201511 tennis industry magazine

Racquet Sports

PICKLEBALL &TENNIS: Can they be friends?

Programming

How to work aCARDIO TENNISclass light on players

Community Tennis

Looking to GROWTHE GAME locally?Call your TSR now!

NOV/DEC 2015 / VOLUME 43/ NUMBER 10 / $5.00

Wish List for the New Year!Last years Champions of Tennis tell us their hopes for 2016.

Help Your PlayersGet A Grip

New Tennis Shoes Create Opportunities

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DEPARTMENTS

4 Our Serve

7 Industry News

14 Letters

16 TIA News

18 Racquet Tech

20 Community Tennis

22 Grassroots Tennis

38 Tips & Techniques

40 String Playtest: Babolat M7 17

42 Your Serve, by Kevin Theos

PLUS

44 CEOs Message

46 Vice Presidents Message

48 Endorsee News

50 Beyond the Court

63 Inside Coaching

64 Master Pro Corner

66 Career Development

68 Member News

INDUSTRY NEWS

7 Dave Haggerty elected ITF president

7 USPTA headquarters to move to Lake Nona

7 Babolat introduces connected wristband

8 Court surface uses recycled tennis balls

8 Hall of Fame capital campaign exceeds goal

8 Vitalsox introduces hot new socks

9 Youth Tennis event held at US Open

9 Van der Meer, Gullikson into USPTA HoF

10 People Watch

11 Canadian doctors prescribe exercise

11 NCAA Div. 1 Chps. to use no-ad scoring

12 Short Sets

13 PTR HoF to induct Billie Jean King

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015Tennis Industry

26 Wish List for the New YearWe asked last years Champions of Tennis winners what theyre looking for in the coming year.

30 Mixing It UpTennis shoe manufacturers are creating opportunities with a complex balance of fashion, technology and changes in the game. 32 Pickleball and TennisThe explosive growth of pickleball can be a positive for the tennis marketif tennis lets it. 34 Numbers GameDont yet have the numbers for an ideal Cardio Tennis session? You can still create a great experience, and grow your profits. 36 Getting a Grip!Having the right grips and overgrips are crucial to not only good performance, but also to the players health.

50 The True Warrior

54 USPTA World Conference Wrap up

64 Pay Yourself First

65 Remembering Rich

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FEATURES

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www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com

Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

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Our Serve Publishers David Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial Director Peter Francesconi [email protected]

Associate Editor Greg Raven

Design/Art Director Kristine Thom

Special Projects Manager Bob Patterson

Contributing Editors Robin Bateman Cynthia Cantrell Kent Oswald Cynthia Sherman Mary Helen Sprecher

Contributing Photographers Bob Kenas David Kenas

TENNIS INDUSTRY Corporate Offices PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171 Email: [email protected] Website: www.TennisIndustryMag.com Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Advertising Director John Hanna 770-650-1102, x.125 [email protected] Apparel Advertising Cynthia Sherman 203-263-5243 [email protected]

Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year: monthly January through August and combined issues in September/October and November/ December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage paid at Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS #004-354). Nov/Dec 2015, Volume 43, Number 10 2015 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tennis Industry, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096. TI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA.

Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website at TennisIndustrymag.com for free digital versions back to 2004.

In the September/October is-sue, I wrote about how we in this industry have let ourselves be pulled away from what should be our mainand very simplepurpose: getting more people to play tennis. I received many sup-portive comments. (Unfortunately, I was unable to convince many of those who commented to put their name to their thoughts and send me a letter to the editor I can pub-lish. But, that is a topic for another day.)For those of us who have put our

time, career, and life into this sport, we need to make sure increasing tennis participation is always front and center. For all the millions of dollars spent on programs, initia-tives and marketing for tennis, the focusand the resultmust be growth of the sport at the grass-roots level. To repeat what I said in the last issue: My business, as does yours, depends on this sport growing.But one of the continuing chal-

lenges we have in trying to grow tennis is that we tend to overcom-plicate things. Growing this sport isnt rocket science, but it is all about being local. Its great to have large national programs, but they need to be brought down to a local

level, with support from and for local tennis providers. And related to that, we still need

to give people clear and simple reasons to play this game in the first place. Theres a small item in Industry News this month about doctors in Canada prescribing exercise to patients. I had sug-gested this years ago: We should be reaching out to doctors to get them to promote and prescribe tennis to their patients. At the risk of sound-ing like a broken record, we must use health and fitness as a major reason to play. Plus, we should take a cue from the many nations who are effectively growing tennis in their countries using Cardio Tennis (a program we developed here!).The newest industry-wide initia-

tive announced during the US Open is Rally the Family, which will launch to consumers in the spring and is designed to position tennis as an activity families can do together (see page 16). While plans are still being developed for Rally the Family, the idea is to fish where the fish areattract those people who are most likely to play tennis. Families are looking to have fun,

engage with each other and be ac-tive. We know tennis can fit that bill.

Peter Francesconi, Editorial [email protected]

Catching More Players

4 TennisIndustry November/December 2015 www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com

Former USTA and TIA President Dave Haggerty was elected president of the International Tennis Federa-tion on Sept. 25 at the ITF Annual General Meeting in Santiago, Chile. Haggerty will serve a four-year term, from 2015 to 2019, heading the world governing body responsible for the rules of tennis and maintaining the integrity of the sport.

The 58-year-old succeeds Francesco Ricci Bitti, who held the post for the last 16 years. Ricci Bitti has been named an Honor-ary Life President of the ITF.

Haggerty was elected on the second ballot with 200 votes, over Anil Khanna (IND) with 192 votes. Rene Stammbach (SUI) and Juan Margets (ESP) were eliminated on the first ballot.

Katrina Adams, the current president of the USTA, was elected to the ITF Board of Directors and also named as an ITF Vice President. The other vice presidents are Khanna and Stammbach.

The rest of the ITF Board of Directors for the 2015-19 term include: Martin Cor-rie (GBR), Sergio Elias (CHI), Ismail El Shafei (EGY), Bernard Giudicelli (FRA), Jack Graham (CAN), Thomas Koenigsfeldt (DEN), Celia Patrick (NZL), Aleksei Selivanenko (RUS), Rene Stammbach (SUI), Stefan Tzvetkov (BUL), and Bulat Utemuratov (KAZ).

Haggerty has held a variety of roles within the USTA since 2001 and within the ITF since 2009. He served as chairman, CEO and president of the USTA in 2013-14, and was a vice president on the ITF Board of Directors in 2013-15. He is a former president of the TIA and a current board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. His 30-year career in the racquet industry includes being a former chairman of Head USA, president of Penn Racquet Sports, and president of Dunlop Maxfli Slazenger Sports.

November/December 2015 TennisIndustry 7

Industry NewsInformation to help you run your business

Babolat POP is a Connected Tennis Wristband

Just before the US Open, Babolat unveiled to media its new Babolat POP, a sensor worn in a wristband that will work with any tennis racquet. It pairs with an IOS or Android device via Bluetooth so players can see their stats live, and it also collects data about a players game and allows players of all ages and abilities to interact with and challenge friends, taking advantage of social and gaming features.

Available now, the Babolat POP has a suggested retail price of $89.95 and includes wristband, sensor, charger and USB cable. Visit play.babolat.us/pop-connected-tennis.

Solomon-Led Group Buys Atlanta, Memphis Events

Tennis promoter Jerry Solomon and a group of financial backers have bought the BB&T Open, the ATP Tour tournament in Atlanta that is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and played at the end of July. Earlier this year, the same Solomon-led group also acquired the ATP event in Memphis, which is played in February.

Solomon has indicated that both events will stay in their current loca-tions, with their current tournament directorsEddie Gonzalez for the Atlanta tourney and Erin Mazurek for the Memphis Open.

The BB&T Open is played in mid-town Atlanta and was owned by the USTA Southern Section. The Memphis Open, which is played at the Racquet Club of Memphis, is the only indoor ATP event contested in the U.S. Ownership was transferred to Solomons group from a company in which the USTA is a joint owner. Solomon is president of Star Games Inc., which runs an annual exhibition at Madison Square Garden.


Former USTA, TIA Prez Haggerty To Head ITF

The USPTA Executive Committee voted on Sept. 21 to relo-cate the organizations headquarters from Houston to the Lake Nona area in Orlando, Fla. The plan, unveiled on Sept. 22 by USPTA President Tom McGraw at a general session during the USPTA World Conference in New Orleans, is to occupy an office directly across the street from the new USTA National Campus currently under construction. Also in the same location as the new USPTA headquarters will be the offices for the USTA Florida Section, which will relocate from its current office in Daytona.

