1807 Full Issue

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TennisIndustry
Contents July 2018

DEPARTMENTS FEATURES
4 Our Serve 26 Service Aces
7 Industry News
Successful tennis specialty retailers continue to
11 Letters to the Editor
15 Grassroots Tennis
up their game by focusing on local markets and players.
16 Court Lighting
18 TIA News
33 2018 TIA Research Reports
38 Ask the Experts
40 Your Serve, by Amy Choyne
INDUSTRY NEWS
7 Tennis Teachers Conference
set for Aug. 24-27
7 USPTA Certification to require
Safe Play education
7 Har-Tru teams with Tennibot,
maker of robotic ball retriever
7 PTR kicks off new mentor
program
9 Ashaway develops new
coating for badminton strings
9 Selkirk has strong results
at pickleball US Open
9 Short Sets
11 Nominate for Tennis Industry's
‘Champions of Tennis’ awards
10 James Blake, Laserfibre team
up for new string 20 Guide to Ball Machines
10 Miringoff named new K-Swiss The right ball machine can be used as a tool for
VP of Sales–Americas
12 RacquetFit, USPTA partner for
teaching pros and a profit center for clubs.
new certification
12 iTPA World Conference
set for July 21-22 in Atlanta
12 Jennifer Gregg named to lead
30 Tennis and
USTA South Carolina Pickleball
14 People Watch A pilot program
14 PTR releases new app
for tennis coaches
offers a solution
using blended lines.
PLUS
43 From the CEO
p.41 46 Vice President's Message
48 Master Pro Corner
51 Inside Coaching
43 48 51 54 54 2018 Tennis Teachers
May 15, 2017: How to Achieve 'Point 2018 Tennis Conference
A Significant Confidence, Importance' is Teachers 56 Tennis Service
Representatives
Date in USPTA And How to Real, and It's Conference 57 Tennis Thanks the Troops
History Keep It Important Preview 58 TGA Premier Tennis
59 Member News
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 60 USPTA Career Development
2 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

O F F IC IA L
S U R FAC E
O F T H E U S P TA
id e in st al le rs .
ts , w it h ex pe ri en ce d na ti on w
& re pa ir pr od uc
m en t- qu al it y sp or t su rf ac in g
To ur na
sportmaster.net
TennisIndustry
OurServe PUBLISHER
JEFF WILLIAMS
EDITOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
EDITOR'S NOTE
Help Wanted MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING
Let’s start a positive conversation CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES
with powerful and innovative ideas SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN
that can help this sport grow. ART DIRECTOR

CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ
PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE
I
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON
’ve been immersed in this with influence over pretty much every CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
industry for many years, and in segment of the game. CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
DAVID LASOTA, KENT OSWALD, NATE PAGEL,
many ways, it continues to be The USTA’s mission for nearly 20 CYNTHIA SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
an exciting, dynamic business. years has been to “promote and develop
But it also continues to offer the growth of tennis.” If participation is CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
many frustrations and challenges. a measure of that mission—and I main-
One of the biggest frustrations is tain it has to be—then the USTA and ASSOCIATE EDITOR
that no matter what we’ve tried to do all of us who support and promote the TIM McARTHUR
as an industry over the last 10 years, organization have failed in this mission. EDITORIAL DIRECTION
we haven’t been able to significantly So, what can we do to fix this appar- 10TEN MEDIA
improve overall tennis participation. ent disconnect between the resources
TENNIS INDUSTRY
In fact, a look at total participation over we have, and the recreational growth we 250 Park Avenue, Ste 825, NY NY 10017
the last decade shows we’re essentially don’t have? This is where you need to 646-381-8735
flat, if not down (see page 33). weigh in strongly, and take ownership in [email protected]
I’ve long believed that recreational the solutions.
tennis participation is the key to this Whether you’re a teaching pro, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
industry—including having fans for pro- coach, facility owner/manager, retailer,

JOHN HANNA
770-650-1102, x125
fessional events. Certainly, for Tennis manufacturer, court contractor or other [email protected]
Industry’s audience, business depends provider in this industry, let’s hear your
on people getting out on court and play- thoughts, ideas and even actions you APPAREL ADVERTISING
ing. The more people who play more may have already taken to grow this CYNTHIA SHERMAN
often, the better for everyone. sport. We want to foster conversation, 203-558-5911
[email protected]
So, with the resources we can bring to collaboration and change that will lead
bear, why can’t we grow our most basic to more people playing tennis.
statistic, tennis participation, from year Please email me, and share your
to year? Why have we allowed this non- ideas and actions for growing tennis
growth to continue for a decade? participation with #mytennissolution Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
on Tennis Industry magazine’s social issues in September/October and November/
channels. We’d like to track and compile December, by Tennis Media Company, 250 Park
Avenue, Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Periodical
your contributions, and if you "like" and postage paid in Duluth, GA and at additional mailing
With all the resources we "follow" TI’s social media, you’ll be noti- offices (USPS #004-354). July 2018, Volume 46,
Number 7 © 2018 by Tennis Media Company. All rights
can bring to bear in fied when compiled results are posted. reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks
Let’s start a positive conversation, of Tennis Media Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
this industry, why can’t we with innovative ideas that can help this
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation
grow tennis participation? sport grow. We all need to take respon-

and editorial: 646-381-8735. Yearly subscriptions
$25 in the U.S., $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to Tennis Industry, 250 Park Avenue,
sibility for the future of this industry. Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Tennis Industry is the
I realize it’s up to all of us to grow this official magazine of the USRSA, TIA and ASBA.
industry and that the USTA, ultimately, Peter Francesconi Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
is not responsible for the success of Editor Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.
individual businesses in tennis. But the [email protected]
reality is the USTA is the biggest player
in this industry, thanks in large part to
the revenue the US Open generates,

THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES
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15268 Net_Generation_Tennis_Industry_Ad.indd 1 5/25/18 8:45 AM

IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
EDUCATION
Safe Play to be Required
For USPTA Certification
Tennis Teachers Conference Starting Jan. 1, the USPTA will require all
applicants to complete the Safe Play edu-
Returns to New York in August cation modules before they can become a
certified USPTA professional. In addition
to the 90-minute Safe Play course, USPTA
professionals also will be required to
complete Coach Youth Tennis online
training. The moves were approved by
the USPTA Executive Committee in April.
“It is important that our tennis-
teaching professionals and coaches
create a safe environment for all of their
students,” says USPTA CEO John Embree.
“Through Safe Play training, our mem-
bers will be more conscious of explicit
behaviors that could be detrimental to
the next generation of tennis players.
We want to do everything that we can to
make tennis safe for all, especially kids.”
The USTA’s Safe Play process includes
online training modules; acknowledge-
ment and acceptance of the USTA Safe
R
Play conduct, policies and guidelines,
and a background screen application.
egister now for the Har-Tru Teams With Tennibot,

44th Tennis Teachers Maker of Robotic Ball Retriever
Conference, which will Har-Tru LLC has partnered with Tennibot,
be held on Aug. 24-27 which manufactures a robotic ball-retriever
at the Grand Hyatt in unit. As an investment partner, Har-Tru will
New York City. More than 1,000 tennis assist in the launch of the product, as well as
professionals and industry leaders sales and distribution.
are expected to gather for the confer- “We love this product,” says Har-Tru Presi-
ence, which is presented by the USTA dent Pat Hanssen. “The Tennibot team has
and USPTA, and also will serve as the done an extraordinary job of identifying a
USPTA’s World Conference. Grand Hyatt, located at 42nd Street and pain point in our industry—picking up balls,
The conference, which is being Lexington Avenue. For more informa- especially during lessons or when hitting
restarted after a three-year hiatus, tion and to register for the conference, against the ball machine—and has used
will feature more than 25 classroom go to 2018ttc.com. technology to solve it. I’m pleased we’re able
and on-court educational sessions. The Those registering for the TTC before to help them bring their ideas to market.”
on-court sessions will take place at the early-bird Aug. 1 deadline will In March 2017, Tennibot won the Ten-
SportTime Randall’s Island Tennis Club receive a free ticket to the new Louis nis Industry Association’s inaugural Tennis
on Aug. 25, with round-trip bus trans- Armstrong Stadium for the first Mon- Industry Innovation Challenge competition.
portation and a lunch voucher provided. day of the US Open, a food voucher and For more on Tennibot, visit tennibot.com.
The cost for the four days of the transportation to and from the USTA
C O U RT E S Y U S TA
Tennis Teachers Conference is $399. Billie Jean King National Tennis Cen- PTR Kicks Off New
Day passes are available at $200 each, ter. Early-bird registrants also will be Mentor Program
and TTC registrants are qualified for able to purchase guest passes for this US The PTR has debuted a Mentor Program,
the special rate of $249 per night at the Open experience at $125 each. • matching 50 mentors from the teaching
www.tennisindustrymag.com July 2018 TennisIndustry 7

Of
fi
cialBal
l
IndustryNews
Ty McGuffin, playing
organization’s top experts and with Selkirk's Amped
International Master Professionals Series paddle, took
home the men's pro
with aspiring mentees. singles title in Naples.
The mentors were chosen based
on their expertise and knowledge in
specific areas. Mentor training was
conducted in April by David Benzel,
founder of Growing Champions for
Life. To find the 50 mentees, PTR sent
an open application to all certified
members in the U.S.
“A lot went into the pairing
process,” says Marc Stingley, PTR
Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
and staff liaison for the program. “In
addition to matching the specific goals
and aspirations of the mentee with the PADDLE SPORTS
expertise of the mentor, we also tried
to ensure they were as close geograph-
ically as possible.”
Selkirk Has Strong Results
The program honors the legacy of
PTR Founder Dennis Van der Meer,
At Pickleball US Open
S
who recognized the need for industry
leaders to help guide, shape and foster
earnest professionals in the areas of elkirk Sport had a strong showing at the Minto US Open Pickleball
community, business and athletic Championships, held in late April in Naples, Fla. Team Selkirk member
development, as well as in facility Ty McGuffin, the top-ranked pickleball player in the world, captured the
management. men’s pro singles title and took home third place in the men’s pro doubles
division, with teammate Matt Goebel. Cammy MacGregor, a former Top 100 pro
Ashaway Develops New tennis player, captured the US Open Senior Women’s singles title and the 50+
Coating for Badminton Strings doubles and 50+ mixed doubles titles. MacGregor also was second in the Senior Pro
Ashaway Racket Strings has developed women’s Doubles Championship. Visit selkirk.com for more info.
a proprietary textured surface coating for Pro tennis player Kaitlyn Christian, a newcomer to pickleball who acted as
its ZyMax line of badminton strings. New Emma Stone’s tennis double in the film “Battle of the Sexes,” took home third in
coated strings will be dubbed "ZyMax open singles and open doubles. Team Selkirk players used Amped Series paddles. •
Short
Sets
The U.S. Fed Cup team defeated France facility was built on property donated by The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
in April's semifinal round and will travel Berry College. and Tennis Warehouse have continued
to the Czech Republic for the final, to be their partnership in which TW is the
held Nov. 10-11. In the new book Facing Nadal: Sym- Official Online Tennis Retailer of the ITA.
posium of a Champion, author Scoop In addition, the ITA and Wilson have
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Malinowski explores what it's like to play continued their decades-long partner-
and Women’s Tennis Championships will against Rafael Nadal through interviews ship, with Wilson serving as Official Ball,
C O U RT E S Y S E L K I R K S P O RT
return to Rome, Ga., in 2020 and 2021. with more than 50 ATP pros. The book is Racquet and Accessory Brand of the ITA.
The event will be held at the Rome Tennis available for $9.99 at amazon.com.
Center at Berry College, which opened Malinowski’s previous tennis books The USPTA has signed an agreement
in 2016 and is the nation's largest include Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely with BookingCommunity.com, which will
single-surface facility, with 60 hard Knew, Facing McEnroe, Facing Hewitt, offer discounts on travel and hotel rates
courts across 30 acres. This city-owned Facing Federer and Facing Sampras. to USPTA members.

IndustryNews
L
aserfibre recently TX," and provide a stiffer feel and add a
announced the newest ad- measure of control, says the company.
dition to its family of tennis Like its ZyMax Fire siblings, ZyMax TX
strings with JB Tour 100. strings utilize Ashaway's proprietary BETA
Developed in collaboration with U.S. polymer fibers, which the company says
tennis great James Blake, provide elasticity and dynamic stiffness
Laserfibre says the tour-grade co-poly for maximum shuttle speed and explosive
is designed to meet the demands of repulsion; optimum power and durabil-
today’s most selective tennis player ity, including knot and loop strength; and
by delivering great feel and control. exceptional tension holding ability for
“Working together with James on consistent, reliable performance.
the design of JB Tour 100 was a per- For more, visit ashawayusa.com.
fect fit,” says Curt Dailey, principal
of Laserfibre. “We were focused on Miringoff is New K-Swiss
introducing a string that delivers VP Sales for Americas
tour-level performance. James’
STRINGS
knowledge and direct involvement in
James Blake, the development and testing process
was invaluable.”
Laserfibre “I’m proud to work with Laserfibre

to deliver a high-quality, American-
Team Up for made tennis string to the market,”

Blake says. “JB Tour 100 checks all the
New String boxes for me in creating my signature

brand.” Visit Laserfibre.com. •
Mike Miringoff
K-Swiss has promoted Mike Miringoff

to vice president of sales for the Ameri-
cas region. In this new role, Miringoff
will report to K-Swiss President Barney
Waters and will be responsible for all of
K-Swiss’ wholesale business in the U.S.
market, along with managing distribu-
tors in Canada, Central America and
South America.
Miringoff joined K-Swiss in October of
2016 as global director of tennis, tasked
with revamping and reigniting the ten-
nis business in the Americas. He grew
the tennis business by 40 percent in his
first full year, says K-Swiss, with similar
growth forecasted for 2018. Prior to
K-Swiss, Miringoff was the regional com-
mercial manager for the APAC region
for Wilson Sporting Goods Co., based in
C O U RT E S Y L A S E R F I B R E , K- S W I S S
Shanghai, and also held U.S.-based roles

for Wilson and Nike.
K-Swiss’ growth in the tennis category
over the past 18 months has led to the
hiring to two new, tennis-dedicated staff
members. K-Swiss tennis territory sales
manager Steve Rothstein has been ap-
pointed as U.S. national sales manager
for K-Swiss Tennis, reporting to Mirin-

