Racquet Sports Industry

May 2013
Volume 41 Number 5 $5.00

www.racquetsportsindustry.com
Retail Appeal!
How to make your store stand out
Trends in High-Tech Fabrics
Build a Bridge Between
Tennis & Fitness
Sell More Shoes
Retail Appeal!
How to Make Your Store Stand Out
Trends in High-Tech Fabrics
Build a Bridge Between
Tennis & Fitness
Sell More Shoes
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DEPARTMENTS
R S I M A Y 2 0 1 3
INDUSTRY NEWS
7 Marketplace Fairness Act
passes U.S. Senate
7 USTA celebrates 10,000
youth-sized courts
7 Is a roof over Ashe
Stadium a possibility?
8 Mike Ballardie is
new CEO at Prince
8 PTR Symposium set
for HHI in May
8 TIA honors Muir on
Avenue of Aces
9 USTA announces
changes for US Open
10 IART adds two
racquet sponsors
11 Racquet Art introduces
cleansing grip spray
13 USPTA nominating group
proposes new board
13 3 recognized with
Hall of Fame awards
14 ASBA Tech Meeting
set for San Antonio
16 Hall of Fame announces
2013 inductees
4 Our Serve
5 Letters
7 Industry News
18 TIA News
20 Retailing Tip
40 Tips and Techniques
42 String Playtest: Gamma Moto 16
36 Your Serve, by Denny Schackter
2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com
Cover photo by David Kenas
FEATURES
22 Retail Appeal
In a multi-channel retail world, how do
you stand out from the rest of the
crowd? Three tennis retailers serve up
strategies.
27 Trends in High-Tech Fabrics
The latest material innovations take
performance to a whole new level.
30 Bridge Between Tennis
and Fitness
Embracing the fitness world, and work-
ing it into your tennis offerings, will
grow your business.
32 Polish Up Your Shoe Sales
Provide customers with the models,
prices, and especially service, and
theyll beat a path to your door.
37 Five Alive!
The five outdoor facility winners are
excellent examples of hard-court
construction.
Contents
Contents
I
m part of the baby-boom generation, growing up in the 1960s and 70s,
when kids were always running around, playing sports, being active, stay-
ing healthy. With nearby school fields and courts, my friends, family and I
played baseball, football, soccer, basketball and tennis. I know that being active
as a youngster has helped me stay healthy throughout my life. Now, tennis is
pretty much the only sport I play with any regularity. Youve all heard it before:
Tennis is the sport for a lifetime. It adds years to your life, and life to your
years. You canand many people doplay it from nearly cradle to grave.
But this is what perplexes me. All of us know tennis health benefits. We know
its good for body and mind. We know being active will help reduce all sorts of
medical ailments, prevent other problems and help you lose weight. We know
tennis is something you can do for the rest of your life and will help you live
longer and healthier.
Then why arent we getting that plain, simple message out to everybody?
Why, after all these years, do we not have a cohesive message to the general pub-
lic about how healthy tennis is for you? Why, when so many people of all ages
desperately wantand needto lose weight and get active, arent we collectively
pushing tennis to them as their cure?
Yes, there are a lot of individual efforts out there that link health and fitness
with tennis, and weve all probably been involved in them to some extent. But
whats missing is a single, unified, umbrella campaign from all corners of this
sport that has one message and goal: to promote tennis as the healthiest sport
you can play, for a lifetime.
Weve been talking around this health message for years, but simply not
emphasizing it the way we should. We talk about marketing tennis on an emo-
tional level, about how tennis and education programs are important for a childs
development, about how tennis programming is great for socializing both young-
sters and adultsyes, all very important.
But, to truly get more people playing this sport, the basic message needs to
be: Tennis can get you healthy and keep you healthyfor the rest of your life.
This overall message is undersold to the general public. (The fact that tennis also
is fun, social and affordable is just icing on the cake.)
The basic message of this magazine is to help this industry grow and help ten-
nis providers make money. The way to do that is to get more people playing the
sport and buying the equipment, and doing it all more frequently.
Plainly and clearly emphasizing health and fitness is our best selling tool to the
vast majority of consumers. Its a message that will help every segment of this
industry and every program in this sport10 and Under Tennis, high school and
college tennis, adult tennis, leagues, tournaments, lessons, clinics, social play,
tennis and education programs. It will resonate with players and non-players and
it will elevate the sport overall, and it needs to be front and center for consumers
consistently.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Cardio Tennis, because it speaks to what people
want and need (and pros and facilities are making money with it). The phenom-
enal growth CT has had in less than eight yearswith virtually no resources
behind itis a testament to the fact that people want something fun that will
Our Serve
Tennis . . . For Your Life!
To truly grow tennis, we need to emphasize this
sports best selling tool: health and fitness.
4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2013
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)
Publishers
David Bone Jeff Williams
Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
peter@racquettech.com
Associate Editor
Greg Raven
Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
Cynthia Cantrell
Joe Dinoffer
Kent Oswald
Bob Patterson
Cynthia Sherman
Mary Helen Sprecher
Tim Strawn
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
Corporate Offices
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
Email: RSI@racquetTECH.com
Website: www.racquetTECH.com
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
Advertising Director
John Hanna
770-650-1102, x.125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
Apparel Advertising
Cynthia Sherman
203-263-5243
cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
Racquet Sports 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). May 2013, Volume 41, Number 5
2013 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights
reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI 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 Racquet Sports Industry, PO Box
3392, Duluth, GA 30096.
RSI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA
May 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 5
keep them active and get them fit. But its like we've already
done the market research in the U.S. for the last eight years, yet
we still refuse to believe the results. In fact, other countries are
quickly embracing Cardio Tennis, realizing they need to empha-
size the health aspects of tennis while at the same time growing
the sport in their countries.
(One positive exception, although just one piece of whats
needed overall, may be upcoming messaging for the soon-to-be
re-launched, industry-supported and TIA-managed site PlayTen-
nis.com, which will likely have a heavy health and fitness slant.)
Its great that the USTA has become an important part of the
First Ladys Lets Move! initiative. Its great that individual
companies and organizations have devoted some of their time
and online real estate to mentioning the health benefits of tennis.
And its great that individual tennis facilities, pros, CTAs and
USTA Sections may push health and fitness as a way to get play-
ers. But we need to go much, much further in this country.
Our collective hesitation in pulling together an all-encompass-
ing national message focusing on how great tennis is for health
and fitness has meant our sport is ceding ground to other activi-
ties, which makes it harder and harder to bring consumers back
to tennis. Without a simple, unified, unbranded campaign about
how tennis can get people fit and healthy, consumers are led
away from the sport.
We can easily find the research and medical experts to back
up a tennis and health messagewe just have to put it together
and make it easy for consumers to understand. We started along
this path back when Cardio Tennis was first being introduced,
then for some reason things went in different directions.
We need an industry-wide and consumer-wide awareness
campaign that provides clear health and fitness-related materials
to tennis facilities, retailers, pros, schools, parents, community
organizations, doctor's offices, USTA sections, CTAs, municipali-
ties and more. We need to invest in unbranded public service
announcements about how tennis is healthy for you. We need
to get doctors and other health professionals on advisory boards
and advocating for the sport, and we need them to prescribe
tennis. (Im sure we all know doctors who are avid players.) Yes,
we also need a catchy slogan (the headline above was suggested
by a friendId love to hear of any other ideas).
Im not saying all these other initiatives, programs and cam-
paigns in tennis arent important; they surely are. All Im saying
is, we have to use all the tools at our disposal to get more people
playing tennis, and the health and fitness benefit of tennis is a
huge tool that weve never used properly. We need to go all in.
Lets give consumers what they want and need. You have
health issues? Want to lose weight? Lower cholesterol? Get in
shape? The prescription you need is tennis.
Its time we got with the program.
Peter Francesconi
Editorial Director
Letters
10U Mandate The Right Thing to Do
I thought your Our Serve editorial on 10 and Under
Tennis (Take a Second Look at 10U Tennis) in the
April issue was right on, well-stated and needed!
Change is always difficult, and if this were not mandat-
ed, it would never have a chancejust like the old days
of Pee Wee tennis. It does make it difficult on the tran-
sition kids, and I empathize with them, but somewhere
it must be given a fair chance, and I doubt this transi-
tion will hurt anyone in terms of overall development in
the long run.
Dick Gould
Director of Tennis, Stanford University
Thanks for the great editorial and testimonial regarding
the new rules for 10 and Under Tennis and that man-
dating the rules was the right thing to do in the April
issue of RSI. We can be proud in the Southern Section
for leading the way with the rules change in 2010.
Keep up the great work.
Rex Maynard
Past President, USTA Southern
Thank you for your excellent editorial on 10 and Under
Tennis. The Southern Section was a year ahead of most
of the country in mandating the new 10 and Under for-
mats, and we are really beginning to see the results
both in improved junior competition and in greater
enthusiasm among our youngest players. This is particu-
larly gratifying because a great many of our best pros
and most committed junior players and parents went
through the stages you describefrom skepticism and
suspicion to grudging acceptance and finally to enthusi-
astic support.
Throughout our Section, 10 and Under Tennis is
spreading rapidly as pros discover the financial benefits
of working with more kids on fewer courts and parents
see their kids learning quickly and enjoying themselves.
This approach may or may not give our future superstars
a better sense of the basics, but I am convinced that it
will produce more lifetime tennis enthusiasts. Not every
new idea that comes along is good for tennis, but this
one seems to be paying off for all concerned.
Paul M. Pittman
Director at Large, USTA Southern
Fathers and Tennis
I thoroughly enjoyed Denny Schackters article on the
role that fathers play in tennis in a family (RSI, March
2013, Your Serve, The Fathers of Tennis). I have a son
playing college tennis and a daughter playing high
school. Some of our fondest memories are playing tennis
together, including father/son/daughter doubles.
As a proud PTR and USPTA Master Professional, this
article accentuates this important bond between teach-
ing pros and our children. Kudos to RSI and Denny for
highlighting a potent, relevant and, often, overlooked
benefit of our favorite sport.
Ajay Pant
General Manager, Tennis Center at College Park
College Park, MD
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I NDUSTRY NEWS
I NDUSTRY NEWS
I N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S
Roof Over Ashe
Now A Possibility?
The USTA has been cautious
in recent years in not getting
expectations too high about
building a roof over Arthur
Ashe Stadium at the National
Tennis Center. But statements
by USTA Executive Director
Gordon Smith seem to be rais-
ing hopes that raising a roof
might be closer to a reality.
At the recent USTA Annual
Meeting in Florida in mid-
March, Smith told hundreds of
volunteers and staff that the
challenge is the existing foun-
dations on Arthur Ashe Stadi-
um are unable to support the
additional weight of a roof
structure. In fact, he showed
proposals that included such
things as building a build-
ing over the stadium that
would have a separate foun-
dation. All were determined to
be either too costly or imprac-
tical.
But now with new materials,
Smith says, its possible to
save weight by replacing the
concrete in the upper deck
with SPS. SPS is a Sandwich
Plate System comprised of
two metal plates and an elas-
tomer core. This new compos-
ite will reduce the weight of
the upper bowl so a roof sys-
tem can be supported on the
existing Ashe foundations.
Cost, of course, remains an
issue, but the USTA is studying
the SPS option. However, it
does seem one of the most
visible improvements the
USTA can make to the NTC
did get a very public shot in
the arm.
R S I M A Y 2 0 1 3
Marketplace Fairness Act Passes Senate
T
here may be good news soon for brick-and-mortar tennis pro and specialty shops. In March,
the U.S. Senate, by a large bi-partisan majority, voted for an amendment to the budget bill that
would require all retailers to collect and report sales tax, including online retailers who have
been exempt from many state and local taxes.
Supporters of the Marketplace Fairness Act says it will level the retail playing field. Brick-and-mor-
tar retailers have long argued that they are at a disadvantage, because they have to collect sales taxes
while online competitors are exempt.
The Senates 75-24 vote was a clear victory for Main Street retailers and those who believe in free
and fair competition, said Sandy Kennedy, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
Identical legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it also
appears to have bipartisan support.
The overwhelming bipartisan vote in the Senate is proof positive that the federal governments
special treatment of online-only retailers will soon be a thing of the past, Kennedy said. While we
take nothing for granted, todays vote opens many pathways to making the Marketplace Fairness Act
law this year.
May 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7 www.racquetsportsindustry.com
USTA Celebrates 10,000 Youth-Sized Courts
T
he USTA celebrated the refurbishment and creation of 10,000 youth-sized tennis courts in the
U.S. as part of USTAs commitment to First Lady Michelle Obamas Lets Move! initiative. A cele-
bratory event, Court 10K, was held on March 19 at the Tamiami Tennis Center in Miami to com-
memorate the milestone.
The celebration featured U.S. Fed Cup captain, Olympic gold medalist and Miami native Mary Joe
Fernandez (right). The host site, Tamiami Tennis Cen-
ter, is emblematic of the 10,000 courts that have
been installed throughout the country.
We know that kids need 60 minutes of exercise a
day to stay healthy and reach their full potential, so
having access to fun opportunities to get moving
could not be more important, said First Lady
Michelle Obama. The USTA has provided thousands
of kids the chance to run and play, to learn a new
game and perfect their skills, and to make new
friends in a safe environment. I am incredibly proud
of the USTAs commitment to encouraging kids to
lead healthy lifestyles and to opening new doors to
explore a wonderful sport they can enjoy for the rest
of their lives.
The USTAs Youth Tennis initiative was designed to make it easier and more fun to get involved in
the game, and our commitment to creating and refurbishing youth-sized tennis courts across the coun-
try has been another step toward making the sport more accessible to more kids, said Dave Haggerty,
USTA Chairman, CEO and President.
Through its facilities assistance arm, the USTA has built and renovated more than 4,500 youth-sized
tennis courts in 371 markets in 44 states in 2012. In all, the USTA has constructed or refurbished
10,000 kid-sized courts since 2005. The courts were built in public parks, schoolyards, tennis facilities
and at local community-based youth organizations.
M A Y 2 0 1 3
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Ballardie is New CEO at Prince Global Sports
M
ike Ballardie has been named CEO of Prince Global Sports. He has been responsible
for operations in the eastern hemisphere for Prince for nearly 10 years.
Ballardie has played tennis since the age of 4, including seven years as a professional
player and coach, and has held positions at Wilson Sporting
Goods, VF Corp., and Benetton in Europe.
I have been involved in the tennis world as a player, a coach
and as a business career, Ballardie said. The opportunity to lead
Prince as its CEO is a tremendous honor and privilege.
Prince Global Sports was formed in 2012 by an affiliate of
Waitt Co., which acquired select operating assets of Prince in the
U.S. and Europe. Mike has a deep knowledge and passionate
commitment to the tennis and squash industries as well as a
demonstrated ability to manage Prince, said Dana Bradford,
CEO of Waitt Co. He will do an exceptional job preserving and
expanding the brand and business enterprise of Prince.
With the appointment, Ballardie also joins the Tennis Industry Associations Board of
Directors. Prince Global Sports is headquartered in Bordentown, N.J., with offices in
London, France, Holland, Germany and Taiwan.
TIA Honors Past Prez Muir on Avenue of Aces
A
t the March TIA board meeting in Florida, TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer and
TIA President Greg Mason thanked Jon Muir for his four years of service as presi-
dent of the organization (2009-2012) and announced that a bronze paver on the
Avenue of Aces on the US Open Grounds has been purchased in his honor.
The Avenue of Aces is a stretch of engraved pavers at the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center designed to connect individuals passion for tennis to the US
Open. Buying a paver supports the work of USTA Serves, the charitable arm of the
USTA.
Through donor support of the Avenue of Aces, USTA
Serves has disbursed more than $2 million in grants and
scholarships to thousands of at-risk youth from under-
served communities, as well as to people with disabilities.
The programs USTA Serves supports focus on homework,
mentoring, college readi-
ness, health, fitness and
character-building through
the integration of tennis
and education. Visit
www.ustaserves.com for
more information.
PTR Symposium Set for April 30-May 6
T
he 2013 PTR International Tennis Symposium & Champi-
onships will be April 30 to May 6 at the newly renovated
Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
The Symposium attracts tennis teachers and coaches from
more than 50 countries and will include many of the industrys notable speakers,
who will conduct classroom and on-court presentations on a variety of subjects.
There is also a special high school coaches track sponsored by the USTA that will be
