Careers in Tennis

As your child develops, your attention may turn to thinking about opportunities which are there to stay within Tennis and build a career.Parents often ask me if their child can become a Professional Tennis Player or they just simply ask "Dose my child have enough to reach on top"?? Frankly, my answer would be "There's still a long way to go".

I understand that the parents do look in for a positive answer when they ask me but just because a player is good or they are performing well doesn't necessarily mean they have the ability to get on top at the Professional Level. 

Consider this,If a player is good at 12-14 years of age, there is still up to ten years before anyone will know if that player will be a top international player and possible earn a living from the game. A lot can happen in those ten years including , technical improvements and growth development or lack of motivation/interest levels, injuries,social pressure,parental and family circumstances and may be even tournament results might go flat.

To know more about this I would like you find a answer to this question. "In the last 20 Years, How many ITF Junior players ranked #1 have made it into the #1 rankings in the ATP or the WTA rankings??

Before you actually find a answer to the above question, I am here to discuss about possible careers in Tennis,though playing tennis professionally is often the preferred choice,there are also plenty of other opportunities to have a career in sports. Just because a player cannot make it on Top of the World Ranking doesn't mean that he/she is not fit for Sports. There are many other ways where a player can still make a career out of Tennis though he/she is not a Top ranked Tennis Player.

Here are a few possible ways a player can make a career having Tennis as his/her background.

·               Becoming a Professional Tennis Player.

ITF $10,000 Futures events are probably the best place to start. There are many ITF Futures Tournaments which are held every week across the globe. The player will have the opportunity to earn a ATP or WTA ranking while they perform in these tournaments and then they may move on to higher tournaments which offers higher prize money and more ranking points.

·               Earning a College Degree through Tennis Scholarship in USA

Taking your child's Tennis and Education to a higher level can be tricky,especially if you are trying to do both at the same time.I really do recommend parents and players think hard before coming completely out of education at a young age.

So if your child is passionate about tennis,want to continue to play and train to a high standard along side academic study then University Tennis is the best route for you. This offers a fantastic experience , new friendships, excellent training opportunities/facilities, good competition and a wide range of education courses that can also be flexible in learning.

College tennis in America is huge with three separate Divisions/Associations organizing competition. The scholarships prove very attractive to the players and hundreds of players have gone through the system over the last twenty years.

The decision to play full time tennis on the men's or women's circuit or to choose different career can be decided during the university period and the player must be well equipped to make these important decisions depending on standard, interests and ambition. After 4 years of University Tennis/Education, with a Degree in hand your child will be matured enough to take his/her own decision about their career.

 Here’s the list of few Indian Tennis Players (Presently active on the
Professional Tennis Circuit) who preferred attending a University on a Tennis Scholarship before they actually made their mark on the Professional Circuit.

1.      Mahesh Bhupathi                                      University Of Mississippi

2.      Somdev Devverman                                 University Of Virginia

3.      Saket Myneni                                            University Of Alabama

4.      Sanam Singh                                             University Of Virginia

In order to play college tennis, your child should start preparing towards it from 11 standard or the early your start the better. This will give them ample time to prepare for their SAT Exam and also work on their Fitness, Game, Ranking, Attitude,Work Ethic, Punctuality, Sportsmanship, Presentation & Communication Skills.Though getting a 100% Scholarship is achievable, it requires a lot of work in order to achieve it. In order to get a good scholarship in a good University you are required to achieve a good SAT Score, have good playing standards, decent ITF Junior World Ranking / National Ranking and also good presentation and communication skills.

·               Becoming a Coach

Tennis Coaching is a rewarding career as you inspire people to start playing the dame and empower then to fulfill their potential. Everyday is a new challenge, from young children picking up a racquet for the first time through to players chasing grand slam success, every player requires a coach. If you are passionate, there are a range of tennis coaching jobs suitable for you.

            If you want to become a tennis coach, you will need to look into gaining tennis coaching qualification.

Average Income per annum for a normal/ club tennis coach

                        India :                          Rs. 3,00,000 - 4,00,000 lakhs

                        USA                            $    50,000 – 70,000

·         Becoming a Tennis Official

Organizing and officiating at tennis competition can be very rewarding and also great fun. ITF Officiating provides training for those who want to become certified Chair Umpires,Chief Umpires and Referees.

·               Becoming a Strength and Conditioning Coach ( Career in Sports Science)

Demand is growing for sports scientists and performance consultants, as society in general develops a greater awareness of health and fitness issues around work. Your degree will have equipped you with a good knowledge of the sports and exercise industry and enabled you to look at the science behind fitness, as well as giving you an insight into related areas such as nutrition, psychology, management and finance – plenty to make you an attractive prospect to potential employers.

            Qualified sport and exercise scientists can earn between $40,000 and $80,000 a year.

Experienced sport scientists working in high levels of competitive sport can earn $100,000 or more a year.

  

·               Becoming a Sports Agent/manager (Sports Management)

Sports agents lead exciting lives filled with travel,high powered parties and events and of course up close and personal access to athlete and sports teams.They have a deep understanding of sports recruiting and drafting and they are excellent negotiators willing to take big risk for their clients.

In the Sports Agent business, the saying goes "you get paid when your athlete gets paid." The amount agents make varies with the athletes they sign. Successful sports agents can make over a million dollars per year. 

·               Becoming a Sports Journalist/ TV Presenter/ Commentator (Mass Communications)

·               Thousands of jobs in Tennis / Sports Industry which requires at least one major sport as a background.

Apart from the above available jobs, there are jobs which are offered by the Government of India for outstanding Sports persons in India. Though these jobs are not highly paid when compared to other above listed jobs, they do provide a lot of security and benefits.

I personally would recommend any parent or player to choose the option of "Earning a University Degree in USA through Tennis Scholarship". This option provides a solid foundation for your child in what ever line of career they choose.

Parents and Players, If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

My email:  harshatennis@hotmail.com  

"All the Best".