Requirements

Program Eligibility & Advancement 2024/25 🎾

Grip n Rip offers programs for all skill levels.
The following are program descriptions and requirements for advancement through Grip n Rip Programs.

Program Name

Gripper Mini Tennis (RED BALL program)

Program Time: 3:45-5 pm

Student to Instructor: 6 to 1 

Requirements for Admission

Attendance: One or Multiple days

UTR: None

Concepts to graduate: 

  1. Ready Position
  2. Unit Turn 
  3. Follow Thru 
  4. Continental Grip

Technical Skill: None

  • Hand-Eye- Ball coordination 
  • Motor skills to follow instruction and participate 
  • Motor skills to follow instruction and participate 
  • Coordinative Athletic Development
  • Basic tennis skills to impact a tennis ball
  • Go home happy and tired

Program Goals: Program goal is to welcome kids to the sport and build their passion

Behavioral: Cannot be Disruptive to Others or prevent others from learning/enjoying
Weekend Participation: None

Program Name

Gripper Competitive Track – Orange Ball

Program Time: 5:00 – 7pm

Student to Instructor: 6 – 1

Requirements for Admission Orange Ball

Attendance: Two or Multiple days

UTR: None               USTA: Complete the USTA youth progression

Concepts to graduate:

  1. Ready Position
  2. Unit Turn
  3. Contact point
  4. Follow Thru
  5. Continental Grip
  6. Forehand Grip / Backhand Grip
  7. Regular Tennis Scoring 
  8. Serving Routine with trophy position 
  9. Athletic skills : Skips, Side Shuffle, High Knees, But-Kickers, Jumps, coordination.
  10. Regular tennis scoring 

Concepts for serving technique:

  1. Continental Grip 
  2. Footwork & stances
  3. Set-up
  4. Routine
  5. Ball placement
  6. Balance / Trophy Position
  7. Proper swing to contact (pronation)
  8. Contact point
  9. Proper follow-through 
  10. On balance and controlled finish 

Program Goals: Introduce tennis competition to kids and wake the tennis dream up on themselves. 

Coaches Mission: 

Teach players all concepts required under the program curriculum so players can explain to others once they are not with GNR on court and be able to perform when a ball comes to them regardless if the ball goes in or out. 

Criteria to Remain in Program

Behavioral; 

  • Cannot be Disruptive to Others or prevent others from learning/enjoying
  • Needs to show interest in learning 
  • Demonstrate respect and hard work

Weekend Participation: 3 tournaments or GNR weekend class per session

Program Name

Ripper Performance Program

Program Time: 5:00 – 7pm

Student to Instructor: 4 to 1 ideally 

Requirements for Admission:
Note: In addition to the requirements stated below, admission into the Ripper Performance Program is at the discretion of the Program Manager.

Attendance: Two or Multiple days

UTR: 3.5 and up (players between GCT 2.5 and RPP 3.5 UTR acceptance into RPP will depend on tournament play)

Ripper Players Must:
1. Must give 100% effort at all times during the program
2. Must be committed to competing in tournaments twice per month
3. Tennis must be the number one athletic priority

Technical Skills: Advance footwork, racquet and coordination skills

  • High intensity training
  • Needs to be fun
  • Live ball
  • Consistency, targets, movements, ball placement, patterns
  • Recovery steps, split step , loading, weight transfer, 
  • Transitional movements (ex: Approach transition into volley footwork)
  • Hip rotation and positions 
  • Keep it moving, kids need to be in motion 

Program Goal:
Program goal is to find the next star and get kids into high national rankings or commit to varsity high school teams then colleges

Criteria to Remain in Program

Behavioral Standards:

  • Cannot be disruptive to others or prevent others from learning/enjoying.
  • Needs to show interest in learning 
  • Demonstrate respect and hard work
  • Passion towards improving and competing

Weekend Participation Requirements:

4 tournaments per session ( 2 UTR  and 2 USTA tournaments if not all USTA)

Program Name

Gripper Developmental Program

Program Time: 3:45-5 pm

Student to Instructor: Orange Ball & Yellow ball: 8 to 1

Requirements for Admission

Attendance: One or Multiple days

UTR: None

Concepts to graduate: 

  1. Ready Position
  2. Unit Turn
  3. Follow Thru
  4. Continental Grip
  5. Forehand Grip
  6. Backhand Grip
  7. Volley technique 
  8. Serving Routine with trophy position (no pronation or placement of ball) 
  9. Athletic skills: Skips, Side Shuffle, High Knees, But-Kickers, Jumps, coordination

Concepts for serving technique:

  1. Continental Grip 
  2. Footwork & stances
  3. Routine
  4. Balance / Trophy Position
  5. Proper swing to contact 
  6. Contact point
  7. Proper follow-through 

Coaches Mission: 

Teach players all concepts required under the program curriculum so players can explain to others once they are not with GNR on court. 

Technical Skill: None

What we teach: 

  • Coordinative Athletic Development
  • Basic footwork required to hit a ball 
  • Basic motor tennis skills to be able to play tennis properly. 
  • Continental grip, Unit turn, Contact point , Follow thru, Wide base, Split step (Ready Position)

Program Goals: Program goal is to introduce tennis to kids and make them learn and love the sport

Criteria to Remain in Program:

Behavioral; Cannot be Disruptive to Others or prevent others from learning/enjoying

Weekend Participation: None                  UTR: 100% verified UTR to move to GCT

Program Name

Gripper Competitive Track – Yellow (Regulation) Ball

UTR: 2.5 and under  / 100% reliable UTR    USTA: Complete the USTA youth progression

Concepts to graduate:

  1. Ready Position
  2. Unit Turn
  3. Contact point
  4. Follow Thru
  5. Continental Grip
  6. Forehand Grip / Backhand Grip
  7. Open Stance 
  8. Close Stance
  9. Serving Routine with trophy position 
  10. FH and BH Volley demonstration
  11. Regular tennis scoring 
  12. Athletic skills : Skips, Side Shuffle, High Knees, But-Kickers, Jumps, Single leg jump into balance, jump rope.

Concepts for serving technique:

  1. Continental Grip 
  2. Footwork & stances
  3. Set-up
  4. Routine
  5. Ball placement
  6. Balance / Trophy Position
  7. Proper swing to contact (pronation)
  8. Contact point
  9. Proper follow-through 
  10. On balance and controlled finish 

Technical Skill:

  • Intermediate footwork, racquet and coordination skills
  • Needs to be fun
  • Introduce tennis positions, balance and weight transfer with hip rotation
    • Close stance, open stance, semi open stance 
  • Recovery steps + split step
  • Transitional movements (ex: Approach transition into volley footwork)
  • Keep it moving, kids need to be in motion 

Program Goals: Program goal is to introduce tennis competition to kids and wake the tennis dream up on themselves. 

Coaches Mission: 

Teach players all concepts required under the program curriculum so players can explain to others once they are not with GNR on court and be able to perform when a ball comes to them and look for an efficient control of the ball. 

Criteria to Remain in Program

Behavioral:

  • Cannot be Disruptive to Others or prevent others from learning/enjoying
  • Needs to show interest in learning 
  • Demonstrate respect and hard work

Weekend Participation: 3 tournaments per session

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