In 2009, the Sports, Fitness and Recreation Participation Overview Report tracked 117 sports and reported that tennis is the No.1 traditional sport. Participation climbed 43 percent since 2000. International careers in tennis range from coaching, to running a tennis center or tennis tournament, writing for a tennis publication, or building tennis courts. If you possess a knowledge of tennis along with strong verbal and written communication and customer service skills, then a career in the tennis industry is worth looking into.
Coaching
Tennis coaches instruct a wide range of skilled players in private, semi-private and group settings. Positions are available in public parks, private clubs, resorts, hotels and after-school programs and high school programs. You don't have to be certified to teach, but certification strengthens your job security and can increase your pay. Flexibility in scheduling lessons means that if you choose part-time coaching, you can work supplement your income during your off hours. Coaches are either responsible for their own lesson plans or must adhere to those of the tennis manager.
Facility Management
Tennis facility managers coordinate programs, events, tournaments, and work with coaching staff, facility and custodial staff to ensure the tennis center answers the tennis needs of the community. Customer service skills are key in this position. If you want a job as a tennis facility manager, look in public parks, private clubs and resorts. Many tennis centers house stringing centers, pro shops and community tennis associations. Facility managers must work with all of these operations to deliver full-service tennis to their communities.
Media and Public Relations
Media coverage positions benefit players, coaches, events and facilities. Jobs in writing, editing, photography, public relations, radio and television are available worldwide. Tournament players travel all across the world and the press follows them. Organizations such as the Associated Tennis Professionals, ATP, the governing body for professional male tennis players, and the Women's Tennis Association, WTA, the governing body for women tour players, utilize public relations personnel. Companies such ESPN and the Tennis Channel cover events for fans through print, television and online publications.
Sponsorship Management
Sponsorship managers work with many public relations and media agencies to secure sponsors for their company or organization. Possessing a background in marketing gives you an advantage when seeking sponsorship positions. You must strengthen existing sponsor relationships while acquiring additional ones; work with tournaments and players to maximize benefits; oversee the execution of promised deliveries and prepare year-end reports on sponsorship achievements.
Web Developer
Fans turn to the Internet for real-time updates, and web developers deliver through maintaining web applications or developing new ones. Web developers must be familiar with HTML coding; implementing user-driven interfaces; recognizing and fixing glitches in systems; and be able to work with graphic designers to create user-friendly applications. Web developers are responsible for the site map as well as its architecture, including the feeds to architecture as well as back-end code functionality.
Tournament Director
Tournament Directors are responsible for sanctioning events, hiring certified referees along with desk staff; selecting a seeding committee and overseeing the seeding process and draws. During the event, you are required to field questions and put out "fires" from both players and parents, make sure staff is properly recording scores, update to web per sanctioning rules, work with media representatives for press and television coverage, and present winners with trophies. After the event, you must submit financial reports to accounting and ensure all staff have been paid.
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