Sea Colony Director of Racquets

Job Title:

Sea Colony Director of Racquets

Job Category:

Director of Racquets

Club:

Sea Colony

Location:

Bethany Beach, DE Email this job

DIRECTOR OF RACQUETS PROFILE

SEA COLONY BETHANY

BEACH, DE DIRECTOR OF RACQUETS OPPORTUNITY AT SEA COLONY

Sea Colony Recreational Association, Inc. is seeking a highly visible, energetic, and experienced Director of Racquets to lead one of the premier resort racquets operations in the United States. Qualified candidates will thrive in a hospitality-driven environment. They will bring the staff leadership, communication skills, programming creativity, and financial acumen necessary to elevate the tennis and pickleball experience for homeowners, members, renters, vacationers, and guests. Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.

ABOUT SEA COLONY AND COMMUNITY

Known as "The Premier Family Beach and Tennis Community," Sea Colony is a distinctive resort community located along Delaware's Atlantic Coast. Developed between 1972 and 2012, the community encompasses more than 2,200 residences set amid beautifully landscaped grounds and a half mile of private beach reserved exclusively for homeowners and guests. Sea Colony offers a wide range of amenities designed for active lifestyles and family enjoyment, including hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, fitness facilities, dining and shopping, water sports, 12 heated pools, two indoor pools, hot tubs, saunas, and a children's splash pad. Racquet sports have been a cornerstone of Sea Colony for more than 40 years. The program is consistently recognized as one of the top racquet destinations in the United States and has been ranked among the world's best programs by Tennis Resorts Online. The racquets complex features 6 indoor hard courts with mixed tennis and pickleball use, 14 Har-Tru courts, 10 outdoor tennis courts, including 6 mixed-use courts, and 16 dedicated outdoor pickleball courts, many of which are lit for extended play. The program operates year-round with full-time and seasonal staff. It includes camps, clinics, lessons, tournaments, socials, pro exhibitions, junior instruction, USTA League play, pickleball programming, and an annual USTA Women's Professional Tournament offering $35,000 in prize money.

SEA COLONY BY THE NUMBERS

Over 2,200 residences in a distinctive family beach and tennis community Approximately 1,900 memberships across all categories Membership types include Winter Tennis, Summer Tennis, Seasonal Fitness, Monthly Fitness, and Summer Average member age is approximately 55+ The annual racquets budget is approximately $1.3M Approximately 436 adult players, 110 active junior players, and 6 interclub teams Approximately 15 racquets professionals in season Director of Racquets on-court expectation: approximately 10hours per week Court Reserve is used for racquets reservations/POS; CINC is used for accounting 8 Racquets Committee members Sea Colony provides food and beverage operations

SEA COLONY WEBSITE

www.seacolony.com

DIRECTOR OF RACQUETS

•POSITION

OVERVIEW

The Director of Racquets will serve as the visible and accountable leader of Sea Colony's tennis and pickleball operation. This position is responsible for all aspects of the racquets experience, including homeowner/member satisfaction, staff leadership, instruction, programming, events, tournaments, communications, court utilization, facility presentation, and financial performance. The successful candidate will be expected to lead with energy and clarity, build trust quickly, and create a fun, welcoming, and well-organized environment. Sea Colony requires a leader who can balance tradition with innovation, tennis with pickleball, homeowner priorities with guest/renter access, and service expectations with business discipline.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE NEW DIRECTOR OF RACQUETS