held over the weekend to accommodate scholastic schedules.
The PTR International Championships, held in conjunction with the Symposium,
will start on April 30. The Symposium also offers a Tennis Trade Show. Professional
Development Courses will be held May 1, 6 and 7.
Visit ptrtennis.org for information or to register.
TennisConnect Now Offers
Professional Services
T
he TennisConnect software product
for tennis facilities and providers
now offers professional services that
include software implementation con-
sulting, instruction and web design.
TennisConnect is rich in function-
ality and flexibility, but to date has
been largely a do-it-yourself software
application, says Charlie Ruddy, Ten-
nisConnect product manager and CEO
of TCPS LLC (TennisConnect Profes-
sional Services). Many TennisCon-
nect customers reap huge business
benefits from that functionality but
have also requested that we offer addi-
tional services more like a traditional
web development and support firm.
TCPS, LLC is now available to provide
you with those services directly.
Tennis providers can sign up for
online classes (instructor led, using
GoToMeeting), request technical sup-
port services, learn about site design
and site Theme Manager options, and
learn about optional modules and
capabilities such as TennisConnect
Mobile, online payment processing,
social network integration, search
engine optimization (SEO) and com-
plete webmaster management
services.
Visit www.tcpsservices.com to
learn more.
USPTA Accepting
Nominations for Awards
T
he USPTA is accepting nominations
for its 2013 National Awards Pro-
gram, honoring members who are com-
mitted to excellence as tennis teachers
and as ambassadors using tennis to
impact people and communities. The
deadline for nominations is July 2.
All Professional-level USPTA mem-
bers are eligible. Recipients will be rec-
ognized during the USPTA World
Conference Sept. 23-28 at the Hyatt
Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla.
Award nomination forms and guide-
lines are available at www.uspta.com,
by calling 800-877-8248 or by sending
a request to pr@uspta.org.
I N D U S T R Y N E W S
Big Changes Ahead for US Open, Players, Prize Money
T
he US Open will increase prize money at the US Open to $50 million by 2017,
nearly doubling what the tournament paid the pros to play at Flushing Meadows
in 2012. For the 2013 event, the USTA says it will add an additional $8.1 million,
bringing overall prize money to more than $33.1 million.
Other changes at the US Open include permanently scheduling the mens semi-
finals on Friday and mens final on Sunday starting in 2015. At that time, womens
semis will be on Thursday and the womens final on Saturday. For the 2013 and
2014 US Opens, the womens final will move to Sunday and the mens final to Mon-
day, to give the players a day of rest between the semis and final.
Also, provided municipal approvals are received, the USTA plans to move ahead
with a long-term, $500 million improvement plan for the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center that will see renovated and new facilities. In a statement,
the USTA says its goals are twofold: to transform the NTC over the next several
years into the most modern and fan- and player-friendly tennis center in the world
and to continue to attract the worlds best tennis players.
The USTA has a long-term vision in place to ensure that tennis continues to
thrive in the United States, says David Haggerty, USTA Chairman, CEO and Presi-
dent. This vision encompasses every level of the sport, from energizing existing
fans, to attracting new players, to ensuring the US Open remains one of the worlds
most prestigious sporting events. With this unprecedented commitment to long-
term prize money and recognition of the value that players bring to the sport, we
will gain stability for the sport so that we can focus our energy on growing the game
and ensuring tennis vitality in the U.S. for years to come.
We welcome the commitment the USTA has made concerning player prize
money at the US Open through 2017, says Brad Drewett, ATP Executive Chairman
& President. These increases are the largest in the history of the sport, represent-
ing a significant step forward in truly recognizing the input the players have in the
success of the US Open. We also welcome the decision from the USTA to adopt a
schedule with the mens semifinals completed by Friday and the final on Sunday,
from 2015 onwards.
The USTA says it does not plan to pay for the higher prize money by increasing
ticket prices. Frankly, we'll take somewhat of a hit, USTA Executive Director Gor-
don Smith told the Associated Press, but it's the right thing to do for the Open and
for the players, so we're doing it.
Distribution of the new prize money hasn't been decided. An announcement is
expected closer to the start of the US Open, which runs from Aug. 26 to Sept. 9.
In related news, in late March it was reported that the USTA is in preliminary
talks with CBS to renew its current broadcast agreement for the US Open, which
runs through the 2014 event. CBS currently pays $20 million a year, and sources
told Sports Business Daily that the USTA is looking for a hefty increase in that
amount.
ITA Names Mens Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees
T
he Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced the 2013 inductees for the ITA
Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.
w Coaches: Bobby Bayliss (University of Notre Dame), Dennis Emery (University of
Kentucky), and John Peterson (Tyler Junior College)
w Players: Paul Goldstein (Stanford University), Kelly Jones (Pepperdine University),
and Harold Solomon (Rice University)
w Contributor: Alan Schwartz (Yale University)
The 2013 honorees will be inducted at the 2013 ITA Men's Collegiate Hall of
Fame Enshrinement Banquet, which will be held on May 22 during the NCAA Divi-
sion I Men's and Women's Tennis Championships at the University of Illinois in
Champaign, Ill.
May 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9 www.racquetsportsindustry.com
M A Y 2 0 1 3
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ESPNs Arthur Ashe Courage Award will be presented to Robin Roberts at
the annual ESPY awards this summer. The "Good Morning America" anchor
is being saluted for how she kept viewers involved in her treatments for two
serious illnesses. She had breast cancer in 2007 and last year had to undergo
a bone marrow transplant to treat a rare blood disorder. Roberts returned to
"Good Morning America" in February.
Ashaway Racket Strings has renewed its three-year
sponsorship agreement with top-ranked British
squash player Daryl Selby. Selby first signed with Ash-
away in 2010 after breaking into the world top 10
rankings and after switching to Ashaway's new Zyex-
based UltraNick 18 string.
Ray Harrison is the new Territory Manager for Florida and
Southern Alabama for Dunlop. Harrison, based in the Tampa
area, will handle key racquet sports accounts, including the
South Florida, Gulf Coast and Northern Florida markets.
Young American Mallory Burdette has signed a multi-year agree-
ment with Dunlop and will play with the new Biomimetic M3.0 racquet,
which she used to qualify and then reach the third round of the BNP Paribas
Open in Indian Wells.
Luigi Bertino (right) of Alpignano, Italy, has been
named PTR Clinician of the Year. A PTR Master Profes-
sional, Bertino is the director of education for PTR
Italy. Also, Phil Vivian, of London, England, has been
named PTR Tester of the Year. The awards will be pre-
sented at the PTR International Tennis Symposium,
May 2-5, in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
USTA Eastern will induct three into the sections Hall of Fame: Justin
Gimelstob, a commentator for the Tennis Channel and 1998 Australian and
French Open mixed doubles champion; Steve Ross, a teaching pro in Brook-
lyn and a legendary Eastern player in the late 1960s and 1970s; and Marina
Nudo, a longtime Eastern volunteer from Rochester, N.Y., and a former presi-
dent of Eastern and the Junior Tennis Foundation.
Paulo Barros of Orlando, Fla., beat Tye Myers of Naples, Fla., to win the
$7,500 USPTA Clay Court Championships in March. Suzanne Siegler of Boca
Raton, Fla., won the womens open title by going undefeated in round-robin
play. Barros also went on to win the mens open doubles title
with John Bougon, also of Orlando.
Virginia Hunt is the new executive director, programming
for the Tennis Channel.
Head Penn racquetball player Taylor Knoth won the mens
singles and doubles titles at the USA Racquetball National Intercolle-
giate Championships held in Tempe, Ariz., in March. It was Knoths fourth
straight year in the singles final, and his wins helped the Oregon State Uni-
versity Beavers sweep the Team titles at the event (overall, mens and
womens).
Wilson Team Player Kelani Bailey won her first National
Intercollegiate Racquetball Championship title in Tempe,
Ariz., in March. Kelani is a freshman at Shenandoah Uni-
versity in Virginia. She did not lose a game in the tourna-
ment and beat top-seed Danielle Key in the final.
Roger Draper, the Lawn Tennis Association (UK) chief executive for the last
seven-years, will step down from his role at the end of September.
PEOPLEWATCH
Bolt, Mantis Join IART Sponsors
T
he 2013 IART racquet technician symposium has added
sponsorships by Bolt and Mantis racquets. The two compa-
nies will join Babolat, Dunlop, Gamma, Prince, Wilson, and
Yonex in sponsoring the IART symposium. Each attendee will
receive a triple racquet thermal bag, 12 sets of premium
string, and one premium racquet.
Were happy to have Bolt and Mantis joining what I feel
is a stellar group of companies that help make this event very
special, says IART founder Tim Strawn. Thats an impres-
sive line-up of sponsors, and as in the past, the package
we give to attendees will easily offset the registra-
tion fee.
This years training includes one-on-one pri-
vate stringing lessons from some of the seminar
leaders, all MRTs and some who are past RSI Mag-
azine winners of the Stringer of the Year
award. A full session on 10 & Under Ten-
nis is planned along with many other new
sessions.
To register and for more information, visit
www.grandslamstringers.com and click on the Symposium
link, or call Strawn at 540-632-1148.
TIA Adds to Facility Managers Manual
I
n the coming months, the TIA and club manager/author Rod
Heckelman will update the TIA Facility Managers Manual
with at least six additional sections. The new material will be
released monthly by the TIA, then will become part of the 2013
revised edition of the TIA Facility Managers Manual. Also, much
of the new material will appear in future issues of RSI as sep-
arate articles on Facility Management.
Topics that the new material will
cover include building a bridge
between fitness and tennis at your
facility, tools for janitorial and main-
tenance programs, understanding the
fine print in contracts, event track-
ing, and more. All are geared to help
tennis facilities gain members, cut costs
and make more money. Heckelman is
the longtime general manager of the
Mount Tam Racquet Club in Marin County,
Calif.
The entire manual is downloadable as a pdf at TennisIndus-
try.org at the TIA Associate Member level and above.
Congratulations To the Following
For Achieving MRT Status
New MRTs
Dave Limke Cincinnati, OH
Kevin Sandusky Sharonville, OH
Jesse Schwartz Winter Garden, FL
Thomas Smith Batavia, OH
New CSs
Kevin Macias San Diego, CA
Richard Marks San Diego, CA
USPTA, ThanksUSA Continue Campaign to Thank the Troops
A
s part of Tennis Thanks the Troops, the USPTA and ThanksUSA will continue to team up to encourage
USPTA professionals to fund scholarships for the families of military men and women. Spokespersons for
the nationwide campaign, launched in 2012, are Bob and Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond.
USPTA members can help by donating a portion of their lessons or clinic fees taught during Memorial Day
Weekend 2013 (or any other weekend/date). USPTA Professionals can provide the opportunity for their students
and club members to donate $5 for the cause or they can run a simple round-robin or other event with all or a
portion of the proceeds being donated to ThanksUSA. The club raising the most money for ThanksUSA will receive two tickets
to the US Open and the opportunity to send their pro to New York, including airlines and hotel.
ThanksUSAs partnership with the USPTA is a profound example of how much Americans treasure our troops and recognize
the sacrifices they and their families make to keep those of us here at home safe, said ThanksUSA CEO and Chair Bob Okun.
Your help gives our returning soldiers and those still in danger zones the ability to ensure that the futures of their children and
spouses are made equally secure through education. For more information visit uspta.com or ThanksUSA.org.
Racquet Art Introduces
Cleansing Grip
Spray
R
acquet Art has intro-
duced a Cleansing
Grip Spray, designed to
clean racquet handles of
bacteria, fungus and
germs. Available in an 8-
ounce spray bottle, sim-
ply spray on the grip
after playing and let it
dry overnight. The all-
natural ingredients are
free of alcohol and
bleach. The manufactur-
ers says its safe for all
grips and overgrips. Visit
www.racquetart.com.
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Sony Open organizers hope to begin
upgrading the Crandon Park Tennis Center in
a year, after voters last fall approved giving
the facility a $50 million facelift. Tournament
organizers would like to begin the first phase
of construction in April 2014, but before that
can happen, the tourney and Miami-Dade
County need to come to terms over the reno-
vation of the county-owned park. Among the
first improvements would be multistory stadi-
um additions and permanent courtside
grandstands.
>
North Dakota State Universitys Club Ten-
nis Team has been named 2012-13 Tennis On
Campus Club of the Year. The award is pre-
sented annually to the college or university
club tennis team that has achieved a level of
sustained excellence, while also demonstrat-
ing a commitment to giving back to their
local community. The honor brings with it an
automatic bid to the 2013 USTA Tennis On
Campus National Championship, which was
held in mid-April in Surprise, Ariz.
>
The U.S.s loss is Brazils gain: Rio de
SHORT SETS
Janeiro will host a combined ATP and WTA event
that will be the biggest tennis tournament in
South America. The Rio Open, played in February,
replaces the combined ATP-WTA event in Mem-
phis, Tenn. The men's prize money will be $1.2
million and the women's $235,000.
>
The U.S. retained the Maureen Connolly Cup
for the seventh consecutive time in the womens
55-age division, in addition to reclaiming the
Maria Esther Bueno Cup in the womens 50-age
group, at the 33rd ITF Seniors World Team Cham-
pionships, held in Turkey in March. Also, the
Americans finished runner-up in the Dubler Cup
(Mens 45), and the Austria Cup (Mens 55).
About 1,000 players from 31 countries competed
in the event.
>
In early March, the Head Tennis Facebook
page reached the 1 million fan mark.
>
Members of the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club
in Wellington, Fla., demonstrated the new sport
of Masters Tennis recently, which offers a less
strenuous approach to tennis for both new and
returning players who are 55 and over. Modifica-
tions include different court sizes and tennis
balls with a softer bounce. Masters Tennis
was demonstrated at the Delray Beach Interna-
tional Tennis Championships in late Februrary.
>
Luxilon, distributed exclusively worldwide
by Wilson Racquet Sports, was again the official
stringer of the Sony Open in 2013.
>
Asics America is the new title sponsor of the
Easter Bowl, the elite junior tennis tournament
played in April in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
>
Longines has expanded its youth tennis ini-
tiative, Longines Future Tennis AcesOn the
Road to the French Open, by partnering with
the USTA Boys & Girls 12s National Spring
Championships.
>
Har-Tru signed a three-year agreement to
become the title sponsor of the 2013 USTA Pro
Circuit Wild Card Challenge, which awards
main draw wild cards into the 2013 French
Open to the American man and woman who
finish with the best results at select USTA Pro
Circuit events.
Williams, Junior Players
at Commercial Shoot
Serena Williams shares a lighthearted
moment with four Junior Wilson players
at the Biltmore Tennis Center in Coral
Gables, Fla., in March prior to the Sony
Open, during the filming of a commercial
leading up to Wilsons 100th anniversary.
USTA Awards $75,000 in Multicultural Grants
T
he USTA has awarded $75,000 in Multicultural Excellence Tennis Grants to 10
community tennis organizations. Each will receive a $7,500 grant toward their
competitive junior development programs that train youngsters who are aspiring to
achieve national and/or international rankings.
The recipients were selected based on the number of players with sectional and
national rankings in a specific program. Grants are awarded to organizations that
operate year-round and provide a high level of on-court instruction and off-court
training opportunities, with a history of developing tournament-level players. The
2013 grant recipients are:
w Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program - New York
w Johnny Mac Tennis Project - New York
w Kilauea Jr. Tennis Club - Honolulu
w Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis - Las Vegas
w Northwest High Performance Tennis - Seattle
w One Ace One Foundation - Upper Marlboro, Md.
w Peterson School of Tennis - College Park, Ga.
w South Atlanta Community Tennis Association, Inc. - Atlanta
w Sportsmens Tennis & Enrichment Center - Dorchester, Mass.
w Tier One Tennis - Miami
Multicultural Individual Player Grants for National Competition & Training, rang-
ing from $1,000 to $4,000, were also awarded to 68 student-athletes throughout
the country. The grants, totaling $150,000, provide funding to competitive junior
players.
USPTA Nominating Committee Proposes New Board
T
he USPTAs nominating committee has put forth a proposed slate for the 2013-2015
USPTA National Board of Directors. The proposed slate is:
w President: Tom McGraw
w First Vice President: Chuck Gill
w Vice Presidents: Nancy Cox, Alan cutler, Jeff Hawes, Raul Saad, Gary Trost
w Immediate Past President: Tom Daglis
3 Recognized With Hall of Fame Awards
T
he International Tennis Hall of Fame presented the 2012 Samuel Hardy and Ten-
nis Educational Merit Awards on March 16 during the Annual Awards Luncheon,
which was held in conjunction with the USTA Annual Meeting in Weston, Fla. Hall
of Famers Stan Smith and Monica Seles participated in the presentation of the
awards, which are given annually to recognize great volunteers and leaders in the
sport of tennis.
Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins received the prestigious Samuel
Hardy Award. The Tennis Educational Merit Awards were presented to former WTA
pro Kathy Rinaldi of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., who is now a national coach in USTA
Player Development, and Ned Eames of Boston, Mass., one of the country's most
successful leaders of a National Junior Tennis & Learning organization.
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ASBA Technical Meeting Set for San Antonio
T
he American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the national organization for
builders, designers and suppliers of materials for tennis courts, running tracks, syn-
thetic turf fields and indoor and outdoor synthetic sports surfaces, will hold its annual
