Tennis Industry Magazine

Executive Point
Racquet Tech
CRAIG MORRIS
Tips to deal with
looks to focus on SHARED-HOLE
tennis consumers string patterns
Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
Industry honors
GENE SCOTT,
EVE KRAFT
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 / VOLUME 44 / NUMBER 9 / $5.00
Grand Slam
Transformation
New and improved USTA National

Tennis Center sets the standard
Plus:
New Apparel and
Shoes for Fall
TA
SP
U
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a
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o
orp
c
In
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TennisIndustry
www.tennisindustrymag.com
SEPT/OCT 2016
DEPARTMENTS
p.28
Our Serve
Letters to the Editor
Industry News
16 TIA News
18 Racquet Tech
COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF USTA
20 Retailing Tip
22 Grassroots Tennis
24 Executive Point: Craig Morris
26 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
36 Ask the Experts
38 String Playtest: Ytex Square-X
40 Your Serve, by Ed McGrogan
INDUSTRY NEWS
9
USTA names 2016 Facility Award

winners
ITHOF enshrines Henin, Safin
USPTA World Conference set for

Indian Wells
FEATURES
p.32
28 A Grand Slam
Transformation
10 US Open offers richest purse in

tennis history
With the expansion and renovation of the

USTAs National Tennis Center, the US Open
now has a home that is unrivaled in the world.
10 Cahill, Annacone join PlaySight

coaching team
10 USTA Foundation distributes
$100,000 in grants
32 Fashion Fallout
12 Renner Sports Surfaces

renovates Colorado park
Bold colors, comfortable blends: New

tenniswear to help players look their best.
13 Short Sets
14 Peoplewatch
34 Stepping Out
p.34
14 USRSA seeks associate director
The US Open is a chance for manufacturers to

build their brands with new shoes for fall.
15 TennisTrunk.com offers tennis

essentials monthly
PLUS
p.41
46
USPTA World
Conference
54
Whats Your
Job? Make
Tennis Fun!
56
Competitive
Edge: TGA
Franchise Plus
Tennis Passion
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

2 TennisIndustry
09_TI_TOC.indd 2
Sept/Oct 2016
42 CEOs Message
54 Inside Coaching
44 Vice Presidents
Message
56 Growing Your
Business
46 USPTA World
Conference
58 Career Development
60 Member News
48 Endorsement News
49 Industry News
50 USPTA News
52 Master Pro Corner
7/22/16 10:34 AM
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Our Serve
PUBLISHER
JEFF WILLIAMS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
PETER FRANCESCONI
MANAGING EDITOR
SCOTT GRAMLING
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
IAN KNOWLES
SENIOR EDITOR
ED McGROGAN
Stating the
Case for Tennis
AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, I GET AN
email or a call from someone looking

for information they can use to help
them make the case for tennis.
Often its a person from a Community Tennis Association, park and rec
association, school district or other
community group hoping to get data or
research they can present to local
officials or boards on the need for tennis courts, facility renovations, tennis
staff or programming. Or it might be
a tennis director at a country club or
commercial facility who has to report
to his or her board or management.
Even teaching pros and retailers have
been in touch about finding resources
that can help not only their businesses,
but also help to grow the game.
The common thread, of course, is
that all these groups are looking for
ways to ensure tennis remains vital in
their communities.
A lot of our colleagues in this
industrywhether you earn your living
from tennis or are a volunteercan
use information and guidance when it
comes to growing this sport at the local
level. Who should you approach? What
should your pitch be? What numbers
can you use to state the case for tennis? How can you show how important
tennis is to a community?
Many years ago, I attended the first
meeting of a Tennis Advocacy Task
Force that the USTA put together. That
turned into the USTA Advocacy Committee, which worked to state the case
for tennis in ways that ranged from
local advocacy to lobbying in Washington, D.C. In 2013, rather abruptly
and for reasons that were never really
made clear, the USTA did away with its
4 TennisIndustry
09_TI_OurServe_FINAL.indd 2
Sept/Oct 2016
staff devoted to advocacy, and with the