USPTA CEO John Embree said the plan is to move into the new 10,000-square-foot Lake Nona headquarters building at the end of 2016. Well be paralleling the path of the USTA in opening in the fourth quarter of 2016, he said. The synergies that well be able to have here will be fantastic.

The USTA National Campus will have 102 courts, of various sizes and surfaces. USPTA sources say it is close to a deal for selling the current, 40-year-old building in Houston.

This will be a tough time for our staff in that not everyone will be relocating, Embree said. But we know down the road this will be the best thing for our association."

USPTA HQ to Move from Houston to Lake Nona

HoF Capital CampaignExceeds $15 Million Goal

The International Tennis Hall of Fames fundraising on the Match Point Capital Cam-paign has exceeded its $15 million goal, the HoF announced in September.

After three years of hard work by the Capital Campaign Committee and especially by Chairman Ed Woolard, I'm very pleased to announce the campaign has exceeded its goal and, in fact, construction on the im-provement projects that will result from the campaign is already more than 70 percent complete, said HoF Chairman Christopher Clouser.

The entire project is set to be completed and dedicated in May. The campaign was focused on a complete renovation of the museum; six new tennis courts and major expansion to the tennis club; improvements to Bill Talbert Center Court, primarily new

Industry News

seating on the South and East sides; an overall expansion and enhancement to the property, including the addition of a signifi-cant new building to house offices and tennis club facilities.

Attention Stringers! Scam Alert! It was recently brought to our attention

that someone may be contacting USRSA members by text and/or email with a scam asking for their rates for stringing services. They then send the stringer a fake cashiers check, then later ask for a portion of that amount back, before the stringer is alerted by his/her bank that the cashiers check is fake.

The USRSA has filed a complaint with the F.B.I. about this scam. Please be cautious in responding to any texts or emails you might receive from someone regarding your services. The USRSA

apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause you. Vitalsox Introduces Hot New Socks

The newest crew socks from Vitalsox are a tribute to our Italian creativity, says Vital-sox National Sales Manager Don Crusius. The new crews are constructed like all of our socks, with a patented superior wicking fiberSil-verDryStatand our familiar compression, like all of our socks. Each of the three new styles comes in three eye-catching colors, too.

Crusius says Vitalsox plans to introduce new styles every two months. For more information, visit Vitalsox.com or contact Crusius at [email protected] or 214-460-7681.

Industry Loses Dr. Howard Brody

The industrys foremost physicist of tennis, Dr. Howard Brody, passed away on Aug. 11 in Bryn Mawr, Pa., at the age of 83. Brody was an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he spent his entire career.

Brody became inter-ested in the science and physics of tennis in the 1970s and was the first to make the sport the object of serious scien-tific study. An avid recre-ational player, he wrote the book Tennis Science for Tennis Players and co-authored The Physics and Technology of Tennis, in addition to dozens of other scientific articles on the sport. He also wrote the PTRs science manual.

He was a member of the ITFs Techni-cal Commission, and among the many honors he received were the Educational Merit Award from the International Ten-nis Hall of Fame and the Stanley Plagen-hoef Award for sport science achieve-ment.


Surface Uses Recycled Balls

A court surface made partially of recycled tennis balls was installed at the Tenafly Racquet Club in Tenafly, N.J., in August, says Franz Fasold, owner of Ace Surfaces Inc. of Orlando, Fla.Advanced Polymer Technology and Ace Surfaces Inc. created with Laykold Mas-

ters the first cushioned court with a shock pad that absorbs up to 10,000 recycled tennis balls in a single tennis court. Rather than rolling into a landfill, the ground-up tennis balls are incorporated into a cushioned indoor/outdoor sports surfacing system: Laykold Masters 5 and Laykold Masters 8.

Those who found hard courts to be difficult on their hips, knees and back will be pleasantly surprised by the difference the surface will have on their body, says Gor-don Uehling, founder and managing director of Tenafly Racquet Club. We hope to see other clubs in the country follow our lead in making the sport more enjoyable while helping the environment. Visit tennisballcourts.com.


Industry News

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Nancy Horn Passes Away Nancy Ellertson Horn died peacefully at

her home in Boulder, Colo., Aug. 22 after a two-year struggle with ALS. She was 58 years old. In 1977, Horn joined Rocky Mountain Sports Inc. and for 38 years helped manage the company, rising to vice president. Contributions may be made in her name to: Crayons to Calculators, 721 Front Street, Suite A, Louisville, CO 80027, or ALS Therapy Development Institute, 300 Technology Square #400, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Van der Meer, GulliksonInducted into USPTA HoF

Dennis Van der Meer and Tom Gul-likson were inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame in September at the annual awards presentation during the USPTA World Conference in New Orleans.

Both of these men have made an incredible impact on our profession and in the tennis industry, and USPTA is hon-ored to be able to recognize them, said USPTA CEO John Embree. Throughout

Youth Event Held at US Open

T he USTA held a Youth Tennis exhibition during the US Open to gener-ate awareness of the importance of multi-sport participation in creating a lifelong enjoyment of sportsempowering future generations of children to stay healthy and active.

Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic gold medalist; Ryan McDonagh, captain of the New York Rangers and a U.S. Olympian; and Laila Ali, former boxing champion, TV host and USTA Youth Tennis spokesperson, spoke about the benefits of playing multiple sports and how an early, positive experience in sports creates a lifelong commit-ment to an active lifestyle.

The event coincided with National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and USTA Tennis Play Events taking place around the country in the month of Septem-ber. Visit YouthTennis.com.

their careers, they have made an enor-mous impact to our mission of elevating the standards of tennis-teaching profes-sionals and coaches across the country and around the world.

Van der Meer and Gullikson join 16 oth-ers in the USPTA Hall of Fame, which is the associations highest honor.

HoF, ITF Honor Stenning In a special ceremony at the US Open, the

International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Fed-eration honored former Hall of Fame CEO Mark L. Stenning with the 2015 Golden Achieve-ment Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion, or education, and who has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.

Stenning served as CEO of the Interna-

Tennis Racquet PerformanceSpecialty StoresJanuary-June, 2015 vs. 2014Units 2015 305,585 2014 299,767 % change vs. 14 2%Dollars 2015 $45,009,000 2014 $44,391,000 % change vs. 14 1%Price 2015 $147.29 2014 $148.08 % change vs. 14 -1%

Top-Selling Racquets at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollarsJan.-June 20151. Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 (MP)2. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)3. Wilson Pro Staff 97 (MP)4. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP)5. Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Auto (MP)

Hot New Racquets(introduced in the past 12 months)1. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)2. Wilson Pro Staff 97 (MP)3. Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Auto (MP)4. Babolat Pure Drive Team 2015 (MP)5. Babolat Pure Drive Lite 2015 (MP)

Top-Selling Tennis Shoes at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date dollars, Jan.-June 20151. Asics Gel Resolution 62. Prince T223. Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour4. Asics Gel Solution Speed 25. Asics Gel Resolution 5

Top-Selling Strings at Specialty StoresBy year-to-date units, Jan.-June 20151. Babolat RPM Blast2. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex3. Wilson NXT4. Wilson Sensation5. Luxilon 4G(Source: TIA)

PeopleWatch

Jimmy Evert, father of Chris Evert and a legendary, longtime teaching pro who served as the tennis director for the City of Fort Lauderdale for nearly 50 years, passed away Aug. 21 at age 92. Con-tributions may be made to the Jimmy Evert Scholarship Fund; checks can be made payable to the USTA Founda-tionJimmy Evert Fund, 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY 10604.

Head players found success at this years US Open. Novak Djokovic won his third Grand Slam of 2015 and 10th in his career after defeating

Roger Federer in the singles final.

Taylor Fitz won the boys singles title. Head player

Leander Paes, with Martina

Hingis, won a third mixed doubles

title of the season. And David Wagner earned the Mens Quad doubles title, with partner Nicolas Taylor.

International Tennis Fed-eration President Francesco Ricci Bitti received the 2015 USTA Presidents Award during the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting in New York City during the US Open. Hes served as president of the ITF since 1999 and is stepping down this fall.

LSI Industries Inc. has named Jay Matsueda as Senior Director of Strategic Marketing & Communica-

tions for the Lighting Solu-tions division. Matsueda will be responsible for all aspects of marketing strategy and execution, public relations, trade shows, collateral, site content, social media, competitive research, creative direction, brand development and more for LSI Lighting Solutions.

Terri Graham has resigned her position at Wilson Sport-ing Goods after 21 years as the Business Director of Indoor Racquet Sports. She will be moving on to the world of pickleball develop-ing the US Open Pickleball Championships taking place in Naples next April.