IndustryNews
Letters
‘PLAY’ FROM THE START want to learn tennis get to play SHORT-COURT ALTERNATIVE
In trying to educate myself better tennis right away. Instead, they In the north Bay Area, we play some-
on pickleball, I went to a local “open are taken through an often wind- thing we call Spec Tennis, which we
play” session—19 people rotating ing path of “stroke mechanics” and consider “the tennis player's com-
around on one tennis court that had “technique.” petitive alternative to pickleball.”
nets and lines for four pickleball I’ve been teaching tennis for 35 Spec Tennis is played on a
courts. I observed the “coordinator” years, and over the past several years standard pickleball court with a
take about 20 minutes to explain the have been thinking, it’s okay if a low-compression tennis ball and
basic rules and a few related issues beginner doesn’t get a serve in the platform tennis paddles. Our view is
to a group of four women. None had right service box, or doesn’t know how that Spec Tennis is faster-paced and
ever played pickleball. to keep score, or foot faults, or plays more challenging than pickleball,
After that brief introduction, they out balls. Can we as tennis coaches but it is easier to learn than tennis.
proceeded to play pickleball for the find better ways to have people start For more information on Spec
next hour or so, having so much fun “playing” tennis before we begin Tennis, go to SpecTennis.com.
they all declared they would return “teaching” them tennis? Nate Gross, USPTA
for the next session! I will always remember how much Mill Valley, Calif
Therein lies perhaps one of the fun those four women were having
biggest challenges for tennis as it playing a sport for the first time ever. We welcome your letters, comments
relates to the growing popularity Dave Kensler and opinions. Please email them to
of pickleball. Rarely do people who San Diego [email protected].
LOVE LOVE
goff. Rothstein has 28 years of experi-
ence and relationships in the tennis
industry, with 22 years at K-Swiss.
Also reporting to Miringoff will be
Jackie Scarnici, in the new role of U.S. Club members and students will LOVE facing
marketing manager for K-Swiss off against the phenom. You will LOVE
Tennis. Scarnici has spent 16 years in
offering the added advantage.
the tennis industry, having worked at
the USTA, as a sports agent for SFX,
and at Prince and Asics. ®
Nominate for TI’s follow lobste

t rsports on
te play more. win more.®
‘Champions of Tennis’ For more information, please call 888.380.9460 or visit www.lobstersports.com
Our January 2019 issue will mark the
18th year that Tennis Industry maga-
zine will name its Champions of Tennis
Awards, which recognize the unheralded
heroes who go above and beyond in
helping to make a difference in our sport
and business. And we’d like your help in
identifying them.
To nominate for Tennis Industry’s
2018 Champions of Tennis, email
[email protected], and put
“Champions” in the subject line. In the
email, include the category, the name of
the person or organization you are nomi-
nating, contact info (phone and email)
for the nominee, and—briefly—some
information about the nominee, includ-

IndustryNews
Rose, Embree and Drake (from ing a website address if appropriate. All
left) go over details of the nominations will be confidential, but we’d
USPTA-RacquetFit certification. also like your name and contact info, in
case we have questions. The deadline for
nominations is Sept. 1, 2018.
Award categories include, but aren’t
limited to: Person of the Year, Tennis
Industry Service Award, Private/Com-
mercial Facility, Sales Rep, Pro/Specialty
Retailer, Builder/Contractor, Grassroots
Tennis Champion, Municipal Tennis
Facility, Stringer of the Year, CTA of the
Year, Tennis Advocate, Wheelchair Ten-
nis Champion, Junior Tennis Champion,
Public Park of the Year, Park & Rec Agen-
cy, High School Coach, NJTL of the Year,
Innovative Tennis Event, Youth Tennis
CONTINUING EDUCATION Provider, Adult Tennis Provider, Public
Tennis Facility, PTR Member, USPTA Mem-
USPTA, RacquetFit Partner ber and USTA Section of the Year.
Thank you for your help in honoring
For New Certification those helping to grow this industry.
T
Jennifer Gregg Named
To Lead USTA South Carolina
he USPTA has partnered with RacquetFit to introduce a new certifica-
tion for tennis-teaching professionals, fitness coaches and medical
providers. The RacquetFit Certification is designed to give professionals
the tools to screen the physical limitations of a player and provide the
knowledge of how to get them back to performing at a high level.
“RacquetFit was developed by an advisory board of tennis-industry leading
experts and led by the founder of TPI (Titleist Performance Institute), Dr. Greg
Rose,” says USPTA CEO John Embree. “With TPI’s cutting-edge research and
development, we wanted to partner with RacquetFit to produce the same cutting-
edge education for the tennis industry.”
Other tennis, fitness and medical experts and instructors include Dr. Sean Drake,
Dr. Mark Kovacs and Jeff Salzenstein. Upcoming certification dates include: Jennifer Gregg
• June 22-23, USPTA Headquarters, Orlando, Fla.
• Aug. 10-11, Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge USTA South Carolina has named
• Sept. 28-29: The Westin Long Beach, Calif. Jennifer Gregg its new executive direc-
• Nov. 16-17: Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta tor. Gregg brings 22 years of USTA
C O U RT E S Y U S P TA , U S TA S O U T H CA R O L I N A , D R . M A R K KOVA C S
experience to the job, coupled with the
Certified Association Executive (CAE)
TENNIS AND FITNESS
designation from the American Society
iTPA World Conference of Association Executives.

Gregg previously served as the
July 21-22 in Atlanta USTA Maryland District executive

director and the USTA Mid-Atlantic
T
Section associate executive director.
She facilitates continuing education
he iTPA World Tennis Fitness Conference will courses and Community Tennis Devel-
be held on July 21-22 in Atlanta, focused on opment workshops on the National,
improving tennis-specific fitness training. Section and District levels, covering
Dr. Mark Kovacs, executive director of the various topics related to volunteerism,
iTPA, is the conference chair. Other speakers will include personal and organizational growth,
physical trainer Gil Reyes, Georgia Tech strength and con- leadership and team building.
ditioning coach Dan Taylor, former pro Robby Ginepri and “As we move forward,” says Gregg,
tennis analytics expert Warren Pretorius. The conference the focus will be on innovation, player
offers continuing education credits. Visit itpa-tennis.org. • Dr. Mark Kovacs
engagement, diversity and inclusion.”

monogut-zx-third-advert-image-update.pdf 1 06/07/2016 22:23
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
IndustryNews
PTR Releases New App

For Tennis Coaches
People
Watch
Dunlop has added tennis industry Chase Memorial Award, for lifetime
sales veterans Jeff Lininger and Matt achievement.
Helms to its team. Lininger, based out
of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., will be the German tennis legend Boris Becker
district sales manager for South Carolina has been appointed by the Central Af-
(excluding Charleston), North Carolina rican Republic as its Attaché for Sports,
and Georgia. Helms’s territory will Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs in the
include Tennessee, Louisiana, European Union. Becker, who will work
Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and as a volunteer, will have an office at the
the Florida Panhandle. Central African Republic embassy in
Brussels.
USTA New England inducted Teryn
Ashley Fitch of Ann Arbor, Mich., Jona- The USTA Eastern Section recently in-
than H. Bates of Stamford, Conn., and ducted four people into its Hall of Fame:
Heather Crowe Conner of West New- David Benjamin of Skillman, N.J., Lloyd
bury, Mass., into its Hall of Fame in June. Emanuel of Rye, N.Y., Robert Kenas of
In addition, Michael Mercier of Beverly, Marlboro, N.J., and Nadine Netter Levy
Mass., received the 2018 Gardner Ward of Palm Beach, Fla.
PTR has launched its new Coach App,

designed to provide coaches and ath-
letes with a platform that can be used to
help players improve their games.
Built around video analysis, the
PTR Coach App was developed by PTR
Director of Education Brian Parkkonen
and Oivind Sorvald, a PTR board member
who is the director of High Performance
and Coach Education for the Norwegian
Tennis Association.
The PTR Coach App allows coaches
to easily capture technical video, then
analyze and annotate the video with
illustrator tools. Coaches can compare
strokes, and have an easy reference to
player stroke collections and technical
parameters. They can then create video,
image and voice reports to share with
students, along with tracking goals.
USRSA Names New MRTs & CS

Master Racquet Technicians
• Zachary Leal, Corpus Christi, Texas
• Peter Deering, Charlotte, N.C.
• Bart Zuralski, Charlotte, N.C.
• Dave Carroll, St. Charles, Ill.
C O U RT E S Y P T R
• Gregory Goodin, Dallas

• Jose Villegas, Victoria, BC, Canada
Certified Stringer
• Aaron Cheung, Eugene, Ore.

TennisIndustry
GrassrootsTennis
JUNIOR PARTICIPATION
Play It Forward!
The USTA’s Net Generation puts junior
players front and center when it comes
to growing our sport in communities.
TEXAS
Youth Tennis is More

Accessible, More Fun
N
et Generation is what this
industry has been waiting
for,” says Ellen Miller, the
director of coaching educa-
tion and player development for the
Houston Tennis Association NJTL.
It’s the culmination of years of work
to make tennis more accessible and fun
for children of all ages, covering the
entire spectrum of youth tennis.
“Nearly 10 years ago, QuickStart and
then 10 and Under Tennis hit the scene,
making tennis easier to learn for young
MISSOURI VALLEY players because of the low-compres-
Red Ball Team Challenges a Hit in Omaha sion balls and modified court sizes,”
L
Miller notes.
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y M I R A C L E H I L L S T E N N I S C LU B, U S TA T E X A S
“Now with Net Generation, youth

tennis is all under one roof—easy to
arry Newton of Omaha, experience for first-time players with a find, easy to get started. Adding to the
Neb., quickly found suc- wide age-range. You can get 24 players structure is new turn-key curriculum,
cess with Red Ball Team on a court, and after an hour, they’re with lesson plans and videos that cover
Challenges, a Net Gen- actually playing tennis.” all ages and levels—from red ball to
eration pilot program. Newton, who is the chairman of the yellow ball—and that support tennis
The events, which USTA Missouri Valley’s Junior Compe- providers from private clubs to com-
average about 30 participants, serve as tition Committee, anticipates running munity and school programs.”
an introduction to competition, focus- four of the events this year. And Red Families win with Net Generation,
ing on level-based team play, parent Ball Team Challenges are just one asp- too. Parents can easily search for certi-
education and character development. ect of Net Generation that encourage fied teaching professionals and coaches
It can be delivered as a single event or a kids to play tennis. USTA Missouri Val- online and find tennis programs in
series of up to six events. ley anticipates more than two dozen of their area.
“It’s a pretty innovative program, the events being held across the section. “With Net Generation, it’s a win-win
with a very quick pace,” says Newton, “The USTA did a great job with the situation for everyone in the tennis
who quickly noticed how enjoyable it is programming,” he says. “This stuff is industry,” Miller says. “Youth tennis
for both players and parents. “It’s a fun catching on.” just got better!” •

TennisIndustry
Court Lighting
TENNIS INDUSTRY INNOVATION CHALLENGE by the French Tennis Federation, and
In A New Light now we’ve come to the U.S. as a top in-

novation in the tennis industry.”
Colliau also met with many racquet
The unique Tweener LED system sports facility owners and managers in
the Resource Center at the conference.
attaches to existing fencing, offering “What I like about Tweener is that
reduced installation and energy costs. they took something that has been
an accepted way of doing things and
looked at it in a different way,” said Dr.
Stuart Miller, senior executive director
T
of the ITF and one of the judges.
The other two finalists in the com-
weener Lighting, a unique unique and important to the growth petition were Armbeep, a portable
LED system that attaches of the sport. The panel of five judges motion-analysis device that helps
to existing fencing around then picked Tweener Lighting System players and coaches, and PlayByCourt,
tennis and other sport (tweener-lighting.com) of France as the a community-based online platform
courts, took home the top winner of the $1,000 prize. that facilitates the process of booking
prize in the third edition of the Tennis Tweener Lighting CEO Florent Col- lessons, court times and clinics.
Industry Innovation Challenge, which liau presented to the industry audience, “The three finalists all had strong
was held during the Tennis Owners plugging in and turning on one of the presentations that connected with
& Managers (TOM) Conference in LED lighting bars that attaches to the the tennis industry audience,” said
Charleston, S.C., in April. top of the fence surrounding a court, Innovation Challenge moderator
Presented by the Tennis Industry eliminating the need for light poles. Carlos Salum, president of Salum
Association (TIA), the Innovation Colliau said the benefits of the patented International Resources and a member
Challenge is a “Shark Tank”-like com- outdoor system are the lower cost to of the SportsCouncil Silicon Valley.
petition to identify innovative and cre- buy, install and operate; the ease of “Many thanks to all those who took
ative products or services in the tennis installation—in many cases just one day part,” said TIA Executive Director
industry. In Charleston, three compa- per court; lighting with no shadows and Jolyn de Boer. “The TIA is pleased to
nies, which had been selected from 20 no glare, even on high balls; and design offer this unique Innovation Challenge
overall applicants, each gave a five- integration with the fence. platform to entrepreneurs, with an eye
minute presentation on what makes “Winning this competition is very big toward increasing tennis participation
their tennis product or service special, for us,” Colliau said. “We are recognized and enjoyment for all consumers.” •
C O U RT E S Y T W E E N E R L I G H T I N G

Tennis Industry Forum TENNIS FORUM
Set for Aug. 27 in NYC
The 11th Annual Tennis Industry Association Tennis Forum will be and chairman of the board of the USTA; Kurt Kamperman, chief
on Monday, Aug. 27, at the Grand Hyatt New York in Manhattan. executive of the USTA National Campus; Craig Morris, the USTA’s
The Forum will include the latest news about the state of the chief executive of Community Tennis; Jeff Williams, the president
tennis industry, business insights and updates on grow-the-game of the TIA; and Jolyn de Boer, TIA executive director.
initiatives including the USTA’s Net Generation. Information presented at the Forum will help to outline ways
The TIA Tennis Forum is slated to run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the to better define and boost the economic growth and impact of
Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt. Aug. 27 also is the first day of play at the tennis industry; determine effective ways to distribute clear,
the US Open, the final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year. consistent messaging of health, fitness and the reasons to play
In addition to presenting key tennis industry statistics, research tennis; and discuss the business of tennis. Forum attendees will
and initiatives, the Forum also will include recognition of 2018 receive a summary report on key industry research.
inductee(s) into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. Industry leaders While the Forum is free to attend, space is limited, so registration
presenting at the Forum will include Katrina Adams, the president is required. Visit TennisIndustry.org.
Nominate for Tennis Industry Hall of Fame

