Professional Tennis Management

Midwest Technical Representative, Wilson Sporting Goods

“PTM is one of the only programs in the country that truly allows a student to follow their passion of tennis while promising a successful career straight out of college. There is currently a decline in the amount of quality teaching professionals in our industry. Clubs and other organizations are desperate to get decent staff as soon as possible. PTM provides a solid degree in Marketing while helping you be specialized in your on court abilities through classes and internships.” 

Director of Tennis, Wintergreen Resort

“The PTM Program at Ferris State University opens doors within the tennis industry. The education is great; classes cover all aspects of running an elite facility. By far the most invaluable part of the program is the networking--this gives students a massive head start in their tennis careers.”

Owner, United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA)

“Attending the PTM program at Ferris State University was the single greatest decision I made in my career. Before I heard about the program, I was a full-time teaching pro in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a decent reputation among the local clubs, but had no great prospects for becoming a manager and moving off the court. After going through the program and making connections with speakers and other students, I came out with opportunities in tennis, on and off the court, across the country and even around the world. In fact, it was while I was in the program that I met the owner of the USRSA. I spent the first few years after I graduated working at tennis clubs in New York, California, and Illinois. Then, that connection I made with the owner of the USRSA paid off when she offered me a position as Associate Director of the Association. Thanks to the business skills I learned at Ferris, I was quickly promoted to Executive Director and eventually bought the business. I can’t think of anything better that someone could do if they are interested in pursuing a career in tennis. One thing I think is often underestimated is the value of the relationships you get to form with the other students in the program. The program is a lot like a Fraternity/Sorority of students who all share a passion for Tennis. This makes your time at school a ton of fun and it massively grows your network of industry contacts after you graduate.”

2-time USPTA National Tennis Coach of the Year

The Ferris State PTM program is the first and most successful tennis management program in the United States. It has graduated more career tennis pros, directors of tennis and tennis industry employees than any other school in the country. It is so highly respected in the tennis industry that it is endorsed by the USTA and the USPTA and was the only school I had my son consider for a PTM degree. My son attended Ferris State and played on the team for several years. His experience here helped him achieve the Director of Tennis position at the MVP club in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the age of 28. I have also hired interns from FSU’s PTM program and have been very pleased with the people from the program. The PTM program teaches you all aspects of the tennis industry and allows you to use the business degree to have a variety of career possibilities. You should be a proud member of Professional Tennis Management program at Ferris State as it is the most elite degree of it’s kind in the US.”

Senior Manager, USTA-U

“The PTM program at Ferris State University is a terrific pathway to gaining quality education and a competitive employment advantage in the tennis industry. I have had the pleasure and privilege of coming to Ferris State for many years in multiple capacities and am always impressed with the commitment to quality with the program. If you are interested in making a career in the tennis industry, this is the place where you want to be.”

The United States Racquet Stringers Association is a worldwide organization of more than 7,000 racquet technicians, teaching professionals, racquet sports retailers, manufacturers and sales organizations, and tennis, racquetball, squash, and badminton enthusiasts.

Our mission is to educate all our constituencies to better understand, service, perform with, and enjoy the technological wonders known as racquets, strings, balls, courts, shoes, and stringing machines.

We accomplish this with our “information technology” products — RacquetTECH.com, Racquet Sports Industry magazine, Racquet Tech magazine, The Stringer’s Digest four-volume set, “Racquet Service” video, Racquet Service Interactive CD-ROM, stringing workshops, and certification education and testing.

Founded in 1927, the RSPA (formerly USPTA) is the global leader in tennis-teacher certification and professional development and was the first USTA accredited association under the USTA Accreditation Program.  With more than 14,000 members worldwide and 17 divisions nationwide, the Association's mission is to raise the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches and to promote a greater awareness of the sport.  The RSPA offers its members more than 60 professional benefits, including on-court liability insurance, health insurance assistance, a supplemental savings plan for retirement and offers more than 200 education events a year for members to improve their teaching skills and increase their business knowledge.

The RSPA offers the most comprehensive continuing education program in the racquet sports industry.

Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals and coaches with more than 15,000 members in 125 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of any such organization. PTR offers five pathways to certification so tennis teachers can specialize in 10 & Under, 11 to 17, Performance, Adult Development and/or Senior Development. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game. For information about PTR membership, benefits, insurance and certification, visit Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) or call PTR Headquarters at (843) 785-7244.

The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is the unifying force in the tennis industry whose mission is to promote the growth and economic vitality of tennis by working closely with the U.S. Tennis Association and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation and improve the health of industry businesses. Core TIA activities include producing more than 70 research reports annually on participation and consumer/trade research, in addition to Grow the Game Initiatives such as PlayTennis.com, 10 and Under Tennis, the GrowingTennis System™, Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis, Careers in Tennis and Tennis Tune-Up Campaign. Visit TennisIndustry.org or call (866) 686-3036.

Careers In Tennis is an industry-wide effort to educate the marketplace and potential candidates about tennis career opportunities. The TIA has developed this initiative in cooperation with the United States Tennis Association, United States Professional Tennis Association, Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Professional Tennis Registry, USTA Tennis on Campus, PTM Schools, along with other allied organizations and associations.

SP Athletics is a specialized Sports Consulting and Recruiting, Executive Search and Leadership Development firm founded in 2001. We work with college athletic departments, associations, clubs and golf courses on consulting projects and to recruit coaching, director and other sports jobs. The Snodgrass Partners team includes uniquely experienced professionals who have held positions as top-level intercollegiate athletic administrators, head coaches and student athletes. Our efforts are supported by thought-leading Allied Partners who help to extend our consulting services and networking reach.