Head player Sloane Stephens won her first career title at the Citi Open in Washington in early August, playing with the Head Gra-phene Radical.

South African Kevin Anderson received the fifth annual US Open Sportsmanship Award pre-sented to the professional tennis player who best demonstrates excellence in sportsmanship throughout the Emirates Airline US Open Series and the US Open.

Longtime USPTA Director of Operations Rich Fanning passed away on Aug. 21,

following a battle with cancer. Memorial dona-tions may be made to:

Priest Retirement Fund, In Memory of Rich Fanning,

St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc Drive, Houston, TX 77024-2602.

Longtime USTA Missouri Valley staff member and volunteer Fred Johnson died Aug. 5 following a coura-geous fight with cancer.

The Sports & Fitness Indus-try Association (SFIA) has promoted Cameron Jacobs to manager of communica-tions and research and John Peters to director of sales and member services.

Five U.S. tournament directors were selected by a subcommittee of the USTAs Junior Competition Committee to be named the first class of Blue Ribbon tournament directors. Hon-ored for their hard work and dedication were: Ivan Baron of Parkland, Fla.; Robert Dunivan of Deer Park, Texas; Meghan Houk of Tucson; Lorraine Novak of Mobile, Ala.; and Sheryl Osborn of Arlington, Texas.

John Bridgeland, a 1982 Harvard graduate, received the Intercollegiate Ten-nis Associations highest honorthe 2015 ITA David A. Benjamin Achievement Awardin September. The award honors past partici-pants in varsity tennis who have achieved excellence in their chosen careers. Bridge-land is the CEO of Civic Enterprises, a public policy firm, and Co-Chair of the Franklin Project at the Aspen Institute, an initiative to cre-ate a voluntary, civilian na-tional service counterpart to military service. The award this year was renamed in

honor of Benjamin and made possible by a legacy gift from Margie and Stan Smith.

Ben Porter is the new Global Product Manager for Wilson Sporting Goods.

Wayne and Kathy Bryan, Jerry and Jeanie Buss, Bill Rombeau, Brian Teacher and Pam Teeguarden were recently inducted into the Southern California Tennis Association Hall Of Fame.

The National Senior Games Association honored 67-year-old racquetball player Sharon Huczek with a Class of 2015 Personal Best Award. Huczek earned one gold and one silver medal for her racquetball singles and doubles play at the recent 2015 National Senior Games.

Jennifer Capriati was among eight professional athletes honored in early October at the 30th Annual Great Sports Legends event in New York City, which is sponsored by the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis.

Former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has switched her rep-resentation from the Lagardere company to IMG.

Brian Ogle is the new senior director of global sales and marketing for K-Swiss. His new responsibilities include developing a global voice for tennis, creating sales programs and strategies, overseeing the footwear/apparel/accessories product lines, and developing partnerships with retail part-ners around the world. Hell also be responsible for athlete recruitment and development.

Industry News



Industry News


tional Tennis Hall of Fame for 14 years, before stepping down last September, and he was with the organization for 35 years overall in various leadership roles. Stenning, who also was on the TIA board of directors, has been highly engaged in the sport as a whole.

Canadian Doctors Write Prescriptions for Exercise

Many Canadians who visit the doctor with health and medical issues are going home with a unique prescription: writ-ten instructions to exercise. This new philosophy is picking up momentum in the province of Quebec where nearly 9,000 general practitioners have new prescription pads produced for exercise and physical activity prescriptions. The pads are designed so that exercise instructions can be given by doctors in 15-minute increments, which are called exercise cubes.

So many people say the right thing about the importance of physical exer-cise, but Canada is taking this to a whole new level, says PHIT America Founder Jim Baugh. We hope doctors in the U.S. quickly follow the lead from our friends to the north.

NCAA Div. 1 ChampionshipsTo Use No-Ad Scoring

Starting in 2016, the NCAA Division I men's and women's tennis championships will utilize the no-ad scoring format. The NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee announced its decision before the US Open, following more than three years of discussion that included members of the ITA, USTA and the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Committee.

The decision of the NCAA to adopt the ITA format for the NCAA Division I Tennis Championships helps create a bright future for the sport of tennis, said David A. Ben-jamin, former ITA executive director for 37 years and presently the chairman of the ITA Board of Directors. The goal of everyone in-volved these past several years has been to make college tennis even more relevant and more exciting.

New ZyMax 69 BadmintonString From Ashaway

Ashaway Racket Strings has intro-duced ZyMax 69 Fire, the heavyweight

in its new line of ZyMax badminton strings. The line incorporates Ashaway's proprietary BETA polymer fibers, and is constructed using the company's special ZyWeaVe string core technology. At 0.69 mm, ZyMax 69 Fire is the heavi-est string in the line, and is de-

signed to provide chronic string breakers with dynamic stiffness for excellent feel and repulsion; optimum power and dura-bility; knot and loop strength; and ten-sion holding ability for consistent reliable performance. Visit ashawayusa.com.

TuringSense IntroducesWearable Technology

TuringSense, a Silicon Valley-based startup


Industry News


ShortSets

The U.S. Davis Cup team beat Uzbekistan, 3-1, in a 2015 World Group Playoff match in September to move back into the World Group and be eligible to compete for the 2016 Davis Cup. The U.S. will travel to Aus-tralia for its first-round 2016 World Group match March 4-6.

The long-running Fam-ily Circle Cup is changing its name to the Volvo Cars Open. The event, which began in 1973, is the largest womens-only tennis tournament in the world. It will be April 2-10 on Daniel Island, S.C.

PGA Tour Superstore says 14 of its tennis associates from stores around the country have received the highest certification a racquet sports retailer can receive, recogni-tion as Master Racquet Technicians (MRT) by the USRSA. We're thrilled to have so many newly-minted Master Racquet Technicians at our stores to ensure consumers receive the best service in retail, said Dick Sullivan, President and CEO of PGA Tour Superstore.

Sports industry ex-ecutives Mark Miles and Larry Scott were recog-nized for their extensive contributions to tennis by presentation of the Eugene L. Scott Award during the Legends Ball in New York, which is hosted by the Interna-tional Tennis Hall of Fame

during the US Open. In addition, The Ten-nis Media Company, which this year marks the 50th anniversary of Tennis Magazine, received the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award

Rome, Ga., has been selected to host the 2016-17 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Section Championships. The city is on track to open the 51-court Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in June. The annual tournament will be Aug. 11-14 and is expected to draw about 60 co-ed teams from the USTA Southern Section.

Rocky Mountain Sports will be exclu-sive U.S. distributor for Mauve Sports products.

The USPTA has partnered with the International Tennis Performance Asso-ciation (iTPA), which now is now the official tennis-specific sport science educational organization for the USPTA. The partner-ship allows members of both organizations to take advantage of ad-ditional education op-portunities. Visit uspta.com/certification.

Ashaway Racket Strings has terminated Harrow Sports as a distributor of Ashaway strings, the company announced. In addi-tion, Ashaway will no longer supply Super-

Nick XL squash strings for factory stringing in Harrow frames.

TIA Cardio Tennis Manager Michele Krause received a letter of appreciation from Florida State Rep. Greg Steube recently, follow-ing a story about Krause and Cardio Tennis in the Sarasota Herald. "I would like to offer my wholehearted congrat-ulations to you on the outstanding success of Cardio Tennis, Steube wrote. "Thank you for dedicating your talents to our community.

The press center at the US Open was of-ficially named the Bud Collins US Open Media Center in a ceremony Sept. 6, during the tournament.

Maria Sharapova, the co-owner of Super-goop!, has announced the launch of Project Black Dot, an education and activism platform with the mission to end the epidemic of skin cancer and improve skin health in America. The initiative will focus on providing consum-ers with sun-care edu-cation and activations year-round.

USTA Foundation, the national charitable foundation of the USTA, has granted 53 high school students a vari-ety of college scholar-ships totaling $373,000.

American Express has entered into a multi-year renewal of

its USTA and US Open sponsorship. American Express first became a sponsor of the US Open in 1994. Through its partnership, American Express contributes to the growth and health of the sport of tennis from the grassroots level to the US Open.

Fisher Island Club Ho-tel & Resort, located on a private, 216-acre island accessible by ferry from Miami Beach, recently finished renovations to its tennis center that included construction of two red clay tennis courts. Now, Fisher Island offers all three Grand Slam playing surfaceshard, clay and grass, with its total 18 courts.

The USTA announced its first LEED (level of certification) Green Building Certification for its US Open Transporta-tion Building, part of the USTA's commitment to create a sustainable future and reduce envi-ronmental impact.