Nominations close July 1 for the annual Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. Inductees for 2018 will be announced at the 11th Annual TIA Tennis
Forum, to be held in New York City on Monday, Aug. 27. Visit TennisIndustry.org/HoF for more information or to nominate. (All nominations
will be confidential.)
The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame was started in 2008 to honor inventors, founders, innovators
and contributors who have made a significant impact on the sport of tennis, from the 1960s to the
present. Current inductees are: Howard Head (2008), Dennis Van der Meer (2008), Alan Schwartz
(2009), Billie Jean King (2010), Nick Bollettieri (2011), Howard Gill Jr. (2013), Walter Montenegro
(2013), Sheldon Westervelt (2013), Jim Baugh (2014), Peter Burwash (2015), Eugene Scott (2016),
Eve Kraft (2016) and David Haggerty (2017).
Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductees are recognized with their names displayed on a plaque at
the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.
18 TennisIndustry July 2018 Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . TennisIndustry.org
TOM Conference Videos
Focus on Innovation,
Growth, Leadership
The fifth annual Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM)
Conference in Charleston, S.C., in April brought
together dozens of top speakers and experts
to focus on innovation, growth, business
leadership and development in the tennis and racquet
sports industry. This year, many of the presentations throughout the three-day event were
videotaped and are available to TOM Conference attendees and others to review. Also, key takeaways were compiled after
every session. Plus, many TOM speakers are offering their presentations as part of the ongoing TIA Webinar Series.
“The feedback from the tennis business owners, managers and decision-makers about the TOM Conference agenda
and speakers has been extremely positive,” says Jolyn de Boer,
the executive director of the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), Go to https://vimeo.com/tennisindustry to view videos
which developed and manages the event. “This year, we had a from the 2018 TOM Conference, which include:
professional videographer at the conference who captured many of
the key presentations. Many of these videos are free for anyone to TOM Conference Highlights (:58)
access, but others are only available to TOM Conference attendees Tennis Industry Overview (9:28)
and TIA Associate Partner level and higher.” Tennis Innovation Challenge (1:21)
The videos include highlights from a number of speakers and PHIT America—The Inactivity Pandemic in America (1:35)
events (many under 2 minutes), plus longer versions of keynote Dr. Jack Groppel’s Inspiring Journey (2:11)
presentations. There also are highlights videos and overviews
Jim Baugh—Getting America Moving and Healthy (31:43)
of the State of the Tennis Industry and the “Inactivity Pandemic”
that affects America. Communications Consultant Mike May of The Nick Bollettieri Story (1:33)
Wellington, Fla., narrates many of the videos, which were shot by May is National Play Tennis Month! (1:45)
videographer Kenny Bacchus of Grand Rapids, Mich. Tennis Channel: Play Tennis Month (1:00)
U
E • JAN ARY 23-
C 25
EN Save the Date: 2019
R
TOM Conference
FE
OR
2019 TOM CON
LAN
The TIA’s sixth annual Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference
DO, FLORID
is scheduled for Jan. 23-25 in Orlando, Fla. In an expanded format, the

popular TOM Conference will have a special focus on facilities. It will
also include a TIA Forum, the Tennis Industry Innovation Challenge,
specialty courses, “TOM Talks,” presentations, interactive sessions
and a visit to the USTA National Campus. Stay tuned for more details.
A
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . TennisIndustry.org July 2018 TennisIndustry 19
TennisIndustry
D I S T I N G2
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HEI NAERS A W A R D S
B A L L CMOAUCRHTI NC EOSN SOTNR TU HC ET I M

O NA R K E T
Double Play
Manufacturers say their ball machines are
a tool for teaching professionals
and a profit center for tennis facilities.
By Kent Oswald
T

he biggest challenge court drills, or sequential shot patterns, (See the chart on pages 22-25 for ball
for ball machine man- has been a great advancement in tennis machines currently on the market.)
ufacturers continues ball machine functionality,” says Tony
to be overcoming the Potter, president of Lobster Sports. He
perception that, in a points to Lobster’s Phenom Two com- Powerful Teaching Tool
human vs. machine mercial electric ball machine, or the Elite Daniel Bassili, whose career in junior
scenario, they’re on Grand Five LE portable, as examples of tennis was supported by the Silent
the side of the machines. But no ball this technological advance. Partner ball machines developed by his
machine, the manufacturers point out, Using various ball machine apps father, echoes the importance of using
can replace the knowledge of an experi- allows for programming and editing these machines correctly.
enced teaching professional. customer court drills. But to get the most “Ball machines are powerful teach-
What ball machine manufacturers sell out of this functionality, says Potter, ing tools for beginners and elite players
is a tool that helps teaching pros teach requires working with a well-trained alike,” says Bassili, who is the company
their students more effectively, and is a teaching pro or coach who can identify counsel for Silent Partner. “They can feed
means for clubs and facilities to make what will be most useful for a player— like an underhand to a very young player,
more money. and then effectively use on-court assess- or amp up to extremely high levels of
“The ability to program and store in ments to monitor the work a player may speed and spin. All the while, pros are
the machine’s memory your own custom do on their own with the ball machine. freed from feeding balls, and can provide

TennisIndustry
Director-at-Large Ken DeHart. He has their own games, but also to be the
been impressed that, via a mobile phone ultimate authority on assessing how
app, he has “the ability to program a pat- much their students have improved—as
tern of shots or game-based situations well as what they need to do to move up
into the machine.” to the next level.
A coach’s role, DeHart adds, includes Tennis instruction—and pickleball
encouraging their students to work with instruction, too, with Lobster, Playmate,
a ball machine. DeHart wants teaching Sports Attack and Sports Tutor having
pros to not just provide their students recently introduced pickleball-specific
with access to customized ball machine products—is not human vs. machine, but
drills and programs so they can work on rather human and machine.
feedback to students while standing right

next to them, controlling the machine by
remote control from across the court.”
Ball machine use isn’t just about ben-
efiting players and teaching pros. Play-
mate product marketing specialist Stan
Oley says ball machines provide revenue
streams for facilities as well.
Oley says his company’s experience
is that a demo clinic with the Playmate
iGenie often leads to enough new play-
ers or family memberships into a ball
machine-supported “club” to cover the
cost of a new machine. The Playmate
iGenie, with five motors, has the ability
to be calibrated and customized accord-
ing to altitude, atmosphere, surface and
quality of ball, among other features.
“The key for ball machine use is finding
a price point that doesn’t undercut les-
sons,” says Oley.
Gains for Pros and Students

Are more pros turning to using ball ma-
chines for their lessons and clinics? As
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y P L AY M AT E , L O B S T E R , S P O RT S T U T O R , S I L E N T PA RT N E R
the average age of teaching pros contin-

ues to increase (TIA research says the
average age of a tennis teaching pro in
the U.S. is now 55 years old), we may well
see increased ball machine sales and use.
“Older instructors in particular are
realizing that using ball machines in
lessons can be a real arm-saver for them,
since they don’t have to feed as many
balls,” says Bill Greene, a former aero-
space engineer and founder of Sports
Tutor. “Also, using ball machines in les-
sons increases their students’ familiarity
with the machines, so players will rent
machines more often.”
It turns out that the better acquainted
both pro and student are with a ball
machine, the greater the potential gain.
“There is so much technology here
for both pros and members to use,” says
longtime teaching professional and PTR

TennisIndustry
2018 GUIDE TO BALL MACHINES
BALL MACHINES ON THE MARKET
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Lobster Sports 800-526-4041• www.lobstersports.com
Elite Freedom $839 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 35 X 2-12 65 X X X
Elite Liberty $949 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 35 X 2-12 70 X X X X
Elite One $1,139 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 40 X 2-12 80 X X X X
Elite Two $1,419 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 42 X 2-12 80 X X X X
Elite Three $1,669 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 42 X 2-12 80 X X X X
Elite Grand Four $1,999 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 X 2-9 80 X X X X
Elite Grand Five $2,299 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 x 2-9 80 X X X X X 6 6
Elite Grand Five Ltd. Edition $2,599 2 Years 21" x 14" x 20" 150 44 x 2-9 80 X X X X X 6 12
Phenom $3,149 2 Years 32" x 25" x 50" 250 99 x 2-9 85 X X X X
Phenom Two $3,595 2 Years 32" x 25" x 50" 250 99 x 2-9 85 X X X X X 6 12
Match Mate 800-837-1002 • www.matchmatetennis.com
Rookie $449 2 Year a
11" x 11" x 22" 70 22 X 2-10
35 X Topspin X
Quickstart $558 2 Year a
12.5" x 12.5" x 28" 80 29 X 2-10 30 X X
iSAM Value $759 2 Year a
19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 34 X 2-10 65 X X X
iSam Extend $799 2 Year a
19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 39 X 2-10 65 X X X
iSam Ultimate $899 2 Year a
19" x 17.5" x 18" 250 39 X 2-10 65 X X X
SAM P1 Value $1,099 2 Year a
19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X
Sam P1 Pro $1,199 2 Year a
19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X
Sam P1 Ultimate $1,299 2 Year a
19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X
Sam P 4 Trainer $1,599 2 Year a 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X
Sam P 4 Pro Trainer $1,799 2 Year a 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X
Sam P 4 Ultimate $1,899 2 Year a 19.5" x 16" x 21.5" 300 48 X 2-10 85 X X X X X X
Sam Coach $3,999 3 Year 35" x 25" x 50" 250 87 X 1.5-8 95 X X X X X X 7 7
PTS - Partner (new this year) $3,495 2 Year 30" x 24" x 24" 300+ 80 X 2-11 85 X X X X X X X 6 12
PTS - Precision Tennis System $3,995 2 Year 30" x 24" x 24" 300+ 80 X 11-Feb 85 X X X X X X X Infinite Infinite
Playmate • 800-776-6770 • www.playmatetennis.com
Half Volley $1,595 2 Year Ltd. 19" x 21" x 25" 200 42 X 1-10 70 X X X X
Volley $2,095 2 Year Ltd. 19" x 21" x 25" 200 46 X 1-10 70 X X X X X X 2
Ace $3,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 200 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X 3
iSmash $5,175 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X X 7
iGenie $6,945 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X X 7
iSmash w/ iPlaymate Tennis $5,995 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 85 X 1-10 90 X X X X X X 8 Infinite
Grandslam $8,675 3 Year Ltd. 35" x 21" x 38" 300 110 X 1-10 120 X X X X X X X 7
Robot Optimizer • 888-8BOOMER • www.tennisrobot.com
Boomer (with camera) $14,450d 2 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 0.8-10 100 X X X X X 30 1,000
Boomer (without camera) $12,450e 2 Year 38.5" x 31" x 21.5" 300 124 X 0.8-10 100 X X X X X 30 1,000
Silent Partner • 800-662-1809 • www.sptennis.com
Lite (Edge Series) $799 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 35 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X
Lite-R (Edge Series) $949 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 35 X 1.5-11 95 X X X X
Sport (Edge Series) $949 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 46 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X
Star (Edge Series) $1,099 2 Year 24" x 22" x 16" 200 46 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X
Rival (Scoop Series) $1,399 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X 3
Quest (Scoop Series) $1,799 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X X 2 3
Smart (Scoop Series) $2,299 2 Year 28" x 22" x 18" 300 48 X 1.5-10 95 X X X X X 20 3
Spinfire • 888-244-0003 • www.spinfireusa.com
Pro 1 $1,899 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 52 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 1 with Portable Battery Pack $1,899 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 40 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 1 with AC Power $1,899 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 40 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 2 $2,099 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 52 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 2 with Portable Battery Pack $2,099 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 40 X 2-15 80 X X X X
Pro 2 with AC Power $2,099 2 Year 26" x 20" x 20" 200 40 X 2-15 80 X X X X
a
2-year parts, 1-year battery 1 Fast charger $99 11 Great for youth and beginners to work on dealing with topspin
b
2-4 Hours of Court Time 2 6 pre-programmed court drills (6-ball sequence per drill) 12 Especially designed for 10 and Under Tennis
c
4-8 Hours of Court Time 3 12 pre-programmed court drills + 6 custom programmable court drills + 13 Extra heavy-duty battery $35, 110/220-volt AC converter $135, wireless remote
d
or $600/month 2-line narrow, medium, wide $100, water-resistant cloth storage cover $68
e
or $300/month 4 12 pre-programmed court drills + 6 custom programmable court drills + 14 Comes standard with two 8-amp, 12-volt batteries
18 locations to choose from + 2-line narrow, medium, wide 15 Lob Enhancer $30,110/220-volt AC converter $135, water-resistant storage cover
5 Horizontal oscillation $68, adjustable oscillation width
6 Horizontal oscillation + spin control 16 Ships via LTL freight, feeds balls from 30" above ground
7 Triple-oscillation (horizontal + vertical oscillation) 17 Oscillation upgrade $245, remote-control upgrade $325, additional non-memory
8 Triple-oscillation + 2-line narrow, wide battery upgrade $180
9 3 position settings of 2-line (narrow, medium, wide) 18 Additional non-memory battery upgrade $180
10 iPhone/Android remote-control compatible 19 Deuce Conversion Box $1,355, Genie Conversion Box $2,305, iPlaymate Tennis $995

