In an era when tennis player development is transitioning from a big box academy approach to a more personalized coaching approach, it has become necessary to provide a more sophisticated method of managing each player’s development over time.  Due to the unique nature of RMTA, a mentor-based system is implemented to facilitate this tracking.
Each academy coach is given a small group of players to mentor through their development.  The general role of the mentor is to provide global guidance to players and their parents toward reaching their tennis goals.  The specific role of the mentors is outlined below.

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I.  RMTA Tracking

gabby_rick_newMentors will maintain a portfolio for each player to be stored in the academy clubhouse.  The portfolio will contain a profile of the player’s biographical and historical information along with long-term and short-term goals in tennis.  It will also contain testing results, tournament schedules, tournament performance records and summaries, and summaries of meetings.

II.  RMTA Communication

Player portfolios will contain records of mentor meetings with players and their parents.  These meetings occur every quarter.  The subject of the meetings should be reevaluation of goals, a discussion of player progress and scheduling of player activity in tournaments.  Player progress will include fitness and movement testing, tennis skills assessment and competitive results.

III.  RMTA Fitness and Movement Testing

Mentors arrange testing for his/her group once per quarter with the Director of Player Development.  Testing is conducted at a designated time on court.  The Director of Player Development and each mentor will run group testing together.  Test results will be stored in the player portfolio.

IV.  RMTA Tennis Skills Testing

Mentors record or arrange to record a video of each of their players once per quarter in a match situation.  The video will be used to assess stroke technique and tactics during an evaluation session between mentors and the Player Development Director.  An assessment summary will be stored in the player portfolio.

V.  RMTA Competition Management

Mentors work with players and parents to determine a tournament schedule.  The schedule will be documented and stored in the player portfolio.  In addition, mentors designate and attend 2-3 tournaments per quarter to observe and assist their players in competition.  Match/tournament summary forms completed by the mentor will be stored in the player portfolios.

VI.  RMTA Progression Reporting 

Mentors meet with the Player Development Director prior to each player/parent meeting to discuss development of each player.  The subject of the meeting includes tennis skill assessment, testing results, competitive results and all matters pertaining to long-term development.

RMTA Schedule/Timing

In general, the management system RVNS on a quarter system:
Quarter 1:  June-August
Quarter 2:  September-November
Quarter 3:  December-February
Quarter 4:  March-May
 
The fitness and tennis skill testing is done in the last month of each quarter.  The conference is with the Player Development Director after testing and before the end of each quarter. Player/parent meetings occur at the beginning of the following quarter.
Upon receiving their list of players, mentors start to schedule and conduct the initial player/parent meetings.  The first meeting introduces the program and is used to obtain profile information according to the provided form and to begin to plan a tournament schedule.

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At the end of the day RMTA, on and off the court is providing the ultimate in Junior development to each and every student and parent that is here full-time with the personal touch to enhance and build in all areas of the student’s game.