Technical Meeting Dec. 6-10 at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio in Texas.
The meeting will include a trade show featuring some of the newest products and
techniques available on the market. The program will have state-of-the-art sessions on
advanced technique in sports facility design, construction and materials, as well as
more rudimentary how to programs directed at those who want a more hands-on
approach. In addition, there will be multiple social events to facilitate networking, golf
and tennis tournaments, meetings of board and committees, presentations of indus-
try awards, exams for those interested in the ASBAs professional certification pro-
gram, and more. For more information, visit www.sportsbuilders.org.
Kleybanova is Top Pick in
World TeamTennis Draft
C
ancer survivor Alisa Kleybanova was
selected by the Springfield Lasers with
the first overall pick in the 2013 Mylan
World TeamTennis Roster Draft at the
Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian
Wells, Calif., in March. The former world
No. 20 will make her Mylan WTT debut
on July 8, when Springfield hosts the
Boston Lobsters.
In other first round draft highlights,
fans will have the opportunity to see 2013
International Tennis Hall Of Fame
inductee Martina Hingis team up with
Venus Williams in Washington. A trio of
future American stars will be featured,
too: Jessica Pegula and Steve Johnson
were drafted fourth and fifth overall by
the Philadelphia Freedoms and the
Orange County Breakers, while Taylor
Townsend was selected in the second
round by last seasons runner-up Sacra-
mento Capitals.
The Mylan WTT regular season runs
July 7-24, with conference championships
scheduled for July 25, and concludes with
the Mylan WTT Finals on July 28.
Serbia Knocks U.S. Out of 2013 Davis Cup
A
match that featured early uncertainty for Serbias Novak Djokovic finished as
another victory for the worlds No. 1 player and his country. Djokovic shook off
an early ankle injury to defeat world No. 20 Sam Querrey, the top-ranked American,
7-5, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0, on April 7, and Serbia defeated the U.S. in the Davis Cup World
Group Quarterfinal tie, 3-1, on an indoor hard court at Boise State Universitys Taco
Bell Arena.
Two days earlier, on the opening day of the tie between Serbia and the U.S.,
Querry beat Viktor Troicki in five sets, after fellow American John Isner lost in three
sets to Djokovic. But it was the doubles match on the middle day that captured the
attention of much of the Davis Cup world, when Serbias Nenand Zimonjic and Ilija
Bozoljac outlasted Bob and Mike Brian, the worlds No. 1-ranked doubles team, 7-6,
7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 15-13, to put Serbia up 2-1.
The doubles match produced a number of superlatives:
w The 15-13 fifth set is the longest fifth set in U.S. Davis Cup doubles history, and
the second longest in the history of U.S. Davis Cup singles or doubles.
w The 4:23 match time is the second-longestby one minuteU.S. Davis Cup dou-
bles match since the institution of the tie-break in 1989.
w The 76 games played in the match are the most games in a U.S. Davis Cup doubles
rubber since the introduction of the tie-break in 1989.
Serbia improved to 2-0 against the U.S. in Davis Cup and, along with Croatia and
Spain, are the only countries to have a winning record against the U.S. Davis Cup
team. Jim Couriers record in three years as U.S. Davis Cup captain is 4-3, 1-2 at
home.
Serbia advances to host Canada in the World Group Semifinals in September. The
U.S. is expected to be a seeded country in the 2014 Davis Cup World Group.
ITF Issues Supporting
Material for Tennis Xpress
L
ast fall, the International Tennis Federa-
tion officially launched its Tennis
Xpress program, which it says is an easy
and active introduction to tennis for adults
using slower balls to ensure players learn
to play tennis fast.
The goal of Tennis Xpress is to help
starter adults to serve, rally and score
from the first session. By the end of the
course, adults should know basic tech-
niques, tactics and rules, and also they
should be able to play competitive points
using the green ball on a full court.
Now, the ITF, which is composed of 210
national tennis federations or organiza-
tions, including the USTA, has issued sup-
porting materials in English, Spanish and
French for the Tennis Xpress program. The
material is available for all national associ-
ations and includes an implementation
manual, advertisements, posters, con-
sumer and trade leaflets, and video. The
ITF has also produced an hour-by-hour
schedule for coaches to follow.
US Open National Playoffs Returns
T
he US Open National Playoffs returns for a fourth
year, providing an opportunity for players 14 years
of age and older to earn a berth into the US Open. The
US Open National Playoffs will again include both
mens and womens singles, as well as mixed doubles.
The US Open National Playoffs mens and
womens singles champions earn a wild card into the
US Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior
to the US Open. The US Open National Playoffs mixed
doubles champions receive a wild card into the main
draw of the 2013 US Open.
Registration and additional information for each of
the 13 sectional qualifying tournaments is at
www.USOpen.org/NationalPlayoffs. The entry fee for
each of the sectional qualifying tournaments is $100
for singles and $120 for each mixed doubles team
($60 per player). All players competing must have a
current USTA membership valid through August 26,
2013.
The 13 mens, womens and mixed doubles cham-
pions or top available finishers from each sectional
qualifying tournament will advance to the US Open
National Playoffs Mens and Womens Singles
Championship, held August 16-19, and the Mixed
Doubles Championship, held August 21-24. All three
tournaments will take place in conjunction with the
New Haven Open at Yale in Connecticut.
New York Open to Bring Tennis Back
to West Side T.C. Stadium in Forest Hills
T
he historic stadium at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills
is getting a new lease on life with the arrival of the New York
Open, which will take place July 4-7 this year. The New York
Opens organizers are looking to attract top amateur and profes-
sional talent for the inaugural event, which will consist of mens
and womens open singles and doubles and mixed doubles and
offer prize money.
We are convinced that the New York Open will become one of
the iconic sporting events in New York City, says Dale Caldwell,
founder of the nonprofit Tennis in New York Inc., the tournaments
organizer. It is designed to be a fun, family-friendly event cele-
brating the tennis championships of New York City at historic For-
est Hills on Americas birthday, the Fourth of July. Caldwell, a
USPTA teaching pro for more than 25 years, also is a former USTA
board member.
The New York Opens inaugural year also coincides with the
100th anniversary of the West Side Tennis Clubs move from Man-
hattan to Forest Hills. Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins
will be honored at the event and will serve as the honorary chair-
man.
In addition to tournament play, the schedule for the four days
includes 10 and Under Tennis Play Days and other family tennis
events, a jazz fest, fashion show, book fest, food and merchandise
concessions, and fundraiser/auction.
For more information, or to inquire about sponsorships, con-
tact Caldwell at 732-208-9808 or dalegcaldwell@aol.com
Hingis, Drysdale Among 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees
M
artina Hingis, a former world No. 1 and the winner of 15 Grand Slam tourna-
ment titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, has been elected to receive
the highest honor in the sport of tennis, enshrinement in the International Tennis
Hall of Fame.
Joining Hingis in the Class of 2013 will be two co-founders of the ATP, longtime
ESPN tennis broadcaster Cliff Drysdale and tennis promoter and industry leader
Charlie Pasarell, both of whom have been elected in the Contributor Category. Also
in that category, Romanian tennis great Ion Tiriac, has been elected in recognition
of his work to grow the sport through roles as an influential player/manager and
successful tournament promoter.
Rounding out the induction class of 2013 is Australian tennis legend Thelma
Coyne Long, winner of 19 Grand Slam tournament titles between the 1930s and
1950s, elected in the Master Player Category.
The 2013 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be held on July 13 at the
International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., in conjunction with the annual
Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event. Tickets for the cer-
emony and tournament are available on HallofFameTennisChampionships.com or
by phone at 401-849-6053.
Solar Array Saves Club $52,000 in Annual Costs
D
epending on the type of building and location, indoor tennis clubs may well be
sitting on a significant cost-saving solution: using the expanse of roof to hold a
solar array that can help reduce energy costs.
Two years ago, Pro-Tech Energy Solutions of Branchburg, N.J., designed and
managed the installation of a 281.06 kW photovoltaic solar array atop a 61,000-
square-foot Galvalume roof on the New Shrewsbury Racquet Club in Tinton Falls,
N.J. The standing seam roof and solar array replaced an aging fastened through
metal roof that had been leaking
on the pre-engineered metal build-
ing.
With the combination of the
1,200-solar panel array and other
changes suggested by Pro-Tech
and roofing consultant Englert
Inc., including adding blanket insu-
lation, the club is saving about
$52,000 in annual energy costs.
Visit www.pro-techenergy.com or
call the company at 908-526-3322
for more information.
USTA Honors Six
With Annual Awards
T
he USTA honored six winners of
its annual awards at the USTAs
Annual Meeting and Conference in
mid-March in Florida. The honorees
were recognized for their dedication
to growing the game.
w Carol Welder (at right) of Austin, Texas,
won the Barbara Williams Leadership
Award, which recognizes a female vol-
unteer who, through her leadership and
by her example, has
encouraged and
inspired others to
become volunteers
and assume leader-
ship roles at the
community, section
and/or national lev-
els of the USTA.
w Rick Draney, Loa,
Utah, won the Brad
Parks Award, which
honors an individual or organization
that has been instrumental in the devel-
opment of wheelchair tennis around
the world through playing, coaching,
sponsoring or promoting the game.
w Lewis Skip Hartman of Woodside,
N.Y., received the USTA NJTL Founders
Service Award, honoring an individual
NJTL chapter founder who is commit-
ted to positive youth development
through tennis and education and pro-
vides free or low-cost tennis, education
and life-skills programming to thou-
sands of underserved children each
year.
w USTA Atlanta/Atlanta Community Ten-
nis Association received the USTA
Organization Member of the Year
award, recognizing the outstanding
services of a USTA member organiza-
tion through its commitment to the ten-
nis community, the organizations
members and the game of tennis.
w The Osborn Family of Boise, Idaho,
received the Ralph W. Westcott USTA
Family of the Year Award, given annual-
ly to the family that has done the most
to promote amateur tennis, primarily
on a volunteer basis.
w Irving Levine of Rehoboth, Mass., was
honored with the Seniors Service
Award, given on the basis of the recipi-
ents willingness, cooperation and par-
ticipation, either in play or
organizational work, for the betterment
and furtherance of senior
competition.
BNP Paribas
Showdown in
New York City
T
he Biggest Loser's
Bob Harper (center
right) and Nickelodeon's
Jeff Sutphen join tennis
champions Rafael
Nadal, Juan Martin del
Potro, Serena Williams,
and Victoria Azarenka to honor youth tennis and to kick-off Tennis Night in Amer-
ica at Madison Square Garden on March 4.
Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
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'Tennis Tune-Up'/ Restring
Campaign SubJect
of Meetings
In March, at meetings in New York City and
Florida with retailers, manufacturers and
the TIA Board of Directors, the idea of
a "Tennis Tune-Up" and Restringing
Campaign received widespread support as
something that can help drive consumers to
tennis retail stores.
The goals of an industry-wide campaign include:
Educating consumers about the need to restring their
racquets regularly so they can play their best tennis.
Promoting the need to go to racquet
experts for service, such as Authorized
TIA Tennis Retailers with USRSA
Certified Stringers.
Understanding the importance of matching a
consumer's racquet and type of string that best fits their
playing style, ability level and swing style.
"With across-the-board support, a tune-up/ restring
campaign can really move the needle for tennis retail,"
says TIA President Greg Mason. "Everyone will benefit-
including, and especial ly, tennis players, who will realize
that to play their best, they need to regularly take care of
their equipment."
"A campaign like this will not only bring more
customers to our store, but will bring them back
repeatedly," says Karen Moriarty of The Tennis
Professionals in Port Chester, NY. "It gives us
many more chances to sell to them."
The "Tennis Tune-Up"/Restringing Campaign is still in
its formative stages. One of the keys wil l be educating the
public about the need to restring regularly, and that tennis
equipment does wear out and need to be replaced. The
campaign will also be tied into the re-launch of the industry-
supported PlayTennis.com website. "Stringing provides the highest margins
for our store," says Woody Schneider
of NYC Racquet Sports in Manhattan.
"An industry-wide campaign to have
people restring more and tune up their
equipment wil l help all tennis retailers."
"As we talk more with retai lers, manufacturers and other
industry segments, we' ll form a plan to move forward with
this campaign, which needs to reach al l tennis providers and
consumers at every level with a very simple and easy-t o-
grasp message," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer.
TIA Retail Division Moves Forward
The TIA Retail Division received a
boost in March following meetings
in New York City that discussed
efforts to promote retail and grow
the "business of tennis." The TIA
is working with retailers to create a
Retai l Division that wil l help bring a
unified, strong voice to tennis retai l to
help grow the game at al l levels.
Those in attendance agreed on
goals for the new division, which
include increasing the awareness
of the value and needs of tennis
retailers, improving the sustainability
and economic vitality of retailers,
promoti ng a passion for tennis, and
promoting involvement with industry
initiatives.
Membership crit eria also was
discussed. Retail Division members
need to have a brick-and-mortar
tennis shop and be involved
in 10 and Under Tennis. Dues
were set at $150 a year.
Attendees also talked about
ways to grow membership
of the division, including
offering tangible benefits,
such as credit-card
processing discounts,
insurance discounts,
shipping discounts, research
reports, premier placement on online
retail locators, POS system discounts
and more.
"Moving forward, the TIA will
continue to work with the Retail
Panel and members of the division to
expand the menu of tools, resources,
services, and benefits available to
members
of the TIA Retail
Division," says TIA Executive
Director Jolyn de Boer.
Continue to fol low the progress of
the TIA Retail Division in RSI, and to
join, or for more inf ormation, email
ret a i ler@tenn isi nd ustry.org.
Join the TIA .. . Increase Your Profits . .. Grow the Game . . . www.Tenni slndustry.org
Cardio Tennis Team Restructured
To Deliver Enhanced Training
In continuing efforts to raise the bar and meet the ever-increasing
demand for Cardio Tennis (CT) training in the U.S. and internationally,
the longtime Cardio Tennis Speakers team has been restructured. The
main role of TIA Cardio Tennis Team members is to deliver the highest
quality Cardio Tennis and TRX Cardio Tennis Training Courses.
Team members also deliver presentations and workouts at industry
conferences and meetings. In addition, they wi ll lead consumer events,
write articles and contribute to the CT curriculum.
"Since Cardio Tennis started in 2005, we've had many different
Speakers Team members and contributors, and the roles and
responsibilities of team members have evolved," says TIA Cardio
Tennis Manager Michele Krause. "Our new structure takes into account
the changing dynamics of CT, both in terms of our offerings and the
international nature CT has taken on."
The new TIA Cardio Tennis Team has three levels, each attained by
meeting specific educational criteria and commitments.
"Speakers" wi ll deliver presentations, workouts and consumer events.
"Trainers" will add delivery of Cardio Tennis Training Courses.
"Mast er Trainers," the highest level, will add delivery of Cardio Tennis
and TRX CT Training Courses in the U.S. and internationally.
The new 2013 TIA Cardio Tennis Team Master Trainers are:
Eric Alexon, Chicago, IL
Lance Andersen, Boxborough, MA
Marcy Bruce, McMurray, PA
Enrique Casados, Sarasota, FL
Michael Harper, Fairfax, VA
Feisal Hassan, Midlothian, VA
Adam Jasick, Indian Wells, CA
Tracie Mitchem, Freeland, WA
Ben Porter, Stamford, CT
Dorian Adam, Orinda, CA
Troy Robinson, Kinston, NC
David Schwartz, Stevenson
Ranch, CA
The ful l list of CT Trainers and Speakers will be announced in later
newsletters. To schedule a training or consumer event with a member
of the TIA Cardio Tennis Team, email Michele@cardiotennis.com.
T R ~ Cardio Tennis
Now Part of TRX's
'Professional
Education'
The partnership between Cardio
Tennis and leading fitness products
and programs provider TRX has taken
another major step forward, as TRX has
now added "TRX Cardio Tennis" training
courses to its Professional Education
menu. TRX Cardio Tennis Training is now
one of six professional training options
for TRX, which conducts more than 300
training courses globally every month.
The TRX Cardio Tennis program
includes more than 30 TRX exercises
and four lesson plans, "delivering
everything you need to build your
business," says TRX's Director of Life
Sports, Dorian Adam.
"TRX and Cardio Tennis joining
together and complimenting each other
will exceed your expectations for tennis,"
says coaching legend Nick Bollettieri,
who spoke to participants at a TRX Cardio
Tennis Training Course last year.
"We're excited to be working with a
globally recognized brand such as TRX
and look forward to growing the TRX
Cardio Tennis program," says TIA Cardio
Tennis Manager Michele Krause. "TRX
Cardio Tennis is an ideal way to conti nue
to merge the fitness world
with tennis."
TRX Cardio Tennis Training Courses,
which are $295 to attend and are
open to both certified tennis and
fitness professionals, are currently
being scheduled across the U.S.
To view the latest schedule, visit
CardioTennisTraining.com or the
Professional Education section of the TRX
website at TRXTraining.com.
Cardio Tennis Receives NASM Accreditation
Cardio Tennis is the first tennis-oriented program to receive continuing education accreditation by the National Academy
of Sports Medicine, which is a global leader in delivering evidenced-based certifications and advanced credentials to
health and fitness professionals. Certified Fitness professionals who complete a seven-hour Cardio Tennis Training
Course can now receive Continuing Education Units from NASM.