TennisIndustry
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$119 X 8.5 b X X $49 X 1, 5
$119 X 8.5 b X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 6, 39
$119 X 18 c X X $169 X X $49 X 1, 6, 39
X X $119 X 18 c X X $169 or $229 X X $49 X 1, 7, 39, 40, 41
X X $119 X 18 c X X $169 or $229 X X $49 X 1, 8, 39, 40, 41
X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 2, 9, 10, 39, 41
X X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 3, 10, 39, 41
X X X X X $119 X 18 c X X $300 X X X $49 X 4, 39, 41
X X X X X X $300 X X X $99 X 2, 9, 10, 41
X X X X X X $300 X X X $99 X 4, 41
X 8 X X X 11
X 8 X X X X X 12
X 8 X X X X X X 13
X 16 X X X X X X 14
X 16 X X X X X X
X X 16 X X X X X X X 15
X X 16 X X X X X X X
X X 16 X X X X X X X
X X X 16 X X X X X X X 15
X X X 16 X X X X X X X X X
X X X 16 X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X 16
X X X X X X 20 X X X X Required X X X X X 23
X X X X X X X X 20 c X X X X Required X X X TBD X X 23
X 17 X X X X $99 X 17
X 17 X X X X X $99 X 18
X X X $5,425 $99 X
X X X $5,425 $99 X 19
X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 21
X X X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X
X X X X X X X X $5,425 $99 X 21

X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 22
X X X X X X X X X X $3,895 X X 23
X 9 X $40 X
X 9 X X X X $40 X 24
X 18 X $40 X
$249 X 18 X X X X $40 X 24
$100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 25
X X X $249 $100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 26
X X X X X $249 $100 X 18 X X X X X X $40 X 27
X X 20 X X X $45 X 28
X X 20 X X X $45 X 28
X X 20 X X X $45 X 28
X X X 20 X X X X X X $45 X 28
X X X 20 X X X X X X $45 X 28
X X X 20 X X X X X X $45 X 28
20 iSmash Conversion Box $535, Genie Conversion Box $2,305, iPlaymate Tennis $995 case/dust cover; optional $129 fast charger; optional $149 AC charger; horizontal oscillation–
21 iSmash Conversion Box $535, Deuce Conversion Box $1,355, iPlaymate Tennis $995 medium & wide; self-calibrates to center on start using infrared and magnetic sensors; 30-day
22 Plays games, rates shots, uses a camera, talks to players, cordless headphone system ($500 100% Satisfaction Guarantee; 2-line drill—narrow, medium & wide; vertical oscillation; triple/
or $50/month), wireless printer for analysis ($2,000 or $100/month),radar gun, iPod input all-court/3-D oscillation (horizontal & vertical); all-function antenna-less remote with snooze
with speakers, allows user to modify level, height, frequencyand speed for low-power mode; convert to portable battery with $89 upgrade; portable battery only
23 Talks to players, cordless headphone system ($500 or $50/month), iPod input needed for recharge; add optional $49 internal battery to external battery to double running
with speakers, allows user to modify level, height, frequency and speed time or use multiple external battery packs
24 2-button remote 29 All-in-one serving machine with variable-height release points for groundstrokes as well
25 16-button remote 30 External battery pack $150, external AC power supply $125
26 20-button remote 31 Smart-fast battery upgrade $45
27 22-button remote 32 2-line oscillation $200
28 Internal oscillation–machine does not swivel sideways while shooting balls; optional $79 carry 33 AC/DC option $200

TennisIndustry
2018 GUIDE TO BALL MACHINES
BALL MACHINES ON THE MARKET
ram
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TennisIndustry
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TennisIndustry
R E TA I L S TA R S
S P E C I A LT Y S T O R E S
Service Aces
1
Your Serve Tennis

Successful specialty retailers Atlanta, Ga.
are upping their game by
focusing on local markets.
This family-owned and operated chain of tennis specialty
By Judy Leand stores started as a stringing business in 1974, opened its first
door in 1976 and now boasts nine full-service locations in the
metro Atlanta area. Your Serve Tennis is also involved in pro
shop operations in smaller clubs and has plans to work with
more teaching pros and tennis facilities in the next few years.
The corporate growth strategy calls for an increase in store
count over the next five years.
The chain’s large retail footprint attracts a diverse clien-
tele that’s “all over the board,” says Adam Queen, VP of Your
Serve Tennis. “We cater to casual players, and beginners are
huge for us. There’s a large social tennis market in the area
and the barriers to entry are low because there are lots of
courts available. Juniors are also important, but they go dark
between the ages of 18 to 30. But the 30-plus demographic
is enthusiastic about tennis.” He adds that the majority of
Your Serve Tennis’s core customers are ages 35 to 55, divided
equally between male and female.
Your Serve Tennis has earned numerous industry com-
mendations. Its secret sauce is personal service, augmented
by an expansive product selection and many convenient
locations. One-hour stringing service and a robust racquet
demo program continue to be popular draws.
“We provide face-to-face help from store employees that
s the nation’s retailers and vendors struggle to adapt to the play tennis, and regardless of the size of the purchase, we
dynamics of a rapidly and drastically changing marketplace, offer customers personalized service to find the right prod-
purveyors of tennis products are also feeling the squeeze. uct that will help improve their game, encourage them to
Chief among the challenges is ongoing market consolida- play more, and have more fun,” Queen says. “We carry as
tion—a.k.a. the “retail apocalypse”—that is being fueled by a wide a selection as possible and focus on being convenient
consumer shift from bricks to clicks (read: Amazon). More- neighborhood stores without a superstore mentality.”
over, tennis retailers are increasingly being forced to com- The retailer’s key vendor partners appreciate the devotion
pete directly against many of their key vendors, which now to customer service.
loom both online and in physical branded stores, while also “Your Serve Tennis really has the customer in mind,” says
dealing with declining levels of consumer spending on tennis Joe Keenan of Head Penn Racquet Sports. “They not only
equipment, an aging base of core players (who account for offer a great product assortment and have an extensive demo
the lion’s share of expenditures in the sport, according to TIA program, but their staff is very professional and wants cus-
research) and flat participation numbers. tomers to be satisfied with their purchases.”
On the bright side, a number of specialty tennis shops The sentiment is echoed by Iain Pound, national sales
are thriving in this demanding environment. The hardiest director for Wilson Racquet Sports: “Two words come to my
among them have an intimate understanding of their local mind: intelligent retailing. Owners Dale and Adam Queen
tennis communities and know how to leverage that knowl- understand the needs of the Atlanta tennis consumer.”
edge to enhance customer service, boost sales and attract Although Adam Queen admits the internet has affected
new players. Here is a look at three retail stars that are keep- the business, he takes it in stride.
ing their eyes on the ball. “While the internet can fulfill demand, it can’t really cre-

TennisIndustry
With nine locations in the

Atlanta market, Your Serve
Tennis has a large retail
footprint that attracts a
diverse clientele and offers an
extensive product selection—
along with topnotch service.
We make a point of meeting customers where they live, and of making

equipment fun and relatable. We need to take steps to not become a commodity industry.
People still long for personal interaction and service.
ate demand,” he says. “It’s harder for consumers to try new stringing, racquets, apparel, footwear and accessories, with
products via the internet, and vendors are guilty of support- each accounting for about 20 percent of sales. Wilson,
ing the internet with excess product and high volume, which Babolat and Head are strong performers in the racquet
C O U RT E S Y YO U R S E R V E T E N N I S
hurts grassroots and local shops. The internet has changed department and Yonex is improving. K-Swiss has become
our thinking, particularly regarding pricing, making people a major player in footwear and Asics is also solid. Lucky in
think that online prices are always cheaper.” Love is the clear No. 2 apparel brand behind Nike.
This is why Queen believes after-sale support is key. Your Queen says the human connection is the most critical fac-
Serve Tennis doesn’t sell online, other than closeouts. tor in their retail success—and in the industry as a whole.
“It’s easier for a customer to come into the store than to “We make a point of meeting customers where they live
deal with the internet, mail stuff back and then wait days for and of making equipment fun and relatable,” he says. “We
a resolution,” says Queen. need to take steps to not become a commodity industry.
On the sales floor, Your Serve Tennis’s key categories are People matter.”

TennisIndustry
R E TA I L S TA R S
S P E C I A LT Y S T O R E S
The Tennis Professionals

Westchester, N.Y.
Owned and run by teaching pros and US Open stringers, “The internet has turned into a knowledge source for most
The Tennis Professionals is based in Westchester, N.Y., and consumers, and it has made us become sharper,” Moriarty
has been in business since 1986. The retailer operates two says. “Unfortunately, it’s also forced us to be more sales-driv-
stores: The Tennis Professionals at Rye Racquet Club, and en. If I don’t price match, I’ll lose that consumer.”
Sportech, a 4,000-square-foot door specializing in tennis, Stringing plays a large role in Moriarty’s business. Making
C O U RT E S Y T H E T E N N I S P R O F E S S I O N A L S, L E S M O I S E
fitness, running and soccer, located in Rye Brook, N.Y. the in-store try-on experience for apparel and footwear more
The Tennis Professionals caters to consumers in an afflu- comfortable also helps to draw customers.
ent area, and the customer base spans ages 6 to 86. “Customers may buy a racquet online but come to our
“Within a 20-mile radius, there are 100 country clubs,” shop for stringing, and then they’ll return for other prod-
says Karen Moriarty, co-owner and buyer. “Knowing our ucts,” she says. “We pay attention to what they want.”
consumers’ specific needs is part of our customer service, The Tennis Professionals sells an even mix of hardgoods
and it’s our service that differentiates us. We have employees and shoes. In apparel, women account for a large chunk of
who’ve been with us for 20 years and who have an immedi- sales, but men and kids perform well. Sales are spread out
ate rapport with our customers. We offer a variety of brands fairly evenly among footwear, apparel, racquets and string-
and merchandise, 24-hour turnaround on stringing, and a ing. Wilson and Babolat comprise the majority of racquet
big racquet demo program—something that’s not offered sales, and Lucky in Love is a hot brand in apparel. In foot-
elsewhere in the area.” wear, Nike, Asics, K-Swiss and Adidas are solid performers.
The retailer also works with local teaching pros, and hav- “The Tennis Professionals is an extremely well-run opera-
ing more than one location and dealing in multiple catego- tion. They have consistently been a top account,” says Andrea
ries allows for greater availability of product. Cherniak, Lucky in Love's director of sales and marketing.

TennisIndustry
Les Moise encourages customers to linger and enjoy the shopping

experience. They employ knowledgeable staff who enjoy working there. The owners listen
to their customers and sales reps for advice, staying on-trend and relevant.
Les Moise
Milwaukee, Wis.
Milwaukee-based Les Moise, family-owned and oper- turnaround on stringing, and a frequent stringer discount
ated since 1946, boasts two locations: Mequon, with about program.”
10,000 square feet of retail space, and Brookfield, with more While keeping tabs on the internet, Rosmann and his team
than 11,000 square feet. Les Moise specializes in tennis, ski/ place a higher priority on enhancing the in-store experience.
snowboard and activewear, with tennis comprising about 25 “We sell fun in our industry. We want the store experience to
percent of the overall business. The company stakes its repu- be positive every time and to make it easy for people to shop.”
tation on service, selection and ease of shopping, and caters Les Moise sells more hardgoods than apparel, with foot-
to juniors, frequent adult players and families. wear and racquets accounting for similar portions of sales,
“Les Moise is inviting and encourages customers to linger and stringing providing the greatest profit margin. In the rac-
and enjoy the shopping experience,” says Lucky in Love sales quet category, $200 is the bread-and-butter price point, and
rep Liz Flanagan. "They employ knowledgeable staff who Rosmann is enthusiastic about Babolat’s solid sales, Wilson’s
enjoy working there. The owners listen to their customers growth over the past year and Yonex’s steady performance.
and sales reps for advice, staying on-trend and relevant.” In footwear, key price points range from $105 to $110, with
The internet doesn’t figure into Les Moise’s corporate K-Swiss being the retailer’s fastest-growing shoe brand and
strategy, except as a competitive obstacle to overcome. Asics proving to be a consistent performer. Lucky in Love
“Online shopping has changed how I position things continues to be a standout brand on the apparel side.
price-wise and how I do markdowns,” says David Rosmann, “Les Moise has been a trusted Babolat partner for many
president of Les Moise. “But we provide services that online years,” says Bryan Ogle, Babolat’s national sales director.
retailers can’t or don’t. We have a big racquet demo pro- “The staff is fantastic at keeping up on the latest products in
gram, a large selection of shoes and racquets, a 24-hour an ongoing effort to be the local expert in their field.”