The Toluca Lake Tennis & Fitness Club has been voted the 2015 Best Health and Fitness Club in Los Angeles in the Readers Choice Awards for the Los Angeles Daily News. Ben Brunkow is the tennis director and Christian Straka is the head pro.

The Pro League of Hilton Head Island, S.C., donated $2,600 recently to the PTR Foundation, the charitable arm of the PTR.

Infosys and the ATP have announced a strategic partnership to leverage the latest technological advances in mobility, cloud and analytics. As part of this partnership, Infosys will become the Global Technology Services Partner and Platinum Sponsor of the ATP World Tour, as well as the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, for the next three years.

The FirstEnergy Foundation has do-nated $10,000 to Inner City Tennis Clinics of Cleveland (ICTC) to support programs that provide local children the opportunity to de-velop skills both on the tennis court and in the classroom. Founded in 2010, ICTC has served thousands of children with free programs designed to increase high school gradua-tion rates and physical fitness, and develop skills to compete on the tennis court.

Plannit, which offers a smartphone app to help tennis pro-fessionals manage their business, is now the official mobile busi-ness platform of the USPTA.

Wilson has launched a marketing campaign called My Wilson designed to spot-light the relationship between athletes and their equipment and the stories they create together.

www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com November/December 2015 TennisIndustry 13

Industry Newsin wearable sports technology, made its debut in September at the USPTA World Conference in New Orleans, showcasing its first product, Pivot, a multi-sensor, high-speed full-body motion analysis system.

"We wanted to show our commitment to tennis and felt [the USPTA World Conference] was the perfect venue, said TuringSense co-founder and CEO Limin He. Pivot, now in beta, is the most advanced motion capture technology designed to improve each player's tennis game, and ultimately, help elevate the tennis industry. It is wearable technology that can truly empower and democratize tennis playing and training. For more information, visit turingsense.com.

Art Tucker Retires From CSS After 32 years at California Sports Sur-

faces, Art Tucker officially retired in Sep-tember. He joined California Products in March 1983 and helped set the company on the path to becoming the worlds larg-est manufacturer of acrylic sports surfac-ing systems.

Tucker long-champi-oned the Plexipave and Plexitrac product lines and was instrumental in California Products acquisitions of DecoTurf and Rebound Ace. In his final year, he helped provide a guiding hand through the acquisition of the Pre-mier Group.

He served several terms on the ASBA board of directors, served on several ASBA committees and presented at the Technical Meeting many times.

Vigeant is New USRSA Tester in Canada

Yan Vigeant, owner of the store Le Coin Bad-minton in Canada, is the newest USRSA Tester. Vigeant, a USRSA Master Racquet Technician, has been in the racquet sports industry for al-most 10 years and went from being a competi-tive badminton player to a badminton coach and a tennis player. He spent the last decade as a racquet technician at various local and state tournaments, which led to the opening of his racquet sports business near Montreal.

Vigeant says he has a passion for stringing techniques and stringing machines, which has led him to always staying on top of the newest products and technologies in the field, as well as always being ready to provide the best advice and services to the tennis community.

USTA Foundation Receives$150,000 Grant from ESPN

USTA Foundation, the national chari-table organization of the USTA, has received a $150,000 grant from ESPN to support seven National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network chapters. The NJTLs are part of the newly established Capacity Building Program, designed to provide long-term technical assistance for selected NJTL chapters.

The seven receiving a Capacity Build-ing Program grant on behalf of ESPN are: A's & Aces, New Orleans; New HYTEs- New Haven Youth Tennis and Education, New Haven, Conn.; Down the Line and Beyond Foundation, Villanova, Pa.; Dal-las Tennis Association, Dallas; InnerCity Tennis, Minneapolis; Sloane Stephens Foundation, Compton, Calif.; and Youth and Tennis Academy, Queens, N.Y.

PTR Hall of Fame To Induct BJK Billie Jean King will be inducted to the PTR

Hall of Fame on February 17, during the PTR International Tennis Symposium on Hilton Head Island, S.C. King was induced into the

International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame in 2010.

The PTR Hall of Fame was created to preserve history and honor excellence. The PTR Board of Directors elects members for enshrinement. Induction into the Hall of Fame is considered PTRs highest honor. King will be the fifth inductee, joining Dennis Van der Meer, Jim Verdieck, Dr. Jim Loehr and Arthur Ashe.

USRSA AnnouncesNew MRTs and CSs

Master Racquet TechnicianYan Vigeant - Longueuil, QC CANADA

Certified StringersPaul Gordon - Etobicoke, ON CANADAMeredith Nixon - Markham, ON CANADAGrace Tomlinson - Wynne Wood, PAMitchell Zavesky - Flossmor, IL

Correction Our September/October issue contained

an incorrect phone number for Tecnifibre. The correct contact info is 888-301-7878 or [email protected]. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Fighting the FightEach issue, Editorial Director Peter Francesconi writes a column called Our Serve in which he often begs, pleads and cajoles the tennis industry to keep its eye on the participation ball. Please, keep serving.

Participation is the only engine that will drive tennis forward. Par-ticipation drives racquet sales, ball sales, shoe sales. Participation fills pros lesson books. Participation fills courts. Tennis can only do well when people are driven to consume our sport.

Pete, keep fighting the good fight. Keep using your platform to demand participation initiatives. Keep serv-ing. You are the conscience of our sport.

Jill FonteExecutive Director

& Chief Operating OfficerUSTA Eastern

Editors Note: Jill, thank you for your kind words and support. In this way-too-political industry, you pinpointed another key issue: This shouldnt need to be a fight at allwe all must have ten-nis participation and the growth of this game as our top priorities.

Because We Allow ItIn reference to the editorial Eye on the Ball in the September/October issue, we as volunteers allow our organization to be manipulated inef-fectively by paid national leadership. Where are the results for spending millions on staffing year after year? Have we ever seen a business plan? What is our current marketing strat-egy to meet our mission: To promote and develop the growth of tennis? I learned to play tennis at a park and recreation department 60 years agowhere is the support for the largest aggregate of tennis courts in the U.S.?

These are just simple questions to those we pay to grow the game. Per-haps I just havent seen the answers to these questions. If theyre out there, please share!

Ron FriedmanPast President, USTA New England

Letters

Business Model Needs to ChangeI just read John Embrees "Tennis Di-rectors of The Future" in the Septem-ber/October issue and I thought he hit the nail on the head. This topic is rarely discussed in our industry. The busi-ness model as a whole of how directors are compensated as well as their job descriptions needs to fundamentally change for the longevity of this career path.

I've just recently been fortunate to have been promoted from a Tennis Director to General Manager for two clubs that are owned by the same fam-ily in Buffalo, N.Y. My time on court as a TD ranged from 20 to 30 hours a week, but now that I'm overseeing two clubs, it no longer is the best use of my time to be grinding away that many hours on court.

The challenge I'm having is finding a way to pull back my hours from clients I've taught over the years that still want my time on court. I'm getting the sense they feel I am abandoning them to a de-gree. Any feedback or suggestions that could help my clients understand this transition would be appreciated.

Mike ManzellaBuffalo, N.Y.

ROG Enlarges the Talent PoolId like to point out a few flaws in logic in the letter Bill Pantsari sent in for the August issue regarding the potential value of the ROG progression in devel-oping tennis players.

1. Despite the increase in the number of players now participating in tennis because of ROG balls, Pantsari remains skeptical of the overall quality. The tennis industry is making use of the Law of Large Numbers. We are com-peting against other sports and activi-ties in our efforts to attract the best youth athletes to tennis. It is the tennis professionals job to recognize the best talent and cultivate it. I would rather be selecting talent from a large pool than a small one.

2. Pantsari states, It is sad ... to watch 10- and 11-year-olds who have never hit a ball above their shoulders. No. Whats sad is watching 15-year-

olds who are married to a Western grip forehand because that is what worked best for them at age 10 or 11, when 70 percent of all balls hit to them were over their shoulders.

3. Pantsari invites us to a Little Mo tournament being played by 8- to 10-year-olds with yellow balls to see the amazing results. The world is littered with tennis players who were young phenoms who never de-veloped beyond that early flowering. I am more interested in what kind of player my student will be when he or she is 17. How well developed are all the skills needed to hit a tennis ball?

A more important observation is that the U.S. Junior Davis Cup teams have not only performed well, but dominated in international competition for the last 20 years. Where have all those players gone? Certainly not into the Top 10 on the ATP tour.

The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different re-sult. Tennis professionals who per-sist in denying the potential benefits of training our youngest players on ROG balls are skating on the thin ice that separates us all from the cold pond of insanity.

Scott HarrisUSPTA Elite Professional/

PTR ProfessionalRiverside, Calif.