"NASM accreditation is a huge step in continuing to bring Cardio Tennis into the fitness arena," says TIA Executive
Director Jolyn de Boer. "It's a testament to the appeal of the program outside the realm of tennis, as we continuously
work to promote the health benefits of tennis and Cardio Tennis."
Cardio Tennis continues to bridge the gap between the tennis and fitness worlds, helping promote the game of tennis
as a pathway to a healthy and active lifestyle. With the launch of TRX Cardio Tennis, the program reaches even deeper
i nto the f itness world, encouraging those who typically find their best workout in the gym to hit the courts.
For more information, visit CardioTennis.com. To participate in a Cardio Tennis Training Course, see the current
training schedule at CardioTennisTraining.com.
J oin the TIA .. Increase Your Profits ... Grow the Game ... www.Tennisl ndustry.org May 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19
&
Retailing 120
a power displaythat is, a big, well-
lighted eye-catching display in shop-
pers line-of-sight as they walk to the
right. If you dont have a natural right-
hand turn, you will still want to locate
a power display in your shoppers line-
of-sight as they walk into your store.
w Signage Sells: Shoppers need to under-
stand where they are and be comfort-
able with the journey through your
store, even if it is small. Being able to
navigate through effective signage is
important to the total shopping experi-
ence, and you should use both naviga-
tional signs to help shoppers journey
while in your store, and to educate
and inform about the merchandise
they will find on their journey. And
remember, shoppers walk in at least
two directions, so make sure your sig-
nage is facing your stores shoppers
no matter what direction they are
walking.
w Older Shoppers See Differently: Your
in-store signage needs to incorporate
type size, print font and colors that will
stand out and are easy to read and
understand. As we age, the way we
see colors changes, and this means
certain colors in background, text and
lighting will be much more legible to
older baby-boomers and seniors. How
do you find out? Ask them.
w Nylon Shopping Bags: Make it easier
to shop and purchase more by provid-
ing a convenient way to carry selec-
tions while continuing the shopping
experience; another small but con-
sumer-centric way to make your shop-
pers comfortable in your store so they
stay longer.
w Aisles and Strollers: In laying out your
store aisles, keep them wide enough to
accommodate two adult passing each
other without touching, and that often
shoppers have kids in strollerseven if
you have a small store. Aisles, even if
you only have one, are the walkways
great store environment, includ-
ing display fixtures, lighting and
outstanding displays, are essen-
tial to attracting shoppers to your spe-
cialty tennis retail store today, but they
are only the beginning. Here are some
tips to bring your store environment to
life and help you create an extraordi-
nary specialty tennis retail shopping
experience!
w Entrythe Neutral Transition Zone:
Research shows that shoppers walk
faster when their brains can actually
process the surroundings they are in.
The mistake many retailers make is
placing merchandise displays right
inside their store entranceso shop-
pers blow right by them because they
simply cant process what they are
seeing. Make sure your entry has a
neutral transition zone immediately
inside, even if your store is small, so
shoppers have time to slow down,
and for their brains to catch up and
get oriented to your stores shopping
experience. (The research we refer
to here is from Paco Underhill and his
book Why We Buy, which we
strongly recommend to every tennis
retailer.)
w Seating Shows You Care: Space may
be tight, but providing ample and
comfortable seating in your store
shows that you care, and just as
importantly, you provide a comfort-
able place for your shoppers signifi-
cant other to sit and relax so the
shopper can focus on shopping.
w Kids Go Everywhere: Provide an area
in your store for kids to play, and
maybe even to try out some of the 10
and Under Tennis racquets and balls,
while the adults shop.
w Turning Right: Research has shown
that after consumers enter a store
they will turn to the right if they can,
so if your store has a natural right-
hand turn, design your space to locate
A
This is part of a
series of retail tips
presented by the Ten-
nis Industry Associa-
tion and written by the Gluskin Townley
Group (www.gluskintownleygroup.com).
For upcoming TIA retail webinars,
and to view previous webinars,
visit TennisIndustry.org/webinars.
Create an Extraordinary
Tennis Shopping Experience
and paths that guide shoppers through
your store environment, and they
need to be carefully laid out.
w Change Your Displays as Frequently
as Your Best Customers Visit Your
Store: If your best customers visit your
store every two weeks, change your
displays every two weeks. Just getting
new fixtures doesnt mean you change
your displays once or twice a year.
Research shows that after one or two
visits your best customers wont see
your displays, or the merchandise fea-
tured anymore. This is basic human
hardwiring, and you cant change it
so change your displays to present
something new and interesting every
time your best customers visitand
you will also increase your stores
average transaction value and the
number of transactions you have with
your customers.
w Making Your Store Sticky: Research
also shows that the amount of time a
shopper spends in a store actually
shopping is perhaps the single most
important factor in determining how
much he or she will buy. Making shop-
pers as comfortable as possible while
in your store, and providing a pleasing
and enjoyable shopping experience, is
all about keeping them in your store as
long as possible. w
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RETAI LI NG
In a multi-channel retail world, how do you stand out from the
rest of the crowd? Three tennis retailers serve up strategies.
BY CYNT HI A S HE RMAN
Your Serve Tennis:
Face-to-Face interactions
Your Serves eight stores in the Altanta area have been fueling the hot
Altanta tennis market for over 35 years.
Owner Adam Queen echoes the importance of visual displays,
mannequins, using bright colors and displaying what the top players
are wearing to draw people in. Cross-merchandising is done with
shoes and accessories to coordinate looks. Displays are rotated
weekly to keep things looking fresh and new. This way, says
Queen, we get to highlight new product, looks, themes and include
things like racquet bags in the mix.
Women buy more clothing than men and half the mens clothing
is purchased by women, so knowing your customer is vital for deter-
mining the product mix.
Your Serves exposure in its local markets comes not so much
from social media as it does from face-to-face interactions
and with sponsorships and charity events. At Your Serve,
employees are long-term, which lends itself to a very person-
al level of service. But nothing is taken for grantedsales
personnel receive continual training, which emphasizes
product knowledge and the practical application of product
technology.
Stringing is integral to the business, and the stores offer
one-hour stringing. They also offer demos in every racquet.
This is why there will always be a place for brick-and-mor-
tar stores, says Queen. People like seeing and handling the
product first-hand, and they love the personal service.
He keeps a uniform look with unique store signage that highlights new
arrivals, basics and a consistent message. Moreover, Your Serve creates a
pleasant environment and makes customers feel welcome the minute
they walk in.
ReTaiL
appeaL
ReTaiL
appeaL
Your Serve Tennis Bottom Line:
w Make sure displays are attractive and fresh, bringing attention to certain
groups that you want to promote.
w Create a pleasant environment and make customers feel welcome.
w Cross-merchandise by adding accessories and shoes to displays.
w Know your demographic.
w Offer competitive pricing.
In a multi-channel retail world, how do you stand out from the
rest of the crowd? Three tennis retailers serve up strategies.
Photos by Jimmy Johnston
NYC Racquet Sports:
Let the Merchandise Speak for itself
The New York City-based NYC Racquet Sports stores, owned by Joan
Dziena and Woody Schneider, have been receiving rave reviews from
customers for a long time. There are three Manhattan locations, along
with a store at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flush-
ing Meadows (home of the US Open).
Dziena uses two- and four-way fixtures to showcase merchandise and
tell a story. Visual merchandising really comes into play, and with New
York being such a fashion-conscious city, Dziena buys clothing with the
intent of telling a story on the floor. Blacks and whites are coordinated
and pops of color complement the theme and jazz up the floor.
Instead of going narrow and deep within one manufacturer, NY Rac-
quet Sports has a varied selection. Otherwise, says Dziena,
The look starts to become redundant.
Unlike many tennis shops, Dzienas midtown locations are
male-driven and athlete-driven. They want to buy anything
Rafa, Djokovic or Roger-related, she says. While the shops are
busy year-round, business is especially hectic in Augustas the
US Open nearsand they maintain a busy demo program.
But at the shop at the National Tennis Center, there are
more female shoppers, and since women seek out bargains,
there are several clearance items. The business is also tourist-
driven and customer profiles vary widely. Additionally, they do
a huge kids business; manufacturers, Dziena notes, are responding
by making more childrens (and toddlers) apparel and shoes.
Dziena uses Facebook to augment her brand and connect with
people and USTA members get discounts on many items. Email
blasts are sent out to thousands of customers with updates on new
racquet/product launches and stringing specials. Stringing compris-
es a large part of the business and emphasizes same-day or next-
day service. All the staff plays tennis and is extremely well-versed
on product lines.
At the Seventh Avenue location, three giant racquets sit on the
front window ledge and shoppers can see through them to the two-
story space and an impressive array of products. Dziena doesnt
really believe in store signage. People dont read them, she says. I let
the merchandise and visualization speak for itself.
NYC Racquet Sports Bottom Line:
w Have a broad selection of merchandise.
w Employ knowledgeable sales personnel who are well-versed in all cate-
goriesespecially important for the novice player who needs to be walked
through the process.
w Establish relationships with customers, encouraging face time.
w Have a neat, well-designed shopping environment thats visually exciting.
Photos by David Kenas
pGa Tour Superstore:
Keep a Fresh Look
PGA Tour Superstore caters to both the golf and tennis markets. Based in
Georgia, with other locations in South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Califor-
nia, New Jersey, Florida and Colorado, the chain is no stranger to success.
The 16th store will open this fall in California.
One of the many appealing aspects of PGA Tour Superstores is that
several store locations have their own full-size court. Another plus is the
regular change of displays and layout, making the space look fresh. Says
company buyer Bobby Pearson, By creating the right flow and presenta-
tion, and partnering with the vendor community, we take merchandising
to a whole other level.
Fashion groups arrive about every 30 days, encouraging new looks.
Brands are grouped together, making it easy for shoppers to find
their favorite lines. And displays tell a story within fashion groups by
cross-merchandising accessories.
The Wilson wall of racquets is part of the vendor contribution to
a layout that beckons the shopper. An innovative shoe display in the
Paramus, N.J., store is inviting and easy to navigate. PGA uses ven-
dor and store signage and does their own branding with lifestyle
shots and store programs.
Each PGA store has its own Facebook page, and the company
has been revamping the website to enhance the tennis presence.
They also send out weekly e-blasts offering different specials and
promotions for members of its loyalty program, The Players Club.
The programs fee entitles members to get half off stringing,
court rentals and provides lots of other perks. A large percent-
age of PGAs clientele are members. They see it as their own
club and they want people to feel like theyre part of some-
thing and provide highly targeted programs that are different
than whats offered to the public, Pearson says.
Stringing is a large part of their tennis business and each
store is a USRSA member, employing several Master Racquet
Technicians. They have an active racquet demo program, too.
Of course, access to an in-store court makes playtesting easy.
PGA makes sure its staff has a solid background in tennis
and is specifically trained for each store. Providing great cus-
tomer service sets them apart from their online competitors.
pGa Tour Superstores Bottom Line
w The right product mix, displays and floor plan needs to wow the customer.
w Showcase the top products and maintain the highest merchandising stan-
dards.
w Have qualified staff on hand to answer any questions.
w Get the newest products out as soon as theyre launched.
w Encourage loyalty by making customers see the store as their personal club
and shop.
Photos by Jimmy Johnston
comes to providing functional features to keep athletes perform-
ing for longer periods of time. For tennis players the benefits of
high-tech fabrics translate to more
enjoyable hours on the court
feeling fit and hitting well,
no matter the playing con-
ditions.
Currently there is keen
interest in energy-related fabric
development. This new class of
materials focuses on circulation,
muscle recovery and blood flow to
enhance energy and wellness. For
example, mineral-based Celliant is
technically engineered to harness
and recycle the human body's
natural energy to create health
and performance benefits.
A Schoeller product, called
energear, similarly recy-
cles energy radiated by the
body to promote perfor-
mance and improve overall well-being.
Another Schoeller innovation getting a lot of play is cold-
black. This material refracts a spectrum of rays from sunlight
that typically heat you up. The result: a black T-shirt feels just as
cool to wear on a hot, sunny day as a white garment. Coldblack
was initially designed with mountaineering in mind as a mater-
ial able to reflect the suns heat so one didnt sweat excessively
when outfitted in black pants on a glacier at high elevations.
Functionality is also evolving in the compression category to
provide additional benefits beyond muscle support and sore-
ness. Added features promise to moisturize or firm the skin;
fight cellulite; or refresh and revitalize the circulatory system.
Based on encapsulation technology, these textiles contain addi-
a
shirt that doubles as a personal trainer. A jacket able to
take photos with gesture movements. Materials that
charge a cell phone or change color with a rub of a fin-
ger. Fabrics that boost energy, reduce cellulite and moisturize
your skin with spa treatments. Sound space age? Actually
these are just a few of the trends in textile innovations that are
becoming available in sports apparel.
Other advances include fabrics that take aim at harmful UV
rays, pesky mosquitoes, and
yes, even unwelcome
odors. No longer
reserved for
select markets,
like aerospace
and the military,
these technology-
enhanced textiles are
being designed for
casual wear and recre-
ational athletes.
Our lifestyle has
evolved into multi-
functioning electron-
ics with the
performance to text,
email, video,
photograph,
and have web
access all in
one device.
We expect the
same in other aspects of our life too, especially apparel, says
Tricia Carey, merchandise manager at Lenzing, a global textile
supplier.
Indeed new materials can do it all, especially when it
SPORTS APPAREL
The latest material innovations take performance
to a whole new level BY E MI L Y WAL Z E R
Trends in
HigH-TecH
Fabrics
Trends in
HigH-TecH
Fabrics
Reebok takes advantage of Celliant technology
in this blue Zig Fuel Motion T-shirt. The Cel-
liant fibers used in the mesh inserts capture
the bodys natural heat and light emissions and
recycles the energy back into the body as fuel.
This technical T-shirt from UK-based
outerwear company Rab uses Cocona
technology to manage perspiration and
moisture.
tives such as aloe vera, vitamin E, caf-
feine or retinol and are released
through movement or pressure of
the fabric against the skin.
Wrangler just introduced this
technology for a new line of
womens jeans and many
European hosiery brands also
market these high-tech fab-
rics.
Another skin and sports-
friendly material is Insect
Shield. A repellency tech-
nology, Insect Shield
keeps mosquitoes,
ticks, ants, flies and
other critters at bay for
up to 70 washings. The
product was an instant
hit with fly-fishing
enthusiasts and adventure travelers, and Insect Shield has now
increased its presence in sportswear as well as for hats and socks.
Keeping Your cool
The majority of performance apparel focuses on the cooling
effect of evaporation. While the concept of wicking is not new,
the latest crop of high-tech fabrics advance this functional feature
considerably. These days, materials are designed to keep pace
even in a sweat-soaking three-set match.
According to Gregory Hagguist, chief scientist and founder of
the innovative textile company Cocona, evaporation of perspira-
tion is the key to com-
fort and performance.
He explains that gar-
ments need to have
the fastest possible
recovery time to dry-
ing to keep athletes
comfortable. "The
faster the recovery
back to an ideal rela-
tive humidity micro-cli-
mate, the more
comfortable the user is
going to be and the
more likely they will be
able to perform stronger or stay out longer, he says.
Wicking properties are often associated with slick-feeling
shirts made from synthetics. However, fans of natural fibers are
in luck. Among the fastest growing areas of performance apparel
are cotton products featuring state-of-the-art technologies for
moisture management, says Mark Messura, a senior vice presi-
dent at Cotton Incorporated. His organization teamed with Under
Armour, for instance, in the development of the brands charged
cotton garments.
Also emerging is the category of cooling technologies. These
fabrics literally feel cool to the touch due to embedded ingredi-
ents that claim to cool the skins temperature by a few degrees.
Warming Trends
There has been a renaissance in wool in the past few years
with the latest incarnation ideal for
active sportswear. Soft next to the
skin, breathable and anti-static,
this new breed of merino wool
fiber keeps you warm when the cli-
mate is cold yet releases body heat
and moisture when its hot. Thats
because merino is very breath-
ablethe fiber can absorb up to 35
percent of its dry weight in mois-
ture vapor and still feel dry to the
touch, thus eliminating that clam-
my feeling. In addition, merino is
considered an active fiber featur-
ing a natural crimp that creates a
lot of very small insulating air pock-
ets. Thats another reason why this
natural textile effectively keeps you
warm in cool conditions.
According to wool spe-
cialists, merino helps you
sweat less and hence smell
better! Unpleasant odor
during and after exercise is
caused when sweat
degrades. The complex
chemical structure of meri-
no wool actually locks away
these unpleasant odor
molecules.
