Lake Nona Takes Shape! - Professional Tennis Registry

Transcription

Management
Retailing
34 ways to
FITTING ROOMS
grow your club’s are a key to
MEMBERSHIP
apparel sales
AUGUST 2015 / VOLUME 43/ NUMBER 8 / $5.00
Lake Nona
Takes Shape!
2015 Guide To
Stringing Machines
Pioneers in Tennis
College tennis’s
leading man:
DAVID BENJAMIN
TennisIndustry
www.tennisindustrymag.com
AUGUST 2015
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
4
Our Serve
7
Industry News
20 L
ake Nona
The ‘New Home for American Tennis’
takes shape in Florida.
13 Letters
14 TIA News
16 Pioneers in Tennis
p.20
18 Retailing Tip
22 Facility Management
The end of the year ushers in sleek, fun designs
with high-tech, sustainable fabrics.
38 Tips and Techniques
40
Your Serve, by Kalindi Dinoffer
26 Fancy Footwork
INDUSTRY NEWS
7
USTA names Outstanding
Facility Award Winners
p.24
7
ASBA Tech Meeting set for
Scottsdale in December
7
‘Free Tennis Play Events’ will bring players to you
7
TIA Tennis Forum set for Aug. 31
8
tay tuned for latest Court
S
Construction Manual
8
24 Fashions That Are Smashing
2015 Guide to Stringing Machines
28 A Brief History
p.26
Pierce, Garvin named PTR
Presidential Appointees
In this ‘unofficial’ timeline, it’s hard to imagine
how racquets were strung back in the old days.
30 Machines on the Market
9
2024 Olympics in Boston?
Harambee Park would be venue
ardio Tennis Training
10 C
Courses scheduled
10 People Watch
10 D
rysdale offers professional
advancement program
Shoe brands are moving to add to their share
as the market continues to increase.
p.28
Our exclusive annual guide to stringing
machines will help you find the right one
for your business.
32 Stand and Deliver
11 Minnesotan sets world record
for consecutive matches
Don’t forget the importance of your stringing
machine’s ergonomics and comfort.
12 Short Sets
12 T
IA presents 2015
Tennis Media Award
p.32
2 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Our Serve
Publishers
David Bone Jeff Williams
Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
peter@tennisindustrymag.com
Associate Editor
Greg Raven
Creating That
Collaborative Spirit
W
almart and Sam’s Club
founder Sam Walton had
a simple tip for success:
“We’re all working together,” he
said. “That’s the secret.”
Auto pioneer Henry Ford also
knew: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”
Success today is all about cooperation and being part of a joint
effort. And this is true in the tennis
industry.
In terms of growing this sport,
one of the most important collaborations may have been forged last
year when the “Coach Youth Tennis” curriculum was launched. CYT
is a collaboration by the USTA,
PTR, USPTA and USOC, designed
to improve the quality and standards of teaching tennis to kids.
Experts from these four organizations got together to create the CYT
curriculum, and since early 2014,
successful completion of the course
is a requirement for certification by
both the PTR and USPTA.
Basically CYT teaches coaches
how to teach children tennis. This
isn’t just something for new teaching pros; this is something all pros
should know, including longtime
pros who could use a course in how
to deal with young students. The
CYT curriculum provides continuing education credits for PTR and
USPTA pros. CYT consists of six
online courses that each take 20
to 40 minutes, then participants
attend a three-and-a-half hour
workshop.
Kirk Anderson, the USTA’s
director of coach education, reports
that since CYT launched in 2014,
more than 39,000 online courses
have been accessed and there have
been nearly 15,000 unique users. At the end of 2014, more than
3,300 participants had completed
the CYT process. For this year, 123
workshops are scheduled.
As important as CYT is to growth
in this industry, however, the point
here is the importance of the collaboration that created it. Let’s be
frank: With two expert teaching
pro organizations, plus the talented
national and sectional USTA staffs,
“working together” successfully in
this industry often takes quite a bit
of effort, especially when parties feel
the need to claim credit and make
it “theirs.” Too frequently, collaboration breaks down because groups
perceive that someone is encroaching on their “turf.”
But Coach Youth Tennis is proof
that, despite differences in procedures, perceptions and attitudes,
we all are after the same things:
increasing the number of people
playing tennis, and in particular,
getting more kids to realize how
great tennis is. No one group can
claim credit for Coach Youth Tennis—and that’s what makes this
a great program, and a model for
future collaboration and growth.
To truly thrive, to really work
together, we need to let the collaborative spirit that created Coach
Youth Tennis live in all areas of this
industry.
Peter Francesconi, Editorial Director
peter@tennisindustrymag.com
4 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
Special Projects Manager
Bob Patterson
Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
Cynthia Cantrell
Kent Oswald
Cynthia Sherman
Mary Helen Sprecher
Tim Strawn
Contributing Photographers
Bob Kenas
David Kenas
TENNIS INDUSTRY
Corporate Offices
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
Email: TI@racquetTECH.com
Website: www.TennisIndustryMag.com
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Advertising Director
John Hanna
770-650-1102, x.125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
Apparel Advertising
Cynthia Sherman
203-263-5243
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly January through August and combined
issues in September/October and November/
December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO Box
3392, Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage paid
at Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices
(USPS #004-354). August 2015, Volume 43,
Number 8 © 2015 by USRSA and Tennis Industry.
All rights reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo
are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A.
Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone
circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly
subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tennis
Industry, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096. TI is the
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Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/
Racquet Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our
website at TennisIndustrymag.com for free digital
versions back to 2004.
IndustryNews
Information to help you run your business
USTA Names Outstanding
Facility Award Winners
T
hirteen tennis facilities are winners in the 34th annual USTA Facility Awards
Program, which recognizes excellence in construction and/or renovation. The
facilities will be honored at the USTA’s Semi-Annual Meeting on Sept. 6.
Of the 13 winners, the “Featured Facility” is the Chandler Tennis Center (below) in
Chandler, Ariz., a large public tennis facility. To be considered for an award, facilities must
be under the jurisdiction of a park and rec, an
educational institution, or a nonprofit corporation, or a private or commercially owned-andoperated facility that offers both USTA and public
programming designed to help grow tennis.
The 2015 winners are:
• Public Courts: Small (2 to 10 courts): Deer
Creek Courts, Highland Park, Ill.
• Public Courts: Large (11 or more courts): Reed
Sweatt Family Tennis Center, Minneapolis;
Princeton Racquet Club, Princeton, N.J.; Chandler Tennis Center, Chandler, Ariz.; The
Phoenix Tennis Center, Phoenix; Southside Tennis Complex, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Educational Institution: McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M.
• Private Facilities: Horseshoe Bend Country Club, Roswell, Ga.; Moss Creek Tennis
Center, Hilton Head Island, S.C.; The Phoenician Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.; West Winds
Tennis Center, New Market, Md.; Trump National Golf Club, Potomac Falls, Va.; Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta, Ga.. •
‘Free Tennis Play Events’
Will Bring Players to You
G
et your plans in place now for running a USTA Free Tennis Play Event in the
month of September and bring more kids into the game, and into your Youth Tennis programs. Local play and competition can include Play Days, Junior Team Tennis, Entry-Level Tournaments and more.
The USTA will host thousands of Free Tennis Play Events across the country in September, which also is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. “USTA Free Tennis Play
Events are a great opportunity to get kids active and to encourage them to lead a healthy
lifestyle,” says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis. “In
addition, these events provide a fantastic platform to showcase the fun and excitement of
tennis, and will encourage families to get involved in the sport.”
From 2013 to March 2015, there was a 198 percent
increase in the number of free play events offered,
and media impressions through September 2014
increased 167 percent. The events in September not
only support Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play,
but also help spread the word about tennis in local
communities. Go to YouthTennis.com to register
your Free Tennis Play Event The site also has links
to customizable marketing material that you can use
to promote your programs and events locally. •
Don’t Miss the 2015
TIA Tennis Forum
The eighth annual TIA Tennis Forum, which is free to attend, will be
held on Monday morning, Aug. 31,
at the Grand Hyatt New York, as the
2015 US Open gets under way. The
event will include the induction of
industry innovator Peter Burwash
into the Tennis Industry Hall of
Fame. Burwash becomes the 10th
inductee into the HoF, joining such
luminaries as Billie Jean King, Nick
Bollettieri and Dennis Van der Meer.
The Forum will provide those
involved in tennis with the latest
news about the state of the tennis
business, including participation,
equipment sales, initiatives and
much more. It will also outline pathways for increasing the number of
“core” tennis players. While a free
event, the TIA would like Forum
attendees to register beforehand at
TennisIndustry.org.
ASBA Technical Meeting
Set for Scottsdale
The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the trade association for those involved in the design,
construction and supply of materials
for athletic facilities which this year
celebrates its 50th anniversary, has
announced that its annual Technical
Meeting will be held Dec. 4-8 in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the Fairmont Scottsdale
Princess.
The meeting
includes technical programming
for industry
members who
work with facilities for tennis, track
and field, sports fields and indoor
athletic facilities. There will be special anniversary events scheduled
throughout the meeting.
The Technical Meeting also offers a
trade show with products and services
for the sports facility construction
industry. Additional activities, such
as the golf and tennis tournaments,
August 2015
TennisIndustry 7
IndustryNews
provide further opportunities to spend time
with industry colleagues. The meeting will
include the opportunity for individuals to
take the ASBA’s certification exams to become a Certified Tennis Court Builder, Certified Track Builder or Certified Field Builder.
It will additionally include announcement
of the winners of the association’s annual
Awards Program. For more information, visit
sportsbuilders.org.
Stay Tuned for Latest Court
Construction Manual
The eighth edition of “Tennis Courts: A
Construction and Maintenance Manual,” published
jointly by the American
Sports Builders Association (ASBA) and USTA,
is scheduled to be out
this summer. The 2015
edition includes key updates to many areas of
court construction and
maintenance, including post-tension concrete courts,
LED lighting, 36- and 60-foot courts, and
much more.
A panel of construction experts spent
the last two years updating the 320-page
manual from the 2012 edition, and it is
considered an invaluable resource for
anyone planning, building or considering
a tennis facility, in addition to providing
key information on maintenance, repair
and renovation. Nearly 60 original drawings help illustrate construction, renovation and maintenance methods.
The book is a key resource for all builders, design professionals, specifiers,
contractors, suppliers, and owners/
users, including schools, colleges,
parks and recreation departments,
club owners and managers, and
current and prospective owners of
residential tennis courts. The new
edition will also be distributed by
the USTA (for the 2012 edition, the
USTA distributed more than 1,000
copies to volunteers, Sections and
USTA facility grant applicants) and
sold by the ASBA and on Amazon.com
USPTA World Conference
Set for New Orleans
T
he USPTA’s 2015 World Conference will be at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Sept. 21-25. The event brings together leading tennis-teaching professionals and coaches to share best practices, and will include interactive oncourt sessions and presentations. Attendees can register at uspta.com/conference.
In addition to seminars and specialty courses from leading experts, there will be
evening parties, industry meetings, a tennis-only buying
show, silent auction, awards presentation and more. This
year will mark the introduction of the USPTA Masters
Invitational, the grand finale of the USPTA Surface
Championships.
USPTA members will earn 8 continuing education
credits for a full registration, plus additional credits for
courses attended. All sessions will fall under one of four
categories: business, teaching, facility management and
sport science.
Keynote speakers will include ESPN broadcaster and
former ATP pro Darren Cahill; Rick Macci, founder of
the Rick Macci Tennis Academy and former coach of
Andy Roddick, Venus and Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova; Mark Kovacs,
Ph.D., executive director of the International Tennis Performance Association; National Cardio Tennis Manager Michele Krause; Craig O’Shannessy, ATP and WTA
touring coach and tennis broadcaster; and Kirk Anderson, USTA director for Coach
Education. •
8 TennisIndustry
August 2015
for $44.95. Stay tuned for on-sale date
and details.
Tennis Channel Cut Out of
Live US Open Coverage
One of the casualties of the US Open’s
landmark TV deal with ESPN appears to be
Tennis Channel’s live coverage of the Open.
TC is not renewing its rights to broadcast
match coverage of the US Open as a sublicensee of ESPN.
In 2013, ESPN and the USTA signed an
11-year deal worth $75 million a year, to
start this year, providing ESPN with full
rights to broadcast the US Open—taking
the tournament away from its 46-year home
on CBS. ESPN also promised to show every
match live, utilizing ESPN, ESPN2 and the
broadband network ESPN3.
Tennis Channel, which does broadcast
matches from the Australian Open, French
Open and Wimbledon, will still air daily preview and highlights shows of the US Open.