Advocacy Committee itself.
For those of us committed to growing the game, advocacy is what its all
about. Its time we brought this important group back.
While the Tennis Industry Association and different USTA committees
and departments all contribute to advocacy in their own ways, the fact is,
we could benefit from more coordination, and less duplication of effort. We
should be developing easily accessible
tools and resources to help state the
case for tennis that everyone involved
in this sport can use.
Lobbying for tennis on Capitol Hill
is important, but right now, we need
to focus on providing the right tools,
resources and research to help advocate for tennis in local communities
to get the two courts built in the small
town, to resurface school courts, to get
racquets into the hands of kids, to get
funding for a local tennis league.
We need to make everyone in this
sport an advocate for tennis.
Peter Francesconi
Editorial Director
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
ART DIRECTOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ
PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ROBIN BATEMAN, CYNTHIA CANTRELL,
PEG CONNOR, KENT OSWALD, CYNTHIA
SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS
WEBMASTER
GREG RAVEN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TIM McARTHUR
EDITORIAL DIRECTION
10TEN MEDIA
TENNIS INDUSTRY
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info@tennisindustrymag.com
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770-650-1102, x.125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
APPAREL ADVERTISING
CYNTHIA SHERMAN
203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Media Company, 48 W 21st
St., New York, NY 10010. Periodical postage paid in
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#004-354). Sept/Oct 2016, Volume 44, Number 9
2016 by Tennis Media Company. All rights reserved.
Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks of
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Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
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7/22/16 10:47 AM
TENNIS HAS NEVER

SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
PLAYSIGHT BEFORE
Darren Cahill
Coach of Simona Halep,

former coach of Andre Agassi
and Lleyton Hewitt
playsight.com
PS Tennis Industry-CAHILL-JAN2016.indd 1
2016-06-24 1:41 PM
Letters
The Our Serve column in the

July issue, Fishing in Profitable Waters, really hits home.
While the 10 and Under Tennis initiative has proven to be a
great investment by the USTA,
growing adult tennis participation has been challenging.
Short-court forms of racquet
sports, such as pickleball and
platform tennis, have been
experiencing faster rates of
growth throughout the country.
My view is that both of these
short-court games have an
intrinsic social value that
tennis is not providing to the
same degree. As you say, more
marketing work on the 50-plus
6 TennisIndustry
09_TI_Letters_FINAL.indd 36
Sept/Oct 2016
market might result in more

widespread tennis play and
increased social presence,
which is very important to the
baby-boomer market.
Denny Schackter
Tennis Priorities Co.
Once again, Pete Francesconi gently

points us in the right directions: Continue
youth promotions and increase promotions for the 50-plus market!
With few exceptions, most parents and
children seem to really enjoy competitive
tennis, especially at higher skill levels. We
all want this for more children, but we will
have to decide if its worth the effort and
money required to provide such to less
financially fortunate families due to the
inherent high cost of training and travel
involved with competitive tennis.
I really related to Fishing in Profitable Waters and couldnt agree more. It

brought to mind work being done by USTA
New Englands Maine Tennis Service Rep,
Eric Driscoll, developing a play method
that fits everyone, anywhere and anytime.
We just need to give these programs better marketing to get them out there and
offered as an alternative to yellow-ball,
full-court tennis.
Maine has several successful pilots in
the works; we just need visibility! Who do
we recruit? Is there a USTA database of
50-plus players, or families, that we can
unlock so we can offer them an opportunity to try out our programs?
Ron Friedman
Maine Tennis Association
We welcome your letters and opinions.

