Tennis Just Did Something Youth Sports Has Needed for Years

Every parent knows the difference a coach makes. The right one can keep a kid playing for years. The wrong one can end it in a season. This week, tennis took a significant step toward bridging that gap with the launch of USTA Coaching, Inc., a national platform designed to provide coaches at every level with the training and tools they have long needed.

Organizations like the Positive Coaching Alliance and the Aspen Institute’s Project Play have been leading the way in shaping how we think about great coaching for years. Other sports, like hockey, volleyball, and lacrosse, have also built strong certification systems. But USTA Coaching raises the bar — it’s one of the first to deliver a truly unified, all-levels education platform that not only covers screening costs and insurance, but even adds unique benefits like telehealth.

What This Means for Families and Coaches

The promise is straightforward: coaches at every level will get training in the things that matter. Not just how to run a drill, but how to keep kids safe, how to build their confidence, and how to create an environment that makes them want to keep showing up.

Former world No. 1 and Billie Jean King Cup Captain Lindsay Davenport underscored the weight of this moment, noting that “the most important ingredient for the success of tennis in the United States is the coaching that the players receive.”

For parents and volunteers, that means a clear pathway the first time they’re asked to step in. For high school and community coaches, it means mentorship and deeper education. And for full-time professionals, it’s certification, insurance, and benefits that bring stability to a career too often undervalued.

Safety and Security at the Center

One of the biggest shifts here is that safety isn’t optional. Every Rally, Pro, and Pro Plus coach must complete SafeSport training and a background check — and the USTA is covering the cost. Families shouldn’t have to wonder if their child’s coach has been vetted.

Craig Morris, CEO of USTA Coaching, Inc., told the Associated Press the priority is clear: “At the end of the day, we have to create safe environments for all our players.”

That means every certified coach is now Safe Play approved — completing a criminal background check and training to identify, respond to, and prevent misconduct.

And for career coaches, there’s something just as significant: security. Insurance, accident coverage, and telehealth benefits are now baked in. For a profession that has too often been underpaid and underprotected, that kind of support is more than a perk — it’s protection that keeps people in the game.

Why It’s Bigger Than Tennis

Right now, only two in ten players receive formal coaching. The USTA wants to change that, aiming to grow the number of U.S. coaches from roughly 25,000–30,000 today to 75,000–100,000 in the years ahead. It’s also tied to their bold participation goal of 35 million players by 2035.

As Morris explained to MarketWatch, “USTA Coaching is based on a simple truth: better coaches create better play experiences, and better play experiences grow the game.”

Tom Farrey, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, widened the lens beyond tennis: “The value of youth sport as a social institution hinges on the quality of the coaches entrusted with working with our children. They are the key agents in whether a child continues to play and develop as a person through a sport.”

If it works, it won’t just change tennis. It could become a roadmap for every youth sport.

What’s Inside the Program

USTA Coaching is offering four packages designed to meet coaches where they are:

• Baseline (free) – starter drills and resources, a simple entry point for parents and volunteers.
• Rally ($49/year) – mentorship, premium educational content, Coach Developer office hours, Safe Play training, and access to TennisDrills.TV.
• Pro ($149/year) – national certification, continuing education, business tools, and discounts on equipment and tech.
• Pro Plus ($249/year) – everything in Pro, plus the kind of protections serious coaches rarely get: liability and accident insurance, unlimited additionally insured facilities, and telehealth access.

Final Thought

What the USTA is trying to do with coaching feels long overdue. If we want kids to stay in sports, we need more than fields, courts, and tournaments; we need adults who are trained, supported, and safe. This launch is a recognition that coaches aren’t just side players in the system; they are the system. Tennis is betting that investing in them is the fastest way to keep kids playing. And maybe it’s a bet every sport should consider.