WESTBOROUGH, MA- In the spring of 2017, USTA National selected 37 Ambassadors to promote Net Generation throughout their respective USTA Sections. Ambassadors were given early access to the Net Generation app, the curriculums and attended trainings to grow and enhance the new youth brand.

  
Kendra Becker, Director of Junior Tennis at INTENSITY in Norwalk, CT, and Dave Colby, Director of Junior Tennis at the MAC (Manchester Athletic Club in Manchester, MA), were selected to represent New England as Net Generation Ambassadors.  

In nearly a year of learning, reviewing and teaching the lessons and curriculums, both Becker and Colby have fully bought in to Net Generation programming and the mission to get it into the hands of every junior tennis provider and player. 

USTA New England had the chance to catch up with Becker and Colby to discuss Net Generation and being an ambassador. ADVERTISEMENT Here’s what they had to say.

How important is being a Net Generation Ambassador to you?

Kendra- I am really excited about Net Generation and about being an ambassador. For coaches, there are so many tools to help our players. I hope that across the country the competencies tied in with the Practice and Play Plans will help improve kids’ skill sets on red, orange and green and that will help them be more versatile and well-rounded players as they get older. 

Dave- I am excited to be a promoter of Net Generation as it is an exciting time in tennis. This is something that is a free resource for teaching professionals with no strings attached so it is easy to promote. I have been lucky enough to have seen the content since last summer and I really like how easy it is to just see it and use it right away.

What about the Net Generation app makes it so easy to use and teach?

Kendra - The Practice and Play Plans are great. They are in a booklet or printable format with clear instructions and objectives, as well as teaching tips. There are drawings and diagrams to help explain and it’s all on the app as well in addition to short videos of many of the activities. 

Dave- The app provides simple videos that are all about 25 seconds long. For a coach to be able to see it, and then go and try it right away, that is powerful, and it makes teaching more fun for the coach and the player.

What is one of the key features of the app that has stood out to you thus far?

Dave- I have been playing with the assessment tool and I have used it internally so that we as coaches can drill down to the competencies of our athletes and really objectively evaluate where they are in their development and what things are important for their next steps. These types of conversations are important as they impact the training that we are looking to provide.

How do you implement Net Generation into your day to day lessons?

Kendra- There are many useful parts of Net Generation and this flexibility is a huge asset!  Some days I use the curriculum, some days the assessments, and every day I am teaching, I am keeping the competencies in mind for all levels.

How can Net Generation be a benefit to other providers that are unsure about getting started?

Kendra- I would encourage everyone to become a provider- there’s nothing to lose. Everything is free and Net Generation can add a lot of value to an organization’s programming. There really is a tremendous amount of comprehensive information in the program, and whether you choose to use the entire program or just bits and pieces, is up to you. Providers can also list their programming online so parents searching for a program can easily find you. There are so many great tools to help coaches help players improve and an increase in visibility for a business so it is a no-brainer to me.

Dave- Net Generation is nothing but benefit. It is important for us coaches to be watching drills, and people’s approach to teaching the game we love. So the Net Generation content is very good content that has been mined from coaches all across the country, and it is free for the taking.

For more information on Net Generation, visit netgeneration.com.

Kendra and Dave can be reached directly with questions at: Kendra- Kbecker@intensityclub.com, Dave- dcolby@macathletics.com.