TennisIndustry
D I S T I N G U I S HCEODUFRATC C
I LOI N
T Y-
S TORFU- C
TTHIEO-Y
NE A R A W A R D S
TC EONUNR ITS C&O NPSI CT RK UL EC BT AI OLNL
60-foot courts (or to new blended-line

applicants). The non-volley line is 7 feet
from the net on each side.
On 78- and 60-foot courts, the distance
from service line to service line is 42 feet,
and the width of the singles sidelines on a
60-foot court is 21 feet—both just slightly
off from pickleball’s 44- by 20-foot court.
But the USAPA has agreed that recre-
ational pickleball, which accounts for the
vast majority of play, can take place on a
60-foot tennis court. (The pickleball net
height is different, too—34 inches at the
center and 36 inches at the posts, as op-
posed to a tennis net height of 36 and 42
inches. Temporary net adjusters are avail-
able to pull it down to pickleball height.)
For pickleball players, they’ll be on a
court that is a foot shorter on each end,
and 6 inches wider on each side. But since
much of pickleball takes place in the fore-
court, the shorter court for recreational
play should not be a concern, says Kurt
Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive
for the USTA National Campus, who has
A Blended-Court Solution? been looking at solutions for accommo-
dating pickleball. Kamperman met with
A cooperative pilot program using USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof
in April to present this pilot concept.
60-foot courts for pickleball “Our interest is in helping tennis
facilities and parks that have a demand
may offer opportunities for both for pickleball, so they have an option that
doesn’t involve having excessive lines on
players and tennis facilities. a tennis court, or worse, potentially los-

ing tennis courts,” Kamperman says.
The USTA has been promoting 36- and
By Peter Francesconi
F
60-foot blended-line courts for almost
a decade. Today, there are an estimated
25,000 of these courts across the U.S.
A 60-foot court can be used for several
or tennis facilities, one court, and aren’t quite the same as lines racquet sports: youth and adult tennis,
of the more challeng- for a 36- or 60-foot court. pickleball and POP Tennis.
ing aspects of accom- But a potential solution, suggested by “We can look at pickleball as a com-
modating the needs the USTA with the support of the USA petitor or as a racquet sport cousin,”
of pickleball players Pickleball Association, may be at hand, Kamperman notes. “Many older tennis
is how to handle the and may offer advantages and opportu- players are considering moving or have
lines on the court. A nities for players and facilities. In a free moved to activities that might require
pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 pilot program, the USTA has offered to less court coverage, such as pickleball.
feet wide, dimensions that don’t fit neatly add the pickleball “non-volley” line (also This blended-line solution allows long-
into the lines of a standard 78-foot tennis called the “kitchen” line) to existing time tennis players to continue playing

TennisIndustry
Our interest is in helping facilities and parks that have a demand

for pickleball, so they have an option that doesn’t involve having excessive
lines on a tennis court, or worse, potentially losing tennis courts.
1. Pickleball
racquet sports at their tennis facilities.” ties). Kamperman says the USTA, includ- Non-Volley Lines
For facilities, adding 60-foot blended ing the sections, will evaluate the pilots
lines for pickleball can help fill off-peak and then, along with USAPA, decide if the
court time. Pickleball’s 3.11 million program should continue. leball at Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head
players (according to PAC data) include David LaSota, a top facility designer Island, S.C., echoes this. “Pickleball has
a strong contingent of retirees who can who works with the USTA, says this is a turned out to be a totally new revenue
play during middle-of-the-day hours. solution that could work for everyone. stream for us. Adding something with
Plus, facilities and shops can increase “It’s very easy to add a blended line in such wide appeal is a breath of fresh air.”
retail, lesson and clinic revenue. the service box as a kitchen line,” he says. “We put in four pickleball courts last
In the pilot program, which ends July “So we can accommodate pickleball play fall and immediately started making
31, the USTA will provide free lines for up without having lines all over the place.” money,” adds Nancy Ehrola, business
to 50 tennis facilities. “This solution makes sense because it operations director at The Atlantic Club
“If you have existing 60-foot courts, gives businesses flexibility,” says Chuck in Manasquan, N.J. “From Nov. 1 to April
D I A G R A M C O U RT E S Y U S TA ; S H U T T E R S T O C K
we’ll add the lines for the pickleball Gill, the director of sports at The Club at 30, we did $28,000 in pickleball income—
kitchen,” Kamperman says. “If your Ibis in West Palm Beach, Fla. Ibis has 16 and that’s in off-peak times.”
facility doesn’t yet have 60-foot blended tennis courts and four pickleball courts. Kamperman realizes accommodating
lines, we’ll add them for you and include “I was worried pickleball could take pickleball play can be a sensitive issue for
the kitchen line.” players away from our tennis program, diehard tennis players. “From infrastruc-
In early May, Kamperman presented but the reality is you get a whole different ture and business points of view,” he says,
the concept to USTA Section executive person playing pickleball. We get golfers “it makes sense to try and find a solution
directors, who have been recommending who may be a bit intimidated by a full- where everyone benefits—the USTA,
parks and tennis facilities for the pilot size tennis court, and people who maybe USAPA, existing tennis facilities looking
program. Facilities apply for the grants can’t move as well as they used to. We to keep their players and add a revenue
online through the USTA Facilities find pickleball complements tennis well.” stream, and especially players looking to
Assistance Program (usta.com/facili- John Kerr, director of tennis and pick- get out on the courts and be active.”

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Tennis Research
2018 TIA
Research
Reports
While youth tennis and The 2018
State of the Industry report and the
Cardio Tennis are among 2018 Tennis Insider report are available at
various TIA membership levels.
the bright spots, the latest For information, visit
TennisIndustry.org or call
research shows a number 866-686-3036.
of continuing challenges
we must address. Total Tennis Participation 2000-2017
T
20.0M
18.0M
he most recent data by the Physical
16.0M
Activity Council shows that total U.S.
14.0M
tennis participation fell 2.2 percent from
Millions of tennis players
12.0M
2016 to 2017, to a total of 17.68 million players. Growth 2000 to 2010: 44% Growth 2010 to 2017: -6%
10.0M
The sport’s five-year average annual growth 8.0M
maintains a positive increase at 0.8%, with the 6.0M
total number of participants staying above 4.0M
2007 numbers. 2.0M
Among the bright spots is a 4.5 percent 0.0M
increase in Cardio Tennis players and a nearly 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
1 percent increase in youth tennis players over
the past year. In addition, “latent demand” for TIA Tennis Equipment Index (2003-2017)
tennis remains strong. The PAC study shows Nominal Dollars
that nearly 16 million non-players are interested 140
in tennis, and another 13.7 million Americans 125 122
114 116 118 119 115 115
120 112 113
“consider themselves players” but may not have 100 103
109
101 98
been on court in the last two years. 100
That said, total “play occasions” slipped in 80
the past year, down 6.6 percent to 397 million.
60
And equipment sales, as indicated by the “Tennis
Equipment Index” at right, continues to slide. 40 The Equipment Index summarizes the census data by adding the
wholesale value of racquets, balls, and strings.
The most recent industry research is available 20 Index reference year is 2003.
from the TIA at various membership levels.
0
Visit TennisIndustry.org or call 866-686-3036. 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Tennis Research
The Industry at a Glance (2017 data)

Total Participation 17.68 Million Manufacturer Year-End Wholesale Shipments (units)
Youth Tennis Participation Tennis Racquets 2.35 Million
Ages 6-12 2.39 Million Tennis Strings 2.83 Million
Ages 13-17 2.18 Million Tennis Balls (including ROG) 111.6 Million
Core Tennis Players (10+ times a year) 9.52 Million Red, Orange, Green Balls 4.44 Million
Cardio Tennis Players 2.22 Million Tennis Equipment Index 98
Total Play Occasions 397 Million
Participation
Tennis participation has remained fairly constant since are ‘samplers’ of multiple sports and activities, but it is a
2010. While the trend in overall participation has been concern for our industry. Fortunately, Cardio Tennis is
slight increases in each of the last five years through 2016, following the positive trends in fitness and group exercise.”
“core” tennis participants— those who play 10 or more For youth tennis, the increase in participation was
times a year—declined slightly in 2017 to 9.52 million. driven by the youngest players, ages 6 to 12, which were up
“Core players account for 86 percent of the money spent 1.2 percent, while ages 13 to 17 increased 0.6 percent.
in the ‘tennis economy’ and 93 percent of all tennis play Within the total number of young players, “core” youth
occasions,” says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. players, those who play at least 10 times a year, decreased by
“This slip in core players is in line with a trend toward more 0.9 percent to 2.65 million. And importantly, “new” youth
casual play for sports overall, rising inactivity levels, aging players rose 6.2 percent in 2017—up 7.6 percent in the 6 to
baby-boomers, and new generations of players who 12 age category and 2.8 percent in the 13 to 17 age group.
Total Cardio Tennis Participation 2008-2017 Youth Tennis Participation 2012-2017 (PAC Study)
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
2.50 M
3.00 M
2.12 M 2.22 M
2.00 M 1.82 M 2.50 M
1.62 M
Millions of tennis players
1.44 M 1.54 M 2.00 M

Millions of players
1.50 M 1.34 M 1.29 M

1.00 M 1.50 M
1.00 M 0.83 M
1.00 M
0.50 M 0.50 M
0.00 M 0.00 M
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 All Players 6~12 All Players 13~17 New Players 6~12 New Players 13~17
Total Play Occasions (Millions) by Play Frequency – PAC Study Tennis Players and Latent Demand - Total Players by Age
PAC Study
20.00 M
500.0 464
443 6.6 443 446 18.00 M
6.6 7.5 7.8 425 1.80 M
84.6 8.4 397 15.74 M 16.00 M
400.0 79.6 83.0 82.2 9.8 Latent Demand (Number 2.03 M 55+
84.7 14.00 M
Millions of play occasions
of non-players who are

Millions of individuals
87.6 interested in tennis) 3.12 M 45~54

1-3 times/year 12.00 M
300.0
Millions of players
35~44
4-20 times/year 13.72 M 10.00 M
Intermittent (consider 3.61 M 25~34
200.0 21+times/year themselves players) 8.00 M
356.3 372.7 352.5 356.5 18~24
331.9 299.8 6.00 M 2.56 M
Total 13~17
Total Active Tennis 4.00 M
100.0 17.68 M Players 2.18 M 6~12
2.00 M
2.39 M
0.0 0.00 M
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2017 2017
34 TennisIndustry July 2018 Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . TennisIndustry.org
Tennis Research
Tennis Research
ads.indd 1 4/29/16 12:43 PM
TennisIndustry
AskTheExperts
A: Both green and red clay are tough on

strings, so consider using polyester for
better durability. A denser string pat-
tern will also improve durability.
If you often find yourself bang-
ing away from the baseline, consider
lowering your string tension for more
power and added depth to your shots.
Lower tensions will also help when the
ball gets heavier from picking up dirt
and moisture from the court.
At the end of the day, if you like your
racquet, you should keep your racquet.
As for footwear, there are shoes specifi-
cally made for clay-court play.
Racquet Choice
Considerations
Q: One of my customers wants to buy a
racquet that will improve the accuracy,
penetration and consistency of his
serve. What should I look for in helping
him find a new racquet?
Name That
String
Q: Some tennis friends and I were and medical sutures. As Babolat
talking recently about strings and engineers were working at improving
realized that none of us knew what the tennis strings, they went through many
“VS” stands for in Babolat VS. Can you rounds of prototypes, and the best
help us out? string ended up being the “V” produc- A: Selecting a racquet to optimize
tion batch. So “V” designates the batch, one’s serve is not much different than
A: Babolat has been producing tennis and “S” is for Superior. selecting a racquet for one’s overall
strings since 1875. The Babolat game. You will need to find the heaviest
website tells us: “In 1925 VS quality was racquet your customer can use without
introduced, on the initiative of Albert altering stroke timing. For comfort
Babolat. Originally developed with
Switching and maneuverability, look for racquets
the ‘Musketeers,’ VS has equipped the to Clay that are head-light—that is, with the
racket heads of the greatest champi- balance point of the racquet closer to
ons ever since. The world benchmark Q: After a lifetime spent on hard courts, the butt cap than to the head. Because
for strings was born. To this day, the I just started playing regularly on green of the motion of the racquet during the
performance of VS natural gut string clay. Should I consider making any serve, see how much you can increase
remains unrivaled.” adjustments to my equipment, such as the swingweight and twist weight—
Back then, the name of the company my shoes, racquets or strings? In what again, as long as neither increase
SHUTTERSTOCK
was Babolat Maillot (a.k.a. Babolat- ways is green clay different from the throws off your customer’s timing.
Maillot-Witt), which produced fila- red clay used at Roland Garros? Are
ments for various applications, these differences large enough to affect We welcome your questions. Email them
including tennis, musical instruments equipment choices? to [email protected].

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TennisIndustry
YourServe
percent associated it with tennis.

So, we developed specific criteria,
distilled from what we learned, for
updating the US Open logo, including:
• A nod to tennis
• A bold silhouette with visual impact
• The enabling of consistent use
• Dynamism and implied movement
• Appropriateness for an entertainment
brand
US OPEN • Effectiveness in broadcast, digital and
social media
New Logo for a New Era • A balance of premium appearance
with youth appeal
With the 50th anniversary of • Modern and innovative
Open tennis, the US Open We then worked the logo into that
framework and the real world with
completes its transformation. extensive testing. It shined in every way.

Our new logo had to have the flexibility
to be “premium” (with the use of gold on
By Amy Choyne premium products) and had to appeal
to youth through its bold design and
approachable lowercase lettering.
T
The new logo, of course, figures
prominently in the US Open’s “Built
his is a special year for the consideration. In today’s world, our old for Glory” campaign, which includes
US Open. Not only is it the logo simply did not work digitally, due vignettes narrated by Alec Baldwin that
50th anniversary of the to the delicate serif font choice and its celebrate the US Open story, digital pro-
Open Era, but this year also lack of scalability for tiny screens, such gramming, 50th anniversary merchan-
marks the completion of as a mobile device. Today, and looking dise, a commemorative book, and more.
our five-year transformation of the USTA toward the future, adults and millenni- The “US Open Experience” will again be
Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. als alike are consuming more media on in downtown New York, and “Fan Week”
Recognizing those two milestones mobile devices, so our logos and brand- is Aug. 21-26—with free access to the US
puts us in an incredible position to both ing must take that into consideration. Open Qualifying Tournament.
celebrate our heritage and innovate The US Open is the world’s most It’s important that the US Open
for the future. Leading up to the 2018 exciting stage, and we needed a logo have a modern, streamlined logo that
US Open, the USTA will be unveiling a that would both celebrate the event addresses the design demands of the
number of initiatives, one of which is an and position us for the future. We did digital world and attracts the new
updated, modernized US Open logo. an extensive audit and interviews with generation of fans. •
Our previous US Open logo was key stakeholders, as well as significant
launched 20 years ago and has served us research on the recognition of the Amy Choyne is the USTA’s Chief
well, so many people may be wondering previous mark. An interesting fact is Marketing Officer.
why we felt a need to change the logo. that only 9 percent of the respondents
One reason is that two decades ago, recognized the old flaming ball logo, and We welcome your opinions. Please email
U S TA
digital use and display was not even a when speaking of the US Open, only 42 comments to [email protected].

JULY 2018
ADDvantageJuly2018GUS.indd 41 5/22/2018 10:14:15 AM

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FROM THE CEO
MAY 15, 2017

by John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer
W hy is this date significant in the annals of the USPTA?

