PRO UTM is the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's umbrella institution for education and resource center. PRO UTM is charged with educating Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players and their support teams. PRO UTM is available to promote and enhance the player's career fulfillment, safety and well-being. "How", you might ask? PRO UTM helps players access the services available on the Tour and gain concrete skills to maximize her performance on and off the court. PRO UTM is conducted in a variety of mediums, including in-person as well through the PRO UTM e-learning environment, which makes it possible for players to learn career fundamentals according to their schedules and in a way that meets their lifestyle (e.g., anytime, anywhere). PRO UTM offers:
PARTNERS FOR SUCCESS (PFS)
Partners for Success (PFS) is the 1st mentor program in professional sports. PFS brings together young players with veteran and retired players who share their dynamic experience to help these proteges make a smooth transition into their careers. Billie Jean King, as the historian for PFS, exemplifies the role of a mentor.
PLAYER ORIENTATION "ROOKIE HOURS"
Players learn the on-site realities and responsibilities of being a participant on the Tour. The orientation helps the players understand the building blocks of the business and her responsibilities and opportunities.
MEDIA TRAINING
Relative to the stage of their careers, players learn how to be prepared, professional and self-expressive.
PREMIER PLAYER EDUCATION
Provides players with the information and career training they need to succeed as they grow in their career, whether it be financial planning, safety & security or identifying ways to give back to the community and the sport.
PLAYER SUPPORT TEAM EDUCATION
Player Support Team members (parents, coaches, agents, fitness trainers, etc.) are an integral part of each player's career. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is committed to providing education and information to these Support Team members for the benefit of the team members, the sport, and the individual athletes. Through this education the Player Support Team members learn about critical Tour rules as well as expectations for all parties in the environment, including adherence to the Code of Conduct. This Player Support Team education also provides vital information about what the player will encounter in the world of elite women's tennis and how she can best utilize the services and facilities offered by the Tour to maximize her career.
AGE ELIGIBLITY
The Age Eligibility Rule progressively allows players to play more and at a higher level by phasing them into professional tennis in accordance with their age, their ranking and the skills gained from participation in PRO UTM.
ATHLETE ASSISTANCE
Provides players access to educational and preventative strategies to enhance their on-court performance and cope with the many challenges of professional tennis. Assistance can be accessed through: monthly education topics; the AAP phone services/website; and via on-site staff including the departments of Athlete Assistance, Sport Sciences & Medicine and PRO UTM.
ALL COURT-GAME
Players are also required to complete the minimum educational requirements of her country, complete an annual physical examination, and participate in practical activities such as creating a healthy schedule and goal setting.
Pro-U™ Director Ashley Keber explains the program's goals
SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR - PRO UTM - HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour takes a committed approach to the well-being and success of its players, on and off-the court. Since 1995, the Tour, through its PRO UTM initiatives, has provided professional training to its athletes. These PRO UTM programs facilitate skill development, promote career fulfillment and longevity, and minimize the physical, psychological and developmental risks of competing in women's professional tennis. In 2004, the Tour marked the ten year anniversary of these model programs by conducting an extensive review, guided by the PRO UTM Advisory Panel. To see the results of the published 10-Year-Review, click here. The Panel is an independent, volunteer body of leading international sports sciences and medicine professionals with extensive experience with female professional athletes and tennis players; such a panel is commissioned annually to advise the Tour on all aspects of its athlete growth and development programs.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:
Since their implementation in 1995, the Tour's innovative PRO UTM programs have dramatically decreased premature retirement and achieved the desired effect of increasing career longevity among players who began competing under the age of 18 and were ranked at one time in the Top 150:
* Premature retirements (prior to age 22) dropped from 7% to less than 1%.
* Playing careers are lasting 24% longer.
* A Tour player was 73% more likely to enjoy a 15-year career in 2004 compared with 1994.
* 1994 athlete stressors such as media, loneliness and family are no longer at the top of the list. Performance-based stressors, including injuries, expectations and competition are of increased concern and being addressed through Roadmap and other Tour programs.
* Players and the tennis community also overwhelming support the need for the PRO UTM programs, including 91% of the tennis community and 89% of the player community.
PRO UTM Programs are proven successful at addressing the athletes' top stress and performance-related factors.
PANEL CONCLUSIONS:
* The programs and the rule have greatly reduced burnout while fostering the health, development and long-term success of young athletes.
* The approach of PRO UTM is cutting edge within the sports community, is recognized as a model and helps athletes prepare for and handle the physical and psychological demands of full-time professional tennis.
* Early exposure to the programs is creating a new generation of athlete who can mitigate the sport's external factors (family, media, etc.) to focus more on important performance factors (expectations, injuries, etc.) that maximize career potential.
2009 AGE ELIGIBILITY RULE HIGHLIGHTS
* A 14-year-old may play up to 8 ITF Women's Circuit events plus Fed Cup. A 14-year old can earn a Feed-up spot or up to one Wild Card into a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour International tournament if she is enrolled and current in PRO UTM.
* A 15-year-old may play up to 10 professional events (WTA Tour & ITF Women's Circuit), the Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha or the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, plus Fed Cup.
* A 16-year-old may play up to 12 professional events (WTA Tour & ITF Women's Circuit), the Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha or the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, plus Fed Cup.
* A 17-year-old may play up to 16 professional events (WTA Tour & ITF Women's Circuit), the Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha or the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, plus Fed Cup. In the Tour Year of her 17th birthday a player may be named to the Top 10 or Premier Player Lists.
* Merited Increases: If a player aged 15-17 earns her way into the Main Draw or Qualifying of a Premier Mandatory Tournament (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing) via direct acceptance and completes her PRO UTM requirements prior to competing in such event, then her participation in the Premier Mandatory Tournament will be in addition to her allotted number of tournaments under the Age Eligibility Rule. However, if a player is: i) accepted via a Wild Card; ii) 14 years of age; or iii) aged 15-17 and was accepted by direct entry but has not completed her PRO UTM requirements, then her participation in the Premier Mandatory Tournament will be counted towards her total allotment of tournaments under the AER.
* An 18-year-old may play an unlimited number of professional tournaments, Fed Cup and the Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha 2009 or the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. The player will remain a full participant in PRO UTM until notified of graduation.
* Mandatory Play: All players, regardless of age, who by ranking (including Special Rankings) qualify for acceptance into the Main Draw of a Premier Mandatory Tournament (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing) or the Main Draw of a Grand Slam will be entered automatically. A player who has reached her maximum number of professional tournaments under the Age Eligibility Rule prior to such mandatory Tournaments, will not be allowed to play in the Mandatory Tournament and will be assessed a fine and/or receive zero ranking points unless she meets the requirements for it to count in addition to her allotted number of Tournaments.
* Olympics: The Age Eligibility Restrictions with respect to the Women's Tennis Competition will be detailed in the 2012 WTA Tour Age Eligibility Rule and ITF Olympic Tennis Event 2012 Regulations.
PRO UTM - Programs that apply current research and take a progressive approach to athlete education. The end result is player development training that is leading in the sports industry and proven effective.
This serves only as a brief view of the Age Eligibility Rule. Refer to the complete version of the 2009 Age Eligibility Rule or in the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rulebook for details. Questions can be referred to Ashley Keber and Tom Livengood of the PRO UTM department by email at akeber@wtatour.com or tlivengood@wtatour.com.
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