Praise for TIs ChampionsThank you for printing the Cham-pions of Tennis Honor Roll in the July issue. Looking back at all the people, places and organizations youve honored over the last 14 years makes me realize just how special this sport, and the people in it, truly are. Its inspiring to see how many of the winners from the early days of the awards are still so dedicated to helping this sport grow. Keep up the great work in bringing these true grassroots tennis cham-pions to light.

Josh MyersHilton Head Island, S.C.


16 TennisIndustry November/December 2015 Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

A Rally the Family campaign designed to bring more players into the sport of tennis was unveiled by the USTA and TIA at the 8th Annual TIA Tennis Forum, held in New York City during the 2015 US Open. The new initiative will be rolled out to consumers in March.

Research shows that while families are spending more time together and want to be active, theyre not engaging with each other nor are they active because they are either watching TV or using their own smartphones and other electronic devices, said Kurt Kamperman (below left), the USTAs chief executive of Community Tennis.

We believe we can help tennis grow by positioning it as an activity that families can do together, he said. Tennis is something every family can rally around. We have distribution of the product, but we cant just make the equipment accessible; we have to make the activity accessible.

With Rally the Family, the USTA and the tennis industry are coming together to grow the game, TIA President Greg Mason told the more than 250 industry executives and tennis providers at the Forum. The use of lower compression Red, Orange and Green tennis balls, shorter tennis courts, shorter racquets and modified scoring can bring more kids and adults into tennis in a fun, social way.

Playing into the Rally the Family campaign is research presented at the Forum indicating 14.6 million Americans are interested

in playing tennis, but currently arent tennis players. This latent demand represents a significant opportunity, Mason said, adding that there also are another 12 million Americans who consider themselves tennis players but did not play in the previous year.

Also speaking at the Tennis Forum was USTA President, CEO and Chairman of the Board Katrina Adams, who updated the crowd on three key initiatives on which she is focusing: engaging the Hispanic community, focusing on high school tennis players, and improving sportsmanship in tennis. All three revolve around the family, Adams said.

The Tennis Forum concluded with a ceremony honoring industry pioneer Peter Burwash, a former pro player and coach who founded Peter Burwash International, the worlds largest tennis-management company, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Burwash (below right with Mason and Jeff Williams) became the 10th inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.

Rally the Family Campaign Introduced at TIA Tennis Forum

Ten years ago, Cardio Tennis made its national debut, with sessions and demonstrations at the 2005 US Open that included celebrities and major media coverage. Launched by the TIA in conjunction with the USTA, the focus of Cardio Tennis is on health, fitness, and cardiovascular exercise. As a result of the fitness-based element and social atmosphere, the program has grown its participation base to more than 1.6 million Americans. It also is now being delivered in more than 30 countries.

Cardio Tennis was created to address the growing fitness trend, and it truly appeals to a broad spectrum of consumers, says TIA Executive

Director Jolyn de Boer. It brings both avid players to the court as well as non-tennis players who are looking to simply get a great workout. And for providers, it generates business by creating core tennis players and consumers.

Interest in fun, group, social fitness is at an all-time high and Cardio Tennis is a great crossover activity that not only allows you to get an amazing workout, but to also get into tennis, and to improve your tennis, says Michele Krause, the TIAs Cardio Tennis manager.

Its great for all ages and ability levels.Whats in the future? In addition to the well-

honed adult version, the TIA, with help from the

Cardio Tennis Marks 10 Years of Growing the Game

Industry leaders and top experts in the field of facility operations and management will be headed to Miami March 23-25 for the third annual Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.) Conference, which will take place during the Miami Open pro tournament. The event will include a separate session on the State of the Tennis Industry.

While the T.O.M. Conference curriculum and presentations are still being developed and refined, among the important topics will be the new, industry-wide Rally the Family campaign and how tennis facilities can take advantage of the initiative to help boost business while increasing participation for all ages.

In addition, to help encourage young professionals and entrepreneurs to continue to pursue careers in the tennis industry, the 2016 T.O.M. Conference will include a Mentor Program with special incentives and programming. The conference also will include a Resource Center and a Tech Fair, which will give club and facility owners, managers and staff an opportunity to learn more about and try out the latest products that can engage members and players. There will also be roundtables and interactive workshops, along with a session that will look at the successful tennis facility of the future.

Our third annual Tennis Owners & Managers Conference will build on the successful event held last spring in Indian Wells, Calif., says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. T.O.M. attendees also will have a chance to attend the Miami Open. More details will be posted soon at TheTomConference.com.

T.O.M. Conference Takes Shape in Miami

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org

With the new year, the TIAs volunteer leadership will shift from current President Greg Mason to a new p res iden t , Jeff Williams (left), the managing partner of The Tennis Media Co. (Tennis.com, Tennis Magazine, Tennis Tuesday) and co-

publisher of Tennis Industry magazine. Williams will begin a three-year term in January; Mason remains on the board representing Head/Penn.

The TIA Global Council continues to move ahead, with the release of the new Global Tennis Marketplace research report. The Global Council consists of Chairman Eric Babolat (Babolat), Ottmar Barbian (Head), Mike Ballardie (Prince), Hans-Martin Reh (Wilson), and, starting in January, Williams.

In other T IA news, John Suchenski (right), the senior manager of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, becomes the newest member of the Board of Directors. Suchenski oversees the networks portfolio of tennis and g o l f p r o p e r t i e s a n d maintains relationships with the tournaments, event organizers, and other industry partners. In addition, Jim Fromuth of Fromuth Tennis will represent the tennis retail sector and Greg Lappin, former national tennis director for Life Time Fitness, will represent the facility sector.

Stacey Allaster, who has been on the TIA board since 2009, has resigned as chief executive of the WTA. Named by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in sports, Allaster, a longtime supporter of the TIA, has been a speaker at TIA Tennis Summit events.

TIA Leadership News


In late September, former TIA and USTA President Dave Haggerty was elected president of the ITF, the world governing body responsible for the rules of tennis and maintaining

the integrity of the sport.

Current USTA President Katrina Adams was elected to the ITF Board and selected as one of three ITF Vice Presidents.

We wish them the best in their roles on the international tennis stage!

CONGRATULATIONS, DAVE HAGGERTY!New President of the

International Tennis Federation

national Cardio Tennis Team and other industry experts, is updating Cardio Tennis Kids, to help get youngsters active and into tennis. For adults, there also is TRX Cardio Tennis, the ultimate ball-striking, calorie-burning workout that incorporates power, muscular endurance, flexibility and balance and includes tennis-specific TRX Suspension Training System exercises. In addition, Krause and her team are leading training sessions around the country, to increase the number of licensed Cardio Tennis Authorized Providers

(APs). Among the benefits APs receive is access to dozens of videos, drills and downloads at Cardio Tennis TV.

For more on Cardio Tennis, i n c lud ing i n fo rmat ion on becoming an Authorized Provider, visit CardioTennis.com.

By Bob Patterson

Racquet Tech


N ext to stringing, installing grips is the most expected racquet service we perform. Many technicians, especially those just starting out, will hesitate to offer services like customizations, but stringing and gripping are the basics of the business and its hard to do one without the other. (For more on grips and overgrips, see Getting a Grip on page 36.)

To do a good job, you will need a few tools: scissors, a staple gun, grip tape. Supplemental tools are a small, strong flat screwdriver to remove old staples and a tack hammer to seat stubborn staples.

You can refer to the USRSA Racquet Service Techniques Guide for a step-by-step tutorial, but we will cover a few basic points here to ensure that your grip job is a professional one:1. Make sure of your customers preference. Are they right- or

left-handed? What type of grip do they prefer? Do they use an overgrip? Is their handle the proper size? These are essential questions to ascertain what your customer needs. It is hard to provide a good job if you dont have this information. Just as with stringing, you must first determine what your customer needs.

2. Make sure you remove all the old adhesive and grip material before you install the new one. If you have left old residue on the handle, the new grip will not feel right and may be too large.

3. Secure your starting point with a staple to ensure your job doesnt come unraveled during play.

4. Make a clean, straight cut at the top. The finishing tape should cover your cut. This is the most common mistake we see in grip installation. Your work is a product of your overall service. If you produce

sloppy and unprofessional work, your customers will associate that directly and your business will suffer.

For more details on grip installation and racquet service, USRSA members can access the Racquet Service Techniques section of the USRSA website at www.racquettech.com.

Gripping 101The grip is a players connection to the racquet. Make sure it is installed properly.

Growing tennis, and growing your tennis business, is all about be-ing local. It all boils down to how many tennis players are playing at your facility, or on your local community or school courts.

