From Players to Coaches: A Scalable Model for High School Tennis Programs

In March in Port Washington, N.Y., KerriAnn Jannotte-Hinkley worked with Coach Developers from USTA Coaching to lead 42 high school students through a USTA Coaching Intro to Coaching Workshop, getting every one of them to complete the online training and earn a Development Coach badge. For high school and community coaches, the result is noteworthy, and the method behind it is replicable.

 

Sportime Port Washington hosted the workshop, and USTA Eastern and the USTA Foundation provide ongoing support for Jannotte-Hinkley’s work.  

Start with the Why

Jannotte-Hinkley didn’t position the training as an obligation. She framed it as an advantage. “The job market is saturated with a lot of teenagers that want summer jobs,” she says. “So I think they really did see this as a viable option to help them get hired.” 

 

By connecting Development Coach education to real outcomes – camp jobs, coaching roles, leadership opportunities – she created immediate relevance. For players already involved in tennis, the pathway was clear: this was a way to stand out. 

Remove Friction, One Player at a Time 

The biggest barrier was not motivation – it was logistics. Jannotte-Hinkley set her students up for success by providing:

 

  • Individual walkthroughs for about 20 students

  • Small-group sessions in her classroom

  • Live module completion using a Smartboard

 

The takeaway for coaches: plan structured support to manage any technical hurdles. Completion rates increase when friction is actively managed.

Leverage Quality Content 

Students enjoyed the educational content. “The content was well-received,” says Jannotte-Hinkley. “The videos are very new, and the students were pleasantly surprised by how fresh the content felt.” 

 

Modern, relevant content matters, especially for high school athletes. When the material feels current and credible, resistance drops significantly.

Create Immediate Application

Earning an educational badge alone is not the endpoint. Jannotte-Hinkley ties it directly into coaching opportunities within the “Advantage All Tennis Foundation,” one of more than 270 NJTL chapters in the USTA Foundation’s network.

Previously, student volunteers relied on familiar drills. “In the past, it was a lot of the same games over and over again,” she says. “Now we have new things – new curriculum, new instruction.” 

 

With training complete, students enter clinics better prepared and more confident. The badge becomes functional, not just symbolic.

Use Education to Build Your Staff Pipeline 

Jannotte-Hinkley runs a fully volunteer-based model. Education changes how she staffs. “I’ll definitely be giving preference to the students that went through the program because they’ll require less onboarding,” she says. 

 

For programs struggling to find coaches, this is a clear solution: develop them internally. Her structure reinforces this: 

 

  • High school players earn 10 service hours, a requirement for graduation

  • A “bigs and littles” mentorship model builds relationships

  • Students who have earned their Development Coach badge step into leadership roles faster

 

“I now know I can say: if you want to help, you need to take the module,” says Jannotte-Hinkley.

"The videos are very new, and the students were pleasantly surprised by how fresh the content felt."

KerriAnn Jannotte-Hinkley

Why the Badge Matters

Beyond coaching, the badge carries weight. “I think anytime someone goes out of their way to achieve something, that sets them apart,” Jannotte-Hinkley says. “Very rarely does a 16-year-old get to say, ‘I’m one of 42 people in the country who did this.’” 

 

For players, it becomes a differentiator in college applications and job searches.

NJTL Growth: Lessons from Advantage All 

While Jannotte-Hinkley and the Roslyn tennis team had been dedicated to education and mentorship since 2013, it was a profound heartbreak that ultimately transformed their long-standing community work into a formal legacy.

 

For a decade, the team operated as a grassroots force for underserved youth, providing clinics and guidance. However, the mission reached a turning point in 2023 following a devastating car crash just after a major victory that claimed the lives of two teammates, Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz. In the wake of this tragedy, the Advantage All Tennis Foundation was officially established. To keep the memory of those two players alive, the foundation worked alongside the team to organize the inaugural Rally for Roslyn, solidifying ten years of service into a permanent mission of hope.

 

Jannotte-Hinkley’s NJTL, Advantage All Tennis Foundation, offers insights for program leaders who want to grow their organization:

  1. Grow Your Own Coaches: Especially with the cost of coaching rising, training within makes sense. Developing players into coaches addresses both access and staffing challenges.
  2. Invest in Visibility: “Social media is a huge part of growing your organization,” says Jannotte-Hinkley. Her chapter grew from 240 to nearly 1,000 followers in months, improving credibility with partners and funders.
  3. Build a Professional Presence: Early mistakes included launching a basic website without clear navigation. Upgrading digital infrastructure improved accessibility and perception.
  4. Align Leadership with Community: Does your board reflect who you’re serving? Adjusting leadership composition strengthens organizational alignment.

Replicating the Model 

Jannotte-Hinkley’s approach is not dependent on unique resources. It’s built on consistent principles: tie training to real-world outcomes, provide hands-on support, integrate learning into programming and create leadership pathways for players.

 

“You need someone willing to go the extra mile,” Jannotte-Hinkley says, “someone who can get kids excited.” The result: 42 student-coaches with Development Coach badges, and a sustainable pipeline for the future of the game.