New Era Tennis Academy (NETA) is grateful to have you as part of our tennis family. 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 NETA’s Player/Parent Code. In order to have the best family-oriented atmosphere, we share with you our Academy rules, regulations, and policies:

 

General Rules and Regulations

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1. All players must be registered with an active online profile via the academy’s website.

2. All waivers must be accepted prior to players attending any practice (please read waivers included in the registration at the end of this document)

3. You have up to 3 hours before the beginning of your scheduled practice time to cancel your session or NO REFUND will be given.

4. NETA is not responsible for any belonging left behind nor for the loss or damage to personal property.

5. Proper dress code will be enforced. Adequate tennis shoes, sports outfits, tops must be worn at all times

6. Proper tennis etiquette is required at all time. No foul language or disruptive behavior will be tolerated.

7. Smoking in not allowed

8. Only sport drinks and water are allowed during practice

9. Chewing gum not permitted during practice

10. Respect is mandatory by all coach's and parents at all times. We reserve the right to dismiss you (the parent) and player for any actions deemed to lack respect towards any coach, player or parent with no refund giving. (Don't be the reason your player/child is removed from practice)  

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PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT

 

(I encourage all parents to sit down and read this section of the policies with their player)

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We expect our junior players 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.  Our staff may, with or without warning, remove or default any player who displays poor sportsmanship in lessons, drills, or even tournament play.  Examples of poor sportsmanship are poor attitude, cheating, racket abuse, verbal obscenities, disrespectful behavior, or tanking. Consequences for players displaying this action are as follows:

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1. First Offense: The player will be dismissed from practice, lesson or drill. (There will be no refund giving if your player is dismissed)

2. Second offense: The player will receive a 1-week ban from all academy programs and services. (A refund of 50% will be giving for any prepaid sessions missed during the duration of the players banned period)

3. Third offense: The player will receive a 2-week ban from all academy programs and services. (A refund of 40% will be giving for any prepaid sessions missed during the duration of the players banned period)

4. Fourth offense: The player will receive a 3-week ban from all academy programs and services. (A refund of 30% will be giving for any prepaid sessions missed during the duration of the players banned period)

5. Fifth offense: The player will receive a 1 month ban from all academy programs and services. (A refund of 20% will be giving for any prepaid sessions missed during the duration of the players banned period)

6. Final offense: The player will be banned for the remainder of the year, with a chance to rejoin the academy January 1st of the following year. (There will be no refund giving for any prepaid sessions missed during the duration of the banned period)

 

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT

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The New Era Tennis Academy staff values the relationships we establish with both our juniors and their parents. The high moral quality of our 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 both on and off the court. However, we do our job better if we have the support and help of our players’ parents. If you keep these guidelines in mind, you will be helping your child’s development in the best way that you can.

 

1. Keep things in perspective: ALL players have good days and bad days.

   1. Remember that all bad losses are good wins for another player. You will find yourself on both sides eventually.

   2. Enjoy the highs and the lows (as learning experiences) and you will spare yourself gray hairs and high blood pressure.

2. Encourage independence, focus, and confidence. Tennis players must learn to think for themselves.

   1. Never, ever coach during lessons or matches.

   2. Encourage independence by not sitting on the court during drills or private lessons.

   3. At tournaments and school matches, find a vantage point where you can see without being a distraction to your player or their opponent.

   4. Refrain from gestures of frustration that might be seen or heard by your child. Getting up and leaving in disgust is a great and all too common example of this.

   5. Do not interfere with a match in any way, even if you feel your child is being cheated. There is nothing worse in junior tennis than parents fighting in the stands. This also instills the mindset that the kids need to fight their own battles.

   6. 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 remember the following guidelines:

   1. If the issue is technique or strategy, please consult the coach(es) first.

   2. 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 our player and their parents if we feel that it has become a problem.

   3. If the issue is effort or sportsmanship, please allow yourself and your child time to cool off (an hour at least) before addressing the issue. Refrain from ripping into a child immediately after a match. Cool down, gather your thoughts, and convey your message with as few emotions involved as possible.

4. Work with your child’s coach(es). We are here to help your player grow, learn, and develop.

   1. If your child is being coached during a tournament, make sure they connect with coach both before and after their matches.

   2. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your player’s play or development, please discuss with your coach first.

   3. Trust your coach. Trust is the glue of the player/coach relationship. If you or your player do not believe that your teaching pro has your player’s best interest at heart, there is a minimal chance of either party achieving their goals. If you feel there needs to be a change in primary coach, please follow the guidelines for changing your primary coach.

   4. 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.

   1. Watch a lesson and/or clinic now and again.

   2. Trade off which parent travels with the player to matches and tournaments, if possible.

   3. Help plan tournament schedules, together

   4. Make sure you are on the same page as your player with periodic goal setting

 

RAIN POLICY

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For private lessons, if rain is in the forecast and indoor court times are available sessions will be moved inside.

For group lessons, if rain is in the forecast and indoor court times are available sessions will be moved inside.

All High-Performance players are expected to attend lessons rain or shine.  Strength and conditioning or tennis IQ sessions (tactical discussions to reinforce strategy) will be held if the courts are not playable.  Both of these are extremely important to every player’s development.

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PROTOCOL FOR CHANGING PRIMARY COACHES

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If you and/or your child feel that a change in primary coaches is necessary, please try to follow the following guidelines:

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1. Address the issues that are concerning you with your existing coach. Keeping an open communication pathway between all parties can often alleviate concerns without making a coaching change.

2. If, after consulting your primary coach, a coaching change is decided upon, it is the parent/player’s responsibility to notify the current coach of the change.

     a. This can be a sensitive issue in our business, but when handled correctly, there will be no hard feelings.

     b. No pro will discuss working with your child until after an adequate level of closure with the current coach has

been reached.