Build relationships and establish trust. Be visible, approachable, and engaged with homeowners, members, renters, guests, staff, senior leadership, and the Racquets Committee. Learn names, listen actively, understand the culture, and become the clear face of racquets at Sea Colony. Lead, recruit, train, and develop the racquets team. Create a cohesive staff culture built around hospitality, professionalism, enthusiasm, accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement. Recruit and retain high-quality teaching professionals for both peak season and the off-season. Elevate programming, events, and player engagement. Develop a comprehensive annual calendar that includes social tennis, competitive tennis, pickleball ladders and leagues, round robins, junior pathways, camps, clinics, special events, exhibitions, USTA play, and tournaments. Balance tennis and pickleball thoughtfully. Understand the needs of both constituencies and manage court inventory, programming, staffing, and communication in a fair, transparent, and strategic manner. Strengthen communication and operations. Improve clarity, consistency, responsiveness, and professionalism in all member-facing and staff-facing communication, including scheduling, billing, policies, events, and feedback follow-up. Drive financial performance with sound judgment. Understand the revenue and expense structure of the racquet's operation, meet or exceed budget expectations, identify appropriate revenue growth opportunities, and maintain a service-first culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General Leadership Act as the primary ambassador and face of Sea Colony racquets, maintaining a visible presence across tennis and pickleball. Work closely with the General Manager, senior leadership team, Racquets Committee, and Association leadership to support the strategic direction of the racquets' operation. Understand the needs of homeowners, members, renters, vacationers, guests, juniors, social players, competitive players, and pickleball players. Enforce rules, policies, and standards fairly while maintaining a welcoming and service-oriented culture. Staff Leadership and Development Recruit, hire, train, schedule, supervise, mentor, and evaluate full-time, seasonal, instructional, and front-line racquets staff. Create clear expectations for staff, teaching standards, communication norms, service standards, and operating procedures. Hold regular staff meetings and one-on-one check-ins to ensure alignment, accountability, and consistent execution. Programming, Instruction, and Player Development Develop and implement a comprehensive annual plan for tennis and pickleball programs, clinics, camps, lessons, ladders, leagues, round robins, socials, and tournaments. Create engaging programming for all ages and levels, including beginners, social players, competitive players, juniors, families, homeowners, renters, and guests. Oversee instructional quality and coaching methodology across tennis and pickleball. Continue to strengthen tennis programming while thoughtfully expanding pickleball instruction, organized play, ladders, leagues, clinics, and social events. Member, Homeowner, and Guest Experience Create a warm, fun, energetic, and welcoming atmosphere throughout the Racquet Sports Center. Be accessible and responsive to feedback, questions, concerns, and suggestions from all user groups. Balance homeowner and member satisfaction with the business needs and guest/renter components of the resort operation. Tournaments, Events, and Community Engagement Lead and support tournaments, exhibitions, special events, USTA activity, social programming, and high-profile events that enhance the Sea Colony brand. Develop events that create energy, connection, and community across tennis and pickleball. Partner with homeowners, volunteers, committees, staff, and outside organizations when appropriate to execute programs well. Financial, Business, and Administrative Management Develop and manage the annual racquets budget in collaboration with the General Manager and senior leadership. Prepare revenue forecasts, monitor expenses, manage payroll and staffing levels, and evaluate program profitability. Monitor revenue from lessons, clinics, courts, camps, tournaments, leagues, guests, and events to ensure accurate billing and strong financial controls. Use financial acumen to identify realistic revenue growth opportunities, improve underutilized court times, and align programming with the business plan. Operations, Facilities, Technology, and Retail Oversee the daily presentation, readiness, safety, and cleanliness of the Racquet Sports Center, courts, indoor facilities, pro shop areas, and related equipment. Coordinate with maintenance and operations teams to ensure courts and facilities are prepared for daily play, programming, events, and peak-season volume. Manage reservations, calendars, staffing schedules, court utilization, and program logistics through Court Reserve and related systems. Develop and refine SOPs for front desk operations, retail and stringing management, court usage, programming, billing, events, weather procedures, and staff communication.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive racquets leadership, instructional, and program management experience, preferably in a high-volume club, resort, private community, or multi-constituent recreational environment. Prior Director-level or senior racquets management experience is strongly preferred. Demonstrated ability to recruit, lead, train, mentor, evaluate, and retain a sizeable team of teaching professionals and support staff. Strong tennis background with the ability to credibly teach, evaluate, and program for adult, junior, social, and competitive players. Pickleball competency and a genuine commitment to supporting and growing the pickleball program through instruction, organized play, ladders, leagues, clinics, and social events. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to over-communicate during issues, explain decisions clearly, and work productively with committees and leadership groups. Proven financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, revenue management, expense control, staffing cost awareness, reporting, and business planning. Demonstrated creativity in programming, events, tournaments, social play, and revenue-generating activities. Highly visible, personable, energetic, organized, dependable, adaptable, and hospitality-oriented. Ability to balance competing interests, including tennis and pickleball, homeowners and renters, social and competitive play, peak-season demand and off-season growth, and service expectations and business realities. Commitment to Sea Colony's brand, culture, community, and long-term success.

EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS

A bachelor's degree in sports management, business, recreation, hospitality, or a related field is preferred. Current professional certification through RSPA/USPTA, PTR, PPR, PPTR, or another recognized tennis/pickleball certification organization is expected. Ideal candidates have completed or are enrolled in the USTA-endorsed D.O.R.S. "Director of Racquets Sports" course through the University of Florida, supported and certified through the PTR and the RSPA. College-level playing experience, coaching experience, or comparable high-level competitive experience is desirable.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Sea Colony offers an excellent bonus and benefits package.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to attach when prompted during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not included on your resume or cover letter; it should be used on your LinkedIn profile. Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to the Sea Colony Search Committee / Ms. Patti DuBuque, General Manager. Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why Sea Colony and the Bethany Beach area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Association if selected. You must apply for this role as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Candidate selections will occur in early July, with the first Interviews expected in Mid-July and the second interviews shortly thereafter. The successful candidate should assume their role in early September 2026.

IMPORTANT

Save your resume and cover letter in the following manner: "Last Name, First Name•Resume" "Last Name, First Name•Cover Letter•

SEA COLONY

" (These documents should be in Word or PDF format.)

Note:

Once you complete the application process, you will not be able to go back and add additional documents. If you have any questions, please email

Katy Eliades:

katy@kkandw.com

Lead Search Executive:

Len Simard, USTA Coaching Professional, PTR, PPR, PPTR Professional, RSPA Master Professional Search & Consulting Executive

O:

(833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 718

M:

(407) 463-8923 len@kkandw.com