Pierce, Garvin Named PTR
Presidential Appointees
PTR President Roy Barth has named
Mary Pierce and Lucy Garvin, two prominent women in international tennis, as
Presidential Appointees to the PTR Board
of Directors. With the appointments,
PTR gains the expertise and experience
needed to continue growing internationally, plus adds to the gender diversity on the PTR
Board.
Pierce is a four-time
Grand Slam singles and
doubles champion. In 2013, she was a
featured speaker at the ITF Worldwide
Coaches Workshop in Cancun, Mexico,
and now works as a touring pro coach.
She earned her WTA Pro Course Certification in 2012 and currently holds three
PTR certifications: Performance, 11 to 17
and Adult Development. She has been
invited to be the opening speaker at the
2016 PTR International Symposium.
Garvin is a past president of the USTA,
USTA Southern and USTA South Carolina.
Among her many accomplishments as
USTA president from 2009-2010 was
establishing the Strategic Vision Committee to develop a long-range plan for
the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis
IndustryNews
Boston 2024 Partnership CEO Rich Davey,
flanked by Sportsmen’s ED Toni Wiley and
Massachusetts State Rep. Russell Holmes.
Park City MARC
Portland, Ore.—Aug. 15 (CT) & 16 (TRX CT),
The Mac
Richmond, Va.—Aug. 28 (CT), TBA
Santa Clara, Calif.—Sept. 12 (CT) & 13 (TRX
CT), The Bay Club
Truckee, Calif.—Aug. 22 (CT) & 23 (TRX CT),
Northstar Tennis Academy
Loeb, Shane Headline 2015
Collegiate National Team
Harambee Park Selected in
Boston’s 2024 Olympic Bid
I
f Boston wins the bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, the Sportsmen’s Tennis
& Enrichment Center will host the tennis competition. The center is located
in Harambee Park, formerly known as Franklin Field, a 45-acre park between
Boston’s Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods.
Following extensive collaboration and input with community groups, elected
officials and other key stakeholders, Boston 2024 Partnership CEO Rich Davey and
Sportsmen’s Executive Director Toni Wiley announced the venue on June 11.
Sportsmen’s, the first African-American tennis club in the U.S., has provided
young people with tennis instruction and enrichment programs since its founding in 1961. Under the venue plans, Harambee Park would become the home of a
permanent 2,500-seat tennis stadium, a lasting benefit that would enable Sportsmen’s to host regional and national tournaments. During the Games, the park
would house two temporary stadiums, one with 10,000 seats and the other with
7,500 seats.
The International Olympic Committee will announce the 2024 Olympics location in the summer of 2017. •
Center, the transformation of which is
now in progress. Garvin then went on
to serve two terms on the ITF Board of
Directors. She currently serves on the
ITF Juniors Committee.
Cardio Tennis Training
Courses Scheduled
Cardio Tennis is one of the fastest
growing segments of this industry, with
about 1.6 million
players. Training
sessions for Cardio
Tennis and TRX
Cardio Tennis are
continuously added to the schedule as
the program continues to expand. The following sessions have been scheduled, but
check CardioTennis.com and CardioTennisTraining.com as the list is updated regularly.
(CT means Cardio Tennis Training Courts;
TRX CT is the TRX CT Training Course.)
Alpharetta, Ga.—Sept. 11 (CT), Crooked
Creek Tennis Club
Atlanta, Ga.—Aug. 29 (TRX CT), Midtown
Athletic Club Atlanta
Boston —July 18 (CT) & Aug. 2 (TRX CT),
Cedardale Health & Fitness
Charlotte, N.C.—Oct. 11 (CT), Providence
Country Club
Fayetteville, N.C.—Oct. 18 (CT), Methodist
University
La Quinta, Calif.—Nov. 14 (CT) & 15 (TRX CT),
La Quinta Resort
Park City, Utah—Sept. 19 (CT) & 20 (TRX CT),
NCAA 2015 singles champions Jamie
Loeb of the University of North Carolina
and Ryan Shane of the University of
Virginia headline the top American collegians named to the 2015 USTA Collegiate
National Team, the high-level training
program designed to help America’s
premier college players assimilate to
professional tennis in a team-oriented
environment.
The rest of the men’s 2015 USTA Collegiate National Team includes: Mackenzie
McDonald, UCLA, and Noah Rubin, Wake
Forest.
In addition to Loeb, the women’s team
includes: Brooke Austin, Florida; Jennifer
Brady, UCLA; and Julia Elbaba, Virginia.
Coaches accompanying the Collegiate
National Team players as they play tournaments on the USTA Pro Circuit this summer are, for the men, Oklahoma associate
head coach Bo Hodge, Georgia Tech assistant coach Derek Schwandt and Christian
Groh, personal coach of former world No.
2 Tommy Haas. The women’s coaches are
Princeton head coach Laura Granville, Davidson head coach Sara Anundsen, TCU
head coach Lee Taylor Walker and Columbia assistant coach Riza Zalameda.
Champion Doris Hart
Passes Away
American tennis champion Doris Hart,
who won 35 major titles in the 1940s and
1950s, passed away in Coral Gables, Fla.,
on May 29. She was 89 years old. Hart was
inducted into the International Tennis Hall of
Fame in 1969.
Hart was the first player in the history
of the sport to win a career “boxed set,”
meaning over the course of her career, she
won every title possible—singles, doubles,
and mixed doubles—at all four Grand Slams.
Margaret Court Smith and Martina Navra-
August 2015
TennisIndustry 9
IndustryNews
People
Watch
Erica Perkins Jasper is the
new chief operating officer of
the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. She recently completed three years as head
women’s tennis coach at the
University of New Mexico
and formerly was head coach
at Michigan State, assistant
coach at William & Mary,
and head women’s coach at
Georgia Southern University.
She also served as Senior
Manager of Junior & Collegiate Competition for USTA
Player Development from
2008 to 2012.
Peggy Edwards, the PTR’s
director of communications
and the editor of PTR’s TennisPro Magazine, was presented a 2015 APEX Award
for publishing
excellence.
The award,
in the
“Magazines,
Journals
& Tabloids–
Print” category,
was for the November/December 2014 issue of TennisPro. Edwards has been
with PTR since 1998.
UCLA's Robin Anderson
and Oklahoma's Axel Alvarez Llamas are the 2015 ITA
National College Players of
the Year. Julian Lenz and Diego Galeano of Baylor were
named the ITA National
Men's Doubles Team of the
Year, and Alabama's Erin
tilova are the only other players to have
achieved this feat.
Hart’ 35 major titles were comprised of
six in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and
15 in mixed doubles. She is ranked fifth in
the sport for most major titles. At the 1951
Wimbledon, she won all three titles—singles,
doubles, and mixed—dropping just one set
the entire tournament. Making the feat even
more extraordinary was that she played all
three matches on the same day due to rain
delays.
Drydsale Offers Professional
Advancement Program
Looking to up your game as a tennis professional? Cliff Drysdale Tennis
is spearheading an initiative to create
formalized training, education and job
opportunities. The Tennis Professional
Advancement (TPA) program was started
two years ago, with the goal to develop
passionate tennis pros who will grow the
game, improve the quality of coaching for
juniors and adults, and provide a pathway for those who want to turn tennis
into their career.
The TPA program offers participants
the opportunity to develop the skills
10 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Routliffe and Maya Jansen
received ITA National
Women's Doubles Team
of the Year honors for the
second year in a row.
New Balance has
extended its sponsorship
deal with Canadian tennis
star Milos Raonic for the
remainder of his playing
career, and beyond.
Bradley Bator of Kirkland,
Wash., was the men’s open
singles champion in the
$6,000 USPTA Grass Court
Championships in May in
Scottsdale, Ariz., after a win
over Mathieu Soto of Boca
Raton, Fla. Thiago Barbosa of Glendale Ariz., and
partner Rudy Obregon of
San Antonio) won the men’s
open doubles division.
Sudsy Monchik was
inducted into the Racquetball Hall of Fame on May
30 in Denver. The five-time
world champion has more
than 50 pro titles. He’s
been in racquetball for
over 30 years and currently
is Dunlop’s Racquetball
Category manager.
DiAnna Drysdale, wife
of Cliff Drysdale and the
managing editor Cliff
Drysdale Management’s
magazine, will participate
in the Challenged Athletes
Foundation’s Million Dollar
Challenge, a 620-mile bike
ride from San Francisco to
San Diego, Oct. 10-16.
necessary to manage an elite tennis club
or resort, including training in tennis
instructional skill development, marketing, basic human resources, accounting
and finance, and program development
advice from top-notch tennis directors.
Following an initial stay at CDT corporate headquarters in New Braunfels,
Texas, TPA participants travel to tennis
clubs in various locations, including California, Florida, Connecticut, Vermont,
New York and Colorado, to train alongside successful tennis directors. For info,
contact tpa@cliffdrysdale.com.
Global Tennis Marketplace
Program Developed
The TIA in conjunction with the International Tennis Federation and Sports Marketing Surveys has begun an international
research program to track wholesale shipments of tennis racquets, balls and strings
in 26 nations, as well as track participation
levels in 20 nations. It will be the first time
that a sport has established an international
evaluation and measurement program managed and controlled by the stakeholders in
the sport.
In the U.S., the TIA produces more than
70 reports annually on tennis marketplace
intelligence, including consumer trends,
wholesale and retail insights, and cost of
doing business analysis for the industry. The
recently expanded global efforts include
a new online dashboard system, the GTS
Tracker (Global Tennis Shipment Tracker) to
help monitor trends and impact of initiatives.
The tennis participation component
evaluates the health of the game; participation levels, play frequency, playing habits
and motivations; examines reasons players
leave the sport; and gauges interest in tennis among non-players. An annual Global
Tennis Marketplace report will be produced
in 2015.
In addition, at the recent TIA board meeting in March in Indian Wells, Calif., the TIA
board approved a motion for Eric Babolat to
assume the newly created position of chair
of the TIA Global Council, which also will
include Hans-Martin Reh of Wilson, Ottmar
Barbian of Head, Mike Ballardie of Prince,
and current TIA President Greg Mason.
Scoring System Keeps
Tabs on Players
e10sScore is an on-court tennis scoring system that sends live scoring via
the internet, as players change scores at
changeovers, with one touch of a finger.
Coaches, parents and spectators can view
IndustryNews
Minnesota's Darren Iverson
Sets World Record
D
arren Iverson of Montgomery, Minn.,
braved the rain and cold on May 29-30 to
play 35 consecutive tennis matches, setting
a Guinness World Record. Iverson, who is the girls
tennis coach at Faribault High School, broke the
existing record of 33 set by Jerome Lacorte in Hong
Kong in November 2014.
Iverson started his record attempt at 7 a.m.
Friday in the pouring rain, and finally broke the
record with the sun setting behind him at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, when he played former Faribault player
Dat Truong in his 34th match. He played one additional match for good measure before finally calling
it quits, surrounded by his family and friends.
Per Guinness rules, Iverson played 35 different
opponents in the best of three tie-break sets with 90 seconds rest on changeovers
and two minutes between sets. He then had one minute between the end of a match
and the start of another and did receive "a couple" of bathroom/change of attire
breaks. With the rain, Iverson went through “about six outfit changes and 10 or 11
pairs of socks.” He finished with an 18-17 overall record, which was all recorded for
verification purposes.
Iverson’s attempt was held in conjunction with a Tennis Block Party Saturday
afternoon, to raise awareness about the many tennis opportunities in Faribault.
‘We wanted to do something that was a shot in the arm for Faribault tennis,”
Iverson said. “There’s a really nice base of players in the area and we have a great
facility.” —Lisa Mushett •
scores in real time from their computer,
tablets, and smartphones, or turn their
TV into a courtside scoreboard.
Coaches can use the software to manage events, players, teams, and facilities
and set up matches and tournaments.
From the website, scores can be viewed
for free, and coaches can keep tabs on all
his or her players at once. It also keeps
track of player records, win/loss percentages and events played. For info and
more details, visit e10sScore.com.
Sports & Fitness Wholesale
Shipments Top $84 Billion
Wholesale shipments of sports & fitness
products increased by 3.5% in 2014, propelling the industry to total sales exceeding
$84.2 billion, according to the latest State of
the Industry Report published by the Sports
& Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
“In recent years, the industry has been
concerned with business factors such as
constrained spending, unemployment, and
lack of consumer confidence,” said Tom
Cove, SFIA’s president and Chief Execu-
tive Officer. “While those concerns are still
present, our industry outpaced the GDP last
year and we’re seeing a positive transition in
consumer spending and wholesale orders in
our categories."
The 2015 SFIA State of the Industry Report
reveals that the bulk of consumer spending
comes from active Americans who are looking to participate in new sports and fitness
activities.