The ability to respond
and adapt not only to the
outside climate, but to the
athletes own micro-cli-
mate, is a main driver in
textile science. Whether
using wool, cotton or new
man-made fabrics, the
concept of temperature
regulation has emerged as
the holy grail of materials innovation.
Going forward, reactive technologies that work in sync
with the human condition, as well as the environmental con-
ditions, look to be trend-setting.
For tennis players, these high-tech fabrics may not guar-
antee wins against the likes Roger and Serena, or even the
club pro, but the advantages just might prove to be game-
changers. w
This infrared image of an athlete, from
Celliant, shows how apparel, such as
the right shirt, can provide cooling
properties.
A simulated shot of how the
body emits energy based on
Celliant technology research.
This Adidas shirt takes advantage of
moisture management properties from
Cocona technology.
Emily Walzer is the editor of Textile Insight magazine, a lead-
ing trade publication focused on the performance fiber/fabrics
industry. Her 25-year career covering the activewear business
includes the role of reporter, writer, editor, commentator and
presenter. She has participated as a speaker, panelist and
moderator at major textile trade events and has appeared on
television as an expert on industry trends.
Under Armour women's hoodie
made with Charged Cotton technol-
ogy, which is cotton that has been
enhanced to wick moisture as effec-
tively as a synthetic fabric.
more ways to improve the health of everyone, address obesity,
save money on health care and create a more enjoyable physical
experience on the court. Cardio Tennis started this handshake
and continues to move in the direction of a complete hug and
embrace.
In many areas of the country, it is Cardio Tennis that brings
the many levels of tennis onto a single court to function in una-
nimity. It is Cardio Tennis that addresses the need for some ten-
nis players to get a more rounded and full workout when
participating on the court.
We have become more and more an industry of doubles
play, partly due to court availability, partly to aging and partly to
league play. As much fun as doubles can be, it can lack in pro-
viding a complete workout. Two or three sessions of Cardio Ten-
nis a week can make up for that, but there are still some
unanswered questions about why more tennis players have not
migrated to fitness. In fact, the latest trend seems to be that with
many clubs that have added fitness packages to their facilities,
theyre seeing a surge in their new fitness members playing ten-
nis. They are looking for a sport that their whole family can enjoy
and that will also provide a more social venue to enjoy with their
friends.
The Fitness Connection
To better understand the implications of bridging these two
worlds, the answer may come from those who have made that
connection. Charlie Hoeveler, ranked No. 1 in the world in sev-
eral age groups, is a longtime top senior player who has a repu-
tation for being one of the most fit players in senior tennis for
the last 35 years. Fitness has always been a passion for me, as
is tennis, he says. I knew that my success on the court was
I
n the last several decades, almost any tennis club that could
has added a fitness program to their agenda. The extent of
that addition depends on the space and the interest of their
members. The space that is available is likely to be a fixed num-
ber, but the interest of the members, and for that matter, the
interest of perspective members, is in many cases an unknown.
An over-investment and expansion into the fitness world can
end up being costly and a loss of quality space. Under-invest and
you can frustrate both the staff and the members.
Feasibility studies to find out whether a fitness program will
work at your facility can be difficult to accurately analyze. This
is due to the fact that the fitness industry is so comprehensive
and seems to be in a constant state of flux. If you poll current
members, the response can be deceptive. What might seem
appealing one month to members may not be by the time
youve put your program into place.
Fitness programs require constant change and updates to
keep participants motivated. This is the main reason that statis-
tically the attrition rate of fitness members is much higher than
that of tennis members. Although there are those who are loyal
to some programs, quite frequently they are looking for the fla-
vor of the month. A new class or a new teacher in a new setting
can be very attractive. Build a tennis court and there will be few
changes needed in the future to accommodate the tennis player;
build a fitness room or develop a program and you will need to
constantly update your equipment and always be on the lookout
for new instructors or classes to meet the evolving demands of
the fitness member.
There has been a strong effort on the part of the tennis indus-
try to embrace the fitness world, and for good reason. First, the
demand is there. The country, if not the world, is looking for
FACI LI TY MANAGER S MANUAL
BY ROD HE CKE L MAN
BUILDING THE
BRIDGE
BETWEEN
TENNIS AND
FITNESS
BUILDING THE
BRIDGE
BETWEEN
TENNIS AND
FITNESS
largely due to my fitness, my ability to run all day long if needed.
That has always been enough stimulus for me to keep myself one
step faster and one minute more enduring than my competition.
J. C. Tucker, another longtime senior tennis enthusiast, reflects
on the subject in a different way: For me it is a preference, not
an evaluation. I know that adding some fitness to my program
would be beneficial, but given the time I have to invest, I prefer
to be on the court playing.
Jeff Greenwald, an internationally recognized sports psycholo-
gy consultant, ranked No. 1 in the world in the 40s and later in
the 45s. For me, it is a combination of having the time and
putting the mileage on my body, Greenwald says. I strongly
believe in supplementing a good tennis program with a fitness
program.
These are top players in the game, but
what about the average club or recreation-
al player? Dennis Park, an avid USTA
league player at the 3.5 level, has discov-
ered that, Cross-training is helping me
stay longer on the court and handle long
matches. I started with Cardio Tennis and
now do a number of intense fitness classes
at my club as well as circuit training.
Barbara Musser, a new player to the
game, added, I only play doubles and love
the game and the strategy involved. I added Cardio Tennis to give
me a complete workout and to meet other people.
As you can see, each individual has his or her own reasons for
combining or not combining the two worlds, but there is one
common theme: Everyone recognizes that adding fitness is ben-
eficial. Because of this recognition, there will always be a window
of opportunity to blend the two worlds. So, how do we do this?
Blending Tennis & Fitness
Lets start with the venue. If you hope to create crossover, you
need to first create a venue that is interesting, inviting and chal-
lenging. Fitness players get on the tennis court and find them-
selves spending most of their time picking up balls. This is where
Cardio Tennis hits a home run. The level, or for that matter, the
quality of play is not that impacting. Youre not playing against
someone; youre just trying to accomplish the task of hitting and
running.
For tennis players, if you want them to enjoy a new fitness
experience, it has to be just thatan experience. It cant be just
about the workout. They need to see and experience the benefits
that can be transferred into their tennis game. Can they run and
hit 50 balls in a row? Can they move and cover drop shots and
lobs? Can they add strength and power to their strokes? These,
and more, are the key elements that a tennis player needs to feel
and experience when taking on fitness programs.
You then need to create an available opportunity for the cus-
tomer. Make sure you have plenty of promotion and publicity
about any new program. Schedule the programs so they do not
compete with other established events. As an example, if you
want to start a new fitness program to attract tennis players,
dont schedule these events when players are likely to be involved
with leagues or other tennis events. In fact, dont schedule these
programs before or behind these events. Tennis players see their
time on the court as sacred and usually well planned ahead of
time.
Remove all the barriers. Remember that if you are trying to
transition from a longtime tennis club to adding fitness to the
agenda, you may run into some traditional barriers. Try to have
the leaders of your tennis community, especially your tennis staff,
help lead the way. There is also an issue with an accomplished
tennis player and their image. On the tennis court they may be
king of that level, but in the fitness world they may feel they lose
that status.
It is important to find activities that experienced tennis players
can succeed at in the fitness world. It would surprise many to see
how often top-rated tennis players are compromised by a fitness
challenge. As a result they simply avoid the
exposure to these fitness programs. Tennis
players in particular have a great deal of
pride in their level of play. You need to take
that out of the equation if you hope to bring
them into another world where they may
feel inadequate. Find a level of entry for
them where they can be successful. Maybe
it is yoga, Pilates or even working with
some of the cardio equipment.
Lastly, make it a party. If you have ever
analyzed the social nature of a facility, you
will notice that many of the social events center on the tennis
community. Tennis players historically enjoy the social aspects
the game provides. Fitness programs are largely attended by peo-
ple who are there for the class and then are gone. Tennis players
come to play and then afterwards interact with both their team-
mates and opponents.
If you can organize a fitness event that is followed by a social
event, you may see more tennis players migrate over. Zumba,
one of the fastest growing fitness programs in the country, has
had great success by having special dance nights. Participants
come and enjoy the lively dancing atmosphere and then after-
wards party with the instructors and other participants. The tennis
world should learn from that and develop more activities to follow
their tennis/fitness classes.
Although Cardio Tennis is the main piece to this bridge that we
are developing between tennis and fitness, it is also the welcom-
ing center to many more opportunities such as TRX, Crossfit pro-
grams, yoga and many more fitness classes that could be a great
fit for tennis players. The fact is, tennis should be the perfect part-
ner for a fitness program; we just need to recognize that it may
take a little more time for many of the longtime tennis players to
accept the benefits of cross training and come to realize that both
industries can benefit from one another. w
This story will appear as an addition to the Facili-
ty Managers Manual, by industry expert Rod
Heckelman, general manager of Mt. Tam Racquet
Club in Marin County, Calif. Tennis Industry Asso-
ciation members at the Associate level and above
can download the complete Facility Managers
Manual at TennisIndustry.org. To find out more,
visit the website.
For tennis players, if you
want them to enjoy a new
fitness experience, it has
to be just thatan experi-
ence. It cant be just about
the workout.
J
ust as in tennis itself, fortune in tennis shoe sales usually
favors those who are aggressive within their comfort
zone. In other words, key to the surprisingly upbeat news
in the category from pro and specialty shops around the coun-
try is that there are opportunities in shoe sales to create traffic
and loyalty. Inventory control, carefully questioning and listen-
ing to customers, as well as being aware of trends in the local
and internet markets has created a category with an upside in
sales even as top-of-the-line shoes keep nudging upward in
price.
We tell everyone, if you put a shoe on and its not com-
fortable, take it right off, says Carolyn Lewis, owner of Total
Tennis in Sarasota, Fla. The aim is to make sure every cus-
tomer becomes a repeat customer, and the primary tactic is to
listen to the customer describe what their foot problems are.
Serving as an anchor in a good-sized strip mall, with exposure
to an audience much broader than the space on a resort island
they recently left behind, the 2,000-square-foot store is almost
all selling space and devoted to a year-round clientele that
ranges widely from kids to frequent players to snowbird
seniors.
Lewis highlights what many (albeit not every) stores are
experiencing as a positive trend: People are not reluctant
now to spend $130, $140 on a pair of shoes; not like a few
years ago when you couldnt crack $100. Players are willing to
pay for a quality pair of shoes.
Feeling the Fit
Even if they are not aware of it, the greater acceptance of MAP
pricing has also made customers less likely to forego the expe-
rience of actually being fit for their shoes.
FOOTWEAR
Provide customers with the
models, prices, and especially
service, and theyll beat a path
to your door. BY KE NT OS WAL D
POLISH UP
YOUR SHOE
SALES
POLISH UP
YOUR SHOE
SALES
Even in a recession, our shoe business has boomed, says Jeff
Eaton, pro shop manager and teaching pro at the Carmel (Ind.)
Racquet Club. The 800-square-foot in-house pro shop carries 53
SKUs, many with a full inventory of sizes. As the clothing industry
has become more marginalized, we decided to make a greater
investment in shoes. Shoes, like racquets, are things people want
to try on.
At Carmel, the price barrier is set about $120, but Eaton finds
that below that, as long as he is competitive with internet pricing
and reminds members of what is new in styles theyve previously
appreciated, he can reliably turn the inventory. When something
doesnt workmaybe a shoe with a color splash that just did not
hithe aggressively marks it down to maintain the cash flow. He
also admits to being helped by his clienteles interest in paddle ten-
nis and a thriving junior program, both of which can tear up out-
soles and make the six-month durability guarantee a key selling
point for more shoes with higher technology and price points.
Taking that idea one step further, Joe
Habenschuss, district sales manager for
Head/Penn in Florida, suggests to his
accounts that part of the inquiry leading up
to a sales presentation should be inquiring
about what surface a customer usually
plays, as well as how frequently they play,
whether they are looking for more support
or comfort and how happy are they with
the width of their shoesall of which
might come up with one query: What do
you like and dislike about your current
pair?
The sweetspot for Les Moise, a snow-
board, ski and tennis specialty shop in Mil-
waukee, Wis., are shoes priced $80 to
$130. Again, with the higher end kicks, the
six-month warranty is a key for the store
that makes special outreach efforts to the
seven high schools and five colleges near-
by whose players are grinding touchline to
touchline on hard courts. Despite the
resistance, some customers find that $140-
plus can be worth the price if you think you
are going to get two shoes out of it using
the warranty, says Manager Joe Tim.
[Our] best selling point, Tim explains, is looking at the shoes
on a customers feet. Use their shoe to show them what they
need. Which, of course, depends on a well-trained staff. At Les
Moise, salespeople receive hands-on training, including explana-
tions of all shoe strengths as well as a comparison of benefits with-
in the category; the experience of trying on all the models; and an
assessment to make sure they understand how to use fitting aids.
They also get trained on the technical features such as how to
make sure an insole can improve fit and performance, as well as
the interplay of width, heel and toe comfort, support and stability.
Customer service is our key, hands down, says Tim. The
one thing you cant get on the internet is service.
Information Source
The main point of any interaction between staff and customer is
to build a relationship, says Babolats Midwest territory repre-
sentative, Joe Kanarek. He believes shoe sales are all about,
asking the correct questions and listening to customer feed-
back. [A salespersons job] is to create trust between him or her
and the customer that will help to choose a few types of shoes
for them to try.
Instead of training people to sell product, echoes Mike
Palmer, manager of the Tour Tennis shop in Charleston, S.C.
(which has a sister location in Charlotte, N.C.), we try to train
our people how to give good information, correct information,
and to be more helpful and informative than just salesmen try-
ing to push people into certain models.
Palmer added that while respecting manufacturer sales data
and interested in the shoes that will be heavily promoted, his
mantra is to listen to customers more than shoe companies
about his own inventory. We know what is good for certain
foot types, he says, but for inventory maintenance and sales,
[you have to] ask customers what
they want and what their experience
is.
Once you have knowledge from
the customer, with the right choices
for inventory (always the meat sizes
of the lines you carry at the price
points that work for your clientele and
the extensions as far as budget allows)
the rest is just patience with maybe
some patter. People dont know
exactly which shoe they want until you
get it on their feet, says Wilson terri-
tory manager Evan Garfinkle.
That shoes dont receive the floor
space of other categories should not
be a barrier to putting them in front of
customers throughout the store. The
possibility for connection and an
immediate or future shoe sale occurs
every time a customer walks in: Sales
staff should be on alert to what model
customers wear when they enter the
store and what shape those shoe are
in. Both are potential starting points
for conversations about newer ver-
sions of the brand, recent magazine or website reviews, or even
just visually apparent wear.
Even as promotional capacity is limited on the wall or selling
floor, eye candy can be created by displaying two or three
matching shoes and outfits around the store. Similarly, a hang-
tag of label with review highlights or using a flag rather than a
banner gets in the eye and mind of a customer with minimal
use of space.
Just never forget about either the product or the customer,
and shoe sales can continue to provide a boost to business. As
Paul Davis of the Baltimore, Md., retailer Princeton Sports,
emphasizes, You have to be competitive in price and value for
what you are selling, but, ultimately, repeat business is driven
by a clean store where it is fun to shop and have a pleasant
experienceand service, service, service. w
Tips for Selling More
Tennis Shoes
w Use a database of brand and
date customers bought shoes
to notify them of relevant
news and promotional oppor-
tunities.
w Highlight in your store what
top players are wearing and
which shoes have recently
received positive press.
w Dont match all local and web
pricing, but stay competitive.
w Teach sales staff to pay atten-
tion to what customers have
on their feet during all sales
and be aware of opportunities
to supply appropriate informa-
tion about new or upcoming
models.
X r ast'" pRO
E
w F.A s.r. ft
the N le.ration sha
Full acce
tecnnolo9Y
for lurthm mformalion on PAC IIIC p tonldel I.
usainfoOpacific.com or (941) 7951189. f.rx (941) 7619172
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If
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1!1

