Program Feature: Play Monitors

One of the best things about tennis is that it’s a lifetime sport. So, it’s important for kids to have a fun, positive experience when starting their journey. That’s why USTA NorCal created the new Play Monitor program, so we can help the next generation of tennis players learn to love the sport and enter formal match play with more support for a better experience.

Play Monitors are volunteers that help develop the overall youth player and assist with scoring, line-calls, and other support during events. The ultimate goal is to set the stage for players to make tennis part of their active lifestyle and work alongside the event directors to create a fun, encouraging, and low-pressure environment for youth players to compete.

USTA NorCal launched the program in Spring 2021, and so far, the program has been a success among players, parents, tournament directors, and the Play Monitor volunteers alike.

For parents and players, the program adds a level of comfort that the game will be played correctly. For tournament directors, they are often busy day-of events, so having monitors on hand to serve as an extra set of eyes helps ensure everything is running smoothly. And for Play Monitors, they get to share their love of tennis and inspire kids to enjoy and honor the sport from the beginning.  

But don’t just take our word for it. We got a 360-view on the new program through three different participant perspectives – a parent, tournament director, and Play Monitor gave us their thoughts.

Local NorCal parent Iryna Shkapova said the Play Monitor was a welcome presence in her daughter Evana’s third match. She was playing someone she knew consistently made questionable calls, so it was good to have another person there to help monitor the situation.

“Thank you for having an observer for Evana's third match. She needed it! It’s a great benefit to help make matches fair,” she said.

Seasoned tournament director Vern Leslie, who has been hosting events since 2013, agrees the new program is set to only benefit the overall experience kids have. “The recent introduction of Play Monitors is a revolution! The USTA has gone above and beyond in providing a service that assists tournament directors with an extra eye on play proceedings,” he said. “With the new Serve Tennis platform and Play Monitors being introduced, all players can only benefit from this amazing service offering.”

And lastly, Margaret Roderick, a longtime tennis player and one of the first volunteers as a Play Monitor echoes the program’s aim to teach the values of the game. 

“Hopefully we can instill the fairness of the sport and reinforce that through the new program,” she said. “Sportsmanship is a big part of playing tennis and you have to be fair because it’s based on how you call lines and play the sport as an individual. There aren’t always officials when you play, so it’s up to each person to play fairly. Play Monitors can help kids learn the basics of how you score, determine if a ball is in or out, and most importantly, not to win at all costs but to play fairly.”

There you have it! Interested in learning more or becoming a Play Monitor yourself? Visit https://www.usta.com/en/home/organize/program-resources/northerncalifornia/usta-norcal-play-monitors.html to get started today.