Please email comments to
info@tennisindustrymag.com
SHUTTERSTOCK
Hooking the
50-Plus Market
I believe people aged 50-plus are trying

to take better care of themselves as they
approach retirement. Modified tennis
(using shorter courts and racquets, and
low-compression balls) is the perfect sport
for new players, former players, players
with injuries and families. Its accessible,
affordable, fun, social, time-friendly, much
more attractive to new players and allows
former players to keep competing.
Its all about Red, Orange and Green
ballstheyre the new yellow when it
comes to getting people of all ages into
this great sport! I can't wait to hear what
some of my longtime colleagues have to
say about this, especially those who are
still questioning why we modified 10 and
Under Tennis.
On a separate point, I was surprised to
see in recent TIA research (2016 State of
the Industry) that African-American tennis players made up only 10 percent of all
core players. We are making inroads in
Hispanic participation, but given the many
recent African-American tennis stars, I feel
that percentage should be much higher.
Bill Ozaki
Director of Programs
& Player Development
USTA Southern
7/22/16 10:51 AM
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6/15/16 9:36 AM
IndustryNews
Information to help you run your business
USTA Names Winners

of 2016 Facility Awards
Tennis Hall of Fame

Enshrines Four
The International Tennis Hall of Fame
in Newport, R.I., inducted its 2016 class
on July 16. Enshrined in the Recent
Player category are Justine Henin of
Belgium and Marat Safin of Russia.
Enshrined in the Master Player category are the late Yvon Petra of France
and Margaret Scriven of England. Also
honored this year was Amelie Mauresmo of France, who was inducted
into the Hall of Fame in 2015 but was
unable to attend the enshrinement
ceremony due to the birth of her son.
USPTA World Conference

Set for Indian Wells
C O U RT E S Y C A N DY E R I C K S O N T E N N I S C E N T E R / U S TA
he Candy Erickson Tennis Center

in Park City, Utah, has been named
the USTAs 2016 Featured Facility,
the organizations highest facility award.
The tennis center will be honored at the
USTA Semi-Annual Meeting in September.
Opened in 2011, the Candy Erickson center (above) is part of the $11.25 million Park
City Municipal Athletic Recreation Center,
which is home to Park Citys Recreation and
Tennis Departments. The 11-court indoor/
outdoor facility includes a pro shop and
other amenities. Park City tennis currently
has six full-time certified pros and 14 parttime pros. The center also is home for the
high school boys and girls tennis teams.
Great facilities like the Candy Erickson
Tennis Center help us to grow the game
at the grassroots, said Kurt Kamperman,
the USTAs chief executive of Community
Tennis. The center has embraced many
of our tennis initiatives and kept the sport
at the forefront of its community each year.
To be considered for an award, facilities
must be under the jurisdiction of a park
and recreation department, an educational institution, a nonprofit corporation or
09_TI_IndustryNews_FINAL.indd 8
be a private or commercially owned and

operated facility that offers both USTA
and public programming designed to help
grow tennis. Other 2016 USTA Facility
Awards Program winners are:
Public CourtsSmall Tennis Centers
(2 to 10 courts): San Sebastian Tennis
Courts, San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
Public CourtsLarge Tennis Centers
(11 or more courts): Cherry Hill (N.J.)
Health & Racquet Club; Cooper Tennis
Complex, Springfield, Mo.; Henry L.
McMullen Tennis Complex, Clearwater,
Fla.; Oak Brook (Ill.) Tennis Center; Oklahoma City Tennis Center; Sound Shore
Indoor Tennis LLC, Port Chester, N.Y.;
Owensboro (Ky.) Tennis Facility
Educational Institution: McCallie
School Strang-Voges Tennis Center, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Michael & Anne Greenwood Tennis Center, Stillwater, Okla.
Private Facility: Sea Colony Tennis,
Bethany Beach, Del.
The USPTA World Conference will

