NET GEN JUNIOR PATHWAY
For players who are just starting in the game to those competing at the highest levels, USTA Southern California and our dedicated providers offer a pathway of opportunities to help young players succeed and grow in the game.
Through the USTA American Development Model (ADM) framework, players can learn to compete at their own age level and ability. All of these programs offer different levels, formats, and schedules to accommodate growth and development of junior players.
Tennis development begins with a program often referred to as Red/Orange/Green (R/O/G). R/O/G uses low-compression balls, smaller racquets and smaller courts that allow the beginning player to be successful right away on the court and to develop the best habits for the game long-term.
Age Divisions
– Players aged 5-7 years old are recommended to play in red ball programs.
– Players aged 7-9 years old are recommended to play in orange ball programs.
– Players aged 9-11 years old are recommended to play in green ball programs.
Note that 10U players can participate in the following USTA programs:
– Team Challenges (R/O/G)
– Junior Team Tennis (O/G)
– Junior Circuit Round Robin Events (O/G)
Once a player has completed the Net Generation PlayTracker journey to yellow ball (or the player ages up to 12 years old), he/she may advance to USTA Southern California sanctioned tournaments and accrue a ranking.
The Net Generation PlayTracker is for players aged 5-11 and their parents to track progress at USTA competitive events, all in one place. Using the USTA’s American Development Model (ADM) framework, players and parents will learn more about the recommended development pathway while earning digital accolades for their achievements along their tennis journey.
Benefits of Play Tracker
The new Net Generation PlayTracker will help parents and players navigate their development progress, replacing the previous stars and trophies system.
Benefits of this new system include:
– More control and flexibility for parents and coaches.
– More USTA program options, designed to suit players’ age and skill level.
– Clean and focused profiles to visualize a player’s journey.
– Earned advancement.
– More consistency no matter where a player lives, allowing players to travel or move to a new section with ease.
– Players can earn points for both playing and winning, collecting points in PlayTracker after participating in USTA Team Challenges, USTA Junior Team Tennis, and USTA Junior Circuit programs.