Simple: on that Monday, the new staff of the USPTA
came together for the first time at the Guidewell Innovation
service that this team brings each day
is awesome. They are on the front lines
with our membership and you can hear
Center in Lake Nona, Florida to begin the next chapter of the the smile on the other end of the phone
association’s history. While we had anticipated that our new when you call.
building across the street from the USTA National Campus Finance Team: Michael Tomassini,
would be completed by this date, we were still a long way Ashley Walker and Ellen Weatherford.
away from taking occupancy, which meant we had to convene Mike has stabilized this department, Ellen
somewhere. With the office in Houston expected to close for can now live a normal life after working 15 hour days for the past
good in late May, we had to keep to our original timeline and three years and Ashley has our merchandising program on a roll.
bring the team together. And, with only two weeks remaining Multimedia: One of the benefits of being adjacent to the
before the Houston staff would no longer be operating, we had National Campus are the collaborative opportunities that keep
to dive right into learning our business through an intense coming our way. John Gerard and Rico Edwards have so many
training period so that we could be ready once the phones projects on the docket, it is going to be fun to see their creativity
turned on June 1. come through their work.
So, there we were in a crowded conference room, all 19 of Education Team: Jacquelyn Dahre and Ramona Husaru have
us sitting at five round tables with telephone and computer hit their stride which is allowing Ramona to take on a variety of
cables all over the floor that were hooked up to make-shift new roles within the organization.
workstations. At one table sat membership, communications at Human Resources: Dana Dasch has added so much to our
a second, finance at another, education and testing at their own team with her calming influence and effervescent smile. As
and finally operations rounded out the group. you know, HR is not glamorous, but Dana has garnered the
Remember, only five people relocated from Houston (Sid respect of everyone.
Newcomb moved from Nor Cal) which meant that 13 were Communications Team: John Cornell, DeVonte’ Martin and
brand spanking new. In addition, many knew nothing about Gustavo Reyes. Under John’s leadership, DeVonte’ and Gus
tennis, which required education about the sport, let alone have ramped up our social media presence, our brand has a
about our business. This was a critical time for all of us, as we more consistent look and we have expanded USPTA messaging
not only got to know each other but the veterans could help across all channels.
with phone calls and questions that inevitably would come up National Head Tester: Sid Newcomb has done a wonderful
during a normal day. job managing our 71 testers, upgraded our PTCA, established a
In many respects, it proved to be a challenge to work in such testing discipline which was long needed and is now rolling out
close quarters. But, in hindsight, the unintended consequences a tablet to all testers to make our test results more efficient.
were such that everyone benefited from being together and the Chief Operating Officer: Fred Viancos has contributed in
baptism by fire that everyone experienced. By the time we were more ways than one in his new role: dealing with building and
able to move into our new home three months later, the team IT issues, handling much of the relocation from Houston, and
understood their respective roles and we were off to the races! managing his team. We would not be where we are without his
Plus, each employee had their own space in which to work and guidance and expertise.
the comfort of an ultra-modern office environment. Full Dimension IT: Finally, Scott Bucic and Dan Wilson
I am incredibly proud to have this team behind me. While made our transition seamless from an IT perspective, even
we did have a few misses early on, the people that are now though they remain in Houston. They had our new servers
in place are terrific. While we did lose a ton of institutional and computers all configured and ready to go once we
knowledge with the departure of our Houston group, the fresh commenced operations.
perspective and new energy that this team has brought with Thus, we celebrate our one-year anniversary together. Please
them has made us that much better. Let me take a moment to take a moment to call the office and thank this group for all that
recognize each of them: they do to exceed the customer expectations of our membership.
Membership Team: Amy Buchanan, Risa Epstein, Kelli And, if you have not been to visit us yet, come see us……as that
Ferry , Sarah Fisher and Trevor Trudelle. The customer famous ad jingle states, “we will leave the light on for you!” *
43 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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Vice President Message
Our Competitive Edge

by Rich Slivocka, USPTA Vice President
A s we are through the first half of the year I want to start

off by saying how honored I am to be on the national
board and to represent our great organization. Our greatest
professional experiences amongst
one another.
I believe that playing competitively
asset is our membership and I am proud to be a part of that has been overlooked by many of us.
membership and extremely excited about where it will I started playing competitive tennis
take us into the future. After serving on the Missouri Valley again about two years ago and I feel
board for the past eight years, I know that our organization that the benefits have far outweighed
has had a history of very strong leadership and I believe the potential revenue lost from being
that our current leadership from our President, Gary Trost away from my club. As teaching
through our national board and our Executive Committee professionals, we all get wrapped up in the technical side of
will continue with that tradition. I can assure you that the the sport whether from a stroke production stand point or
national board and the Executive Committee has the best from a strategic stand point. Issues can start to arise when
interest of our membership and organization in mind. We we try to bridge the gap between what we have taught our
will have some interesting challenges moving forward but students in a lesson or clinic and then the application of
they are ones that I believe will move the USPTA into a those skills in a competitive scenario. I feel that since I
stronger position within our sport and our industry. have begun competing again, I have become more in tune
The USPTA has created so many great traditions over the with the potential pitfalls that a player can experience
years from our commitment to education, philanthropic when bridging the gap between the learning of skills and
contributions, our commitment to growing the game, then the application of those skills. We all can understand
etc. However, one of the great traditions that often gets the game but to refresh our own memories in regards to
overlooked is the USPTA’s commitment the difficulty that goes into application (match play) is
to giving our members competitive very motivating. I’ve also
opportunities to showcase and develop found that my club members
their playing have gotten behind the fact that I
abilities. had started competing again.
The USPTA They love to hear about my
was founded in 1927 successes and my failures when
and our first men’s I’ve gone out and competed in
tournament was offered events. They enjoy the fact that
to our membership in the they feel more connected to me
same year. We’ve had legends of the game and that even though the level of play is
like Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura very different that we can relate to each other
and Bill Tilden compete in our tournaments. The about the emotions and struggles that go into
first women’s tournament was held in 1969. During the early competition. These are all positives that can help us in our
years non-members of the USPTA were allowed to compete day to day lessons and clinics.
in the tournament. In 1983, the executive committee made The Tournament and Rankings Committee is currently
the decision to only allow USPTA members to participate in reviewing our current tournament structure. We are
the tournament. Even after this decision was made we still committed to try and rekindle this tradition but we need the
saw many top touring professionals that were also USPTA support of you the membership. Everything is on the table
members compete in the event such as Kim Barry, Viktoria for discussion. We are currently looking at every potential
Beggs, Peter Doohan, Cammy MacGregor, Jim Parker and option. We are looking into going into more rating based
Pat Serret are just a few. I don’t think that many of our events versus aged events, short formats, team events, U30
members know the history of our tournaments and how events, etc.. I urge everyone if you have a USPTA Surface
they not only provided a competitive outlet but also how Championship in your area get out and compete. See if we
they created camaraderie amongst our professionals. The can once again get those competitive juices flowing. If you
ability to meet new professionals from all over the country, have any questions or ideas please feel free to get in contact
to network and bounce ideas off each other, and share their with me at [email protected].*

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Master Pro Corner
Confidence: Achieving It and Keeping It?

by Dexter Fong, USPTA Master Professional
T he most successful tennis players walk, talk and ooze

confidence. Confidence shines through these players.
You see “it” off-court as well as on-court. The confident
3. Develop all your tennis strokes so that you can
implement a plan B when necessary.
4. Train to compete in ways that will complement your
player will generally show the following characteristics: physical and mental attributes.
5. Taking a break is necessary, return to tournament play
•Wins matches •Strong will after appropriate practice time.
•Positive attitude •Independent thinking 6. Maintain physical training to pull out those three setters,
•Positive energy •Calm under pressure two matches per day and to prevent injury
•Problem solver •Focused 7. Maintain a positive environment from family members,
•Goal oriented •Fearless coaches, teachers and friends.
•Open-mindedness 8. Consistency in training and coaching.
9. Set short term, mid range and long-range goals that are
It is a universal belief that confidence is vital to winning. the child’s goals and not the parents.
In the same context, lack of confidence generally will 10. Take personal ownership of your tennis game. It is not
produce less than desirable results. Most tennis players the parent’s tennis game, it is the child’s.
ride a roller coaster while developing their tennis game.
Sometimes you’re confident, sometimes you’re not. Against Ten Ways How to Lose Confidence?
certain players you are, against others you’re not.
When you lack confidence, things just do not go your way. 1. A negative environment will crush one’s will, desire,
Everything seems to go wrong. You don’t get any breaks. You motivation and fight. Many times, the negative
don’t know what to do. When you’re not confident players environment is not implemented on purpose.
will generally show the following characteristics: 2. Losing too many tournament and practice matches.
Players build confidence by winning. Play the
•Does not know what to do •Negative attitude appropriate tournament level at the appropriate times.
•Negative energy •Disoriented 3. Strokes fail you because strokes are not sound and
•Can’t think clearly •Frustrated strong. Player does not get enough repetition.
•Disinterested •Lack focus 4. Lack certain shots in your game.
•Out of control under pressure •Scared 5. Player does not take advantage of their strength. Using
•Lose matches •No fight the wrong style for their body structure and abilities.
6. Taking too long of a break.
Ten Ways to Achieve and Keep Confidence Up! 7. Injuries hurt physically and mentally. Poor technique
and poor training schedule could lead to injury.
1. Winning! Arrange your practice matches to achieve a 8. Inconsistent training and coaching. The player becomes
winning formula. confused and unsure of themselves.
2. Develop fundamentally sound strokes. Focus on making 9. Not having a road map, an overall plan for development.
your big shot bigger, improving your weaker shot The junior does not see where he/she is headed. A
INST
to become more reliable, and adding new strokes to 10. Expecting to have everything done for you. Juniors who ACT
INSTAL
compliment your style of play. take no ownership of their tennis losses. *
Dexter Fong has over 43 years of teaching experience. He has his Masters Degree in Physical Education and
California Teaching Credentials, certified as a USTA High Performance Coach, and hosted one of five national
pilot USTA Area Training Center programs in the 1980s. In addition to being selected USPTA Nor Cal Pro of
the Year and the Nor Cal Wilson Pro of the Year, he has received the USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Award
among others.

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inside coaching
Point Importance is Real and Important!

by Bob Schewior, USPTA Professional
The following article is a response to USPTA Master

Professional Ron Woods’ article, “Why There Are No
Key Points In Tennis”, which appeared in the March
2018 issue of ADDvantage. ADDvantage Magazine and
the USPTA welcome the discourse and advancement of
differing points of view promoting a healthy exchange
of ideas and coaching philosophies. As with all article
submissions, the opinion of the writer do not necessarily
reflect the views of the USPTA.
I read Ron Woods’ article, “Why There Are No Key Points

In Tennis” in the March edition of ADDvantage with
great interest. I could not agree more with his talking points
about process vs. outcome. However, his message about “key
points”, the main idea of the article, is something I would
like to discuss. Economists have studied “point importance”
in tennis to see how people respond to increased levels of
stress. Their research indicates that “point importance” can
be quantified and it is real. This contrasts with Woods’ claim:
“Adding more value or importance to any one point over
another is simply a trick of your mind that often leads to failure.” Point importance values rise at the end of a game (higher
I suspect, and I will go on to argue, that it is not that points do at deuce than at 15-all), at the end of a set (higher at 5-all than
not differ in importance, but rather that some players are not 1-all), and at the end of a match (higher in the third set than
very good at handling the increased stress. Our goal as teachers either of the first two).
is to help our students to handle the high levels of stress which Understanding the score and incorporating this
important points may elicit. I say may because good practice understanding into your game plan and shot selection by
habits and a well-disciplined between points regimen can adjusting the gear at which you play and the target which you
definitely change the way that players prepare for and handle choose at any given moment of a match is a crucial element in
the important moments. winning matches. Here is an example from a match between
There is an obvious difference between the value of the Roger Federer and David Ferrer at the year-end championships
0-0, 40-0 point and the value of a point at 5-all and deuce. in London in 2011 which illustrates a change in target based
Intuitively, all serious players understand this. As I noted upon the score.
above, these differences may actually be quantified using a At 5-all 15-40 in the first set, Ferrer missed his first serve.
concept called the “Importance of the Point.” The importance Point importance considerations should have Federer
of a point is equal to the probability of winning a match attempting to be extra aggressive at this moment. He was. He
given that a player wins that point minus the probability of hit a high pace forehand right down the middle, but missed
winning the match given that he loses the point. Because the shot long by a couple of inches. By attacking down the
point importance generates a quantifiable result, it is a fact middle, Federer was taking away the possibility of a sideline
based upon probabilities. The actual numerical values are error. He was attempting to make Ferrer play from a weakened
not important. However, these values do serve the purpose position without going for a winner. Although he missed
of illustrating the relative importance of points at different this shot, he went on to break and win the first set 7-5. In the
scores. Any competitive player should familiarize himself first game of the second set, Ferrer again went down 15-40
with the relative values of points so that he is able to make and second serve. Federer again was very aggressive, but this
a near instantaneous assessment of their importance. As I time he hit his forehand right in the corner for a winner! The
explain below, this will be an invaluable ingredient in helping point importance at this moment was lower than the prior
your players to set the correct level of risk-taking - the correct 15-40 point and Federer took advantage of this by choosing
balance between aggression and patience. a riskier target. Top players go for their riskiest shots at the

Inside coaching
least important moments (most of the time – pros can’t be too The score is a part of Step #2. But once the score has been
predictable!) The causal chain looks like this: lower importance used to set the appropriate gear/target, it is forgotten! Steps #3
means less pressure means better chance of hitting one’s target. and #4, which are crucial for executing the plan, help to mitigate
Point importance is real because all of the underlying against trying too hard (Relax!) and not watching the ball until
principles of good tennis, like Percentage Tennis, are grounded contact (play the opponent and not the ball!)
in probabilities. The 4-D System which I’ve developed in my Finally, consider the following thought experiment: You and
book Deconstructing Tennis provides a simple four -step I are very evenly-matched and we are each given three points
process which players should always go through during the time that we can claim at any time. I will assign you the first point
between points. in each of your first three service games. I, on the other hand,
will wait until a break point (or maybe even 30-all if you are a
1. See what happened big server) until I use my points (or not?). Or, I may wait to use
2. Adjust/plan for the next point them when I am down 30-40 on my own serve. Remember, we
3. Relax are evenly matched and we both get three free points. Who do
4. Remind yourself to see the blur of the racquet at contact you think is going to win most of our matches?*
Bob Schewior has been a USPTA professional for over 25 years and has been director of tennis at the
Chestnut Ridge Racquet Club in Mt. Kisco, New York since 1976. His playing accomplishments include
playing No. 1 at Rutgers University 1971-73 and ranked in the Top 20 Men’s Singles in the ETA six times
between 1976 and 1985. In 1988 and 1991, he was ranked in the Top 20 nationally in Men’s 35 and 40
Singles respectively as well as a No. 6 national ranking in Men’s 35 Doubles in 1988. Bob oversees all
lessons and programs at CRRC.
USPTA Partners with RacquetFit to Introduce Body-Tennis Certification