be held on Sept. 25-29 at the Hyatt
Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa
in California. This year, the Buying
Show will be held at the start of the
conference, on Monday, Sept. 26,
from 5 to 10 p.m. The Awards Lunch
will be held on Sept. 27.
Presenters will include Hank
Pfister, Paula Scheb, Stan Oley, Jeff
Salzenstein, Pat Shields, Jeff Gearheart, Scott Schultz, Craig Jones,
Martin Blackman, Kurt Kamperman,
Craig Morris, Peter Burwash,
Michele Krause, Ajay Pant, John
Yandell, Brian Teacher, Feisal Hassan, Gerry Faust and Bob Patterson,
among others. A panel discussion
moderated by Todd Martin will
include Rosie Casals, Lindsay
Davenport and Pam Shriver.
For more information or to
register, visit uspta.org.
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 9
7/22/16 11:15 AM
IndustryNews
Cahill, Annacone Join
PlaySight Coaching Team
otal prize money for the 2016

US Open is a record $46.3 million, making it the richest purse
in tennis history. The $4 million increase in prize money represents a 10
percent boost from last years event,
which saw Novak Djokovic and Flavia
Pennetta win singles titles. This years
singles champions will earn $3.5 million, the largest payout in tournament
history. Singles players who lose in the
first round will earn $43,300.
Both the mens and womens
doubles champion teams will earn
$625,000, also the highest purse in US
Open history. The US Open Qualifying
Tournament will offer more than $1.9
million in prize money.
This years US Open, held from
Aug. 29 to Sept. 11, will feature a number of facility upgrades, including a
retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium, a new Grandstand Stadium and
a redesigned southern campus to ease
accessibility throughout the site.
10 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
Ball Machine Updates

In the July Guide to Ball Machines
chart, a price was incorrect for one of the
Sports Tutor models. The manufacturer
suggested retail price for Sports Tutors
Wilson Portable should be $1,145.
For Playmate, the toll-free number
should be 800-776-6770.
For Spinfire USA, the correct contact
information should be 888-244-0003
and www.spinfireusa.com.
USTA Foundation Distributes

$100,000 from Chase
The USTA Foundation has partnered with
longtime US Open sponsor Chase for the
third consecutive year to award 10 National
Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters
with $10,000 grants. The money will go
toward year-round tennis and education programming to engage kids in the A.C.E. (Academic Creative Engagement) curriculum.
In July, Chase also helped each NJTL grant
recipient host a #ReturnTheServe Fun Day,
which included a variety of tennis-related
activities for the youth participants of the
NJTL programs, along with their families.
NJTL chapters receiving $10,000 grants
are: A's and Aces, New Orleans; Youth
Tennis Advantage, San Francisco; Dallas
Tennis Association, Addison, Texas; MaliVai
Washington Youth Foundation, Jacksonville,
AP
US Open
Offers Richest
Purse in Tennis
History
World-renowned tennis coaches

Darren Cahill and Paul Annacone have
joined PlaySight as the new heads of the
Coaching and Player Development team.
Cahill and Annacone will assist with the
creation of instructional content for PlaySight users and tennis players.
In addition, the former ATP pros will
oversee the development of a PlaySight
coaching curriculum, using SmartCourt
video and analytics technology to work
with tennis players of all ages and abilities
around the world. Annacone and Cahill
will also advise PlaySight in the rollout of
SmartCourts across key collegiate, club,
federation and tournament locations.
Playsight recently announced a partnership with the USTA that will bring SmartCourts to the USTA National Campus
and will provide the USTA Player Development and its coaches and players with
cutting-edge technology and tools. Visit
PlaySight.com for more information.
7/22/16 11:15 AM
PTR-Sept-Oct-2016.qxp_Layout 1 7/12/16 9:47 AM Page 1
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Sept 3
Sept 9
Sept 10
Sept 16
Sept 16
Oct 4
Oct 8
Oct 28
Oct 29
Nov 5
Nov 12
Nov 16
Dec 3
Sept 2
Sept 9
Sept 15
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Nov 11
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Bannockburn, IL
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11 to 17
Sept 10
Sept 10
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Oct 1
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Reston, VA
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Atlanta, GA
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Miami, FL
Edwards, CO
Cincinnati, OH
Scituate, MA
Cypress, TX
Orlando, FL
Irving, TX
Peachtree City, GA
Senior Development
Oct 21
Oct 22
Nov 5
Nov 12
Nov 19
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November 3-4, 2016