Ten years ago, the USTA created the Tennis Service Representative (TSR) programbilled at the time as a sales force for tennisto reach out and offer resource support to tennis providers looking to increase local participation and gain new customers. Every USTA section has TSRs, and while created by the USTA national office, TSRs are em-ployees of the section they reside in.

Its fair to say that TSRs have a lot on their plates, says Glenn Arrington, the USTAs director for TSRs, High School and Tennis On Campus. Not only do they provide resources and guidance to all types of tennis providers in their territories, but they also pitch in on sec-tional and national initiatives, industry campaigns and a host of other respon-sibilities. These are some of the hardest working people in tennis.

Currently, there are more than 85 TSRs, Arrington adds. They have to stay up to date on new programs, initiatives

and trends within the sport so they can provide useful ideas and solutions to their customers. In many ways, they act as tennis consultants, identifying resources to help you fill your courts and grow your business.

Our TSR team in Texas is how we do tennis delivery, says Mike Carter, director of community development for USTA Texas, which has six TSRs. Its all about supporting those who are

engaged in building local tennis op-portunities, and thats what our TSRs do so well.

Arrington, with help from sales consultant (and 29-year former Wilson territory manager) Bob Pfaender, has been reaching out to TSRs and section staff to make sure they have what they need to build long-term relationships and grow tennis in communities. The depth and breadth of what TSRs deal with on a daily basis is pretty amazing, Arrington says.

For instance, Jon Kostek, a TSR for USTA New England, recently started a local Junior Team Tennis middle-school league in northern Connecticut. Weve used our relationships with Park & Rec departments and schools to form the league, Kostek says. Each school or town can enter teams.

Jons gotten a terrific response. The schools and towns love the format and love being able to offer organized, recreational play, Arrington says.

USTA Intermountain TSR Toni Sinclair (in front row with red shirt) is a Play Day masterso far this year, shes helped organize and conduct more than 130 of them, in addition to helping train CTAs and other organiza-tions in how to do Play Days in a bigand funway.

Since Toni has become involved as a TSR, the numbers (in our junior high clinics) have quadrupled, says Nancy Sommerwerck, president of McCall CTA and director of the Donnelly Tennis Club in Boise, Idaho.

Molly Zimmer, a TSR for USTA Florida, partnered with YMCA Volusia County to train 65 staff for summer camps, then coordinated Kids Tennis Camps that saw 1,036 youngsters on court. Each of the five sites doing the Kids Tennis Camps plans to continue them in after-school programs, Zimmer says. And the trained summer staff will also transition to providing after-school tennis.

TSRs also are leveraging pro events. At the Western + Southern Open this past August in Cincinnati, USTA Midwest TSR Manager Jim Amick and his team hosted a High School Tennis Hospitality Day for coaches and players. We had tons of fun, Amick says. It was great to support high school tennis, a great way to thank high school coaches and players for all they do in tennis.

Our TSRs are unique, Arrington says, able to keep a lot of balls in the air while growing participation for all ages. For tennis providers, connecting with the TSR in their area will be a win for everyone.

Local Delivery

By Peter Francesconi

Community Tennis

www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com20 TennisIndustry November/December 2015

For Tennis Service Reps, its all about growing tennis in your area.

For more information on Tennis Service Reps and to find the TSR who serves your area, visit www.USTA.com/TSR.

TEXAS

Creating Hot Shots!What do you get when you combine a local superstar sports organization, a brand new USTA Texas program, and a former World No.1s tennis foundation? More than 450 new kids in the game.

The Alex OBrien Tennis Foundation and KidsInc, both of Amarillo, were looking to introduce tennis as a new sport offering at KidsInc, and they found the USTA Texass Hot Shot program to be the perfect combination of skills in a cooperative team format.

The idea of teaming up with USTA and KidsInc to reach kids with little to no exposure to tennis was too good to be true, said OBrien, a former World No. 1 doubles and No. 30 singles player.

Hot Shots reaches kids right after their introduction to tennis in PE, providing them the opportunity for semi-formal, team-based, fun and social competition. Through four to six sessions, players compete with groups of teams and are guided by a Commissioner of Play, who has had access to USTA Texas training as well as the Play Plan. Local Amarillo pros, coaches, and parents volunteered to help on court.

Alex and his colleagues made this program well-received and extremely successful, said Jimmy Lackey, president and CEO of KidsInc. Our goal is to continue the original cur-riculum and add a more advanced curriculum. And, with support from the Amarillo Area Tennis Association, the next step is to transition kids into Junior Team Tennis and Junior Tournaments. Amanda Friday

INTERMOUNTAIN

Rebuilding in BoulderRain hit the greater Denver area in September 2013 with a vengeance. Within a week, more than 17 inches fell in Boulder County alone, causing catastrophic flooding along Colorados Front Range. Gov. John Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency on Sept. 12, 2013, in 14 counties. Hundreds of homes were damaged and destroyed and several lives were lost.

Flood waters surged down rivers and creeks, inundating fields and pastures, and leav-ing Knollwood Tennis Courts under a blanket of thick mud. This fall, the City of Boulders Parks & Recreation Department began its facility upgrade work at the courts, with help from the USTA family.

In August, the USTA Facility Assistance Program awarded a $25,000 grant to the city to support the rebuilding of the damaged tennis courts, and Colorado Tennis Association and Intermountain Tennis Foundation donated an additional $5,000. Facility enhancements will incude two post-tension concrete courts, new fencing and equipment, new stairs and an ADA accessible walkway ramp, and an improved drainage system.

We are very fortunate to have strong collaboration in our section with the Colorado District and the Intermountain Tennis Foundation, said USTA Intermountain Executive Director Rob Scott. We are very grateful to Kurt Kamperman and the USTA Facility As-sistance Program for providing the lions share of these funds. Without this assistance these courts would have been lost from Boulders inventory forever.

The Knollwood Tennis Courts project is one of the citys final 2013 flood recovery efforts (also supported by FEMA and city funds) and anticipated to be completed this springpro-vided the weather holds.Wendy Anderson

Play It Forward!

Grassroots Tennis


CTAs and public parks are on the front lines when it comes to growing this sport in communities.


Future of Tennis

Bahram Akradi Chairman & CEO, Life Time2014 Person of the YearMy wishes for the future of tennis include putting more of an emphasis and spotlight on high school and college tennis. There seems to be a fairly good level of interest in the sport from children, but then we tend to lose them in high school, so I am completely supportive of USTA President Katrina Adams focus on this important area as one of her priorities. The USTA, tennis clubs and facilities, the media and this industry overall needs to collectively work on creating more scholarships and visibility for high school and college tennis. Id like to see more tournaments for high school players, and publicize, market and televise them. Why not have an annual national high school tennis championship that draws players from every state, then finishes play at the US Open?

From our business point of view as the largest operator of indoor tennis courts in the country, were going to continue to build and invest in opportunities to grow this sport. When we buy or build a club with tennis courts, we bring a substantial investment to that location, and we plan on continuing our work in this areaproviding venues that we hope will spur the rest of the country to invest in tennis as well.

I love this sport, and of course, while I wish I could play at the professional level, I think realistically, Ill have to settle for significantly improving my own game in 2016.

Joe Wang Tennis Director, Army Navy Country Club2014 Private Facility of the YearAt the top of our wish list are facility additions to accommodate a tennis program that has grown by nearly 50 percent this past year. We experience a pattern of older "empty-nest members replaced by young families of five that are more likely to be interested in an active sport like tennis. In that regard, we are looking forward to plans to add an additional two indoor courts to our six-court indoor tennis center. Wed also like to continue our efforts to design a facility that maximizes operational and financial efficiency while also keeping focused on green" initiative opportunities that have led to a LEED certified clubhouse and an LED lighting project at our indoor center. Next year we are hoping to start a project to leverage the large roof surface of the indoor center as a solar energy center for the Club.

Program-wise, we hope to leverage our eight dedicated 36-foot court facility to host more tournaments. And we look forward to ways to grow our charity-based large pro-am events that we host as a vehicle to serve our community while also providing unique tennis opportunities for our membership to experience.

Lastly, as a private club manager, I would love to see continued efforts to aggregate and share data between clubs on a national level. Private clubs often operate in a vacuum. Continued coordination among club managers, organizations like Tennis Industry magazine, the TIA,

Wish List for the New YearWe asked last years Champions of Tennis winners what theyre looking forward to in the coming year.



USTA, USPTA, and PTR provide valuable insight to industry metrics and standards as well as help assure that we are creating a consistent and strong career and training path to attract and keep talented tennis experts to feed the future of this industry.

