The UTA Player/Parent Code
Universal Tennis Academy has been in existence for over a decade now, and we have learned a great deal about ourselves and others in that time. We have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in Junior tennis. Issues arising from behavior affect all of us from time to time. It is our goal to raise the bar for our juniors and their parents, and, in turn, hold ourselves to a higher level of professionalism. We value our role as teachers and hope that we all benefit from living up to the UTA Player/Parent Code.
General Code of Conduct for Players
We expect the UTA Juniors to act in a respectful manner at all times. While emotion channeled in a positive direction can benefit a player, negative emotions and poor sportsmanship are counter-productive and unacceptable. The UTA staff may, with or without warning, remove or default a player who displays poor sportsmanship in lessons, drills, or tournament play. Examples of poor sportsmanship are cheating, racket abuse, verbal obscenities, disrespectful behavior, or tanking.
General Code of Conduct for Parents
The UTA staff values the relationships we establish with UTA Juniors and their parents. The high moral quality of UTA players is a direct reflection of the character of their parents. We feel a great responsibility to help our Juniors be the best that they can be on and off the court. However, we do our job better if we have your help and support. If you keep these four guidelines in mind, you will be helping your player develop the best way you can.
1. Keep things in perspective. ALL players have good days and bad days.
- Remember that all bad losses are good wins for another player. You will find yourself on both sides eventually.
- Enjoy the highs and the lows (as learning experiences) and you will spare yourself gray hairs and high blood pressure.
- Never, ever coach during lessons or matches.
- Encourage independence by not sitting on the court during drills or private lessons. At tournaments, find a vantage point where you can see but not be a distraction.
- Refrain from gestures or comments of frustration that might be seen or heard by your child. Getting up and leaving in disgust is an example of this.
- Do not interfere if you believe your player has been cheated during a match. There is nothing uglier in junior tennis than parents fighting in the stands.
- Be supportive. Confidence is the biggest weapon in tennis, and feeling your support before and after matches will go a long way in their development.
3. Keep your cool. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your child's play, try to follow the following guidelines.
- If the issue is technique or strategy, please consult the child's coach(es) first.
- If the issue is bad calls made by your player, coaches and parents may report bad calls or poor sportsmanship to on-site officials, who may intervene as they see fit. We will address cheating issues and poor sportsmanship with the UTA player and their parents if we feel that it has become a problem.
- If the issue is effort or sportsmanship, please allow yourself and your child a cooling off period (an hour at least) before addressing the issue. The only thing that may be uglier than parents fighting in the stands is a parent ripping into a child after a lesson, drills, or matches. Addressing issues when emotions are high often leads to displays far more embarrassing than anything that happened on the court.
4. Work with your player's coaches. We are here to help your player grow and develop.
- If player is being coached during a tournament, make sure they see the UTA coach before and after their matches.
- If you are unhappy with any aspect of your player's play or development, have a discussion with your coach first.
- Trust your coach. Trust is the glue of the player/coach relationship. If you or your player do not believe that your pro has your player's best interest at heart, there is little chance of either party reaching their goals. If you feel there needs to be a change in primary coach, please follow the guidelines for changing your primary coach.
- Encourage your player to ask questions of their coaches and of you. This behavior will reduce confusion and encourage taking responsibility for their own development.
5. Be involved. You and your player benefit when you are in the loop of their development.
- Watch a lesson now and again (with coach permission)
- Trade off which parent goes with your player to tournaments.
- Help plan tournament schedules. Make sure you're on the same page by helping your player with goal setting.