As spring approaches, many organizations and associations begin opening registrations for their tennis programs. However, ensuring that these programs are high-quality and well-run is no easy task. Success relies heavily on recruiting the right coaches, which can be a real challenge for program managers.
Before diving into the 11 tips for successfully recruiting coaches for your outdoor season, let’s first outline some of the key challenges you’ll likely face.
The Reality: Challenges in Hiring Tennis Coaches
Top Coaches Work in Year-Round Facilities
Finding quality coaches can be difficult because most of the best ones are employed at year-round facilities that provide them with steady work during the fall and winter when outdoor tennis isn’t possible.
Some Coaches Prefer Teaching on Public Courts
Despite being prohibited in many North American cities, some coaches choose to teach on public courts where they can be paid directly by clients. This allows them to earn two to three times what they would make coaching group lessons at a club.
Classes on Hold Due to Low Enrollment
When working as hourly contractors—common in seasonal facilities—coaches may face the disappointment of classes being canceled due to low enrollment. This could reduce their promised 20 hours of work to only 6 hours per week, making it hard to retain them or fault them for seeking more stable opportunities elsewhere.
Unpredictable Weather Conditions
Outdoor seasons are subject to unpredictable weather. Rain in April and May is expected in cities like Seattle or Vancouver, while heatwaves in places like Kelowna or Toronto can make tennis unplayable during certain hours. Wildfires might also disrupt schedules, impacting coaches’ earnings.
Disconnect Between Certification Offers and Market Needs
The availability of qualified coaches often hinges on how many certifications are offered by the local tennis governing body each year. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to thoroughly evaluate the local market to determine the appropriate number of certifications needed at each level. Instead, they typically stick to their usual schedules, which can result in a mismatch between the supply of certified coaches and the actual demand within the job market.
11 Tips for Successfully Recruiting Coaches for Your Outdoor Facility
1. Plan a Packed Schedule
Which comes first: programming the classes or hiring the coaches? It’s the classic chicken-and-egg question.
What attracts coaches is the opportunity to work as much as possible so that their income is worthwhile. If you already have a well-established program with a significant number of hours, it will be much easier to attract quality coaches.
If your program is unclear or only offers a few hours of classes per day, it won’t be considered reliable income. Also, don’t forget that coaches need to travel to the facility. What you think is 3 hours of work could end up being a 5-hour commitment.
2. Targeted Programming
When you don’t know which coaches will be available, it’s better to schedule classes that less experienced instructors can handle rather than those requiring a deep understanding of tennis and extensive experience to resonate with players.
For example, I had a coach who excelled in teaching beginner players (1.0 to 2.5 NTRP). His structured, energetic approach was perfect for this level, but his understanding of advanced strategies was limited. Assigning him to more advanced classes would have put him in an uncomfortable position, struggling to demonstrate complex techniques and answer challenging questions.
3. Develop a Curriculum for Each Skill Level
Anticipate the possibility that you won’t find coaches at the level you’re hoping for. Develop a curriculum for each level of play during the off-season, and plan ahead to train your new hires so they can confidently run organized, structured sessions. Make sure they understand how to follow safety protocols to ensure smooth and safe classes.
Don’t assume that inexperienced instructors will automatically be able to run classes. It’s not about lacking trust—it’s about setting them up for success. Throwing them into the deep end without proper guidance will make them dread coming to work and likely quit the tennis industry altogether.
Teaching tennis is fantastic—take the time to show them why!
4. Open Registrations Early
To avoid cancellations due to low enrollment, or to allow time to adjust classes based on demand, I recommend opening registrations at least 3 months in advance. In some cases, even that may not be enough.
In the past, I’ve received emails as early as February from parents asking if our summer camp would be running in the third week of August so they could plan their children’s activities. For summer camps, parents have hundreds of options—sports, arts, academics, and more. It’s never too early to open registration, and it’s always too late if you wait!
5. Gradually Open Spots
When planning your classes, consider starting with fewer spots than your total capacity—if you have 8 spots available, begin by offering only 4. This approach allows you to manage initial enrollment and, as those spots fill up, gradually open more or add additional classes.
This strategy helps prevent overcommitting and gives you the flexibility to scale up as needed, including recruiting more coaches if necessary. By managing class sizes this way, you maintain high-quality programs without risking resource strain or under-delivering on your promises.
6. Keep a Permanent Job Posting
Leave a permanent job posting on employment sites to build a database of coaches interested in seasonal work, so you can reach out to them when needed.
7. Hire Certified Coaches
Ensure that all your coaches are certified and that their membership with the national coaching association is up to date. This guarantees that their background checks are clear and that they have liability insurance. If some coaches aren’t certified, which isn’t ideal, contact the national coaching association to see if they can receive equivalency for prior experience or foreign certifications.
8. Offer Competitive Compensation
Given the low demand for seasonal coaching jobs, I recommend offering pay that’s above the average rate. This not only attracts quality coaches but also reduces the chances of them leaving for better offers or teaching on public courts. It also helps compensate for days when classes are canceled due to weather conditions.
You won’t be able to prevent coaches from seeking full-time positions elsewhere, and you shouldn’t try to. I always maintain a friendly, transparent relationship with the coaches I hire. I ask them to let me know if they apply for a full-time job at a year-round club so I can find a replacement in time. I even offer to be their reference and wish them the best in their new role.
9. Provide Perks
Don’t hesitate to offer additional perks to your coaches. If they use public transit, cover their monthly pass. If they drive, pay for their parking. These small gestures won’t cost you much, but they’ll be greatly appreciated.
You can also organize team-building events. For example, I once created a team made up entirely of coaches to participate in a league, playing against other clubs. We also occasionally played golf together, enjoying friendly competition and creating lasting memories. At the end of the season, we’d host a dinner at a restaurant to thank the coaches for their efforts during the outdoor season.
10. Identifying New Instructors Among Your Students
Another strategy is to identify potential coaches during the adult classes you teach. Look for players who are passionate about tennis, ask questions, and are outgoing. These traits suggest they could make excellent instructors, so encourage them to enroll in local certification programs.
They’ll need to wait for the next certification session, which could be in a month, three months, or even six months. However, this approach allows you to develop potential instructors who are eager to contribute. Once certified, they can begin as assistants before potentially lead their own classes.
11. Stay in Touch
Once the season is over, don’t hesitate to keep in contact with your coaches. Any opportunity is a good one to check in, wish them happy holidays, or suggest activities. You may not work together again, but what brought you together goes beyond work—it’s a shared passion.
To explore more detailed tips on how to write an effective job posting and ensure you’re following best practices, check out our blog post: “Creating the Perfect Job Posting for Your Tennis Organization”. This guide covers everything from company information to legal requirements, ensuring your postings are clear, inclusive, and legally compliant.