Gamma Adds Two
Co-Poly Strings
Gamma Sports recently released Moto
Soft and iO Soft poly strings. The company says Moto Soft's heptagonal shape
provides bite on the ball and spin, while
iO Soft's classic shape allows for deeper
ball pocketing and more control. The
softer material found in both strings adds
power and greater feel without the harsh
vibration found in most stiffer co-polyester strings, says Gamma.
Both co-poly monofilaments come in
16 and 17 gauges in charcoal. Moto Soft is
priced at $11 per set or $181 per reel; iO
Soft is $11.50 per set and $189 per reel.
Visit gammasports.com.
U.S. Claims Junior & Quad
Wheelchair Titles
For the first time in 15 years, the U.S.
junior wheelchair team, consisting of
Chris Herman (Gulfport, Fla.), Casey
Ratzlaff (Wichita, Kan.), and Conner Stroud
(Spindale, N.C.), captured the junior team
title at the 2015 BNP Paribas World Team
Cup, which was held in Antalya, Turkey.
The World Team Cup is the ITF’s flagship
wheelchair tennis event. The U.S. team
beat defending champ Russia in the
semifinals then defeated the Netherlands
in the final.
“I could not be more excited for these
wonderful kids and their parents,” said U.S.
Head Coach Jason Harnett. “I can’t wait to
see what this group will do next.”
The U.S. quad team of David Wagner,
(Chula Vista, Calif.), Nick Taylor, (Wichita,
Kan.), Greg Hasterok, (San Diego), and
Bryan Barten, (Tucson, Ariz.), led the U.S.
to its ninth title in the quad division over
the past 15 years with a 2-1 final-round
victory over Japan.
USRSA Announces
New MRT’s and CS’s
MRT’s
Ronny Salonga - San Francisco, CA
Clint Watkins - Georgetown, TX
CS’s
Ben James - Denver, CO
Karabo Makgale - Denver, CO
Jason Fernandez - Markham, ON CANADA
Bill Ford - Collingwood, ON CANADA
Greg Konzelman - Toronto, ON CANADA
James Nodwell - Toronto, ON CANADA
Grant Robb - Etobicoke, ON CANADA
U.S. Teams Win in France
Three U.S. teams won titles in June in
France at the ITF Seniors World Team Championships, the highest-ranked event on the
ITF Seniors Circuit for men and women in
the age categories 50-60. The U.S. brought
home titles in the Austria Cup (Men’s 55),
Maria Esther Bueno Cup (Women’s 50) and
Alice Marble Cup (Women’s 60) but was
unable to defend the title in the Maureen
Connolly Cup (Women’s 55) for the fourth
consecutive year.
August 2015
TennisIndustry 11
IndustryNews
Short
Sets
(the U.S. competed in
World Group II in 2012
and 2015).
The U.S. Fed Cup Team
will kick off its 2016 Fed
Cup campaign by hosting
Poland in the World Group
II First Round, Feb. 6-7.
The winner advances to
the World Group Playoff,
held April 16-17, to
compete for a spot in the
2017 World Group. The
losing nation will play in
the World Group II Playoff
next April to remain in
World Group II in 2017.
The U.S. will compete in
World Group II in 2016 for
just the third time since
the World Group format
was instituted in 1995
American broadcaster Mary Carillo received
the ITF’s highest
accolade, the Philippe
Chatrier Award, at the
2015 ITF World Champions Dinner on June 2
in Paris. Other award
recipients celebrated
at the event included
singles champions Novak Djokovic (SRB) and
Serena Williams (USA);
doubles champions
Bob and Mike Bryan
(USA), and Sara Errani
and Roberta Vinci (ITA);
junior champions An-
drey Rublev (RUS) and
Catherine “Cici” Bellis
(USA); and wheelchair
champions Shingo
Kunieda (JPN) and Yui
Kamiji (JPN).
The USTA Foundation,
the national charitable
organization of the
USTA, has appointed
CBS Sports and Tennis
Channel broadcaster
Bill Macatee to its board
of directors. Macatee
will serve as an ambassador to promote the
Foundation’s mission
to utilize tennis and
education to help those
in need. He will also
work to promote the
Foundation’s national
outreach efforts to assist
under-resourced youth
and individuals with disabilities.
TGA Premier Youth
Tennis (TGA) has added
a fourth chapter near
Los Angeles, in Conejo
Valley, Calif. The sports
franchise was acquired
by Branden Kornmaier, a
recent graduate from the
University of California,
Irvine, where he received
a degree in business
economics and studied
biomedical engineering.
The ITF announced that
the 2016 BNP Paribas
World Team Cup, the
ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event,
will be held in Tokyo on
May 23-26. The event
will be hosted by the Japan Tennis Association
at the Ariake Coliseum.
Representing the U.S.
in tennis at the 2015
Pan American Games
in Toronto, July 10-26,
are world No. 63 Lauren
Davis, world No. 111
Louisa Chirico, and
world No. 112 Sachia
Vickery for the women’s
tennis team; and Dennis Novikov, Jean-Yves
Aubone and Gonzales
Austin for the men.
S E A N M E Y E R S P H O T O G R A P H Y/ N S S A
‘Green’ Solutions Can
Save You Money
TIA Presents Media Award
C
harlotte (N.C.) Observer sports columnist Scott Fowler (center) received the
2015 Tennis Media Award, presented by the Tennis Industry Association
and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA), at a
presentation in Salisbury, N.C., in early June. The award came with a $1,000 prize.
Peter Francesconi (left), representing the TIA, and the editor of Tennis Industry
magazine, presented the award, along with NSSA Executive Director Dave Goren.
The event was part of the NSSA’s 56th annual Awards Weekend. Chuck McGill of
the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail and Jack Thompson, a tennis pro, sportswriter,
and contributor to PTR TennisPro magazine who lives in Salisbury, N.C., received
runner-up awards, which also included $100 prizes.
The TIA created the annual Tennis Media Award in 2014 to recognize sportswriters and broadcasters who publish or broadcast stories on any aspect of recreational
tennis. The contest is open to members of the NSSA (individual full membership is
$50; visit nssafame.com).
Contest entries for the 2016 Tennis Media Award must be published or broadcast
between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2015. Entries (only one entry per member) should be sent
to contest@tennisindustry.org. For questions, contact peter@tennisindustry.org.•
12 TennisIndustry
August 2015
• The Tennis Legacy Fund is a non-profit
committed to increasing the awareness of
sustainability within the tennis industry and
community. To help tennis providers operate
a more profitable and sustainable business, TI magazine will run occasional tips
by the Tennis Legacy Fund in partnership
with Greenlight Solutions and a sustainability initiative by students at Arizona State
University
Power Savers: Here are two guidelines
from the U.S. Energy Department on
saving energy when using your personal
computer: 1) Turn off the monitor if you
aren’t going to use your PC for more than
20 minutes. 2) Turn off both the CPU and
monitor if you’re not going to use your PC
for more than 2 hours. Also, put computers, printers, and other accessories on a
power strip to make it easy to turn off the
energy supply and avoid using unnecessary standby power.
Is it worth it? According to a study done
by Yale, you save $40 dollars a year by
adhering to the above guidelines. In addition, a Texas A&M study concluded the
university could save $650,000 in electricity costs annually if all students turned
off their computers at night for 6 hours.
Small changes can make a big difference.
—Vid Micevic
IndustryNews
Letters
Yellow-Ball Success
In response to the letter in the July
issue titled “Show Us Something
Better,” I invite Wayne Elderton to
attend any of the Little Mo sectional, regional, national or international events and watch the girls
and boys in the 8-, 9- and 10-yearold yellow-ball matches!
My daughter is 8 and got off
the dead orange ball at age 6. Her
frustration was high at first as she
got used to the regular bounce and
the 27-inch racquet, but that took
a very short time as her muscles
developed. As a teaching pro, it is
sad and telling to watch 10- and
11-year-olds who have never hit a
ball above their shoulder.
While I appreciate what Red,
Orange and Green balls has done
for the quantities of young players,
some of us remain skeptical as to
the overall quality. Players outside
the U.S. also seem to get most of
our college scholarships—without
ROGY.
Just look at the amazing aces
playing Little Mo if you don't believe me!
Bill Pantsari, USPTA
Seagrove, Fla.
tomated external defibrillator), nobody
knew what I was talking about, and the
person upstairs at the desk had to look
around for it. What?? Shouldn't these
lifesaving devices be located courtside,
rather than upstairs? And shouldn’t
staff—and as many members and players as possible—be trained or at least
familiar with how to use them?
After this happened, I began looking
around, noticing how few AEDs there
actually are at tennis facilities. Let’s
get the word out. This is a no-brainer. Putting aside all the possible
legal and liability issues, wouldn't
it be better for a club to invest in
an AED as a precautionary matter,
rather than need one and not have it
within reach?
Esme Ehr
Director, Camp Esmeralda
Milwaukee, Wis.
Emergency Procedures
A couple of years ago, I was playing
tennis in my Sunday night group—
me being the only woman there,
with 23 men—when one of the
players suffered a heart attack two
courts away. As a tennis instructor
and a director of a charity tennis
camp for kids, I’ve taken many CPR
classes. I immediately ran over to
the court, tilted my friend's head
back and began compressions. He
was turning blue, but I kept working on him. It turned out, the man
had a completely blocked artery.
He had surgery and is back playing
tennis.
The scary thing was that when I
told somebody to get the AED (au-
August 2015
TennisIndustry 13
TIA Mid-Year Update
Two years ago, the State of the Tennis Industry meeting in New York was the start of
an examination of the health of our industry. Through subsequent Tennis Summits
and T.O.M. Conferences, the TIA brought the industry together to exchange ideas
and open a dialogue on issues and concerns, which continues this year at the TIA
Tennis Forum on Aug. 31 in New York City. As a changing consumer marketplace
and lasting effects from the recession continue to impact our industry, we will
continue to work toward collaborative measures to grow the sport and improve the
strength of industry businesses.
TIA Meetings Update
The TIA held three important meetings in March in Indian Wells,
each at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa during the BNP
Paribas Open.
At the TIA Board Meeting on March 17, TIA President Greg
Mason reviewed plans for Try Tennis Free, with industry support.
The meeting included a review of industry and tennis participation
trends and research, including the impact of the equipment market
on the tennis economy and in particular the declining youth and adult
racquet market.
The 2015 TIA Tennis Summit, which ran March 17-18, featured
a high-powered line-up of tennis, sports and business executives
who shared their insights, issues and
concerns. The speakers hit key topics
and themes that will affect growth in
every segment of the tennis industry.
14 TennisIndustry
August 2015
TIA Tennis Forum Aug. 31
in New York City
The eighth annual TIA Tennis
Forum will be Monday, Aug. 31, on
the Ballroom level of the Grand Hyatt
New York City, right before play begins at
the 2015 US Open.
Free to attend, the Forum will present the
latest news about the state of the tennis industry,
including participation, equipment sales data,
grassroots initiatives, Youth Tennis, updates
from the USTA, and more. Plus, in a ceremony
at the conclusion of the Forum, Peter Burwash
will become the 10th inductee into the Tennis
Industry Hall of Fame.
Please register to attend the Forum at
TennisIndustry.org.
The more than 200 attendees asked questions and made comments
at a number of “Open Forums,” producing important discussions.
Topics included growing the youth player base, aging demographic
of tennis players, how to better engage adults, how the sport can
remain relevant, the drive for healthy and fit lifestyles through tennis,
and more.
About 100 high-level tennis facility owners and managers
attended the 2015 Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.)
Conference March 18-19. Speakers and panelists included top
executives at national tennis and health companies, successful club
owners, experts in legal and financial matters, motivational speakers,
management consultants, club membership and compensation
experts, tennis programming and coaching professionals, sports
research experts, and more. Follow-up surveys were positive, and the
2016 T.O.M. Conference is
being planned for March
23-26 in Miami during the
Miami Open.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
OMY
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The recently completed 2015
TIA State of the Industry report
outlines key research to help
tennis industry businesses
TRY
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and organizations.
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Here are some key data pointsTIfrom the current report. (The 2015
State of the Industry report is available starting at the “Industry”
($100) level of TIA membership. Visit TennisIndustry.org.)
• The TIA’s Annual Tennis Economic Index grew 3.2% in 2014 to
$5.73 billion.
• The industry saw a slight increase (1%) in total participation as
well as increases in facility and lesson revenue.
• The annual Physical Activity Council’s Sports, Fitness, and Recreation
Participation Study showed total participation at 17.9 million.
• The PAC study also showed an increase of 5% in participation of
the TIA-managed Cardio Tennis program to 1.6 million players.
• The tennis equipment market continued to experience declines,
especially in youth and adult entry-level racquets.
• Youth Tennis participation also grew—up 4.1% for ages 6 to 12
and up 9.3% for ages 13 to 17.
