ciara frame (msapk ’24)
Strength & Conditioning Coach, United States Tennis Association
Ciara Frame, CSCS, has a front-row seat to witness the next generation of greats in U.S.A. tennis. As a strength and conditioning coach for the United States Tennis Association, or USTA, Frame supports and works with junior tennis players who begin to train professionally at age 12. She travels across the globe with these future all-stars, being on the road for upwards of 25 weeks annually. When Frame decided to return to school for her master’s degree, she knew she needed a program that excelled in strength and conditioning and was flexible enough to meet her career demands.
Frame, who grew up as a cross-country athlete, pursued her passion at Florida Gulf Coast University, or FGCU, and studied exercise science. During her studies, she dipped her toes into professional sports as a strength and conditioning intern with the Major League Baseball team, the Minnesota Twins, coaching athletes in group and one-on-one settings. She then served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for FGCU, supporting strength and conditioning programs for men’s and women’s tennis and cross country and women’s dive. For the next two years, Frame learned the ins and outs of how to coach athletes and manage athletes in diverse sports, including tennis. While she enjoyed working with college athletes, her long-term goal was to work for a national sports governing body: Enter the USTA.
While working at FGCU, Frame accepted a position as a strength and conditioning coach for the USTA, the national governing body for tennis in the U.S. In her role, Frame supports American players by delivering individualized training programs, coaching them on court movements and more. After landing her dream job, Frame looked toward advancing her education by pursuing a master’s degree that allowed her to balance work and school.
“Pursuing a master’s [degree] was a non-negotiable,” Frame said. Frame was accepted into the UF College of Health & Human Performance’s Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology online master’s program.
“UF offered flexibility and an opportunity to get that experience and education while maintaining my role at USTA,” Frame said. “Everyone is at a different space with online education, so it offered an opportunity to share my experience and learn from others.”
While traveling worldwide to support her athletes, including South America, Central America, Europe and representing Team USA at the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Billig Jean King Cup in Antalya, Turkey, and the International Tennis Federation World Tennis Junior Finals in Prostejov, Czech Republic, Frame balanced coursework off the court.
In December 2024, Frame graduated with her master’s degree and is considering a doctorate focused on continuing to train athletes at the highest level.
Frame shares wisdom with those interested in pursuing an advanced degree while maintaining a part-time- or full-time job.
“Know that you can achieve anything that you want to because this was, for me, a long-time, life-long goal, but to achieve it as well, you need to be disciplined with your time,” Frame said.