Facilities - Supplies - People

Managing Competitive Teams and People

The challenges of a manager who hopes to have an enjoyable and healthy participation in all programs that foster competitive team play.

By Rod Heckelman

Any team competition your facility participates in can be a handful for your entire staff. The most demanding is league tennis. If you think this challenge will be managed entirely by your tennis staff, think again. Many tennis pros find themselves in a challenging position; having these participants as clients can be difficult to navigate diplomatically. How do they tell a student who is providing them with income that they are not good enough to belong on a team, or tell them after dozens of strategy lessons on doubles play that they don’t have the style of game suited for doubles? As a result, the league participants will go to anyone on the staff for help. A passionate competitor has no filters, they have a goal, and they are going after that goal anyway they can.

The manager will want to be involved with court scheduling. Weather conditions will require rapid attention to drying the courts, and these anxious players will want to go straight to the top — the manager. As a result, the facility managers need to have enough knowledge of these programs to prepare them for the possible sudden alterations that need to be taken to the court scheduling.  

Before any issues come your way, let your players/team captains know through pre-season meetings that you appreciate their participation and enthusiasm to represent the facility. That step alone will help establish a repour and also send that important message that they are “representatives” of your facility. Although not in your line of sight, these players are traveling diplomats for your facility, and their conduct will contribute to the image of your facility.  

Also, add to your preseason agenda a posted set of rules for your teams. These guidelines need to be authored to meet a facility's unique characteristics, which might include how to qualify for teams, recruitment issues, the size of a team roster, and the role of the captains, just to name a few.  

Because of the emotional investment by these players in these programs, it’s easy for managers to be pulled into the excitement of the success of a team. A run to a sectional or national level can be a wonderful experience for all involved. It’s natural for any manager to share in that journey; if not, the image of that manager will appear out of touch or nonresponsive to an accomplishment those members feel strongly about. 

At the same time, obvious and overt bias is unprofessional. This balancing act is even more complicated by the type of tennis facility involved. Is it a membership-owned, corporate-owned, or a facility belonging to a community? Each type of facility will require a unique approach, it will be up to the pro staff and the manager to work together and stay on the same page concerning any issues. Remember, this program is very important and stressful to the participants, so often they will seek out a staff member to get the answer they want to hear; hence, having a team approach is crucial.

With so many new league programs, almost every tennis club has been forced to adjust its court usage and its tennis calendar to meet these new demands. Scheduling through several layers of captains, league organizers, and the players is difficult enough; add to that the cancellations due to weather and the usual strict amount of time in a season for all the matches to be played, and scheduling can be a nightmare. Captains end up having to nurse their teammates through frequent last-minute cancellations from the weather, or last-minute drop-outs. One more reason to have a preseason meeting to put together a game plan that will assist these valuable volunteers.  

A common trap that managers can fall into is the belief that having a winning team gives their facility a better image. That might be true for a short amount of time, but having a solid league program that provides opportunity and participation for all members will result in long-term benefits. Hosting a healthy, competitive environment will always help any facility attract new members and retain its current members.  

Enhance this experience by having after-season parties or celebrations for all the teams. Organize an event that celebrates your members’ participation. These social gatherings are not only enjoyable and popular, but also allow the many different levels of players a rare gathering to share their experiences.  

Another way a manager can show support for the club’s teams is by having the teaching staff find ways to organize and schedule practice sessions. When the staff organizes these activities, it helps promote their lesson income and will also have a positive impact if there is a food service or pro shop that exists at that facility.

The end result that any manager hopes to have would be an enjoyable and healthy participation in all of the programs that foster competitive team play. That result will end up being the true measurement of a manager’s success in supervising the competitive team play at any facility.