• R esearch shows 14.6 million non-players are interested in
playing tennis. The industry and USTA are looking to an enhanced
campaign to capture this “latent demand,” which can help boost
the equipment market.
• Core players—the lifeblood of the industry who play at least 10 or
more times a year and are responsible for 93% of play occasions
and 90% of all tennis expenditures—dropped slightly (1.1%) to
9.91 million.
Global Research: To develop a Global Tennis Marketplace Report,
the TIA continues to work closely with global manufacturers on
shipments as well as the ITF on tennis participation. Currently,
participating manufacturers have access to the online GTS
tracker on wholesale shipments of racquets, balls, and strings
completed in over two dozen countries and tennis participation in 20
different nations.
Update:
Update:
Website development for PlayTennis.com, which is managed by the
TIA, has seen quite a bit of progress in 2015, including:
• P layTennis.com currently contains data and information from more
than 400,000 tennis players, 15,400 tennis facilities with 100,000
tennis courts, more than 8,600 tennis professionals, and nearly
7,000 tennis retailers. Much of the data is accessible to consumers
through search functions.
• All consumer search features have been enhanced for a better user
experience across all digital platforms, including smart-phones,
tablets, and PCs and also Facebook sign-in.
•M
obile optimization of the site led to a tripling of traffic from
mobile devices in 2014.
• P R campaigns and social media efforts with industry partners
continue to drive increased engagement.
• 3 0-million-plus impressions from releases to 4,200 media through
Globe News Wire, including pickup through outlets such as
Reuters, WorldNetNews, SI.com, SGI News, Miami Herald, Google
News, Ask.com, etc.
New features for PlayTennis.com include:
• Live Chat and Tennis Concierge provide visitor assistance to
deliver a personalized customer experience and to gather consumer
data for follow-up and research.
•S
tar Ratings, a Yelp-like feature, have been added to Facility pages.
•V
isitor Monitor to display total individual site visits.
•C
onsumer Offers, currently focused on tournament ticket sales.
•A
one-step Add/Edit feature to allow facility operators and
coaches to easily keep their information current on the site.
The TIA worked closely with industry partners, USTA, USPTA and
PTR to launch a “Try Tennis Free” campaign for May 2015, and then
continuing year-round. Facilities and certified tennis professionals
were encouraged to sign up at PlayTennis.com and offer a free
introductory program.
•N
early 2,000 tennis facilities and coaches participated.
• T he Try Tennis Free campaign received great support from industry
partners
• S ocial media campaign and press releases helped site traffic grow
150% during May. Social media reach was up more than 800%,
with an increase in impressions and followers.
• R eleases to more than 4,200 media outlets garnered 30-millionplus impressions.
•O
n average, participating facilities saw 24 new and/or returning
tennis consumers as a result of Try Tennis Free.
•M
ore than 11,000 consumer queries were generated to facilities.
• 1 ,700 consumers completed the Tennis Concierge inquiry form,
along with nearly 800 who joined the Find A Game service at
PlayTennis.com.
• T ry Tennis Free also helped
to introduce on a broader
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Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
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Pioneers in Tennis
David Benjamin: College
Tennis’s Leading Man
By Mary Helen Sprecher
I
f the definition of success is leaving
something better than you found
it, David Benjamin can walk away
from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association feeling very satisfied.
Benjamin, the ITA’s longtime executive director and CEO who retired July
1, is credited with taking a fledgling
group of college tennis coaches and
transforming that group into a modern,
fully functioning national governing
body for intercollegiate tennis. The
ITA not only sanctions college tournaments and sponsors multiple national
championships, but also works with
corporate sponsors to offer a host of
awards and honors. It also compiles and
produces national and regional rankings for teams, singles and doubles for
all classifications.
In fact, there have been so many
changes over the years, Benjamin will
be the first to admit he isn’t sure where
to start when describing them.
The organization known as the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association
was in its infancy when Benjamin, then
the tennis coach at Princeton University, became involved in 1975, doing
project work for the group. “It was kind
of a jungle when I started coaching,” he
recalls. “We had no rules about college
tennis. There was nothing about what
balls you should use, which scoring
system—there was nothing. If you were
playing a team you got along with, it
was usually all right. But if two teams
did not get along, you could have a lot of
problems.” In fact, when he himself was
a college player, there was one national
championship a year and no ranking
system for schools or players.
By 1979, Benjamin had been elected
president of the organization. In 1981,
he took the position of executive direc-
16 TennisIndustry
August 2015
tor. His sole mission for the group, he
noted, was “growing and promoting college tennis at all levels.”
Under Benjamin’s guidance during the
course of more than three decades, the
group grew from a membership of less
than 80 NCAA Men's Division I coaches
to its current organizational structure
that includes more than 1,500 men's and
women's varsity coaches and close to
20,000 varsity student-athletes from over
1,200 NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA,
and junior/community colleges. And, of
course, now there is the ranking system.
“We worked on that,” he says, pride
lacing his voice. “We created it, and now a
player can look himself or herself up and
say, ‘I’m ranked fifth’ or ‘I’m ranked 10th,’
or anything else.”
Benjamin is also pleased with the
sense of camaraderie he has seen develop
among college teams that routinely meet
one another in regional and national
competition, as opposed to the one tournament a year he used to experience.
“When we played other schools, we kind
viewed them as the enemy. But the more
you play another team, the more things
you realize you have in common.”
He believes strongly that tennis has the
potential to shape a student’s character.
“One of the things that is most important
to all coaches is not just to coach the
players, but to help them to develop
as people. Tennis is a fantastic vehicle
for that.”
Unlike today’s pro players who
often forgo a college education in
order to turn pro, their counterparts
in the time of Arthur Ashe or Stan
Smith continued their college education while competing. The ITA, he
notes, has outstanding athletes but
is realistic enough to want them to
complete their education. “In order to
play college tennis, you have to take
school seriously. Very few people are
going to be world-class pros. But our
hope is to make them into world-class
citizens, and we know tennis is part of
that process.”
This might be a clue as to why he
says his proudest accomplishment is
the development of the annual ITA
Achievement Award, which pays
tribute to past varsity tennis players
who have achieved excellence in their
chosen careers.
“The award recognizes people who
have had wonderful achievements and
who have given a lot back. I have an
extra fond spot for that.” He pauses.
“I’d really be glad to stay involved with
it.” •
Retailing 139
Why Fitting Rooms Matter!
By Jay Townley
H
ow can you increase sales of
tennis apparel to women? By
installing fittings rooms, or
cleaning up and remodeling your existing fitting rooms. Then educating and
training owners, managers and staff
about how to integrate fitting rooms
into your store’s sales process and conversion and close rates. Research shows
that the more customers entering a
fitting room means more customers
leaving the store with a purchase.
The book tennis specialty retailers
should get—and make required reading
for managers and staff—is “Fit Happens: Analog Buying in a Digital Age,”
by Marge Laney.
Total category sales is the metric
most used by specialty retailers to
measure and track the performance of
their stores. In addition, some specialty
shops also measure and track conversion, or the average ticket value of an
individual transaction, and the number
of items sold.
According to Laney, a recent study
commissioned by Alert Tech11 revealed
two fitting room variables that play a
significant role in increasing all of these
metrics: the percent of total store traffic
that enters each fitting room, and the
number of associate engagements initiated by the customer.
The research shows that if you and
your staff focus on getting customers
into the fitting room and engage with
them while they are making their buying decisions, it will positively impact
conversion and close rates and build
loyalty and repeat business.
Clean and Neat
Women, and a growing number of men,
have to try on apparel selections in
order to make buying decisions. Ac-
18 TennisIndustry
August 2015
cording to Laney: “They will do that in
the least painful way possible, whether
in-store or at home. Retailers should
embrace this idea and make their fittingroom environments match their selling
environments.”
A few years ago I was visiting a specialty retailer with a female colleague.
The owner asked our opinion about what
he should do to improve his store. Without hesitation my colleague said: “Your
fitting rooms are downright scary and
women won’t go in them. It’s no wonder
you are complaining about your store’s
inability to sell clothing to women.”
Treating fitting rooms as an integral
part of your store’s environment adds
continuity to the apparel-buying process
and increases the likelihood the customer
will feel comfortable in using your fitting
room. The retailer we visited completely
remodeled and modernized his store’s fitting rooms—and reported an immediate
increase in apparel sales.
When shoppers make their buying
decisions in the fitting room, it’s more
profitable for the store and more efficient
and enjoyable for the customers, which in
turn builds customer loyalty and positive
word-of-mouth.
Also remember that you and your staff
are the keys to making the fitting-room
experience happen, so educating and
training is important. Integrate your
fitting room into your customer-service and sales process to connect with
a shopper on the sales floor.
When you or your staff see someone
holding apparel she’s considering, offer an invitation, such as, "May I check
to see if the fitting room is available for
you?" This engages the customer and
encourages her to commit to the next
step—trying-on the items.
Don’t think you have space for a
fitting room? Well, I suggest you take a
look at your your overall revenue, then
calculate what an increase of 10 to 15
percent in clothing sales will mean to
your bottom line. If the increase is interesting, or even compelling, start to
plan a remodel of your store—no matter how small your square footage—to
include a well-lighted, cheerful fitting
room with a full-length mirror, a hanging rack for clothing and a chair.
Increasing your store’s revenue and
profitability from the sales of clothing
should be the focus of your fittingroom strategy. •
This is part of a series of retail tips
presented by the Tennis Industry
Association and written by the
Gluskin Townley Group (www.
gluskintownleygroup.com).
Lake Nona
The ‘New Home for American
Tennis’ Takes Shape
By Peter Francesconi
A
little over a year from now, the
“New Home for American Tennis” at Lake Nona in Orlando,
Fla., should be completed and open
for business, with a total of 102 courts,
along with office space and much more.
“This is bigger than just tennis,” says
Virgil Christian, the USTA’s senior
director of market/facility development and collegiate tennis. “We chose
Lake Nona and Tavistock Group to help
create a ‘sports and innovation district.’
We can make this really dynamic and
special. It’s as much a tennis business
project as it is a tennis play project.”
The Lake Nona project (which is still
searching for a “real” name) was announced in May 2014 and ground was
broken this past April. Taking up about
300 acres, the USTA facility, which will
cost at least $60 million, will also house
the USTA’s Community Tennis and
Player Development divisions. About
150 to 200 USTA staffers will be based
at the facility, and in fact, some USTA
employees have already relocated to the
Lake Nona area, working out of temporary offices.
Among the 102 courts will be eight
36-foot and eight 60-foot courts. There
will also be a range of surfaces to play
on, including DecoTurf, Plexipave,
Har-Tru and red clay. In addition,
Sport Court will have its PowerGame
surface. The indoor facility will have six
Rebound Ace courts.
A part of the facility, with 12 hard
courts, will be dedicated to college tennis and will be the home courts for the
University of Central Florida. “This will
be the first tennis venue built off-campus for a college team that I’m aware
of,” Christian says, noting that the UCF
campus is about 18 miles away. But the
college facility will also handle confer-
20 TennisIndustry
August 2015
ence tournaments and more.
Organizations have already been
expressing interest in bringing events
to Lake Nona, and the sheer number
and types of courts opens up the facility
to a lot of possibilities, including USTA
tournaments and events at all levels, Pro
Circuit events, a possible ITF event, college “spring break” tennis, and more.
“In 2017, I think we’ll have about 40
events there,” Christian says. “Once we
get going, we may have 80 or more. Some
will rotate through, but some might want
to find a permanent home.” The USTA
estimates that more than 100,000 people
will use the facility each year.
The entire Lake Nona community is 11
square miles and originally started as a
residential community (there currently
are about 3,000 occupied homes). But
the focus shifted in the last decade to a
pioneering Lake Nona Medical City, a
carefully planned, 650-acre health and
life sciences park.
“The USTA is a key component for our
sports innovation performance cluster,”
says Taj Adhav, Tavistock’s director of
business development for Sports Innovation & Performance. Adhav and his colleagues expect the new USTA facility to
serve as an anchor for a world-class
sports performance district. Not
only is Tavistock and the USTA hoping to attract other tennis organizations and business to Lake Nona,
they also are interested in bringing
in other performance sports to the
area, too.
The tennis facility will be environmentally friendly, and also will be
on the cutting edge when it comes to
technology. Christian says the USTA
is looking at products that analyze
players’ strokes, call lines and more.
On the grounds, big screens will help
direct people to where they need to
go, and there will be water features
to the site. “We’ve brought the water
inside, not outside, because it softens up the look,” Christian notes.
“You’re going to see something
that’s really never happened before
in this sport,” he says. “It’s going to
be pretty dynamic—people coming
in, enjoying Lake Nona and Orlando.
