Ball Crew

The 2023 BNP Paribas Open Ball Crew Team has been filled and registration Is now closed! Registration for the 2024 tournament will open in the fall of 2023.

Are you interested in sharing the court with tennis superstars like Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic and more? As part of the tournament crew, you’ll be part of the amazing on-court action in Indian Wells Tennis Paradise.

Members of the Ball Crew will receive a credential for entry to the grounds plus two complimentary BNP Paribas Open grounds pass tickets, for parents and friends, for the entire tournament, as well as an official BNP Paribas Open uniform. In addition, you will receive a meal allowance for every shift you take.

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California is one of the premier tournaments in the world and the BNP Ball Crew Team is an essential part of the event.  The BNP Ball Crew Committee strives each year to maintain and improve our performance on court. Our goal is to provide you with the tools and training to be one of the best of the best. We can accomplish this by sharing our years of experience with you and providing the essential training.

We provide you with an online Ball Crew Manual. It explains in detail everything that is expected of you on and off court. In addition, you are provided with training videos that demonstrate our procedures. We urge you to take advantage of these tools prior to attending your in-person training with our experienced BNP Ball Crew Coordinators.

Before applying, please read all of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open requirements listed below. These requirements apply to both new and returning Ball Crew applicants.

Age Requirements:

• The Ball Crew must be between the ages of 13 and 35 by March 6, 2023. (Proof of age is required)

Physical Requirements:

• You must be physically capable of performing up to a two-hour continuous session on court as part of a six hour shift. The normal session is one hour on court followed with a one- hour rest period.

Participation Requirements (Must meet all of the following):

• Attend one (1) Orientation / uniform distribution on either Saturday, March 4, 2023, or Sunday, March 5, 2023. You will receive your uniform and credential following orientation.
• All Ball Crew must complete a minimum of five (5) shifts during the two-week tournament.
• At least three (3) of these shifts must occur during the first four (4) days of the tournament, Monday March 6, 2023, through Thursday March 9, 2023. This will be monitored. 

New and second-year Ball Crew will be required to complete three (3) morning shifts during the first 4 days of the tournament Monday, March 6, 2023 through Thursday, March 9, 2021. The morning shifts are from 10:00am to 4:00pm or 11:00am to 5:00pm. No weekend or evening shifts will be available until you have signed up for the required shifts. This will be monitored.

• Two consecutive shifts may be taken on the same day.
• Shifts during the second week of the tournament (March 13-19) are by invitation only based on performance during the first week.

Waivers:
Complete the necessary online waivers posted on the registration site.

Training Requirements:
Read the 2023 BNP Ball Crew Manual and pass the online Ball Crew Quiz. (It is an open-book quiz.) Watch the training videos that demonstrate our on-court procedures. Both the Ball Crew manual and videos are posted on the registration website.

Pre-Tournament Training:
New and second-year Ball Crew applications are required to complete a minimum of 10-12 hours of training. Our objective is to  be sure that you are “Tournament Ready” before March 6, 2023. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee “Tournament Ready” status in 10-12 hours of training because it is based on your performance. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you start your training early to ensure that you complete all of the training necessary before tournament day. The Ball Crew Chairs will determine when you have reached that goal.

Ball Crew Members with 2 or more years of experience at the BNP must complete a minimum of 4 hours of yearly refresher training or 1 day of Boot Camp. Training sessions will be offered at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and out-of-area locations.

Indian Wells Boot Camp Training Dates: (All trainings in Indian Wells will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, CA 92210. Training times are 9:30am-2:30pm each day with a lunch break from 12:00pm-12:30pm. Please bring your own lunch/snacks, and water. Wear athletic clothing and non-marking tennis shoes. Enter the facility off Miles Avenue, gate 7.)

Saturday, January 14, 2023
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Sunday, February 5, 2023

Off-Site Training: The following are training dates/times/locations for off-site BNP Ball Crew training. Registration is required to attend trainings.

Dana Point, CA
November 5 & 6, 2022
1pm – 5:30pm
@Dana Point Tennis Center

Boise, ID
October 22, November 5, November 19, December 3, December 17, 2023 and January 7, January 21, February 11, and February 18, 2023
@ 7am

Denver, CO
October 1, 2022
12pm – 4pm
Ken-Caryl Community Center

Denver, CO
Oct 8, 2022
12pm – 4pm
Dakota Ridge High School

Denver, CO
Oct  9, 2022
12pm – 4pm
Dakota Ridge High School

Edmonds, WA
December 22, 2022
3pm – 7:30pm
Harbor Square Athletic Club

January 8, 2023
9am – 1:30pm
Harbor Square Athletic Club

Santa Barbara, CA
January 15 & 29 & February 19
2pm – 4pm
@Santa Barbara Tennis Club

Santa Barbara, CA
January 23 & February 13, 19
3:30pm – 5:30pm
@Santa Barbara Tennis Club

Temecula, CA
October 22 & 23, 2022
1 pm – 5:30 pm
@Great Oaks High School

Thousand Oaks, CA
January and February 2023
@California Lutheran University

Yucaipa, CA
September 17 & 18, 2022 and October 15 & 16, 2023
9am – 1:30pm
@Yucaipa High School

Good luck and we look forward to having you join our team!

QUESTIONS? Please contact ballkids@desertchampions.com.