Director of Tennis Pathways – Instruction & Competition

About New York Junior Tennis & Learning 

For over fifty years, New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) has honored its founder Arthur Ashe’s legacy by celebrating the diversity of children, encouraging them to reach their highest potential through free tennis and academic programs. NYJTL is the largest provider of youth tennis and education programs in the nation, providing services in 100 unique sites across all five boroughs while reaching nearly 90,000 kids. In addition, NYJTL designed, funded (with NYC), built and operates the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the South Bronx. All NYJTL community tennis and after school programs are offered at no cost to its participants.

The mission of NYJTL is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. It believes life skills gained through tennis, academics, healthy living, and character development are a catalyst for long-term achievement.

Position Summary

NYJTL is seeking a dynamic Director of Tennis Pathways – Instruction & Competition to oversee the delivery, growth, and quality of grassroots tennis programming across our sites. This role ensures that instruction is consistent, competitions are mission-driven, and staff are equipped to deliver world-class experiences for youth. The Director will leverage deep expertise in the ROGY (Red, Orange, Green, Yellow) curriculum to mentor staff, solve operational challenges, and engage families. The ideal candidate is both a technical leader and a community builder—capable of inspiring coaches, supporting players, and creating meaningful connections between families, staff, and the broader NYJTL community. This position reports to the VP of Tennis Pathways and Player Development.

Core Responsibilities:

Instructional Leadership

• Ensure consistent, high-quality delivery of grassroots tennis programming through site visits and on-court coaching support.
• Implement and adapt the ROGY curriculum to address diverse skill levels, large groups, and site-specific challenges.
• Use observation, data, and feedback to drive instructional excellence and innovation.

Staff Development

• Train, mentor, and empower instructors and site staff to deliver engaging, developmentally appropriate instruction.
• Serve as a communication bridge across all sites to ensure aligned goals, consistency, and share best practices.

Program & Competition Management

• Support and shape youth tennis competitions that align with NYJTL’s mission and engage players at all levels.
• Lead talent identification efforts across the player development pathway.
• Troubleshoot day-to-day site challenges and foster a culture of excellence across all programming.

Family & Community Engagement

• Develop and lead a parent education program to promote understanding of NYJTL’s philosophy, youth development approach, and competition pathways.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to highlight successes, share impact stories, and strengthen community support.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in youth tennis instruction, coaching, or program management.
• Strong knowledge and practical experience with the ROGY curriculum and engaging with large groups.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor coaches and site staff.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Passion for youth development and community-based programming.
• Certification preferred but not a requirement to start (USPTA, PTR, or USTA coaching, SafeSport)

The above is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by this position. Other functions may be assigned, and management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time.

Job Type: Full Time

Salary Range: $80,000 – $100,000, commensurate with experience

NYJTL values the diversity of the people we hire and inspire. Diversity at our organization means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, respected, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We center equity in all our work and in our hiring practices.