“We want to be on the forefront of
what needs to happen in the sport,”
Christian adds. “We’re working to
really make it a ‘wow’ experience for
the customer.” •
Facility Management
34 Ways To Grow
Tennis Club Membership
By Rich Neher
W
hen it comes to facility
management, three
issues are at the top
of every tennis club owner’s or
manager’s list: membership growth,
member retention and bottom-line
profitability.
Membership growth is, of course,
one factor to drive your bottom line.
Attracting prospective members is
one of the essential activities every
club owner and manager should be
engaged in on a regular basis.
Here are 34 creative ways to attract
new players and grow your tennis
membership, divided into groups
based on the budget you may have
available.
tablets. But also, Google is putting much
more emphasis on mobile-friendliness
when ranking web pages.
FREE/INEXPENSIVE
5
The cost for these choices is mostly
your time, if you can do these yourself.
Or, consider hiring a student to help
you.
1
Attractive Website: Since your
website should hold all the
pertinent information about your
club, make sure it is constantly
updated with the latest information.
Post press releases and email blast
content so your url can then be posted
and shared on social media. Wix.com
and Weebly.com are examples for free
website builders. Ask your Internet
Service Provider for other choices for
free sites.
2
Focus on Mobile: Make
sure your website
is mobile-friendly, since
many of your prospects
use smartphones and
22 TennisIndustry
August 2015
8
Cross-Promote with Other Non-USTA
Programs: WTT, Pickleball, Padel
Tennis, Ping Pong, Beach Tennis—we
can all coexist and help each other.
3
9
4
10
Be Engaged on Social Media: Use
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
to promote events, post
videos and news, and drive
people to your website. All
these social media sites are
free.
Maintain and Support an Active YouTube
Channel: Make sure videos are
always displayed with the website
domain name, Facebook page name,
etc. visible. YouTube channels are free
to use.
Word of Mouth: Still very important
as a high-quality, effective and free
marketing tool.
6
Email Blasts and E-newsletters: Follow
generally accepted guidelines on
what you can and cannot do. No more
than two email blasts
per month. Remember
that the most important
content has to go in the
first paragraph. Make the
headline interesting so
recipients will open the email. Although
there are exceptions, the industry norm
is that only 20 to 30 percent of your
recipients will open your email blasts.
7
Cross-Promote with USTA Programs: The
parents of JTT or NJTL kids may
be interested in adult memberships,
leagues, clinics, lessons. Your adult
league players with kids may be
interested in junior programs.
Cross-Promote with Vendors:
Allowing vendors like the local
grocery store or local realtors to
advertise on your website can give
you cross-promotion opportunities
on their sites, in their newsletters,
etc.
Cross-Promote with Other
Tennis Vendors: For
example, Babolat has
a huge percentage of
the under-30 racquet
market; teaming up with
them may make sense in
reaching millenials.
11
Cross-Promote During Professional
Tennis Events: Send out e-blasts
and use other tools to promote professional events, in return for a booth
at the event or being featured in the
promotional material.
12
Cross-Promote with Tennis Vendors
in Sporting Goods Stores: Team
up with manufacturers for in-store
promotions at sporting goods stores,
have a booth or table there on a busy
Saturday morning.
13
14
Link to Other Websites: Reciprocal
links drive traffic to your site.
Exchange Banner Ads with Other
Websites: Reciprocal banner
ads drive traffic to your website.
It’s a great way to allow vendors to
advertise and give you cross-promotion
opportunities.
15
Promotions in High Schools, Colleges,
Fitness Clubs, Health Clubs: Future
tennis members, existing tennis players,
latent demand players can be found here.
16
Direct Membership Promotions in Sporting Goods Stores: Offer a membership
discount to all players buying a tennis
racquet, for example.
17
Promote Players and Captains in Local
Media: Give really
BIG shout-outs when
players or captains are
written up in print media
or reported about in local
TV and radio.
23
Small Recruiting Events to CrossPromote Local Businesses: Sponsor
a celebrity speaker in a restaurant,
for instance. It may
cost you the price of
a meal, unless the
restaurant is willing
to discount it or provide for free as part of
their promotion.
24
Short- and Long-Term Contests:
Short-term contests can be
featured on your website and in social
media for winning shout-outs and
small prizes. Use long-term contests
for bigger prizes. The goal is to recruit
new members and market your club
and programs.
18
25
19
26
Have Events and Programs Covered in
Local Media: Send content and story
ideas to the editors. Make it interesting,
add some buzz.
Get Live Radio or TV Coverage of Events:
TV or radio are interested when
the event is newsworthy or when a charity component is attached
to it, especially when that
charity lines up with the
station’s charity goals.
Research your local radio
and TV stations’ charity
involvements and goals when planning a
charity event at your club.
20
Speak at Community Groups, Service
Organizations, Schools: From Rotary
Club to YMCA, lunch speakers are often
needed. It’s a great way to get the word
out about your club or your programs.
SHOESTRING BUDGET
If you have a small budget available, such
as a few hundred dollars…
21
Advertising at Fitness Clubs: If they
don’t do reciprocal promotions,
they may let you advertise your club or
program fairly cheaply to their members.
22
Smaller Open House: Try free clinics
and match play at your club for one
day. All pros need to chip in because they
will be featured, too.
Start Meet-Up Groups: They’re
great feeder and recruiting
events for club memberships. Match
play for groups with all
level players.
Free Beginner
Programs: Start
a Beginner Program,
with buy-in from one
or more pros. Subsidize program costs
as part of the promotion. Possibility
to create a pathway to starting a 2.5
league team. Use the industry-supported Try Tennis Free (trytennisfree.
com) program, and use the free collateral marketing material available to
tennis providers.
SIGNIFICANT ADVERTISING
BUDGET
If you have a few thousand dollars
available…
27
Print Advertising: Select your
print media carefully. Identify
the target and advertise in the media
that your target audience reads. Pro: Local
media may not be too
expensive. Con: Only a
fraction of the targeted
readers may ever see
the ad.
28
Direct Mail: Only useful if recipients have a reason to keep the
material, like a calendar, rule book,
etc. Pro: Can be targeted to area,
income, etc. Con: Expensive.
29
Side of Bus: Costly
but reaches a good
number of people in your
local area.
30
Large Billboards:
Costly but could reach a lot of
people, maybe not all local, though.
31
Ads on Extreme Sports Sites: Can be
costly, but allows you to target
the growing group of millenials.
32
Large Recruiting Events like Super
Sonic Tennis Night: Tennis clubs
can profit from such an event by
showcasing their facility for prospective new members. Their pros have
the same goals. Local restaurants may
be interested in having a big group of
people sample their food. There are
bands that may play for free or for
little money.
33
Charity Events and Fundraisers: Use
charity events for
showcasing your club and/
or programs. Pro: Great
promotional value, free
advertising possibilities.
Con: Heavy staff, volunteer,
financial commitment.
34
Larger Open House: Free clinics
and match play at your club
for one day. All pros need to chip in
because they will be featured, too.
Games, balloons, face painting for
kids. Food, vendors, raffles. •
Rich Neher owns Tennis Media Group
(tennismediagroup.com), a consulting and marketing service for tennis
clubs, tennis organizations, and coaches
worldwide. He is also the founder of the
California Social Tennis Network and
the San Diego Tennis Network. Before
managing the Toluca Lake Tennis and
Fitness Club in Los Angeles as General
Manager, Neher worked for The Active
Network in San Diego as Team Lead for
Adult Leagues and NTRP Ratings on the
USTA Tennislink Team.
August 2015
TennisIndustry 23
Apparel
Fashions That
Are a Smashing
Success
Sea blues, charcoals, pinks and corals form much
of the fall/winter palate as the year end ushers in
sleek, fun designs with high-tech, sustainable fabrics
promising comfort and breathability.
By Cynthia Sherman
Asics
Asics Athlete dress is an “extreme” fitted racer-back with accompanying briefs,
which comes in solid and contrast colors. Worn by Sam Stosur on the WTA Tour,
this sporty dress with an inner shelf bra has a laser-cut mesh back panel, which
aids in ventilation and comfort ($100).
asics.com; 800-333-8404
Bolle
Bolle rocks the court and continues the layered tiered look of fall with
its Lavender Fields fashion line. Sporting graphite, white and lavender,
some core components of this easy-wear, breathable line feature a threequarter sleeve V-neck top ($34) and chevron-printed skort ($64); and
a solid racer-back top that flatteringly crosses over at the front ($62),
paired with a woven layered skort ($68).
bolletennisapparel.com
301-362-0360
24 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Fila
Fila’s Platinum collection will debut on the US Open
courts this year. Fila calls its most recent fabrication
“futuristic armor for the athletic warrior,” as it features Thermacool fabric, which is supposed to work in
concert with the body’s natural thermal capabilities
to promote maximum comfort. The racer-back dress
with built-in bra has a streamlined front that graduates
to a flippy bottom back flounce. It comes in white with
black, and teal blue with black ($90).
fila.com; 800-845-FILA
InPhorm
InPhorm boasts eco-friendly tennis- and activewear in a blend of recycled poly-spandex with
moisture-management properties. The flirty
coral and black halter dress features a built-in
bra, mesh fabric inserts, criss-cross back straps
and a flouncy tiered skirt ($110).
inphormny.com/collections
214-688-4026
Pure Lime
Danish activewear brand Pure Lime leaps into action with some dynamic pieces. Part of the Ace group
features a black and white color-blocked cami top with
a pop of bright lime ($68), paired with a see-through
mesh-paneled side-striped skort with contrasting
bright lime shorties ($68). The luxe micro-poly/spandex blend is soft to the touch.
purelime.com; 516-343-4002
August 2015
TennisIndustry 25
Footwear
Fancy Footwork
Manufacturers are aggressively moving to add to their
share as the shoe market continues to increase.
F
By Kent Oswald
ootwear manufacturers are catching their
breath as we round the calendar’s final turn
beginning with the US Open’s fortnight. The
strong sales of recent years have continued,
with the market adapting to more brands
fighting for space on shelves, technological advances in construction, and greater emphasis on fashion-forward stylings.
Entering 2015, there was a 6.4 percent spike in tennis footwear sales ($174 million in 2014 vs. $163.6 million in 2013),
outpacing the 1.9 percent increase in total sales of licensed
sportswear, according to Sports and Fitness Industry Association figures. While 2015 figures are not yet available,
word-of-mouth suggests reasons for continued optimism,
although not the same year-over-year increase.
There were even hints of a return to the glory days when
the all-white Stan Smith shoe was reintroduced by Adidas
and gussied up with versions featuring color splashes that
engage today’s consumers. That shoe gained recognition as
the “Achievement Award for Shoe of the Year” from Footwear News, the first time the industry publication had so
honored a shoe.
While not all manufacturers introduce new product in
these last few months of the year, each is aggressively pushing to keep and add to its share as the market increases, and
there are many reasons to keep one’s eye on the feet as well
as the ball.
Adidas
This fall will see the three-stripe company continuing to promote the lightweight adizero
Ubersonic (women, $120; men, $125) and a Tennis Magazine Editor’s Choice, the Barricade
2015 Boost (shown, men, $120). The Ubersonic competes in the lightweight category, although
the company also stresses the product’s support and durability. This Barricade features not
just the series’ traditional flexibility, comfort, and stability, but also increased energy return in
the heel through placement of the company’s Boost foam.
adidas.com; 971-234-2300
Asics
The past few years have been very good for growth of the Asics section of the shoe
wall. Upcoming promotion includes print advertising and new in-store free-standing
displays and slat-wall backers for the GEL-Resolution 6 ($140), an extension of the
tennis specialty channel’s top-selling shoe, which in new colorways will be worn at the
US Open by Gael Monfils, Steve Johnson, Samantha Stosur and Coco Vandeweghe.