U SPTA has partnered with
RacquetFit to introduce a new
certification for tennis-teaching
the same cutting-edge
education for the
tennis industry.”
professionals, fitness coaches and Attendees will have
medical providers. RacquetFit, an the opportunity to
educational organization dedicated learn from leading
to the study of how the human body experts in the
functions in relation to tennis, will tennis, fitness, and
be offering seminars throughout the medical profession.
United States for these providers Upon completion
who wish to earn the RacquetFit of the certification,
Certification. professionals will
Dr. Greg Rose(left) Signs RacquetFit Agreement with USPTA
“What RacquetFit has developed have the tools to CEO John Embree and RacquetFit Vice President Dr. Sean Drake.
is game changing for the tennis screen the physical
industry,” said John Embree, USPTA limitations of a player “Up until today, tennis specific fitness
CEO. “RacquetFit was developed by along with the knowledge of how to get and medical professionals could not
an Advisory Board of tennis-industry them back to performing at a high level. obtain recognition from the global
leading experts and led by the founder “By being able to assess a leader in tennis-teacher certification,
of TPI (Titleist Performance Institute), player’s physical abilities, and then the USPTA. Now, fitness and medical
Dr. Greg Rose. With TPI’s cutting understanding how those attributes providers can proudly display and
edge research and development and relate to their tennis-specific skills, announce to the world, that they are
over 21,000 professionals certified is what separates an average coach educated and recognized as a tennis-
through their network, we wanted to from a great coach,” said Dr. Sean specific expert through the RacquetFit
partner with RacquetFit to produce Drake, Vice President of RacquetFit. Certification and the USPTA.” *

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JOIN THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MINDS IN TENNIS
The 2018 Tennis Teachers Conference returns to New York’s Grand Hyatt
Hotel Aug. 24-27. Join the USTA and USPTA for an outstanding tennis
educational experience for all coaches and providers looking to raise their
game with world-class speakers, networking opportunities, and interactive on-
court sessions. The cost for the four days of the TTC is $399. Day passes for the
TTC will be available at $175 each and registrants are qualified for the special
rate of $249 per night at the Grand Hyatt. Register before early bird date of
August 1 and enjoy world-class tennis in the new Louis Armstrong Stadium on
Opening Day at the US Open.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Gigi Fernandez Jason Harnett Kraig Kann

Hall of Famer USTA National Manager Renowned Speaker in
17-time Grand Slam Doubles and Head Coach of Strategic Communications,
Champion and Two-time Wheelchair Tennis Media Relations, and
Olympic Gold Medalist Brand Marketing
Managing Director of Kann
Advisory Group
FR I DAY - MO N DAY G r a n d H y a t t N e w Yo r k
109 E 42nd St
AU G / 24-27 / 2 0 1 8
N e w Yo r k , N . Y . 1 0 0 1 7
TEL: 1 212 883 1234
TO REGISTER, VISIT 2018TTC.COM

ON-COURT
SESSSIONS
ON COURT SEMINARS AT
SPORTIME RANDALL’S ISLAND
Saturday’s on-court sessions will take place at SPORTIME
Randall’s Island. Randall’s Island is the largest tennis facility
to open in NYC in the past 30 years. Opened in 2009, the
award-winning, $19 million facility immediately became
one of New York City’s premier tennis destinations and is
the Manhattan home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.
The Club Features:
• 160,000 square feet of tennis courts and support facilities
• 20 courts: 10 Deco-Turf hard tennis courts and 10
Har-Tru clay tennis courts
• Five indoor hard courts, year round
• Five hard courts and 10 clay courts are housed in three
state-of-the-art air structures during the indoor season and are
available for outdoor play during the outdoor season
C O M E W AT C H
FREE TICKET TO DAY ONE OF US OPEN
Everyone who registers for the TTC before the “early
bird” August 1 deadline will receive a free ticket to
the first Monday of US Open competition, making
TTC registrants among the very first to experience the
excitement of this remarkable world-class venue. A food
voucher and transportation to and from the US Open
that day are also included. All early-bird registrants are
able to purchase guest passes for this incredible US
Open experience. These are available for $125 each.
Photo Courtesy USTA/ Darren Carroll

TO REGISTER, VISIT 2018TTC.COM
ADDvantageJuly2018GUS.indd 55 5/24/2018 1:25:00 PM

Tennis service representative
:
Here to Help how USPTA Pros can take advantage of their TSR
by Bill Phillips, USPTA Elite Professional
E ven though I had some excellent

mentors, having a Tennis Service
Representative (TSR) to assist me in my
Whether it’s improving player
retention or hiring coaches at a local
club, implementing a new program at a
ball and orange ball entry-level players
at the club, highlighted by a large
group of tournament 10-and-Under
early years as a young teaching pro could school or securing funding to refurbish players, some ranked as high as Top 5
have helped me in so many ways that public park courts, TSRs are here for you in the south. There is now a 75-family
would have made a positive difference. as a clearinghouse for all things tennis. waiting list for membership and Bobby
I would have been a much better pro Here in Louisiana, I worked with attributes much of that to the success of
by taking advantage of the opportunities Crowley parks and local advocates to this program.
to further my tennis education. I would secure a $38,000 grant to help build As Bobby explains: “Our club was the
have been able to learn how to develop the Glady Trahan Tennis Centre, a place to bring young children to learn
grassroots tennis programs, how to six-court public complex. I also helped and play tennis. The parents knew
market myself in the community, and the Lake Charles CTA work with a new we had a fully-developed plan to turn
how to keep and retain players through Public Parks Commission to build an them into tennis players and not just
appropriate competition pathways. eight-court tennis complex there. Once perpetual lesson-takers.”
40 + years ago, when I started the facility was built, I assisted with the Separately, after a flood in Baton
teaching what I would now consider programming models and in keeping Rouge in 2016, I was able to assist the
YMCA Lamar Tennis Center with much-
needed facility grants through USTA
Facility Assistance and USTA Southern.
Additional success stories are popping
up across the country. In Florida,
local tennis pros resurrected the JTT
program in the Jacksonville area.
Working along with their TSR, they grew
the program to 500 players in 2017.
Also with the help of TSRs, the USTA
Eastern section created a once-in-a-
lifetime experience for children by
having them on Arthur Ashe Stadium for
a Net Generation Tennis demonstration
during the 2017 US Open. USTA Eastern
worked along with regional certified
pros to organize the demos as part of
USPTA Elite Professional Bill Phillips with student Kirk Harrison.
the launch for the new youth brand.
very mediocre tennis lessons, I did them connected to the CTA. Finally, USTA Mid-Atlantic TSRs
not have that opportunity. Today, I One of my favorite examples of worked closely with USPTA pros to
encourage you to take advantage of it. helping a pro was at Lake Charles launch an adult beginner program
TSRs are your personal tennis Racquet Club. When I started working in ACAC Midlothian in Richmond,
industry consultants. As a TSR for with USPTA Pro Bobby Walker, the club Virginia. Today, this has become a
Louisiana in the USTA Southern had 235 members, a number that was great feeder system for USTA League.
section, my role is to help anybody declining. We identified that the 10-and- I hope that you can work with your
who is involved with tennis to be Under Tennis pathway could be a key local TSR to add to these wonderful
more successful, particularly tennis strategy to help the club grow. stories and to establish a great
professionals. It is a broad description, After working with Bobby through partnership. To learn more and to
but my goal truly is to help in any way education and training, I was thrilled find contact information, visit
that I can. to see him develop a large base of red USTA.com/TSR.*

TENNIS THANKS THE TROOPS
Tennis Thanks the Troops All-American Family Day Bash

Junior Tennis Champions Center, College Park, MD
M ay was Military Appreciation

Month where we honor the
service and sacrifice of America’s
How does your military
background relate to
tennis, if at all?
military families. Several anniversaries Ponkka: Military
during the month celebrate the different mindset is all about
branches, military spouses and children, service, commitment,
culminating in Memorial Day when discipline, and respect.
we pay tribute to those who made the Those are also the main
ultimate sacrifice. character attributes
Since 2012, USPTA has partnered with that we try to teach our
ThanksUSA through Tennis Thanks the players at the JTCC on a
Troops to honor and support military daily basis.
families. And, for the fifth year the Junior
Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in How important is it Veterans receive special recognition at the Thanks USA
College Park, Maryland, voluntarily to recognize military Adaptive Tennis Tournament at the Bash.
hosted an All-American Family Day Bash families and why?
(May 26) of tournaments and events Ponkka: Military training and spending time in the one
on Memorial Day weekend. Under the families deserve everyone’s full support facility inspiring, mentoring, and
management of Bonnie Vona, USTA and ultimate respect through their learning from each other on daily basis.
MAS, the Bash supports ThanksUSA, service, commitment, and sacrifice. This I want our youngsters to grow up in this
the national non-profit providing need- is the least that we can do here on the kind of environment understanding,
based scholarships and pathways to home front. supporting, and promoting real social
employment to children and spouses of inclusion. I strongly believe that creating
U.S. military personnel. ThanksUSA also What have the young people in your these kinds of informal mentoring
runs a weekly tennis clinic in Maryland center taken from these ThanksUSA relationships on a daily basis will
for wounded warriors who will be bashes and honoring military families? transform the lives of everyone involved
recognized with their own competition Ponkka: We want our young players in the long run.
at the Bash. to be inspired by these real heroes who
Vesa Ponkka, JTCC’s senior director of demonstrate all the qualities that are How would you describe your
tennis, is a top international junior coach important in life. These events give our commitment and that of your
with a proud military heritage: Both his youngsters a chance to interact with these organization to ThanksUSA?
grandfathers served in the Army of his heroes on the tennis court, and some great Ponkka: There will be a lot of learning
native Finland; one was killed in action, learning takes place both ways! going on through this special weekend
the other lost a leg during World War II. event, but this should only be a start of
Asked about the JTCC-supported Bash What do you want young people to a lifelong journey of becoming a tennis
he says, “It is simply the right thing to take from these events at your Center? player for wounded veterans. There are
do to support military families any way Ponkka: I want JTCC to be an example so many health benefits associated with
possible”. and a leader promoting the right values being an active tennis player. JTCC
Ponkka answered more questions for young people. Our action statement wants to be a big part of that learning
for ThanksUSA and challenged tennis is: Growing the game of tennis through process on a daily basis, and of course
enthusiasts across the country: “I will inspiration and social inclusion. JTCC through these special events.
encourage and challenge all the tennis will be a training center where high-
training facilities to become leaders in performance tennis players, everyday All-American Family Day Bash :
their community to grow the game of hackers, Special Olympics athletes, bit.ly/ttttaafdb
tennis through inspiration and social Paralympic athletes, Wheelchair Tennis Thanks The Troops :
inclusion.” players, and Wounded Warriors are bit.ly/ttttmain

