Jobs

Introduction to Officiating 

Friday 19 November To Sunday 21 November 2021 



Thank you for your interest in the Introduction to Officiating Clinic. We are happy that you are considering joining our team! 



PLEASE NOTE: The clinic is for those who are interested in working as a tennis official. This is not a "rules school" for players! Rules Schools for leagues or teams are available on request by contacting the Alberta Officiating Representative. 



The clinic will teach you the Rules of Tennis and basic on court techniques. In order to obtain certification and work as an official, attendees are also required to complete on-court training at upcoming tournaments. New officials start as roving (on-court) umpires and line umpires, and are invited to progress to chair/chief/referee as their experience grows. Attendance at the clinic, and the subsequent on court tournament training is mandatory to obtain certification. 



Friday November 19 6pm to 10pm and Saturday November 20 9am to 12pm This is the classroom module of the course and will be held at the Glencoe Club in Calgary. (29 Avenue Southwest, Calgary). Please note that anyone entering the Glencoe Club must have received both vaccines and bring proof of this with you to the clinic. Masks are mandatory inside the facility. 



You will be provided with the link to the online Tennis Canada rulebook “Rules of the Court” and the Introduction to Officiating Manual. You may want to bring a notepad and pen to take notes and some food. Dinner is not provided on Friday but you are welcome to bring something to eat during class. We will take a short 15–20-minute break during the evening session. The clinic will continue on Saturday morning from 9am to 12pm and attendance at both sessions is mandatory to achieve certification. 



This classroom work consists of a PowerPoint presentation, videos, quizzes and interactive role play. You will learn the Rules of Tennis, Code of Conduct and the basic techniques of Roving Umpire work. 



You will also be introduced to the Officiating Pathway and the structure of the Tennis Canada Officiating Program and we will cover the opportunities for work in AB, and as you progress, across Canada and International work. 



Saturday November 20 1pm to 6pm and Sunday November 21 9am to 1pm 

This is the on-court module of the course and is held in conjunction with a junior tournament being played at the Glencoe Club. You will be involved in pre-match talks, coin toss and on court match supervision. Please wear a black or blue top, khaki pants and tennis shoes to this session. On court training is mandatory to obtain your certification and this first training session will be in 2-hour shifts (depending on number of clinic participants). You will not be required to stay for the entire time on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, but you are welcome to do so if you want to. 

There will be a separate sign up for shifts on these days prior to the course and during the classroom session on Friday night. 



Line Umpire Training 

Line Umpire work does not really start until the summer season begins. In the early spring you will be advised of the training opportunities, usually at some of the larger provincial events. There will also be additional training sessions before our biggest event - the ATP Challenger likely to be held in November 2022.  



Working as an Official 

Once certified, you will have access to the Officiating system where you will be able to access communications about upcoming work opportunities, news, resources and other officiating events. 



The majority of officiating work for officials in AB is as a Roving Umpire and takes place on evenings and weekends in the indoor season. During the summer there are many more events and these can be during weekdays, evenings and weekends.  



Officials advise their availability on the TCOMS system and are scheduled accordingly. 



Development and Progression 

The more you work, the more you learn – there really is no substitute for on court experience. Some officials find that they really enjoy work as a Roving Umpire and just work in that role, others take it to the next level and train to become Chair Umpires. Others focus on Line Umpire work and spend their summers travelling to work at various tournaments. The majority of the officials in AB do some work in all of the various roles.  



As an official you may choose to do all roles (RU, LU, CU) or just to concentrate on one or two. We can discuss your preferences once you start your officiating journey. 



We hope you will enjoy officiating as much as we do, and look forward to welcoming you to our team! 

 

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact KJ Read at officiating@tennisalberta.com