Because beauty is not just skin deep, resulting from the company efforts to seek out
new materials, the upper is not just more comfortable, but also
allows for a more vibrant print on the underlying mesh.
asicsamerica.com; 800-678-9435
Babolat
For the fall, Babolat continues to promote its lighter Babolat Propulse BPM (shown, $119.95)
and more durable Babolat SFX All Court ($99), both introduced earlier this year and featuring soles developed in conjunction with Michelin. There will be repeated social media efforts
marketing the shoes to those already engaged with the brand, as well as local events, in-store
merchandising and promotional discounts.
babolat.com; 877-316-9435
26 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Diadora
The S.Star K VI (men, $139) and S.Star K III (women, $139) continue as the focus of
Diadora’s marketing efforts until the Italian company launches its 2016 line—with
highlights to include new technology, new styling and wear guarantees on more price
points. The company will hope for more social media successes like a viral pic of Jay-Z
in B-Elite Classics, previously made famous by Bjorn Borg, as it builds brand interest at
the grassroots in the comfort, styling and playability of the shoes with outreach efforts
coordinated through American distributor Dunlop.
diadora.com; 800-768-4727
Fila
Fila expects to be on message through the end of the year in stressing for retailers and
players the integration of its apparel and footwear collections. The Sentinel ($100) will
continue as the base on court for messengers on tour, including Julia Goerges, Jelena
Jankovic and Sam Querrey.
fila.com • 800-845-FILA
Head
Print and digital advertising will be the primary marketing initiatives for the Revolt Pro
Shoes (men, women, $119.95 (MAP), juniors $79.95 (MSRP)) to year’s end. The emphasis
will be on technological benefits, although social media outreach will continue, highlighting players who tag posts with #gameraiser.
head.com; 800-289-7366
K-Swiss
Comfort, style and the brand ambassador Bryan Brothers are slated to remain the hallmarks as promotion of the Hypercourt ($130) continues. Additional marketing muscle
will be added with highlights of the Tennis Magazine Editor’s Choice award
for “best new line.”
kswiss.com; 800-768-4727
New Balance
The US Open and fall events will feature Milos Raonic, Heather Watson and Nicole
Gibbs wearing the 996v2 ($119.99) as testimony to the shoe’s stability, flexibility and
durability. The company, continuing its outgrowth from “just” tennis footwear into the
rest of the market, will work with stores and at events to bring
attention to the complementary kits.
newbalance.com; 800-253-7463
Nike
The Beaverton, Ore., sportswear juggernaut guarantees year-round attention for its
shoes with one-name endorsers like Rafa, Roger and Maria, as well as its ubiquity on the
feet of other, two-name, stars. For the summer and into the fall the company will be supporting sales of the full line with buzz generated by in-store promotions, video outreach,
social media campaigns, and the attention rippling out from a Wimbledon launch event
featuring Serena Williams, who is credited with consulting on the dimpled, lightweight
and sturdy NikeCourt Flare ($165).
nike.com; 800-344-6453
August 2015
TennisIndustry 27
A Brief History
of Stringing
Machines
With the computerized
machines of today, it’s hard to
imagine how stringing was done
in days gone by.
M
By Bob Patterson
y first machine was a Tremont
Research model 145 that I clamped
onto the seat of the bleachers at
the city park tennis courts in my
hometown. Compact and fairly easy to
operate, it certainly got the job done. But it is a far cry from
the computerized models, or even the lock-out machines,
available today.
That was 1975 and my TR 145 was an engineering marvel
compared to the equipment available 30 or 40 years earlier.
Over the years, I have collected stringing machines and tools
from various eras. With a bit of research, I’ve pieced together
an unofficial timeline of the evolution of our industry.
Although the game of tennis had been around since the
1870s, it appears that the earliest patent on record at the
U.S. Patent office for a stringing machine was in 1932, for a
“Racket Stringing
Apparatus” awarded
If you have a collection or information
to W.E. Jaffe of
on antique stringing machines or tools,
Chelsea, England.
we would love to hear from you. Email
By most accounts,
bob@racquettech.com. If you are in the
racquets were strung
Birmingham, Ala., area, you can see our
by hand prior to
collection at the USRSA Test Lab.
this time, a practice
that continued for
some time. The late Warren Bosworth wrote an article that
appeared in World Tennis magazine in April 1979 showing a
step-by-step method of stringing a racquet by hand. Using just
a tension dowel and awls, Bosworth is shown installing the
28 TennisIndustry
August 2015
strings with the racquet in his lap. In the opening paragraph, he
explains, “There are three ways to string a racquet: Completely
by hand (as he demonstrates), with a portable racquet
vise, or with a stringing machine, as professional stringers
do.” Bosworth did explain the benefits of having the frame
supported during the process to protect the integrity of the
racquet and that hand stringing did not offer that protection.
The racquet vise that Bosworth referred to was the earliest “machine” that I can find record of. It was simply a way of
holding the racquet, freeing the stringer to use both hands to
tension and “clamp” the strings. In this case, the clamp was
actually an awl forced into the hole beside the tensioned string
to hold it in place. I am told that stringers would pluck the
tensioned strings for the right pitch to ensure their tension
was equal and accurate before moving on to the next string.
While I cannot imagine stringing a racquet this way, especially
with fragile natural gut, Bosworth sums it up eloquently in the
article: “The process of stringing a racquet by hand is simple.
Done at its best, it is an art.”
Designed for Tennis
The 1936 catalogs of two prominent sporting goods dealers in
Chicago, H.E. Wills Co. and W.A. Bickel, both have two-page ads
for The Wonder Vise. According to the ads,
the Wonder Vise “was designed and manufactured solely for the purpose of stringing
rackets, [and] is not a composite of tools
better adapted to other kinds of work.” That
description conjures up all sorts of visions of
inventive minds trying to adapt various tools
in the workshop to hold their racquet while
they tug away at the strings! The Wonder
Vise held the racquet securely but didn’t
really add any support to the head during the
process.
Those same catalogs also show what I
consider to be the first true stringing machine: The Wonder
Tension-Tightener. Rather than pulling by hand with a dowel,
this apparatus basically ratcheted the string tension similar to
a wrench. The catalogs state, “Results with its use are mechanically accurate, uniform and beyond comparison with the
hand method.” As an added bonus, “Actual labor is also greatly
reduced, permitting a larger output of finished work.” Who
wouldn’t want that?
I have an advertisement for a similar device called the
Tomgut Tension-Master, from about the same time frame,
although I’ve never seen the actual machine.
Another machine in my collection, The Sterns Stringer,
incorporates a similar tensioning device built onto the vise.
The Roy Sterns Co. in Cincinnati manufactured it, but I have
found no other information about it. It also allows the racquet
vise to rotate 360 degrees, which is something almost all
machines now incorporate.
Bigger and Better
Through the years the devices seemed to get bigger, if not
better. When I was growing up, I remember the upright
Serrano machine in the pro shop at a local park. The Serrano
was patented in 1941 and was a familiar fixture in many shops
through the glory days of the tennis boom in the 1970s. The
drop-weight machine’s tensioner was activated with a foot
pedal. The one I remember remained in use through at least
the late 1990s, and may still be going strong somewhere today.
Another beast of a machine from the 1940s was the PneuDraulic from the Super Hydraulic Stringer Co. of St. Louis. The
International Tennis Hall of Fame has a one in its collection.
The machine used a hand-pumped air cylinder that applied
the set tension, which was activated with a foot pedal. The
tensioner was a rotational one called the “Snubber-Disc.”
A 1949 “Deluxe” upgrade added an automatic setting “so that
you can select any desired stringing tension with finger-tip
control without the use of a pump,” according to a company
brochure. The other added features touted in the brochure
were a “tray for necessary handy tools, and a swivel-head fixed
anchor stop for tying and finishing string ends,”—better know
in modern machines as a turntable brake.
Electronic Revolution
As racquets began the transition from wood to metal and
composites, it seems that stringing machines began to transition to electronics, although at a much slower pace. The earliest
electronic machine in our collection is a KAPO Accustring,
probably introduced in the 1960s or ’70s, but
I have not been able to find other information on it. I did run into a stringer who
remembered stringing on one in the 1970s
at his local shop. He said the rotational
tensioner surface had to be replaced often,
which may explain the box of replacements
that accompanied my eBay purchase!
The first electronic machine I used was
a Babolat Star 2, introduced in the 1980s.
When I opened my shop in 1991, the Star 3
had just come out, and I had to have one. It
served me well for many years and I know of
several that are still in use today.
While the electronic machines seem to dominate the
professional market today, manual lock-out machines have also
continued to improve, with enhanced mounting systems and
clamps. Many of today’s models include features that couldn’t
have been imagined in 1930, but for the most part today’s
machines have the same requirements as those earliest models:
1) Hold the racquet securely. 2) Apply accurate tension. 3)
Make sure the tensioned string is held securely. When you get
right down to it, all the rest is convenience and added benefits.
Racquet technicians get asked all the time, “What is the best
machine?” The answer is simple, and it’s the same as it is for
racquets or string (which are the
other two questions we field with regularity). It really depends
on what you need. Your volume, your budget and other factors
will dictate what features will suit you best.
In this issue we provide a lot of information about the
professional models available. It is up to the buyer to decide