R: Sport [!]
DI STI NGUI SHED FACI LI TY- OF- THE- YEAR AWARDS
T
he five outdoor hard-court winners of the 2012 Rac-
quet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Associ-
ation Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards all
involved fairly large outdoor projects, from seven to 13
courts, both new and renovated facilities. Three are at col-
leges and two are municipal projects, which means that res-
idents, students and youngsters all will benefit from the new
facilities.
The original seven tennis courts at Huntingdon College
were badly cracked and beyond repair. Thanks to a large
donation, the seven courts were completely replaced and an
eighth was added. Only a concrete seating area remained to
be part of the new facility. The contractor removed the exist-
ing subgrade, which was built over unstable, expansive clay,
and reinstalled it properly, and a perimeter sub-surface drain
system was installed around all of the court batteries to pre-
vent water from saturating the subgrade.
In Omaha, the Koch Tennis Center expansion project
consisted of three 78-foot courts and four smaller Youth Ten-
nis courts, all post-tensioned concrete. The site required
extensive grading work and the addition of 16,000 cubic
yards of fill, because for years, the city had allowed local
excavating contractors to remove fill from the area free. For
soil stabilization, the contractor installed 1,800 linear feet of
erosion control fence and placed 6,800 square yards of ero-
sion control blankets.
The new collegiate tennis complex at Randolph-Macon
College in Virginia features 10 courts, four with lights. In
addition to the courts, the project also involved clearing and
grading the site, landscaping and plantings, retention ponds,
parking and more. One potential obstacle was turned into a
positive when the contractor worked a deal with a stone
company to supply #10 stone-dust screenings for all the fill
because no compactible dirt fill was available.
The Sevierville City Park project in Tennessee consisted
of renovating the eight tennis courts using a 4-inch-thick
stone slip-sheet method that included laser grading. The site
was firm and supported construction equipment well, so no
major obstacles were encountered, and city residents now
have new, blue courts to enjoy.
The new Williams Bollettieri Tennis Center at The Colle-
giate School in Goochland, Va., which features 13 courts, has
a Grandstand Court with permanent seating, and the courts
surround a showcase building that houses locker rooms and
restrooms. The court contractor, though, needed to coordi-
nate schedules and construction with two other contractors
who were installing the Grandstand seating and building the
locker room building between the batteries of courts. The
contractor also discovered that the concrete retaining walls
on the Grandstand had been installed improperly. To correct
the problem, the walls were saw-cut below the frost line,
relocated and re-poured. Peter Francesconi w
The outdoor facility winners are excellent
examples of hard-court construction.
FIVE ALIVE!
FIVE ALIVE!
Sevierville City Park
Sevierville, Tenn.
(Nominated by Baseline Sports Construction LLC)
General Contractor: Baseline Sports Construction LLC
No. of Courts: 8
Surface: Nova Sports USA
Nets, Center Straps: Douglas Industries
Posts: Edwards/Athletic Connection
The outdoor facility winners are excellent
examples of hard-court construction.
George S. Gibbs Tennis Center at
Huntingdon College
Montgomery, Ala.
(Nominated by Lower Bros Co. Inc.)
Specialty Contractor: Lower Bros. Co. Inc.
No. of Courts: 8
Surface: Plexipave
Lighting: LSI Industries Inc.
Windscreen, Nets, Posts: J.A. Cissel Mfg. Co.
Randolph-Macon College Tennis Court Complex
Ashland, Va.
(Nominated by Tennis Courts Inc.)
General Contractor: Tennis Courts Inc.
No. of Courts: 10
Surface: Latex-Ite/Tennis Courts Inc.
Nets: Har-Tru
Posts: Edwards
Williams Bollettieri Tennis Center
at the Robins Campus of The Collegiate School
Goochland, Va.
No. of Courts: 13
Nets: Har-Tru
Posts: Edwards
Koch Tennis Center
Ashland, Va.
No. of Courts: 10
Nets: Har-Tru
Posts: Edwards
For details on the 2013 Outstand-
ing Facility-of-the-Year Awards,
contact the ASBA at 866-501-
ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.org,
or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.
HEAD YOUTEK
GRAPHENE GROMMET
STRIPS
The new Head Youtek Graphene Speed
racquets (Pro, MP, S, PWR, and Rev) have
a grommet strip problem. At the top of
the racquet, the grommet strip (which sep-
arate from the bumper guard in these rac-
quets) is in three pieces. The end of one
piece has a tab that is supposed to tuck
into a recess in the adjoining piece. When
you string the racquet, however, the grom-
met strip shifts just enough that it allows
the tab to pop out of the recess, and youre
left with a brand new racquet that appears
to have been poorly strung.
So when you string, you have to alter
your normal stringing pattern in such a
way that it allows you to loop the string
(outside the frame) over each place where
the grommet strips meet.
We did not realize this was a problem
right away and my shop is getting ham-
mered with complaints.
5 sets of Dunlop Explosive 16 to:
Richard Marks, San Diego, CA
Editors note: We experienced this problem
ourselves. As Richard points out, not only
does the racquet look mishandled when
youre done, but because the grommets
take a set when you apply tension to the
main strings, cutting out the strings and
redoing the racquet doesnt fix the prob-
lem. The only way to return the racquet to
its correct condition involves replacing the
grommet strip.
According to Head the way to avoid
this from happening is to hold the grom-
met strip in place while pulling tension.
The problem is that you may be pulling the
string the other way when the grommet
strip shifts out of place.
For example on the Youtek Graphene
Speed Pro, the joint in the grommet strip
is between mains 7 and 8 at the head,
where there is no loop of string outside the
frame to lash the ends of the grommet
strips together. You pull the 8th main
toward the head, so theres no real load on
the grommet strip at that point. When you
pull the 9th main toward the throat,
KEEPING TRACK
WITH REELS
I string for one of my local high school
tennis teams. To keep prices down, I got
one reel of poly and one reel of nylon
just for them. This allows me to offer
four options: All poly, all nylon, poly-
main hybrid, and nylon-main hybrid.
To keep track of string usage, I put a
sticker on the back of each reel, but
instead of marking full sets, I put a hash
mark for each half set I use.
As it turns out, this recording method
also works perfectly in my Stringers
Companion software
(usrsa.com/store/companion.html), which
also helps keep tabs on string usage.
5 sets of Unique Big Hitter Blue 16 to:
L. Hodges, Lucerne Valley, CA
ROOTS!
Recently, when I had new business cards
made, I added Est. 1980 to the bottom.
It allows customers to see just how long I
have been in the racquet service busi-
ness.
People make comments to me that
they have a good comfort level with
me performing their racquet service,
because of my experience.
It has helped, I believe, to increase
my client base.
5 3-packs of Head Extremesoft overgrip
to: Jan Hudgins, MRT, Brandon, FL
Tips & Techniques
though, the grommets for mains 8 and
9 at the head can shift toward the
throat slightly, causing the tab to come
out of the recess.
Normally, when you hold the grom-
met strip in place while pulling tension,
you do it at the string where youre
pulling tension especially with a new
racquet to prevent the grommet strip
from pulling away from the frame.
With these racquets, however, youd
have to hold the grommet strip at the
head of the racquet while pulling
toward the throat, which is not only
difficult to remember, but awkward,
and prevents you from holding in the
grommet strip at the throat.
The alternate looping technique
Richard mentions works like this:
Taking the Youtek Graphene Speed
Pro again as an example, after tension-
ing and clamping the 7th main at the
throat, run the string up to the 9th
main, tension, and clamp. Then back-
track to the 8th main, tension, clamp,
and tie off. You still dont have a loop
over the problem area, but youre
pulling the grommet strip the other
way, so the ends stay together better.
However you do it, examine the rac-
quet after installing the mains, and
before starting the crosses (with few
exceptions, Head racquets must be
strung two-piece, with the crosses
starting at the top). Check both ends of
the top grommet strip to see if either is
in danger of popping loose. If so, you
can start your crosses in such a way
that the tie-off loop from the top cross
to the anchor string holds the grommet
strip ends together on the side that
needs help more.
Head is aware of this issue, and is
working on a redesigned grommet
strip.
Greg Raven
Tips and Techniques submitted since 1992 by USRSA mem-
bers 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, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084; or
email greg@racquettech.com.
Readers Know-How in Action
January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41 www.racquetsportsindustry.com
String Playtest
EASE OF STRINGING
(compared to other strings)
Number of testers who said it was:
much easier 0
somewhat easier 3
about as easy 17
not quite as easy 16
not nearly as easy 1
OVERALL PLAYABILITY
(compared to string played most often)
much better 1
somewhat better 6
about as playable 9
not quite as playable 19
not nearly as playable 2
OVERALL DURABILITY
(compared to other strings
of similar gauge)
much better 9
somewhat better 13
about as durable 11
not quite as durable 4
not nearly as durable 0
RATING AVERAGES
From 1 to 5 (best)
Playability 3.4
Durability 4.2
Power (8th overal) 3.2
Control 3.7
Comfort 3.1
Touch/Feel 2.8
Spin Potential (6th overall) 4.1
Holding Tension 3.4
Resistance to Movement (10th overall) 4.1

