In partnership with the US Tennis Association (USTA) the US Center of Coaching Excellence (USCCE) have continued to position the role of the Coach Developer within the quality coaching agenda using ICCE (International Council for Coaching Excellence) programming.
Over the last 18 months senior managers at the USTA, Steve Keller, Craig Jones and Anne Davis have attended generic ICCE/ USCCE Coach Developer Academy programs. This team are responsible for creating and delivering high quality Tennis Coach Education programs across various levels. They recognize the critical link between the USTA design team and the coaches on court are the Coach Developers who design, lead, facilitate and support coach learning. They have prioritized the training and development of the Tennis Coach Developer.
In response to this acknowledged need they invited the USCCE Coach Developer Academy Team (Kristen Diffenbach, Melissa Thomson, Linda Low and Sarah McQuade) to lead a discrete program for USTA Coach Developers. I am honored to be part of this team of industry leading women.
Coinciding with the US Open, this workshop was delivered in NYC at the end of August. 24 Coach Developers from across the country attended the workshop to learn more about teaching, learning and facilitation and how to utilize these skills within the tennis adult learning environment. They were challenged to practice these skills within the workshop. Working with peers acting as coaches and athletes and thinking like coach developers. they led various learning and development interventions. The USCCE team were transparently unapologetic for the stretch and challenge provided!