Limited space Call 843-785-7244
For the complete list of PTR workshops, call or visit
843-785-7244 www.ptrtennis.org
IndustryNews
Fla.; New York Junior Tennis & Learning,
Woodside, N.Y.; Portland After-School Tennis
& Education, Portland, Ore.; LA 84 Southern
California Tennis Association NJTL, Los Angeles; Metropolitan Tennis & Education Group,
Upper Marlboro, Md.; The ACE Project, Riverdale, Ill.; and Houston Tennis Association.
Dicks Sporting Goods Acquires

Sports Authority Name
Renner Sports Surfaces

Renovates Colorado Park
enner Sports Surfaces of Denver recently completed the renovation of four

asphalt tennis courts and a basketball court at Meadowwood Park in
Aurora, Colo., rebuilding them with a post-tensioned concrete overlay.
Renner rebuilt the badly cracked, undersized courts and expanded them to 14 feet
wide, regraded for proper slope, installed new fencing to handle 90 M.P.H. wind
loads and added new LSI Courtsider XL lighting and a Bakko practice wall. RSS
Acrylic Color was used for the playing surfaces, which also have blended lines.
C O U RT E S Y R E N N E R S P O RT S S U R FA C E S
Dicks Sporting Goods recently paid

$15 million at auction for the Sports
Authority brand name as well as additional intellectual property. Dicks also
paid an additional $8 million to take over
31 Sports Authority store leases. The intellectual property reportedly includes SAs
website, SportsAuthority.com, a loyalty
program with 28.5 million members, and
a list of 114 million customer files.
The purchases need to be approved by
the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington,
Del., which is where Sports Authority filed
for Chapter 11 in March. Going-out-ofbusiness sales have been taking place at
Sports Authoritys 450 stores since May.
12 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
7/22/16 11:15 AM
IndustryNews
Short Sets
The 10th annual IART symposium will be held on Sept. 23-27
in Chicago and will offer six continuing education credits for
USPTA members and 10 credits
for PTR members for attending the entire conference. Day
passes also are available. The
Sept. 23 kickoff will be at the
Wilson Global Headquarters.

For details and to register go to
iartsymposium.com or contact
tim@gssalliance.com.
Eight players will represent
the U.S. in the 2016 Paralympic
Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
Sept. 9-16. The mens team
will be Jon Rydberg and Steve
Baldwin; the womens team
will feature Emmy Kaiser, Dana

Mathewson and Kaitlyn Verfuerth; and the quad team will
consist of David Wagner, Nick
Taylor and Bryan Barten. Dan
James is the USTAs U.S. national
wheelchair tennis team coach.
U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary
Joe Fernandez and USTA Player
Development Head of Mens
Tennis Jay Berger were named

as womens and mens coaches
for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Tennis Team, which competed in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 6-14.
Nike has created the NikeCourt x Roger Federer collection featuring off-court apparel
and footwear. Visit nike.com/
nikelab for more info.
Sportsmens Receives $225,000

Grant from Boston Foundation
Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center
has been awarded a $225,000 grant by the
Boston Foundation. The grant will partially
fund Match Point, Sportsmen's signature
community outreach program, into 2019.
Through Match Point, and with funding
from the Boston Foundation, Sportsmen's
has partnered with dozens of nearby schools
and community organizations to provide
school-based and out-of-school tennis
instruction since 2008. The most recent
grant will be used to expand Match Point,
which includes work with high-risk youth.
Inaugural PTR Tennis Tech

