Staff Resources
Welcome to the Empire Tennis Academy Resource Center! Our mission at Empire is to nurture children into better tennis players, more competent athletes, and thoughtful, social individuals. To drive our philosophy, we employ drills and games that challenge students both physically and mentally at every turn while simultaneously proving how fun tennis can be no matter one’s ability or experience.
The purpose of our resource page is to provide you a clear and concise overview of how our program works and how our players progress. We have built a program that prides itself on turning kids from casual players to aspiring competitors. This is a direct result of our teaching techniques and the positive example our coaches set on the tennis court. We have a clear vision for how our players will improve and we wish to pass this knowledge to you so you can contribute to the success of our program.
We use the full range of ball types, court sizes, and racquet sizes depending on players' ages and levels. We firmly believe in the Net Generation program and fully support the USTA and their various initiatives. In consideration of their methodology, we have built our player pathway based on the ball, age and level progressions that will help all players improve most quickly.
This resource page is organized for you to understand our Player Pathway, and how we continue to progress our players through an understanding of our core competencies and curricula to support their growth. We have put a lot of time and thought into both the competencies and curriculum. Your direct supervisor is looking to see how well you understand this material and can deliver it. Retention is one way to measure your success, however we take it a step beyond and look for character development as well. Both the kids and adults need to learn how to prepare for adversity, whether on the court or off the court. Prepare them to compete well, and they will have many of the tools they will need outside the tennis court.
As a new coach at Empire, I want you to know what I expect from you as an employee, and where you can find critical information pertaining to you continued employment. In addition to our Competencies and Curricula, you'll find our certification requirements, Employee Handbook, and Payroll essentials.
Empire Tennis Academy Pathway
Our Core Competencies
Core competencies are the skills we expect players to acquire at each level as they progress through our pathway. These skills are separated into four categories: mental, physical, technical, and tactical. Entry level lessons focus on a smaller number of competencies - usually mental, physical, or technical - and build them through repetition. Intermediate level lessons transition to introducing fundamental tactical competencies as players begin to acquire some match-play experience. Our Advanced level lessons bridge the gaps between all aspects as we introduce complex concepts intended to help players succeed in tournament play.
Curricula
Below you will find curricula for all age groups and levels we teach. An Entry level curriculum at virtually any age is very similar, consisting of building basic coordination and athletic skills through drills & games, and generating interest in the sport. Once players show consistency in their shot selection, we recommend it is time to move up into the Intermediate classes. Now clinics will focus on building the tactical repertoire and decision-making skills to be successful in match-play. Each week classes introduce a new theme to teach the kids many of the skills they will need to play and compete in singles and doubles. These themes address both technical and tactical aspects of the sport and include drills & games that specifically reinforce the goals we set for each lesson. Every class at Empire Tennis Academy is a constructive learning experience so we always encourage active participation in both discussion and play.
Click on each PDF button to view week-by-week lesson plans for each of our groups during a semester. These curricula provide descriptions of our games and drills as well as brief videos that capture the atmosphere of our lessons while demonstrating our material. Curriculum is subject to change.
As a coach at Empire, it is your responsibility to learn the material here and develop the interpersonal and coaching skills necessary to deliver it effectively to players of all different ages and levels. Certification is an important way to demonstrate your knowledge, and development of you, the coach. Convincing an amateur you know your craft is easy. Demonstrating your knowledge to other professionals is another. Certification reminds us that there should be a standard, and we should always strive to get better. Just as we demand this from our players, I demand this from my myself and my staff. Certification is paramount to one's growth and development as a coach. You must be certified in the following:
Finish the Seven modules and send me your username/password so I can see completion of the modules.
2. Net Generation Safe Play Certified
3. Schedule a USPTA Certification Exam
Notify the Director of Tennis within 6 months of employment your exam date. you must be certified within the 18 months of employment or you may be subject to termination.
4. Other Coaching Resources: TennisResources.com
Empire Tennis Academy Employee Handbook
Empire Tennis Academy Payroll Forms - Payroll is submitted every other week on Mondays. Discuss with your Program Director when Payroll is due. Below you'll find all the necessary paperwork for you to be filled out immediately.
1. Heartland New Employee Form
2. W-4
Thank you for taking the time to learn what Empire Tennis Academy stands for. It has taken a long time to get to where we are, and we firmly believe we have a successful formula for not only attracting new players, but also getting kids and adults to compete, whether socially or at a higher level. Take the time to memorize our pathway, competencies, and curricula. The better you can deliver it, the quicker our tennis culture will grow within the program. Once our players get a taste of competition, you will see stronger group lessons, increased private lesson opportunities, and a more enthusiastic tennis community playing on our courts. Thank you for being on the team and we look forward to a bright future together.