G
amma Moto 16 is a heptagonal
(seven-sided) geometric co-poly-
ester string developed for the
aggressive baseline player who seeks
massive spin and control. According to
Gamma, the co-poly material used in
Moto is very responsive and provides lots
of feedback, with excellent tension main-
tenance. Gamma tells us that Moto
allows a player to swing out fully with
confidence that the ball will land in due
to the spin it generates.
Moto is available in 16 and 17 gauge
in black and lime. It is priced from $11
for 40-foot sets, and $181.50 for 660-foot
reels. For more information or to order,
contact Gamma at 800-333-0337, or visit
gammasports.com. Be sure to read the
conclusion for more information about
getting a free set to try for yourself.
IN THE LAB
We tested the 16-gauge Moto. The coil
measured 40 feet. The diameter mea-
sured 1.29-1.33 mm prior to stringing,
and 1.24-1.26 mm after stringing. We
recorded a stringbed stiffness of 72 RDC
units immediately after stringing at 60
pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x
18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed
stiffness measured 66 RDC units, repre-
senting an 8 percent tension loss. Our
control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-
nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units
immediately after stringing and 71 RDC
units after 24 hours, representing a 9
percent tension loss. Moto added 17
grams to the weight of our unstrung
frame.
The string was tested for five weeks
by 37 USRSA playtesters with NTRP rat-
ings from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind
tests, with playtesters receiving
unmarked strings in unmarked packages.
Average number of hours playtested was
25.1.
If you roll Moto between your fingers,
there is no doubt that it is a geometric
string: The apexes stand in sharp relief to
the flats. The sharpness of the edges
might become an issue when installing
the crosses if your technique
involves pushing the free end
of the string across the mains.
At worst, though, youll just
have to slow down a bit. As
with all sharply geometric
strings, installing the cross-
es knocks down some of
the edges on the mains.
One playtester broke the sample dur-
ing stringing, six reported problems with
coil memory, six reported problems tying
knots, and four reported friction burn.
ON THE COURT
Gamma advises that you reduce the ref-
erence
tension for Moto 5 to
10 percent from your nylon reference
tension, so this is what we recommend-
ed to our playtest team members.
Our playtest team agreed that
Gamma Moto delivers spin and control.
Moto 16 ranked as the 6th-best string of
the 171 weve playtested to date for
publication in the category of Spin
Potential, with an excellent ranking in
the Control category. As you might
expect from these two rankings, Moto
16 also ranking highly in Resistance to
Movement, placing 10th-best of the
strings weve tested. Our playtest team
also ranked Moto 16 well above average
in the Durability category. As a result,
Moto 16s overall score was also well
above average.
Three playtesters broke the sample
during the playtest period, one each at
9, 14, and 15 hours.
CONCLUSION
Given the relatively narrow target player
for Gamma Moto, its interesting to see
that none of the members of our
playtest team had much bad to say
about it and this from a team with
only eight players who describe them-
selves as baseliners. Of course, spin can
benefit any style of play, and its often
said that one of the differences between
the pros and non-pros is the amount of
spin the pros use on each and every
shot.
If youre a 3.0-and-up baseline player
looking for maximum spin and control,
and you think that Gamma Moto might
be for you, fill out the coupon to get a
free set to try.
Greg Raven
Gamma Moto 16
FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM
Gamma will send a free set of Moto 16 to USRSA members who cut out (or copy) this coupon and send it to:
Offer expires 15 May 2013 Offer only available to USRSA members in the US.
Name:
USRSA Member number:
Phone:
Email:
If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your sample will be sent.
USRSA, Attn: Gamma String Offer
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096
or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the info below to stringsample@racquettech.com
(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in paren-
theses.) For the rest of the tester comments, visit
www.racquetsportsindustry.com.
TESTERS
TALK
Impressive combination of comfort,

