Meet Ken Grassel. Ken is the Officiating Growth Manager for the USTA, assigned to the Southern California and Hawaii/Pacific sections.

A one-time junior player who competed in many Southern California tournaments, Ken first got certified to be an Official in the year 2000.  Since then, he’s worked nearly 1,000 events, including the US Open, dozens of college dual matches, numerous ATP and WTA stops and, most of all, roughly 500 junior tournaments.

These days, Ken is on a quest to find more Officials. “There aren’t enough,” he said. “I’ve been at events where I’ve been the only Official and I’ve had ten courts to cover. That’s too many.” A better ratio at junior tournaments is for an Official to be responsible for four courts at Level 1-5, six at Level 6 and at the tournament director’s discretion for a Level 7. Besides junior tennis, there’s also heavy demand during the winter and spring college season, as well as for various league events.

Being an Official is a complicated job. Tennis is a unique sport, one where a competitor is responsible for assessing an opponent’s actions. Imagine, for example, a basketball player calling another for traveling. But in tennis, this happens during every point, a responsibility that can make for tricky interactions.

“If a player doesn’t agree with a call,” said Ken, “We suggest asking the opponent, ‘Are you sure?’ If the player continues to make what appear to be egregious calls, we suggest getting an Official.” 

As anyone who’s been in these situations knows, matters can get volatile once that happens. But the Officials are the ones who keep everyone both relaxed and on track.

Said Ken, “I’m a firm believer that when you’re a roving umpire and working an event, if you’re visible and moving about, everyone sees you and feels your presence. They know you’re watching and they get on their best behavior.”

To manage this environment as an Official requires knowledge, skill, and a certain kind of X factor. According to Ken, “The hardest part with officiating, especially when you’re new, coming in, is the confidence level: How you can best apply rules in your own way. My style is to be calm in any circumstances. No matter how heated it gets, I don’t let it affect me.”

Becoming an Official is a rigorous but accessible process. An officiating interest form can be found at usta.com/startofficiating. There follows a six-part, online training module, akin to driver’s education. Then comes the driver’s training segment – working alongside an experienced Official for eight hours of shadowing. The prospective Official then puts their knowledge to the test by completing a knowledge check with an approved officiating trainer. 

“I’m looking for people who possess good judgment and common sense,” said Ken. “What we do out there is not always black and white. How you apply a rule can make a difference.”

According to Ken, “I think there are many possibilities out there – people who have a passion for tennis and being part of an event.” Payment ranges from $20 to $30 an hour, with a four-hour minimum.  “Officiating is more of a part-time job for a lot of people,” said Ken. “It’s not designed to be full-time work. It’s a way to give back and stay involved with a sport you love and do so in a way that helps the game. When players and Officials think back about an event they just finished they see that the Officials were an instrumental part of having a good experience.”

Being an Official can also be quite fulfilling. “The fun part of the job is the teamwork and how we engage with the tournament,” said Ken. “It’s just doing our part to make sure the day runs well and everything goes smoothly at an event. The Official makes sure that the two or four players are all playing fairly and within the rules. At the emotional level, that can really help.”

All that said, it is not an easy task to be an Official. The eyes must be trained.  Rules must be learned – and then politely enforced. This is a task strictly for the calm and the confident. Through early mornings and afternoons, into the night, Officials keep tennis players at peace, our tournament directors happy, our courts safe and enjoyable.

The rewards are great – a unique and powerful way to engage with a sport loved by so many men and women. It’s not a job for everyone. But it just might be for you.

–

To learn more about becoming a USTA Official, visit our Officiating page.