at hope.edu/ptm