TGA Premier Tennis
Honors Black Level Students

TGA Premier Tennis and the USPTA would like to congratulate the Class of 2018 students who achieved Black Level
in TGA’s afterschool enrichment program. These students climbed to the top of TGA’s 5-level program that combines
tennis skill development, rules and etiquette, and academic and life lessons. Keep Playing!™
TGA of Douglas County, CO Aniya Mehta Audrey Spencer Kate Dickinson Raelyn Lyons Cole Tetterton
Sarah Appel Alexander Padilla Amelia Wagner Kayla Dimmick Evan Machos Jace Thompson
Emilee Appel Aesha Patel TGA of Wake County, NC Natalie Dougherty Luke Machos Linc Thompson
Ella Archambault Benjamin Willis Hannah Abraczinskas Alex Douglas Jenna Maddox Aedan Thorne
Tyler Bettner Antonio Acosta Taylor Douglas Nina Magee Reagan Tomczak
Devin Bigley TGA of Mercer County, NJ Emily Adkins Madeline Dulin Paris Magee Blake Troskey
Lauren Brummer Max Achtau Margot Allen Sophia Dulin Maria Malgicheva Hunter Troskey
Maya Frolov Benjamin Cruz Audrey Ella Anderson Maximo Durden Iglesias Javier Martin Alos Lorenzo Trovero
Samantha Jacot Nathaniel Campbell Avery Andolsek Aaron Eckstein Paloma Martin Alos Ashley Turner
Kendall Kapralos Noah Chen Brendan Apple Sarah Eckstein Gregorio Martinez Madison Uhrig
Liam Kinnaird Victoria Gormczak Jasmine Arias Samuel Essner Sarina Matai Reese Vick
Mila Kinnaird Richard Hao Jack Arkin Renna Farthing Keegan McCann Ethan Vicuna
Adelaide Lord Lucas Horowitz Adwita Arvind Ivy Felts Leah McClure Grace Wachtel
Jocelyn MacCormack Lincoln Hwang Arjun Athavale Keira Fernandes Gracyn McCullen Maggie Weller
Isabela Michelena Vikram Karamsetty Soham Athavale Vanessa Fields Kayla McMurdie Ryan West
Dean Newman Pranav Swarna Christian Augustus Thomas Fisher Alice Medoff Maggie Whitham
Benjamin Purchase Hasan Talukdar Katherine Avery Heidi Ford Matthew Mercer Senuk Wijesinghe
Claire Reyhle Raghavan Upasana Sophie Bachmann Sara Forte Maxwell Miller Delwyn Williams
Jackson Reyhle Alice Wang Chase Baker Grant Franklin Amelia (Mia) Minick Ella Williams
Freddie Shi Michael Wang Jonas Ballard Matthew Franzese Emmery Minton Hannah Williams
Reina Shibata Valerie Banaszak Ivan Fuentes Delaney Mize Claire Yates
Mason Shutter TGA of San Fernando Valley, CA Sophia Battaglia Liam Garner Samantha Monroe Alexis Yeung
Tyler Souhrada Elinor Berggavy Harrison Baublitz Elio Gasparini Lillian Moore Connor Yu
Scott Stevens Raef Deguzman Evan Beaver Gabrielle Girardeau Ngaire Moore Terrie Yu
Benjamin Determan Eliana Betz Elijah Godoy Ryan Mousavi Avery Zapata
TGA of North Seattle Reeya Dhanani Alec Bickmore Jordan Goeders Jessica Muentener
Michael Alber Luca Diaz Robert Bigan Jr Olivia Gomez Aidan Murray TGA of Gwinnett County, GA
Amelia Allen Jonathan Elad Logan Biggs Catharine Gredvig Colin Murray Kelechi Ekwueme
Gabe Bransford Luca Epps Esha Bireddy Chloe Greenhaw Nathan Naseim Madelynn Partiss
Ben Bransford Kiana Esmaeili Willow Blaze Mia Gregg-Kearns Sebastian Nicholas Nicholas Partiss
Kezia Bransford Jake Feder Akhilesh Boppudi Grace Gunther Leah Nikhil Johnathan Zhan
Hunter Carlson Luke Ford Nate Borkush Namish Gurram Aidan O’Brien
Angela Chen Pascal Ho Claire Brenegan Amanda Hallacher Amelie Ohlsson TGA of North Houston, TX
Yuran He Tyler Johnston Isabella Brown Janeece (Evie) Hampson Katelyn Olson Charlotte Cooke
Oliver Iannotti Rokus Kam Theo Bruch Alex Handest Cameron Osborne Rylee Cooke
Mateo Iannotti Halyn Kim Grace Bues Nathan Hardesty Meredith Overcash McKenzie Hawkins
Ryan Kennedy Stephen Lattuca Joseph Bulebush Mary Elizabeth Harrison Caleb Owen Adelaide Latimer
Tyler Kirkpatrick Yitong Lian Mason Burks Benjamin Hawken Isaiah Owen Jack Mueke
Alex Kirkpatrick Cole Maranville Colin Burts Leah Heidepriem Yana Papalava Evan Obabkov
Max Mansour Alex Mcriley Anthony Busi Madeleine Hemmer Brayden Peacher Reese Wiseman
Ginger Oberg Natalie Medina Annika Byzek Luke Henderson Stella Pepin
Oliver Tam Nicholas Medina Karina Byzek Stone Hensley Benjamin Perla TGA of Bergen County, NJ
Rohan Tobey Matias Oliva Sophie Cain Addison High Molly Perla Anton Badushov
Nina Wright Nicholas Romanose Adam Campbell Ada Hillstrand Marie Perry Kevin Barnes
Alex Schneider Susan Cantrell Emma Holmes Alexandra Pettaris Julia Bernard
TGA of Southern Oregon Doreen Shabtai Chloe Carita Kaley House Martin Peytchev Sienna Bhatia
Eli Bishko Maleeha Siddique Emma Carter Kalina Ilieva Sofia Polsinelli Courtney Boyle
Zoe Clark Aranav Sreen Juliana Castro Finley Jenks Makenna Purcell Xander Bucher
Parker Cole Wesley Stein Lara Caugherty Francis Jennings Landon Quigley Aidan Carpenter
Kyan Delaney Patrick Thayer Caitlin Chamberlain Steven Jin Simon Quinn Maria Costello
Katelyn Doerner Jackson Thayer Peter Chaney Lucy Johnson Shehzad Riaz Rachel Dagher
Madeleine Faraoni Chinua Ulmer Thomas Chaney Everett Jones Elias Robinson Olivier Desdunes
Anthony He Yasmin Yadegari Davis Clarke Navya Jonnalagadda Isaac Rogers Abigail Diaz
AnnaLisa Hisamoto Darby Claybrook Olivia Kaplan Zoe Rogers Mia Doughney
Berkeley Kim TGA of Los Angeles Andrew Cline Claire Keelor Remy Roussin Keelin Driscoll
Xanna Mortimer Sawyer Chang Daniel Cline Oliver Keen Zoe Russler Leonardo S Fernandez
Cody Norgaard-Stroich Ezra “Nico” Ryan Bella Cobb Hasan Khan Aanya Ruwanpura Gregory Foote
Jack Post Isabel Ryan Maryn Cole Yusuf Khan Natalie Sapienza James Griglio
Emmett Robison Aryeh Topp Marielle Conlon TJ Kiel Logan Sesler Ryan Gurtman
Jude Rodrigues Patrick Cook Gavin Killebrew Nicholas Sgouros Ellie Higgins
Anthony Ruh TGA of Loudoun County, VA Gavin Cowley Nicholas Kolodzieski Kyla Shaw Nicholas Karpenko
Samantha Salgado Brayden Bradshaw Lia Coyne Samantha Kordus Katelyn Sheridan Yuto Kumai
Wilfred Schmitz Frank Pisano Noah Dahlin Jordan Krueger Terrence Sheridan Kadence Moy
Yufei Su Jackson Dalton Anna Lainez Rubi Viraja Shivhare Chloe Parsi
Scarlett Travis TGA of West Virginia Alex D’Anna Shane Lauver Jan Solar Maya Pomeranke
Cameron Wade Ada Lin Andrew Davis Layla Lawson Hayden Stafford Daniel Pulumbarit
Philip Lin William Davis Emma Leddy Naomi Stafford Emma Pulumbarit
TGA of Central Hennepin Andrew Morgan Brady DeAngelo Ian Lewis Elizabeth Stocum Michael Rezendes
County, MN Jackson Nardella Ava DeCamp Christopher Linton Samuel Stolz Elijah Samala
Mercedes Calenta Roman Patsy Jacob Delaney Nicolas Lombardo Holden Sweeney Oliver Tapia
Saikat Chakrabarty Harper Randolph Sophia Dell’Osso Evan Long Tala Tahmaseb Haruna Tomiyasu

Member News
USPTA Member News

Shawn Hedrick was named director of Jack Foster was featured in the LMT Online
tennis at Naples Grande Beach Resort article titled Laredoan Jack Foster is a
in Naples, Florida. Hedrick has 20 years tennis legend. He’s been a certified USPTA
serving in the tennis industry, gaining professional since 1991 and became a
experience and expertise in all areas master professional in 2016. He has served
of coaching, program planning and on USPTA national committees such as
administration, and court maintenance. the Education, Conference, Awards and
He has been named USPTA District Diversity and Inclusion committees along
Professional of the Year, and while serving as USPTA with serving on the USPTA Texas Board of directors
District President for Collier County, the region was from 2007-08 and being the USPTA Texas Conference
voted District of the Year by the USPTA Florida board Chairman for six years. Foster is currently the director
of directors. of Tennis for FCCA, a subdivision in Sugar Land.
Mike Lange hosted a Play It Safe event at Tracy Austin was named Tournament
the Rush Copley Healthplex in Aurora, Honoree for the 118th Ojai Tennis
Illinois for Play Tennis Month with over Tournament. Austin won the Women’s Open
300 hundred families attending the Singles title when she was just 14-years-old
event. Mike is the owner of MTL Tennis in 1977. A Hall of Famer and former World
Management Group, which provides No.1 WTA player, Austin won 35 career titles
lectures to facilities and coaches. including three Grand Slam titles.
Fred Layman III was named director of Sean Sloane announced that he will
operations at The Windermere Club at retire from being the men’s tennis coach
in Blythewood, South Carolina. In his at Haverford College after the 2017 –
new role, Layman will lead operational 2018 season. Sloane is currently in his
efforts to enhance public relations, 21st season leading the men’s tennis
membership sales and retention as well program and previously served as head
as assist, mentor and support the team coach of both the men’s and women’s
of employees. In years prior to joining squash programs at Haverford from the
The Windermere Club, Layman was operations director fall of 1997 until the end of the 2009 season. Sloane
of multiple clubs and businesses including; iBuddy has compiled a 213-142 career record as men’s
Club, Inc. Earth Smart Media, LLC, North Augusta Golf tennis coach. His teams have made the Centennial
and Country Club, The Club at Rae’s Creek and Mount Conference Tournament during 11 of the past 12
Vintage Plantation Golf and Athletic Club. seasons.
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE ADDvantage is published monthly by the USPTA
Managing Editor ................................................... DeVonte’ Martin The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are
President.....................................................................Gary Trost those of the authors and not necessarily those
Editor.............................................................................John Cornell
First Vice President................................................Feisal Hassan of ADDvantage or the United States Professional
Layout/Design........................................................... Gustavo Reyes
Vice Presidents................Cari Buck, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner Tennis Association.
Bill Mountford, Richard Slivocka Editorial Assistance...................................................... Risa Epstein,
Ashley Walker, Ellen Weatherford
Immediate Past President...........................................Chuck Gill Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
Circulation................................................................ Trevor Trudelle Association, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.
CEO.........................................................................John Embree
USPTA World Headquarters Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
Legal Counsel......................................................George Parnell 11961 Performance Dr.
Orlando, FL 32827 permitted without written permission from USPTA.

USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Wheelchair Certification 2018 USPTA Division
4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams,
Upgrades & PTCA
August 23 - 24........................... Lincoln, NE
Conference Schedule
USPTA Certification in conjunction with Division Conferences - 6 Credits
USTA “Train the Trainer”
July 7 ................................Indianapolis, IN
July 7 - 8 ................................... Naples, FL October 18 - 19......................... Orlando, FL August 24 - 27 ................................2018 TTC
July 13 - 14 ................................Dallas, TX USPTA Certification in conjunction with Grand Hyatt, New York, NY
July 14 ...............................Des Moines, IA USTA “Train the Trainer”
November 16 - 17....................Middle States
July 14 - 15 .............................Boston, MA Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, DE
November 7 - 8........................Lafayette, IN
July 15 .................................. Clayton, MO USPTA Certification in conjunction with
July 20 - 21 ...........................Asheville, NC
July 21 - 22 .............................Camden, SC
USTA “Train the Trainer”
Cardio Tennis
Aug 19 ..................... Level 1 Training Course
July 27 ....................................... Exton, PA Meadow Creek Tennis Club; Lakewood, CO
Aug 3 ........................................Darien, CT
Aug 3 - 4 ...............................Granbury, TX
Aug 4 - 5 ................. Huntington Beach, CA
Spanish Tennis Sep 8 ....................... Level 1 Training Course
Preakness Hills Country Club; Wayne, NJ
Aug 4 - 5 ............................ Tallahassee, FL

Aug 6 - 7 ........................ San Francisco, CA
Teaching System Nov 10 ..................... Level 1 Training Course
Methodist University; Fayetteville, NC
Aug 11 - 12 ............................. Atlanta, GA
Aug 11 - 12 .............................Seattle, WA Nov 10 ..................... Level 1 Training Course
Sea Pines Racquet Club; Hilton Head Island, SC
Aug 15 - 16 .........................Cincinnati, OH
Aug 17 .............................Nichols Hills, OK
Aug 20 - 21 ............................. Orlando, FL
Aug 24 - 25 ................................... Laie, HI
Aug 25 ................................ Eau Claire, WI
Aug 25 ................................ Rochester, NY
Aug 26 .............................. Brentwood, TN
Aug 28 - 29 .............................Queens, NY
At Academia Sanchez-Casal
Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days USPTA professionals can earn 10
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an
Education Credits by participating in the
exam, upgrade. PTCA I is included in the two day
exam. Exam cancellations must be received no lat- Level 1 or Level 2 course of the Spanish
er than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation Tennis Teaching System hosted by the
fee will be charged accordingly.
International Coaches Institute.
Applicant: late cancellation fee – $95; failure to
cancel – application fee is forfeited. Certified Oct. 24 – 26............................... Naples, FL
members: late cancellation fee – $25; failure to Competitive Coaching Course Level 1
cancel – $25 plus the upgrade fee is forfeited.
Registration for another exam will not be accepted Oct. 26 – 28............................... Naples, FL
until cancellation fees are paid. Pro Coaching Course Level 2
USPTA requires all certified members to earn 6 credits of

continuing education in a three-year period. (International
members, recreational coaches and those 65 or older are exempt.) The time period coincides
Online education
with the date you completed the certification exam or reinstated your membership. Please
login to My USPTA to check your Professional Development Program end date.
If the requirement is not met, you will have your membership suspended. To help you
meet that goal, USPTA provides hundreds of hours of education every year in the form of
conferences, workshops, webinars, DVDs and more. TennisResources.com is an excellent
resource for free education opportunities. In addition, the Coach Youth Tennis website offers
six free online courses that earn a 1/2 education credit each.
Upon completion of the sixth course, you will receive 3 bonus credits (one-time only),
Watch webinars, seminars, On Court with USPTA
bringing the total to 6 credits and completing the continuing education requirement. (You do episodes, specialty courses and much more on
not need to complete the online workshop unless you are completing your USPTA certification) TennisResources.com to earn your education
Go to coachyouthtennis.com for more information. credits.

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COURT LIGHTING RESEARCH REPORTS COACHING EDUCATION

Award-winning Despite bright spots, NYC is again home

July 2018 / Volume 46 / Number 7 / $5.00

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Contents July 2018

2 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Help Wanted MANAGING EDITOR

Let’s start a positive conversation CREATIVE DIRECTOR

with powerful and innovative ideas SENIOR EDITOR

that can help this sport grow. ART DIRECTOR

industry—including having fans for pro- coach, facility owner/manager, retailer,

grow tennis participation? sport grow. We all need to take respon-

4 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Comprehensive curricula developed to help deliver the highest-quality instruction

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egister now for the Har-Tru Teams With Tennibot,

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Laserfibre “I’m proud to work with Laserfibre

Team Up for made tennis string to the market,”

New String boxes for me in creating my signature

K-Swiss has promoted Mike Miringoff

Shanghai, and also held U.S.-based roles

10 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Nominate for TI’s follow lobste

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iTPA World Conference of Association Executives.

July 21-22 in Atlanta USTA Maryland District executive

12 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

PTR Releases New App

PTR has launched its new Coach App,

USRSA Names New MRTs & CS

• Gregory Goodin, Dallas

14 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Youth Tennis is More

“Now with Net Generation, youth

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In A New Light now we’ve come to the U.S. as a top in-

16 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

Nominate for Tennis Industry Hall of Fame

is scheduled for Jan. 23-25 in Orlando, Fla. In an expanded format, the

B A L L CMOAUCRHTI NC EOSN SOTNR TU HC ET I M

20 TennisIndustry July 2018 www.tennisindustrymag.com

feedback to students while standing right

Gains for Pros and Students

the average age of teaching pros contin-

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BALL MACHINES ON THE MARKET

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BALL MACHINES ON THE MARKET