David Yamane USRSA Certified Stringer/ Master Racquet Technician2014 Stringer of the YearIn the past five years I have been stringing professional events, I have seen several changes in touring pros stringing habits. As recreational players often follow the lead of touring pros, I am hoping to see two trends that I have observed on tour trickle down to the average player. First, softer string beds. This can be achieved through a combination of lower (especially below-50-pound) reference tensions, softer monofilament strings, and more hybrids (including gut). Second, and related to the first, more dynamic string beds. This can be achieved through more frequent restringing. Although these increase the players stringing expenses, both of these changes will reduce injury and improve performance, which should be worth the cost for most.

Steve WrightTrans Texas Tennis2014 Builder of the YearMy wish is that player participation will grow on all fronts, that the USTA will continue and hopefully increase its work in helping fund facility improvements in all markets, and that the public institutions (municipalities, school districts, colleges and universities) will continue their efforts to build high-quality, multi-court, tournament-level facilities as they realize that tennis is not only a great sport for life, but is also a money-making sport for their communities and institutions. I also wish for some of the younger U.S. professional players to have "break-out" years to stimulate interest in professional tennis.

Allan Iverson Babolat2014 Sales Rep of the YearId like to see innovative tennis products that will make tennis even more fun and socially interactive to play. Products that make tennis easier on the body and help to connect tennis players are essential. It would be great to have footwear that not only are the lightest and most maneuverable shoes, but also have excellent support; new standards for racquets that create more spin with better

feel and control; string that is more durable yet easy on the arm. Imagine a device you could wear no matter what racquet you use that could give you immediate feedback on your game and allow you to challenge other players with the results. My hope is that technology can make tennis easier and connect more people through the sport.

Shima & Joe Grover Richmond, Va.2014 Tennis Advocates of the YearFor the new year, wed like to see the Tennis Channel be as welcome and available to basic cable channel packages for tennis players everywhere as is the Golf Channel for golfers. We also would like to see innovative tennis formats that are easier to learn and less physically demanding promoted everywhere for new and returning senior players, comparable to the ROGY approach for kids.

We need to form more neighborhood tennis support groups to help underfunded public schools and city Park & Rec Departments clean and maintain neighborhood courts while also supervising regularly scheduled play for kids and adults. Wed like to see USTA Adult/Senior League teams adopt elementary, middle and high schools to assist coaches with supplies, training, practices and supervision to build a strong play continuum for kids of all ages. In addition, it would be great if every public tennis facility had a godparent that would advocate for it and, if possible, financially support it. And, here in Richmond, wed like to see the city and Virginia Commonwealth University build a major indoor/outdoor tennis complex to broadly serve public and local university needs while promoting the legacy of Arthur Ashe.

Adam QueenYour Serve Tennis2014 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the YearIn 2016 I would love to see brick-and-mortar specialty retailers focus on improving customer service and the shopping experience. As specialty retailers, we are expected to be the experts. Manufacturers make strides in improving the quality and functionality of racquets, shoes and strings and it is our job to educate tennis players on how these new products can help them on the court. Creating a better shopping experience will attract customers to a specialty retailer instead of internet or big-box retailers where service is not individually tailored. By focusing on each customer, we as specialty retailers can help customers find the right equipment for their needs so that they play their best tennis and enjoy this great game even more.


Robert OberrenderChairman of the Board, InnerCity Tennis Foundation2014 Community Tennis Association of the YearAt InnerCity Tennis, as a not for profit organization, we are hoping to see the continued evolution of our youth development programming, and an expansion and deepening in our relationship in the children and youth we serve. Using tennis as our vehicle to engage with children and youth, we look forward to more youth tennis activity each and every day , more volunteers engaging in helping these youngsters, and engaging in their own tennis activity, and continuing to grow our supportive tennis community, all accelerated by our physical transformation of our tennis facility.

Ellen Miller Teaching Professional2014 Grassroots Champion of the YearMy wish for 2016 is plain and simple: Red, Orange, Green for novice players. Read: No more yellow balls for beginner youth players under the age of 10. So for all the ROG hold-outs, please try the low compression balls! Go do a Coach Youth Tennis Workshop, learn some new skills and update your teaching delivery. We have such wonderful training tools in the Red-Orange-Green trilogy and we can get young players rallying so much quicker because of it. While you are at it, use these balls with your adults for fantastic results. We need to grow the game, right? When players are successful and having fun, they stick with it and, voila, the game has grown. Be a part of it!

Simon GaleOwner/GM, Taconic Sports & Racquet2014 Youth Tennis Provider of the YearI would love to see kids playing the game and developing a passion for playing tennis more than taking lessons. So I guess my wish is that teaching programs encourage more play opportunities, and get kids playing the game right away. Other youth sports get them playing immediately after just one or two practices. We are still teaching technique for a long time before kids actually play the game. When you expose what they have trouble with, they are more inclined to work on it. I believe we can all grow our tennis business by doing so and at the same time get them hooked on staying in tennis!

Steve Simon COO & Tournament Director, Indian Wells Tennis Garden2014 Municipal Facility of the YearOn-court in 2016 I am looking forward to watching Roger and Serena continue their respective journeys to the discussion of the greatest to have ever played the game,

continuing to marvel at the athleticism and consistency of Novak, pulling to see Rafa again challenge to be the best and seeing if younger players in the game such as Keys, Muguruza and Sock can take that next step and cement themselves in the Top 10.

From a BNP Paribas Open and Indian Wells Tennis Garden perspective, we are looking to continue our commitment of growth, evolution and improvement for everything we do. We want our tournament to cater to fans in new and enhanced ways to make sure their experience is unparalleledno matter whether this is the first time or 10th time attending the event. Our facility showcases the best in the world each March, but we also want to continue our focus on grassroots efforts, and recognize the game grows when seeds are planted with players of all ages. We have big and lofty goals for our tournament and facility, and 2016 will present another year to keep pressing on to reach those aspirations.

Jack Newman CEO, Austin Tennis Academy2014 Junior Tennis Champion of the YearMy wish for 2016 is to introduce tennis to the six lo-cal elementary schools here through their P.E. classes, touching 3,000 students, and bringing 5 percent of them into our development program. Id also like to increase the number of students in our program attending Level 1 National tournaments from 15 to 25, and to help our local high school win a state championship in team tennis. I also wish that college tennis would pick a format and stick with it. In the pro game, Id like to see young U.S. profes-sional tour players make a big breakthrough at the Grand Slams in 2016. As the big four pro players move toward the end of their careers, Id like to see younger champi-ons step forward to take their places and new rivalries develop at the top of the game.

Marc J. Vecchiolla Director of Tennis OperationsMercer County Park Tennis Center2014 Public Park of the YearWe will continue to grow and introduce a younger generation to a lifetime sport by expanding our 10 and Under leaguesespecially since all of our 28 courts have lines for shorter courts. We will expand the diverse programming we currently offer to all ages and ability levels. 2016 will be a big year for us as a new Hall of Fame class will be inducted. This happens every four years and the five inductees this year established themselves as leaders in the tennis industry and outstanding educators who have advanced the interest in tennis. Their important contributions to tennis are measured through their involvement in the sport.


Future of Tennis


Laurie MartinHead Tennis CoachXavier College Prep, Phoenix, Ariz.2014 High School Coach of the YearAs I considered what Id like to see in the coming year, I found myself reflecting on how many girls we are exposing to tennis in our program at Xavier College Prep. This fall we have 93 girls on the freshman team out of a class of 310a 50 percent increase over last years freshman team. The reason we are getting so many girls involved is we have blended lines on our courts and use Red, Orange, Green and Yellow balls. Girls are having success playing the game on shorter courts with lower pressure ballsand it keeps them interested in the game.

For 2016, Id like to see every court across America have blended lines on them. This would allow any player the flex-ibility to play the game on a court size where they can enjoy it. In addition, I would love to see high schools have the fund-ing to purchase a supply of the ROG balls. Funding in the high schools is always very limited, so most schools only purchase the regular yellow ball, which makes the game challenging for beginners. Lastly, I wish for programing for all ages and levels on 36- and 60-foot courts.

Jeri Ingram Tennis Director, Washington D.C. Parks & Recreation2014 Park & Rec Agency of the YearFor next year, Id like to see a larger number of Park and Rec-reation organizations carry a full pathway for development and competition for tennis players. Id also want a larger al-location of Player Development resources to go to NJTL and CTA programs that develop players who are at a place in their development where Player Development becomes neces-sary for their next level of success. We need a more efficient process for capturing Play Day participants and their demo-graphic details, in addition to a more diverse offering of Play Days as they pertain to participant demographics regard-ing where they are in the tennis pathway. Id also like to see an extended portfolio of competitive and non-competitive activities for participants at Play Days.