the best fit. While we have come a long way since having to pull
string manually with a dowel, stringing is still a labor-intensive
process. Having the right machine that fits your particular
needs will go a long way toward making the job easy and
profitable. •
August 2015
TennisIndustry 29
Alpha • 800-922-9024 • info@alphatennis.com
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Stringing Machines on the Market
Pioneer DC Plus
$489 5 xx
xxxxxx
Revo 4000
$679 5 xx
xxxxx
x
xxx
xx
Axis Pro
xx
$799 5 xx
xx
x x
xx
x
xxx
xx
Apex Speed
$1,099 5 xx
xx
x x
xx
x
xxxx
Ghost
$2,495 2 xx
xx
xx x
xx
x
xxxxxx
Babolat • 877-316-9435 • www.babolat.com
Sensor
$5,795 5 xx
xx
x
xx
x
xxxxxx
Sensor Expert
$8,500 5 xx
xx
x
xx
x
xxx
xxxx
xx
Star 5
$3,695 3 or 5xx
xx
x x
xx
x
xxxxxx
Gamma • 800-333-0337 • www.gammasports.com
X-2
$179 Life xxxx
$119 xxx
xx
xx x
Progression 200
$174 Life xxxxxx
xx
xx x
Progression 602
$369 5 xxxx
$119 xxx xx
xx x
X-6
$379 5 xxxx
$119 xxx xx
xx x
Progression 602 FC
$499 5 xxxx
$119 xxx xx
xx x
X-6 FC
$509 5 xxxx
$119 xxx xx
xx x
Progression ST II
$749 5 xxxx
$119 xxx xxxxx x
X-ST
$759 5 xxxx
$119 xxx xxxxx x
Progression Els
$1,169 5
x xxx$119 x x x xxxxxx xx
X-Els
$1,179 5
x xxx$119 x x x xxxxxx xx
5003 w/6pt QM System
5003 w/6pt QM SC System
$979 5 xx
xx
x x
xx
x
xx
xx
$1,079 5 xx
xx
x x
xx
x
xx
xx
5003 w/2pt SC System
$1,179 5 xxxx
x x
xxxxxx x
6004 w/6pt SM SC System
$1,349 5 xx
xx
x x
xx
x
xxx
xx
6004 w/2pt SC System
$1,349 5 xx
xx
x x
xxx
xxx
xx
6900 Els w/6pt SM SC System
$1,949 5 xxxx
x xx x
x xxxxxxxx
6900 Els w/2pt SC System
$1,949 5 xxxx
x xx x
xxxxxxxxx
7900 Els w/6pt QM System
$2,299 5
x xx xx xxxxxxx xx x
x xxx
7900 Els w/6pt QM SC System
$2,399 5
x xxx
$2,499 5
x xxx
$3,399 5
x xxx
$3,399 5
x xxx
$3,899 5
x xxx
$3,899 5
x xxx
Klipper USA • 800-522-5547 • www.klipperusa.com
Klippermate
$159 Life xxxx
$115 x x
x
xx
x x
Klippermate Bad’ton
$179 Lifex
$115 x x
x
xx
x x
280-CS
$245 10 xx
xx
$115 x x
x
xx
xx
440-CS
$445 10 xx
xx
$115 x x
x
xx
xx
PACIFIC North America LLC, Bradenton • 941-795-1789 • www.pacific.com (or) usainfo@pacific.com
Digital DX8
$9,995 2 xx
xxx x
xx
x
xxx
xxxxx
Digital 700
$7,995 2
Tronic DX6
$6,495 2 xx
xxx xx
x
xxxx
x xxx x x xxxxx xx x x
Prince • 800-283-6647 • www.princetennis.com
Neos 1000
$1,099 3 xx
xx
x x
xxxxx
xx
Neos 1500
$1,299 3 xx
xx
x x
xxx
xxx
xx
3
xx x xxxxxx xx x
Prince 7000
TBA
x xxx
Stringway • 800-922-9024 • www.alphatennis.com
M100 - O92 - TH
$767 10 xxxx xxxxx
x x
M100 - O92 - T98
$962 10 xxxx xxxxx
x x
M100 - O92 - T92
$1,058 10 xxxx xxxxx
x x
$846 10 xxxx xxxxxx
x x
ML100con - O92 - TH
ML100con - O92 - T98
$1,041 10 xxxx xxxxxx
x x
ML100con-O92 - T92
$1,137 10 xxxx xxxxxx
x x
ML120con - O92 - T98
$1,179 10 xxxx
xxxx
x x
ML120con - O92 - T92
$1,299 10 xx
xx
xxx
x
xx
MS 200con T98
$1,394 10 xx
xx
x xxx
xx
MS 200con T92
$1,518 10 xx
xx
x xxx
xx
1 - Magnetic auto clamp base release
4 - Accessory Drawer; Available as either 4 point or 6 Point Mounting System
2 - Flying clamp starting pins
5 -Motorized Height Adjustment
3 - Single swivel fixed clamp, Flying clamp starting pins
30 TennisIndustry
August 2015
gC
lam
Dia
p
gon
al C
utt
Ne
ers
edl
eN
ose
Aw
Plie
l
rs
Fly
ing
Cla
mp
Ass
em
bly
Ins
Ow
tru
ner
ctio
sM
ns/
anu
Gu
Vid
al/
idin
eo
Vid
gA
eo
w
Ben
l
tN
ose
Plie
Ass
em
rs
bly
Too
ls
No
tes
Too
ls In
clu
Sta
ded
rtin
Dia
blo
/N
o
Rot
atio secon
e
nal
Foo
t Pe Tensio
dal
ner
Pou
Ten
nd
sio
nA
Ma s & Ki
ctiv
lo
nua
ato
l Ca s Tens
r
Sel
libr
ion
f-C
a
tio
alib
n
Ad
rat
Dia
j
i
u
n
mo
sta
g
ble
nd
Coa
Kn
ob/
t Te
nsi
Dia
on
Plu
l
He
s/M Tensi
ad
on
ins
Gri
Set
Ful
Tou
p
tin
l Ke
ch
Pad g
ypa
dT
Ten
LED
e
s
n
ion
/LC
sio
nS
Set
DT
Mu
ett
ens
ing
ltili
ngu ion D
i
Kn
s
al T
ot T
ouc play
e
hS
Rem nsion
cre
ing
en
ova
Dis
ble
pla
E
y
Cla
lec
t
mp
ric
T
ing
ens
Fly
i
one
ing
r
Cla
Un
Fix
mp
it
ed
Cla s
mp
Du
so
al S
nG
wiv
lide
el D
Du
Bar
al S
oub
s
wiv
le A
el S
360
ctio
i
n
De
nF
gle
gre
A
ctio ixed
Dia
eC
mo
lam
nF
ixe
nd
ps
d
Du
Au
o
nG
tom
st C
lide
lam
ate
Bar
No
dB
p
s
s
Too
ase
l Ne
Rel
ede
e
Ext
d to ase C
ra F
l
a
A
m
eat
Too
ure djust C ps
l Tr
s
lam
ay
ps
Cov
er I
ncl
ude
Cov
d
er A
vai
lab
Str
ing
le
Me
asu
Bu
rer
iltin R
ule
Ree
r
l Ra
ck
Rac
que
Cab t Sta
nd
ine
tW
ith
We
Dra
igh
we
t
rs
Un
der
50
50lbs
75
lbs
Ov
er 7
5 lb
s
x
xx
x
xxxxxxx
x
xxx
xx
x
xxxxxxx
x
xxx
xx
x
$15 xxxxxxx
xxx
x
xx
x
xxxxxxx
xx
xxx
xx
x
xx
x
xx xx
xx
x
xx
x
xx xx
xx
xx
xx
xx xx
xx
xx
x
xxxxxxxx
x
xxxxxx
x
xxxxxxxxx 1
x
xxxxxx
xxx
xx
x$29 x xx xxxx
xxx
xx
x$29 x xx xxxx
xxx
xx
x$29 x xx xxxx
xxx
xx
x$29 x xx xxxx
xxxxxx
x$29 x xx xxxx
xxxxxx
x$29 x xx xxxx
xxxxxxxx
x$29 xxxx xxxxx
xxxxxxxx
x$29 xxxx xxxxx
x
$35 xx x x xxx xx x
x$29 x x x x x x xxx
x$29 x x x x x x xxx
x
$35 xx x x xxx xx x
xx
xx
xx
xx
x
$29 xxxxxxxxx
xx
xx
xx
xx
x
$29 xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
x$29 xxx x xx xxx
xx
xx
xx
xx
x
x
x
xxxxxxxxx
xx
xx
xx
xx
x
x
x
xxxxxxxxx
xxxxx xx xx
xxxx
xxxx x
xxx x xx xxx
xxxxx xx xx
xxxx
xxxx x
xxx x xx xxx
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx 5
xxxx x xxx xxx
xx x x x
xx x x x x xxx 5
xx
xxx
x xxxxx 2
xx
xxx
x xxxxx 2
xx
xx
x
xxx
xxx 2
xxx
x
x
xxxxx 3
xx
xxx
xxxx
x
xxx
$895 xxxx
xxxx x xx xxxx
x$45 xxx
$395 x x x x
xx
xxx
xxxx
x
xx
$795 xxxx
x
xxxx
x
xxxx
x
xxxx
x
x
xxxxxx
x xx x x xxx xxx
x
xx x
xx x x x x x 4
xx
x
xxx
x
xxx
x
x
x
xx
xxx
x xx
xxx
x xx
xxx
xx
xxx
x
x
xx
xxxx
x
xxx
xx
xxxx
x
xxx
August 2015
TennisIndustry 31
PriceWarranty
(MSRP)(years)
He
igh
Model
t
Sta
nd
Inc
lud
Sta
ed
nd
Ava
ilab
Tab
le
le T
op
Sta
Tab
nda
le T
rd
op
Op
Lev
tio
elin
n
gP
ads
Lev
on
elin
Tab
gP
le T
He
ads
op
igh
on
t Ad
Sta
jus
n
d
Mo
tab
unt
le
in
2P
oin g
tM
oun
4P
tin
oin
g
tM
oun
5P
tin
oin
g
tM
oun
6P
tin
oin
g
tM
oun
Tur
tin
nta
g
b
le L
360
Rot ock
atio
Tur
n
n Ta
ble
Spe
Ten
ed
sio
Con
Dro ning
tro
pW
l
eig
Ful
h
t
l Du
t
Rac ch-Dr
op
het
Sys
tem
Ha
nd
-Dr
Cra
op
nk
2S
ide
dC
ran
Ele
k
ctr
ic
Bee
ps
On
/O
Mu
ff
ltip
le S
pee
Con
d-P
sta
ull
Loc nt-Pu
ll
kou
t
Pre
str
etc
h
Lin
ear
Pul
l
Sel
f El
eva
tin
Au
gL
tom
ine
ar P
ate
dT
ull
ens
ion
Rel
eas
e
Ten
nis
Rac
que
tba
ll
Squ
ash
Bad
min
ton
Stringing Machines on the Market
Tecnifibre • 888-301-7878 • www.tecnifibreusa.com
TF-6000
$6,500 2 xx
xx
xx
xx
x
xxxxx
Ergo Pro (Pro Select)
$7,500 3 xx
xx
xx
xx
x
xxxxxx
$10,000 3 xx
xx
xx
xx
x
xxxxxx
Ergo Touch TOURNA • 800-554-3707 • www.uniquesports.us
600-ES
$1,695 2 year XXXX
300-CS
$795 2 yearXX
X
X
X X XX XX XXXXXXXX
XX
XXXX
X
Wilson • 800-272-6060 • www.wilson.com
Baiardo
$6,000 3 or 5xx
xx
x x
xx
x
x
xxx
xxxx
Wise USA • 888-836-7466 • www.tennishead.com
2086 Professional Electronic Tension Head$595 2 xx
xxxx
xx
x
xx
Yonex • 800-449-6639 • www.yonexusa.com
ES5 Pro Tech
$6,999 3 xx
xx
xxx
xx
x
x
xxxxxx
5 - Electric Stand $850, Customizable Machine Color $500,
7 - Multilingual touchscreen display, Dual roller ergonomic clamps, Automated motorized height adjustment, Adjustable turntable tilt,
Customizable Stand Color $150. Note 2: Pro Becomes Pro Select if one
Motorized height adjustment for mounting/mains/crosses, Customizable with memory for up to six stringers, Angled stand for more leg
or more of the following upgrades are added (Dual Swivel Single Action
room, Manager's security settings, Self guiding puller head, Logs string pulls by user, tension jaw plate limiting screw, Visual tension
Fixed Clamps $500, String Measurer $300, Multilingual Touchscreen
notification, Cross tension +/- by percentage, Ability to recalibrate to factory settings, Mobile phone well,Pop out plug for quick clamp
Display $650, Electric Turntable Lock $500)30 - Smart Fast Battery
base removal, modular construction, 3-D Turntable Rotation, now ships with tool tray extenders to increase storage capacity 2.5 times,
Upgrade $45
racquetball billiard adapters available upon request NOTE: Machines purchased after 06/01/2014 will have upgraded puller head and
6 - Electric Turntable Lock - Upgrades Available (Electric Stand $850,
clamp base levers with increased durability.
Customizable Machine Color $500, Customizable Stand Color $150)
32 TennisIndustry
August 2015
xxx
xx
$650 xx
$500 xx
xxx
xxxxx
X
XXXX
XXXXXX X XXX X X
xx
xxx x
x
x
xx
x
xx
xxxx xx
xxx
x
xxxxx
x
x
$300 xxxx 5
xxx
xx
x
xx
xx
x
xxxxxx 6
XX
XXXXXXX
X XX X X X XX X X
x
xx
x
$44.95 xxx x
x
xxxxxxxx 7
xx 8
x
xxxx 9
8 - Adapter available for drop weight machines ($35), Adapter available for Gamma machines ($35)
9 - Peripheral Acccessory Platform, Lighting, Mobility System with Wheel Lock, 3-D Turntable Rotation
August 2015
TennisIndustry 33
No
tes
gC
lam
Dia
p
gon
al C
utt
Ne
ers
edl
eN
ose
Aw
Plie
l
rs
Fly
ing
Cla
mp
Ass
em
bly
Ins
Ow
tru
ner
ctio
sM
ns/
anu
Gu
Vid
al/
idin
eo
Vid
gA
eo
w
Ben
l
tN
ose
Plie
Ass
em
rs
bly
Too
ls
Too
ls In
clu
Sta
ded
rtin
Dia
blo
/N
o
Rot
atio secon
e
nal
Foo
t Pe Tensio
dal
ner
Pou
Ten
nd
sio
nA
Ma s & Ki
ctiv
lo
nua
ato
l Ca s Tens
r
Sel
libr
ion
f-C
a
tio
alib
n
Ad
rat
Dia
j
i
u
n
mo
sta
g
ble
nd
Coa
Kn
ob/
t Te
nsi
Dia
on
Plu
l
He
s/M Tensi
ad
on
ins
Gri
Set
Ful
Tou
p
tin
l Ke
ch
Pad g
ypa
dT
Ten
LED
e
s
n
ion
/LC
sio
nS
Set
DT
Mu
ett
ens
ing
ltili
ngu ion D
i
Kn
s
al T
ot T
ouc play
e
hS
Rem nsion
cre
ing
en
ova
Dis
ble
pla
E
y
Cla
lec
t
mp
ric
T
ing
ens
Fly
i
one
ing
r
Cla
Un
Fix
mp
it
ed
Cla s
mp
Du
so
al S
nG
wiv
lide
el D
Du
Bar
al S
oub
s
wiv
le A
el S
360
ctio
i
n
De
nF
gle
gre
A
ctio ixed
Dia
eC
mo
lam
nF
ixe
nd
ps
d
Du
Au
o
nG
tom
st C
lide
lam
ate
Bar
No
dB
p
s
s
Too
ase
l Ne
Rel
ede
e
Ext
d to ase C
ra F
l
a
A
m
eat
Too
ure djust C ps
l Tr
s
lam
ay
ps
Cov
er I
ncl
ude
Cov
d
er A
vai
lab
Str
ing
le
Me
asu
Bu
rer
iltin R
ule
Ree
r
l Ra
ck
Rac
que
Cab t Sta
nd
ine
tW
ith
We
Dra
igh
we
t
rs
Un
der
50
50lbs
75
lbs
Ov
er 7
5 lb
s
Stringing Machines
Stand and Deliver
When it comes
to efficiency and
productivity, don’t
forget the importance
of your stringing
machine’s ergonomics
and comfort.
By Bob Patterson
T
he definition of “ergonomics” is: “The study
of the relationship between workers and
their environment, especially the equipment
they use.” It’s not something most of us think
about on a frequent basis, but it is a part
of our daily lives.
Ergonomics touches everything we do. It is vital in
automotive design, not only for driver comfort but also for
safety. Having controls at easy reach of the driver and placed
where their eyes never have to leave the road is crucial for
safety and comfort. And we’ve all seen illustrations about
how our computer monitors are supposed to be at eye level,
our keyboard at optimum position and our backs straight to
relieve stress and fatigue—points driven home after using
your laptop in the easy chair and ending up with a stiff neck.
We also hear of ergonomics in the workplace with jobs that
require repetitive motions or prolonged time in one position.
