About Coaching
Tennis is — in our very biased opinion — the funnest, most dynamic, and healthiest sport that millions of people love to play around the world. In order to learn how to play, people find lessons in tennis clubs, community centres, and from certified coaches around the city.
City of Vancouver Tennis Programs
Check out tennis programs at the City of Vancouver website.
How to Check a Private Coaches’ Credentials
List of Certified Coaches on the Tennis Canada TPA website
Visit the Tennis Canada TPA website and search for the coaches’ name.
If your coach isn’t on this list, then they aren’t certified to be teaching tennis in Canada.
Part of the TPA certification process includes a mandatory background check.
Recognizing Unsanctioned Tennis Coaching on Public Tennis Courts
Unsanctioned coaching on public courts is any coaching that is carried out on public tennis courts without being permitted by the City. Unsanctioned private or group class tennis coaching is not permitted on public tennis courts. If caught by city staff, penalties for the coach or organization involved may include citations and monetary fines.
If you encounter a coach using a public tennis court to conduct lessons, you can identify if they are permitted by asking them the following questions:
- Is there signage posted for your lesson? There should always be signage posted by the City indicating the times that coaching is permitted by an organization or individual.
- Is there a contact person who can verify your permitted coaching status?
If the answers to these questions are unsatisfactory, we encourage the public to report unsanctioned coaching activities.
Reasons that unsanctioned tennis coaching is not allowed by the City of Vancouver on public tennis courts:
- Liability: potential harm to tennis students during unsanctioned programming public facilities (injuries, etc).
- Qualifications: no idea who is teaching, what their qualifications are, and if they are trusted individuals who should be working with vulnerable populations (no background checks).
- Court usage: unsanctioned coaches monopolize courts for more than the 30-min time frame, especially at popular locations during peak hours.
- Finances: no way of ensuring fair pricing, financially accessible opportunities, sound financial practices, and no way to ensure for a small amount of revenue to go toward upkeep.