Paul WalkerPlayer and Coach2014 Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the YearIn 2016 I'd love to see the continued growth of our Junior Wheelchair tennis program. 2015 saw them win a world championship at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup. All three members of that teamChris Herman, Casey Ratzlaff and Connor Stroudhave massive potential in the sport. 2016 is also a Paralympic year, and the best players in the USA will be competing for gold in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I wish all our players luck, and just as much I wish the player who has yet to discover this great sport a speedy path to something that can change his or her life forever!

P.J. Simmons Founder, The Tennis Congress2014 Innovative Tennis Event of the YearThis year I was thrilled to see the launch of Play Tennis Fast, an intro-to-tennis teaching framework designed to make tennis more welcoming to adult players using the very techniques that we know work for kids: slower balls and shorter courts. As someone who knows what it feels like to start tennis later in life, I can attest to the huge need for this program and its enormous potential to attract and create more passionate adult lifers.

Play Tennis Fast will make it easier for those without strong athletic backgrounds to take the first step and gain confidence. It will help athletes who played other sports to experience sooner why tennis is so awesome. And for people like me who come into tennis deadly serious about being good players from day one, it will help fast-track progress by introducing sound fundamentals on which sustained progress depends. So one of my big wishes for 2016 is that hundreds of facilities will embrace Play Tennis Fast and cre-atively experiment with its marketing and implementation. To that end, The Tennis Congress will launch a nationwide competition in January that honors the most innovative Play Tennis Fast program at the 2016 U.S. Tennis Congress.

Nigel PughDirector of Tennis, City of Fremont, Calif.2014 PTR Member of the YearMy wish for 2016 is for continued development in the certifi-cation process, enhancing the quality of certified tennis teaching professionals throughout the country. PTR has done an amazing job providing certifications that are tailored to a specific player group, which has provided poten-tial coaches with a solid knowledge that can be immediately utilized.

Rob Scott Executive Director, USTA Intermountain2014 USTA Section of the YearI wish for the tennis manufacturers to become more involved in supporting grassroots programming (10 and Under Ten-nis, Play Days, locally branded Junior Team Tennis, High School tennis, Millennial programming, such as 2.5 Initia-tive and Sets in the City, etc.). This is where brand loyalty is formed! Manufacturers are missing out by being so focused on direct ROI. I also hope that the USTA National Leadership will continue to strive for collaboration with the Sections and not dictate policy. We are 17 unique business models. I also wish for the Intermountain Section to continue our efforts to grow the bottom and middle of the junior pyramid (entry- and mid-level players) and not focus so much on the top 1 percent to 5 percent.


Footwear

Mixing It Up Tennis shoe manufacturers are creating opportunities with a complex balance that includes changes in the game, available technologies and new fashions. By Kent Oswald


The tennis shoe market is complex and likely to get more so. There is ever-greater pressure to control inventories at all levels in a way that both minimizes financial investment and maximizes the ability to satisfy customers who have internet access to worldwide information and sales possibilities.

Tennis specialty stores sold more than a million pairs in 2014 for nearly $100 million (.7% and 3.3% increases, respectively), according to Sports Marketing Surveys/Tennis Industry Association figures. Results for the first two quarters of 2015 (latest available at press time) show a 1.3% increase in units sold, but a negative 1.1% in dollars received, compared to the same period in the previous year. Shoes below $85 account for about 29% of those sales, with those priced above $115 adding up to about 27% of the market.

Manufacturers continue to search for the magical logarithm

that perfectly balances the changes in the game (recently a University of Sheffield team began working with the ITF to easily measure how much friction players create when sliding on all courts, particularly hard ones), available technologies, and the needs of fashion that send designers adventuring ever deeper into the Pantone palette. Additionally, there is no longer a specific season for product introductions: shoes are rolled out as series extensions throughout the year as manufacturers (and retailers) adapt on the fly to a fluid marketplace.

Paired with the complexity is opportunity. There is consumer interest in ethical and recycled footwear yet to be fully investigated, and a welcome embrace for the retro Stan Smith, Jack Purcell and Fred Perry series suggests that new markets await, including the potential of an unexploited area for tennis kicks in a new niche collectibles market. Upcoming highlights (all prices are suggested retail) include:

ADIDASKeeping with the changing marketplace, the latest offerings of new technologies and colorways in Barricades and Adizeros will be revealed throughout the year rather than in one big splash. First up will be the Barricade 2016 Boost (suggested retail $160), which debuts in January as the foundation of Jo-Wilfried Tsongas game. In this iteration, the shoe, which was a Tennis Magazine Editors Choice for 2015, gets not just an eye-catching new skin color but also the technology in the heel that adds a greater energy return to the continuing attributes of robust stability, comfort and durability.adidas.com 971-234-2300

ASICSTwo stories to be shared in 2016 are the GEL-Solution Speed 3 ($130) and the GEL Court Bella for women ($100). As are all its tennis shoe offerings, these are built on the companys time- and mileage-tested running shoe lasts. The former is updated

with three new style options for both men and women and has been tweaked to shave a bit of weight and add a touch more flexibility. The latter is an extremely lightweight

(9.2 oz.), comfortable option for women with a low profile offered in two different stylings. Sales support for both will include in-store support and staff incentives; print, online and social media programs; and seasonal introductions and special

editions of each series designed to rally attention across the brand.asicsamerica.com 800-678-9435

FILAThe new Cage Delirium ($100) is the featured footwear for Filas 2016. The shoes are boldly colored in ways that tie back to the brands apparel lines. The shoe is designed for stability, flexibility and comfort, with high-stress areas reinforced for durability.

In addition to the hard-court version, the shoe also is available in clay court, grass court and XT outsole options.

fila.com 800-845-FILA

www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com November/December 2015 TennisIndustry 31

DIADORAThe Italian sportswear company achieved acceptance and accolades for its reintroduc-tion of footwear into the North American marketplace. With a distribution network established, the next step is make more noise, which the company says it will do with the planned announcement for 2016 of the signing of a bold-faced name on both the ATP and WTA tours. The mens and womens 2016 S.Star Ks ($139) with signature kangaroo uppers and S.Pro EVOs ($119) will reach store shelves prior to the first ball in Melbourne. Neither series will offer significant tweaks to the just-introduced technol-ogies, but both will feature new, more dramatic colorways. In support of the expected announcement, marketing will continue with in-store support and an emphasis on seeding the product with influencers.diadora.com 800-768-4727

K-SWISSThe California company marks its 50th anniversary in 2016 via a 50 LOVE campaign celebrating lifestyle aspects of the brand across primary and secondary consumer marketing platforms. Specific to tennis, the Hypercourt ($130) for both men and women has a slightly tweaked new midsole composition and new colorways launching for the Australian Open. The shoes will be highlighted as part of the companys 100% Tennis Initiative, a marketing program to reinforce for players how much the sport is an integral part of the companys DNA. kswiss.com 800-768-472

BABOLATBabolats Propulse All Court ($120) for men continues as a sturdy and durable option.

For the new year, it features new colorways (including special edition themes labeled Stars & Stripes, Skull & Bones and Aero). Players who in the past may

not have found the shoe a fit for their game may take comfort in the option of a wider fit shoe, which adds to the slightly more robust toe box that has been part of the shoe

since last year. babolat.com 877-316-9435

WILSONEmbracing changes taking place in hard-court play, Wilson unveils widespread

distribution of its Glide ($200) in March 2016. The shoes soft launch came through availability at select tennis academies and consumer sales at the 2015 US Open. The

goal for R&D was to find an effective balance of slide and traction for players on hard courts. From that starting point the companys R&D folks added to the shoes support

and stability, as well as reinforcing the shoe in high-wear areas.wilson.com 773-714-6400


Racquet Sports

Pickleball and Tennis: Can They Be Friends?

Sports that are skyrocketing in popularity can usually point to a youthful, testosterone-fueled athlete base and a bucket-list appeal (were looking at you, obstacle racing.) But when was the last time a sport absolutely exploded off the charts because of an aging demographic that couldnt get enough of it?

Not before, and not until, pickleball. And with 68% of all its players over 60 years of age and more players coming in every day, its sneaking up on the tennis market.

Not that anyone in the industry really wants to admit that.Its gaining, says consultant Doug Cash succinctly. There

are more than 2 million people playing it today. In a few years, we expect there to be 8 million. Its gaining popularity and its gaining players.

The paddle sport with the funny namethe one that took hold in the Sun Belt and migrated north and east as snowbirds came homeis here to stay and poised for even more growth. According to the Sports & Fitness A

201511 tennis industry magazine

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