control, playability, and feel. The sharp
edges add bite and spin.
5.0 male all-court player using Head

Youtek Prestige Pro Midplus strung at 62
pounds LO (Head Sonic Pro 16)
This is a great option for poly players

who want maximum spin. Comfort is
above average for a poly.

3.5 male
all-court player using Prince EXO3 Blue
strung at 57 pounds CP (Genesis Black
Magic 16)
Flat serves have impressive power,

and kickers have extra spin. Volleys feel
crisp and precise.
4.5 male all-court

player using Babolat Pure Storm GT
strung at 58 pounds LO (Gamma Profes-
sional 16)
Despite being on the stiffer side, this

string has great all-around playability.
4.5 male all-court player using Babolat

Pure Drive GT strung at 56 pounds LO
(Babolat RPM Blast 17)
Finesse players or recreational female

players may not find this string very arm-
friendly. However, it would likely work
well for hard hitters in search of a longer
lasting string.
4.0 female all-court player using Prince

O3 Tour MP strung at 48 pounds CP
(Tecnifibre NRG2 16)
This string plays great in the begin-

ning. The spin-potential is very high, but
once it loses tension the playability
wanes a bit.
5.0 male all-court player

using Babolat Aero Storm Tour GT strung
at 54 pounds LO (Babolat RPM Team 16)
Impressive tension maintenance for a

poly-based string.
5.0 male all-court

player using Wilson Juice 100 strung at
55 pounds CP (Luxilon Savage/Wilson
Sensation 17/17)
I
became a USPTA Professional in
1973. At the time I took my test, I was
introduced to several pros who pre-
ceded me as certified professionals, and I
had the opportunity to confide with them
time and again to help me make sound
decisions and achieve a good work ethic.
But somewhere along the way, this men-
toring program ended.
I went on to become a Big 10 tennis
coach at Wisconsin at age 24, but I sure
could have used their guidance. I was for-
tunate, however, that fellow college
coaches were there for discussion on
common problems. But when I needed to
know about technical teaching points, I
did not have that mentor from earlier
days.
In the last 20 years, one of my men-
tors was Dave Saxe of Mukwonago, Wis.
Dave sadly passed away in November
2011. Through informal calls a few times
a week, we counseled each other, lis-
tened to each others problems, talked
about the industry and formed a bond I
miss very much. I know Dave was an
unassigned mentor to many.
Currently, neither the USPTA nor PTR
has a structured mentoring program. One
group in tennis that does, though, is the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The
ITAs executive director, David Benjamin,
says experienced college coaches partici-
pate in a monthly call-in panel that covers
a variety of subjects for younger head
coaches and assistants.
What exactly is a mentor? Simply, it
means a trusted advisor. There is no
question that most experienced pros will
help a younger pro if asked. However,
there is no disciplined setup that says,
We have to have a scheduled call and/or
meeting on a specific day. I feel that is
needed, and I would guess many tennis
organizations would like to do this, too,
but have issues with time, money, and
lack of focus.
However, if a mentoring program has
legitimacy and metrics, the time and
money will be earned back many times
over. Here are a few reasons why this
countrys teaching pro organizations
need to develop a structured mentoring
program:
w Counseling and problem-solving: A
young pro faces a problem he or she
hasnt seen before, and an experienced
pro can help walk them through a solu-
tion. Or, a mentor can simply be there
to listen and console.
w Networking: The chance to regularly
interact with others in the industry will
help young pros keep current, gain
information, discuss, laugh and feel
comfortable with others.
w Enhance social skills: Good friends in
the industry will tell you when you are
right on, or when you are off base.
When working as an industry rep, I
always appreciated a competitive rep
telling me if a customer was upset with
me, and I did the same for them.
w Career development: A mentors influ-
ence on a young pros career develop-
ment is incredibly important. There will
come a time when an aging pro can no
longer be out on court, and their value
to the club is diminished. As a mentor,
I would urge young pros to learn a sec-
ond language, be proficient in account-
ing, and take management classes so
their employer is aware of their ambi-
tion to grow and remain a vital part of
the club.
w Provide encouragement: Weve all had
setbacks. Having someone there to help
Your Serve
Mentoring for Tennis Professionals:
Where Is It?
A longtime industry pro says everyone
wins with a structured mentoring program.
BY DE NNY S CHACKT E R
Denny Schackter resides in Palatine, IL, where he is
the owner of Tennis Priorities, a firm whose focus is
recruiting young people into tennis teaching. Check
out his website www.tennispriorities.com or email
him at chibadger@aol.com.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to RSI@racquetTECH.com.
lift us up is invaluable. A mentor can do that
(and likewise, the young pro can help the
mentor in times of need). For instance, after
a teaching class where things did not go as
planned, a mentor can ID the issues, sort
out the suggestions for next time and ask
the pro to check in to see how it went. There
is nothing more valuable than that.
w Enhance listening and communication
skills: The most valuable class I took in col-
lege was a speech class. It taught us to think
quickly, wing it when not prepared, be artic-
ulate and conciseall valuable for teaching.
On the other hand, most of us are better
talkers than listeners, so having a mentor
who makes you listen can enhance that skill
in a hurry.
w Identify current and future goals: The men-
tor can help younger pros avoid mistakes
the mentor may have made earlier in his or
her career. The older pro might have more
of a crystal ball on whats in store simply
because things do tend to repeat them-
selves in our industry.
w Build passion for the profession: Most folks
would say, you either have passion or you
dont, it cant be taught. But a mentors
passion could have a positive effect on a
young pro through example. After watching
passionate pros speak at conventions and
light up a crowd, I want to go out to my
classes and do the same.
w Provide an independent voice: A mentor
can often cut through the clutter and pro-
vide a young pro with clarity in a straightfor-
ward manner.
w Eliminate bad decisions: The key here is
that the young pro needs to seek advice
before making a mistake.
In the tennis teaching world, I can see a
younger pros confidence, abilities and matu-
rity rapidly improving with the right guidance.
I hope both teaching pro organizations come
to the realization that both the mentor and
associate would benefit a great deal. w
~
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May 2013

Volume 41 Number 5 $5.00

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