The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and the USTA are partnering once again to offer a unique mentoring program designed specifically for college tennis coaches. The ITA USTA College Coach Mentorship Program pairs a veteran coach with an up-and-coming coach for a 10-month period – running from July 2021 to May 2022.
“The feedback from both the mentors and mentees involved in the first year of this 10-month mentoring program has been extremely positive and I am pleased that both the ITA and USTA are committing to another year of further developing this very impactful initiative,” David Mullins, Managing Director of the ITA, said. “The mentoring match plus the addition of the TNS coach academy and access to the annual convention provides many opportunities for these coaches to learn, network, and take their careers to another level of excellence.”
During the program, the mentee is guided through the challenges of coaching college tennis by their mentor, while forming a relationship with the veteran coach that can be relied upon for years to come.
“The ITA/USTA Mentorship Program has been a tremendous resource for me,” Xander Centenari, Dartmouth head men’s tennis coach, said. “Both the work with my mentor as well as the True North Coaching group sessions have brought total organization to my thinking- helping provide me with frameworks to tackle real-time problems and insight to deepen the foundation for the core values and vision for our program. This work has been invaluable to my coaching development and the sustained success of our program.”
In addition to guidance from their mentor, mentees will also take part in a two-day mentoring workshop with Dr. Dan Gould and Dr. Jen Roth. The program will also provide access to the True North Sports Coach Development Academy. The Academy will focus on managing careers, team culture, programs, and oneself.
Finally, mentees will receive free admission to the 2021 ITA Coaches Convention along with a $425 travel stipend.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see this partnership between the ITA and USTA continue for a second year,” said Martin Blackman, General Manager, USTA Player and Coach Development. “It shows that both young college coaches are eager to keep learning and our coaching veterans are continuing their generosity toward the next generation. We’ve had tremendous success with various Mentoring Programs in recent years, and the ITA’s leadership with this program will further ensure the future vitality of our sport.”
The application process is open to assistant coaches with less than seven years of experience and head coaches with less than three years of experience. Also, applicants should be under 35 years of age and committed to a career in college coaching.
Applications for year two of the ITA USTA College Coach Mentorship Program will be open to all ITA Member Coaches from March 1st to April 4th of 2021.
Learn about the 2020-21 Mentees