Conference on Hilton Head
The PTRs inaugural Tennis Technology

Conference and Expo, dedicated to
innovations and technology to help grow
the sport, will be held on Nov. 3-4 at the
Marriott Resort Hilton Head Island. The
conference will feature interactive sessions covering the latest in products and
software to help tennis coaches and club
directors/managers run their businesses
more effectively.
Session topics will include Software
Integration for Clubs, Digital Marketing,
Match Analysis Video Software, Teaching Apps, Green Initiatives, On-Court
Technology and Racquet Technology with
Software Integration. There will be an
opportunity to demo on court as well.
For more information about the Conference and Expo, visit ptrtennis.org.
7/22/16 11:15 AM
IndustryNews
People
Watch
Edwards recently won an

Apex Award of Excellence
for PTR TennisPro magazine.
Head racquetballer
Rocky Carson won his 12th
World Outdoor Racquetball
Championship in July in
Huntingdon Beach, Calif. He
also was part of the winning
doubles team.
Great Britian's Andy

Murray, who plays with the
Head Graphene XT Radical,
won his second Wimbledon
title in July, beating Milos
Raonic in three sets.
PTR Director of Communications and Editor Peggy
Tennis coach Bruce

Wright, Ph.D., passed away
June 21 in Sarasota, Fla., at
age 72. Wright taught at
the U.S. Naval Academy,
MIT and the U.S. Military
Academy, and worked at
Harvard. During his career,
he worked with Stan Smith,
Virginia Wade and Tim
Gullikson, among others.

Wright produced the
Tennis Rocks CD, a
collection of tennis-themed
songs he composed and
performed. He also was the
owner/director of Bio-Tennis
Sports Science.
Bruce Littrell, who served
as USTA director of professional officiating and as
the chief umpire at the US
Open, passed away in early
July in Orlando, Fla.
Shelby Payne is the new
production coordinator for
the Intercollegiate Tennis
Association. A principal
role will be as the liaison to
FloTennis.
USRSA Seeks
Associate
Director
he USRSA is accepting
applications for the position of
Associate Director, located in
its Birmingham, Ala., headquarters.
Candidates should be USRSA certified
as a Master Racquet Technician (or be
ready to qualify as an MRT within three
months) and possess great customer
service skills. A working knowledge of
computers is required. Applicants must
possess good communication skills
and have the ability to lead and direct
others. Send cover letter and resume to
USRSA Executive Director Bob
Patterson at bob@racquettech.com.
For more information

on becoming an
authorized retailer or
for more information on
our coaches programs,
please email our VP of
Sales & Marketing,
Ben Hurtuk, at
ben@athleticdna.com.
FALL
&
WINTER
14 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
C O U RT E S Y H E A D ( PA G E 14 ) ; T E N N I S T R U N K . C O M ( PA G E 1 5 )
COLLECTION
7/22/16 11:22 AM
WTT Smash Hits

Returns to Las Vegas
Subscription
Box Delivers
Tennis Essentials
Monthly
ennisTrunk.com is a subscription service that sends a box of

tennis essentials to tennis players doorsteps every month. Products
can include balls, wristbands, overgrips, sunblock, socks, protein bars,
electrolytes and more.
TennisTrunk.com was started by
Andres Vallejo, a tennis teaching pro
at the Weston Hills Country Club in
Weston, Fla., who was frustrated one
day by not having tennis balls on hand
when he wanted to play. Later that
day, I got an email from Dollar Shave
Club notifying me that my razors were
on the way, then it hit me, he says. I
decided to create a subscription box
for tennis players. I wanted players to
have an experience every time they
opened their box. Its like getting a
surprise in the mail every month.
The cost for the service is $34.99,
shipping included, with a month-tomonth plan; prices decrease depending on the number of months in the
plan. Users also can skip a renewal or
cancel a subscription at any time.
My goal is to motivate people to
play more tennis, Vallejo says. Our
subscribers tell us they get excited to
play tennis every time they receive
their box and it has made them play
more tennis every month. Visit
TennisTrunk.com for more info.
World TeamTennis Smash Hits, the

annual charity event co-hosted by Billie
Jean King and Sir Elton John, returns to
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Oct. 10.
Headliners on the court this year will be
John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Martina
Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport. The
action will begin at 7 p.m. on a speciallyconstructed tennis court in the valet
parking lot.
The 2015 Las Vegas debut of WTT
Smash Hits at Caesars Palace raised more
than $1 million for the Elton John AIDS
Foundation. Ticket prices and packages
range from $55 to $500. Visit WTTSmashHits.com or call 866-320-9763.
Zero Poly Trend Gains

