Seems like everyone wants to become a collegiate official beginning in January--and that's a good thing; however, in the collegiate officiating world, things just don't happen that quickly. You can't put your hat in the ring today and expect to be doing chairs and getting paid in January...
Being a collegiate chair official requires much more knowledge and training than being a USTA roving official (even though we all start there) and this process takes time and commitment. If you are just looking for a part-time job to make some money you probably need to look elsewhere...
Here are things that need to happen before you are in the chair and working a collegiate match:
First and foremost you are going to have to know the rules. Here are the steps to move along:
* Study the Friend at Court--and then study it some more.
* Go to the USTA site and take and pass all of your required tests. This takes at least 6-7 hours.
* Be sure you are a certified USTA member and have paid your annual dues.
* Be sure you have a Nucula account so you can more along in the process. Without this, there is no hope.
* Once you have a Nucula account, go to ZebraWeb and request an account. If you have problems, contact us and we'll help you in the process.
* Remember you can always contact the ITA at: officials@itatennis.com
* Once you are entered into ZebraWeb, you need to take the required ITA tests and webinars before you can begin training as an ITA official.
* Once you are certified, local referees will be notified of your certification and should begin calling you to work. If you have a local association, they should help you with your training and shadowing of experienced officials.
Training and training is what makes a good ITA official--and there is no shortcut. Here are the steps:
* Once you are a certified ITA official, you need to contact your local ITA coordinator for your area. They are always looking for new officials and will welcome you into the family.
* If you don't have a local collegiate coordinator, contact us. We offer on-court training in real collegiate matches here in the Metroplex and are open to training anyone.
* The coordinator will show you the local requirements for training and this usually includes shadowing, studying, actually doing some chairs with supervision, studying, and finally getting put into the chair for your own match. Its a great experience but takes time!
* Its best to find a coordinator who can train you in real-life matches but if not, get one who will train you in some practice matches or USTA tournaments.
Training means that you are sometimes going to get "down and dirty" and have to work in the trenches. Collegiate chair officiating isn't always glory and glamour--sometimes it just plain hard work. Coordinators look at how someone does in training before enlisting them to work. Pay attention to detail, do what you are told, smile when you are doing it, and then you're ready to jump right in...
Pay attention to your deadlines!!! All of your USTA tests must be taken and passed by October 1, 2016. The deadline for ITA testing has passed but they are offering a chance to redeem yourself and that testing begins now and runs for a short while. Remember--you have to be ITA certified and a member of the USTA, Nucula, and ZebraWeb before you can work in the 2017. There are no exceptions!
If you need more information about the deadlines, check the previous post on this site.
Once you have passed all your requirements, done the required training, and finally gotten assigned to matches where you will get paid, we want to WELCOME YOU TO THE FAMILY! You will find the collegiate tennis officials family in one of the best anywhere--and we have lots of fun together!
Let us know if you're ready to begin the journey!
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