So, what about the ergonomics of your stringing machine
workstation? Ever given any thought as to why the tension
button is placed there, or the tool tray there? Why is the
clamp lever shaped like that? Well, the people designing the
machine thought about it.
In speaking with several companies, it seems that
ergonomics play a vital role in how stringing machines
operate. “We view ergonomics for a stringing machine being
the next most important aspect just after quality of design and
workmanship,” says Tom Parry of Pacific. “You need to have a
quality, well-built machine to start with, then a machine that
is designed to be as user-friendly as possible.”
34 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Ron Carr, Gamma’s v.p. of research and development,
says, “In general, ergonomics factors do influence the design
of every major component of the machine in some way.
They can be related to any number of physical or cognitive
ergonomic factors such as physical movements, ease of use,
functionality or intuitive use.”
Parry breaks down the ergonomics into two major categories: physical and visual. Both are important to the technician
not only for comfort, but also for long-term health.
PHYSICAL ERGONOMICS
When you say the words “stringing machine” and
“ergonomics,” most stringers first think of machine height.
If you share a machine with others, adjusting the machine to
suit the varying heights of the technicians is paramount to
comfort. Of course, there is much more to your comfort than
simply the machine height but that is a great place to start.
Working Height
Most technicians agree that the most comfortable working
position is having the frame at elbow level. With the frame
mounted in the machine and the technician standing upright,
the frame should allow the technician to place his or her
hands on the string bed with the elbows bent at 45 degrees.
In a quick, unscientific survey, this was the position of
choice by most technicians we talked to, although some
preferred a slight adjustment of an inch or two up or down.
Ron Rocchi of Wilson says that in the development of the
Baiardo stringing machine, they found the best working
height was different for main- and crossstring installation. “We found that installing
main strings consisted of long, fast pulls,
while cross-string installation required
more detail-type work.” For this reason,
when using the Baiardo in the automatic
mode, the machine raises slightly for cross
installation. The turntable also tilts, exposing
the grommets to more light, making the holes
easier to see and placing the work closer for
the detail of weaving crosses.
Another consideration in this aspect is how
the height adjustment is accomplished. Some
machines are raised and lowered manually,
while others have an onboard motor to
elevate and lower the machine with the push
of a button. On manual operations, you should
consider the overall weight of the machine
since heavier machines may require two people to lift it while
another loosens and tightens the holding mechanism.
Ultimately, you want a work height that allows for a
comfortable stance and doesn’t put undue strain on the
technician.
Working Reach
What reach requirements are needed in the operation of
the machine? Can the tension be activated easily? On a
manual machine this is fairly obvious, but it can also be key
in electronic machines as well. Where are the tool trays? Are
they easy to reach and designed to make grabbing your tools
easy?
Mark Gonzalez of Alpha says that when they were
designing their latest machine, the Ghost, stringing tool
access was high on the priority list. “We have two tool trays
that are imbedded in the mounting table and two more on
the tension head module.” This gives the technician plenty
of room for tools and options for where to store them within
easy reach.
Many electronic machines have the option of tension head
activation via a foot pedal. This certainly alleviates the need
to reach for the button. Grant Morgan, an MRT in Memphis,
finds that activating the tension head with the button is easy
since most are located adjacent to the pulling clamp, but he
uses the foot pedal to release, making the overall operation
more efficient and increasing his work speed.
The new Gamma 9900Els model features the “Auto-Start
Gripper.” According to Carr, “The tensioner switch is built
into the gripper and is activated when the string is inserted
between the gripper jaws and pulled against them. This
eliminates the extra hand motion needed to press or touch a
separate switch.”
Frame Mounting
This seems like a straightforward task,
but ergonomics play a key role in how
easily the frame can be mounted securely.
How many movements does it take? How
much force must be applied? Obviously,
the easier and quicker the mounting
system, the less strain and stress on the
technician.
Clamp Operation and
Adjustment
A lot of ergonomic design goes into
clamps, from the curvature of the
handles to the amount of force
required to operate them. Again, pretty
straightforward, but the simpler this task
is, the better it will be for the technician,
especially since this is the most repetitive motion in the
stringing process.
Carr says a lot of ergonomic design goes into the Gamma
clamp, not only in the shape, but also the function. “Rollers
and bearings are incorporated at each pivot point to reduce
the amount of effort needed to close and open the clamp and
provide a positive indication when the cam linkage travels
over center and clamps the string.”
Also, the adjustment of the clamps should be considered.
Again it boils down to ease. Is it simply a turn of a knob or
does it require tools and more effort?
Tension Setting
These days this is usually simply turning a dial or pushing
buttons, but there still are considerations. Where is the
control panel located? Is it easy to reach and see? Is it a
simple task or does it require multiple screens and button
pushes to make a simple adjustment?
Table Lock
Most professional tables have this feature, but how easy is
August 2015
TennisIndustry 35
Stringing Machines
it to operate and to reach? Like the
frame mounting, you need to consider
location and amount of strength
required to activate and release it.
VISUAL ERGONOMICS
As we age, the eyes dim a bit, so
the light in your workspace is an
important factor. But the design
of the machine itself also must be
considered.
The Turntable
During the stringing process, the
turntable is a consistent point of focus.
Parry says Pacific adheres to a “keep
it simple” principle. “If there are too
many distracting colors, or too shiny of
a surface, or even too dark of a surface,
it is not as easy to see the ‘weave’ and
can quickly add to eye strain.”
Dial or Input Screen
It’s imperative that the numbers be
easy to read. On a manual machine,
you shouldn’t have to get out the
magnifying glass because the numbers
are so tiny or the contrast between the
background and the dial make it hard
to see.
The same is true for electronic
machines. The screen should be bright
and easy to read. Setting tension or
other settings should be simple and
straightforward. Placement of the
screen is also important. Technicians
will often look at the screen during
the stringing process, even if no more
input is required. So the screen needs
to be easily seen and readable from the
operating position.
When you are shopping for a new
machine, along with all the bells and
whistles on your wish list, consider the
ergonomics. Doing so will ensure that
your new machine will serve you well,
and you’ll enjoy working with it for
many years. •
36 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Tips and Techniques
Readers' Know-How in Action
line things up for a straighter pull.
5 sets of Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 17 to:
Alan Yoshida, Silverlake, Calif.
Overnight relaxation
When I receive
racquets that I won’t
string until the next
day, I uncoil the string
the night before to let
it relax. I keep the racquet and the string together by putting the
coil over the handle of
the racquet, where it
can uncoil as much as
it wants without getting out of control.
5 sets of Babolat Origin 17 to:
James Sly, Carpinteria, Calif.
Off-center mounting
My stringing machine has fixed towers, but two sets of billiards: One for
tennis racquets and one for badminton
(and other small-head racquets). The
extended length of the badminton billiards allows me to maximize your tip
on mounting Prince O-port racquets,
38 TennisIndustry
August 2015
Cleaning
as outlined in “Special O-port
Mounting,” (September 2010).
To do this, I use the badminton billiard only at the tip of the
racquet, which moves the center of
the string bed toward the handle,
reducing the torque effect in the upper half of the racquet when installing the crosses.
Not only does this ease the demands on the turntable brake, but it
also reduces the angle of the string
between the racquet frame and the
tension head, making it easier to
The old standby of a toothbrush
and bottle of rubbing (isopropyl)
alcohol works well, but with the easy
availability of ultrasonic cleaners
($37-$90), you can more thoroughly
clean your clamps, tools, starting
clamps, and ball-bearing jaws with
less effort.
Ultrasonic cleaners create millions
of bubbles that expand and collapse
at 46,000 times a second (the “ultrasonic” frequency of the cleaner). This
bubbling action creates a mechanical
scrubbing action that exceeds what
you can manually achieve with just a
toothbrush. Ultrasonic cleaners are
widely available from online sources
and brick-and-mortar stores.
I tried both water with ultrasonic
cleaner additive ($6-$15), and plain
alcohol with equally good results.
My cleaner did not come with a
timer. I suggest you get one with a
3-minute countdown timer so you
don't sit around with a stopwatch
waiting for the cleaner. I prefer the alcohol to minimize rusting of sensitive
parts. (Note: Alcohol is a mild solvent
so any lubricated surfaces will need to
be re-lubed after cleaning.)
5 sets of Luxilon Savage White 127 to:
Albert Lee, MRT, Potomac, Md.
Avoid frame damage
For very short angle grommets, it is
a good idea to install hard tubing in
advance. This will prevent the grommet from popping out further, which
would allow the string to cut into the
frame while pulling tension.
Do not forget that you still need to
press the grommet and/or bumper
guard against the frame from the
outside while pulling tension.
5 sets of Head Sonic Pro Edge 16 to:
Sam Chan, MRT
Berwick, Victoria, Australia
—Greg Raven •
Tips and Techniques submitted since
1992 by USRSA members and appearing in this column have all been
gathered into a searchable database
on www.racquettech.com, the official
member only website of the USRSA.
Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA,
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 or
email greg @racquettech.com.
August 2015
TennisIndustry 39
Your Serve
The U30s Are Coming!
A young professional urges her peers to get involved in
initiatives to bring younger people into the industry.
By Kalindi Dinoffer
"W
e’re having a luncheon
for some younger people
in the tennis industry,”
Charlotte Wylie, the executive director
at USPTA Texas, casually mentioned
to me as we chatted at the Southwest
Tennis Buying Show last fall. “Care to
join us?”
“Sure,” I replied. Having recently
graduated from college, lunch seemed
like a good opportunity to meet other
young professionals in the tennis industry. I had no idea I was about to become
a founding member of USPTA Texas
“U30” team.
An hour later, I found myself volunteering to head up the marketing
and events committee of the newly
launched USPTA Texas U30 team. As
I learned, U30s are a team of tennis
professionals under 30 years old working to create a network of learning and
sharing educational and leadership
opportunities for other young professionals. The U30 initiative was started
to combat the aging demographic of
teaching professionals and help spur
innovation and engagement from
younger generations.
Now, at any convention, I am part of a
group—a connectivity that we millennials crave. Plus, it’s a much-needed
opportunity to help attract talented
younger people to this industry.
In college, I played on the SMU Tennis on Campus team, and most of my
teammates, like me, were in the business school. All of us were passionate
about tennis, yet not one of my college
classmates expressed any interest in
working in the tennis industry after
graduation. It wasn’t because they
40 TennisIndustry
August 2015
didn’t love tennis, but because the
tennis industry, in their eyes, seemed
to lack the resources, networking and
job opportunities of a career in finance
or accounting, particularly if they were
drawn to the business side rather than
the teaching professional side.
The result of this is that, as we all
know, our industry is aging. Today,
the average age of a USPTA teaching
professional is 48 and trending in the
wrong direction; in 2003 the average
age was 44 and in 2008 it was 45. So
what to do?
Well, that’s where the U30 initiative comes into play. Started in 2012 in
Florida by Jason Gilbert, there are now
11 USPTA divisions with U30 teams.
The short-term goal is for all 17 USPTA
divisions to have U30 teams by 2019.
The long-term objective, as I learned
through my chat with Jason, is to have
U30 not be “USPTA” U30 but simply
something without labels that encompasses all of the tennis industry.
I have already had the privilege to
catch glimpses of that objective. For
instance, this past April I attended the
Cardio Tennis Global Trainer Summit, a perfect example of the informal
networking and mentoring that can
take place in a millennial group. The
moment I arrived, I was greeted by a
young, energetic group of individuals
who immediately made me feel welcome—it was almost like Tennis on
Campus all over again! And even though
there were formal mentorships established, informal ones came up as well.
On the first day some of us newbies
were nervous about one of the demonstrations we were to give, when a more
experienced millennial trainer offered
to show us the ropes.
Did I gain awesome connections and
networking from the Cardio Tennis
Summit? You bet. Did I gain friends
and feel part of a group that happened
to be contributing to a common goal?
Absolutely. And the latter—at its core—
is what U30 is all about.
As a young adult, it can be tough to
find that sense of belonging and community, especially when you may have
moved for a job or a lot of your friends
have moved away. It is only natural
that one of the first places you explore
is related to your job in your industry.
Tennis has finally stepped up to the
plate with the U30 Initiative.
At many conventions and events,
I am still more often than not the
youngest person in the room. But
now I’m part of a team of peers,
mentors and friends—all working to
bring younger professionals into this
industry. If you’re a young professional
in tennis, get involved in these initiatives—it’s important for the future of
this sport.
And, in the words of a 22-year-old,
it’s awesome!•
Kalindi Dinoffer graduated
with honors from Southern
Methodist University’s Cox
School of Business and
currently is the marketing
coordinator for Oncourt
Offcourt in Dallas. She is a member of the
USPTA and PTR and is also a Cardio Tennis
Trainer.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to TI@racquetTECH.com.

Lake Nona Takes Shape! - Professional Tennis Registry

Transcription

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