City of Tallahassee Skills Assessments - Why They Matter

Tonight at Forestmeadows at 6pm, the City of Tallahassee will be hosting skills assessments for Adult tennis players that wish to participate in the City’s upcoming Adult clinic session that begins next week.  These assessments were also done prior to the last session, and following tonight, there will be an additional assessment given this coming Sunday – time to be determined. 

To view what the assessment entails, please take the time to visit the following link:

http://en.coaching.itftennis.com/media/113844/113844.pdf

Keep in mind that we only use the “Male” score on the scorecard in order to keep the levels uniform.

Skills assessments are very important in running a cohesive and comprehensive clinic program.  There are two types of players that participate in clinics – NTRP computer rated players, and players that are either self-rated or do not participate in USTA league.  It is important that the mixture of these two types of players in clinics be close enough to make the work being done in the clinic level appropriate for everyone. 

Prior to skills assessments, City clinics had numerous challenges that made organizing each individual class, running the clinics, and retaining certain groups of players very difficult.   

We have now streamlined our process, so that the following remedies are now in place:

1. You may only sign up for a clinic that your NTRP Computer rating or Skill Assessment score qualifies you for

2. Your ability to move up to the next level class is determined by either your computer rating going up, or your ability to score a higher score on the Skills Assessment

3. The clinic participants at each level of clinic are now more uniform in ability level

For those who are hesitant or adverse to any type of skills testing, first keep in mind that if you have a computer NTRP rating, you need not take the Skills Assessment.  Second, the assessment is not a test.  There is no passing or failing.  At the conclusion of your assessment you will simply get a numerical score, which corresponds with a NTRP level and one of the city’s clinics.  You may, if you choose, take the skills assessment again on a different day.  If there is another free one, as today’s and Sunday’s are, you may do so with no charge.  If there is not, you make take, and pay for, a 30 minute private lesson, at which the pro will warm up all your strokes and then put you through the skills assessment.  Lastly, if you were in a clinic last session, and you wish to remain in the same level clinic, there is no reason to do the skills assessment at all.

We have learned our lessons from the skills assessments last time, and have dedicated five courts to different parts of the exam, which should make it go significantly faster than last time. 

It is our hope that by continuing to implement the skills assessments, and by limiting players to signing up for clinics that they qualify for skill wise, our overall product will improve, and the participants within the clinics will have a more competitive and fun atmosphere in which to learn.