Momentum, says Ashaway
Ashaway Vice President Steve Crandall says a trend toward zero poly
monofilament strings is gaining
momentum among tournament and
other high-end players.
More and more high-end players are
coming to realize they can get equal,
if not better, performance from newer
zero poly monofilament alternatives,
along with better feel, better playability, and reduced risk of injury, says
Crandall, who helps lead one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the U.S.
In terms of spin generation, Crandall
points to technical reports by physicist
Rod Cross and Tennis Warehouse
University's Crawford Lindsay, which
demonstrate that topspin is generated
not by the stiffness of a string material, but by the string's ability to move
laterally and snap back when striking
the ball, characteristics shared by nonpoly alternatives such as Ashaways
MonoGut ZX strings. MonoGut ZX, says
Crandall, can generate almost as much
spin as poly, but with more power. Not
to mention that it plays softer and
offers better feel.
For more information, visit
ashawayusa.com.
USRSA Announces
New MRTs and CS
Master Racquet Technicians
Anthony NazzaroShenorock, N.Y.
Marco CommuzzoSan Luis Obispo, Calif.
Certified Stringer
Matt DeratnayToronto, Canada
7/22/16 11:16 AM
Equipment Survey
Brings Out Retail Issues
REGISTER FOR 2017
The TIA will present the

fourth annual Tennis
Owners & Managers
(T.O.M.) Conference
March 27-29 at Rosen
Shingle Creek (above),
a 230-acre resort in Orlando, Fla., complete with world-class amenities and
cutting-edge technology.
The T.O.M. Conference will focus on addressing the needs of all types of tennis
facilitiespublic, commercial, private, country clubs, resortsas the tennis
industry looks to the future and to innovative business models that will help to
increase tennis engagement and growth at the facility and club level. The event
will bring together leading experts in facility management and development,
programming, staffing, technology, and other key areas to provide vital information.
The 2017 conference in Orlando also
ORLANDO 2017
will include a site tour of the USTA
National Campus at Lake Nonathe
new Home of American Tenniswith
its 102 courts. For more information
on the conference and to register, visit TheTOMConference.com or contact
info@tennisindustry.org or 866-686-3036.
T.O.M. CONFERENCE
March 27-29 in Orlando
TIA Educational Webinar

Series Continues to Grow
Through July, nearly
series for its coach
1,500 people had
development.
registered for a
The series will
webinar in the TIAs
continue
with added
LEARNING SERIES
series of educational
webinars, including
webinars which ran through August. a how to series from different tennis
The recorded webinars are available manufacturers that will include topics
online at TennisIndustry.org/webinars. on how to stock, demo and sell tennis
The PTR and USPTA are offering equipment.
continuing education credits for those
For more information and to register
who attend the webinars, and Tennis for future webinars, visit TennisIndustry.
Australia is promoting the TIA webinar org/webinars.
WEBINAR
16 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
Since 2008, the business of tennis has felt the lingering

sting of the recession. In particular, trends in the
equipment category show troubling erosion on both the
wholesale and retail sides of the racquet marketplace.
The TIA has formed a task force with major brands
to help address issues and challenges, and a special
series of consumer studies has been commissioned,
with the first survey already producing some
important findings.
From 2008 to 2015, total U.S. wholesale racquet units
fell 39% and youth racquet units sank 47%. Racquet
shipment units under $50 wholesale also dropped
44% between 2008 to 2015. On a more positive note,
high-end racquets ($50 and above wholesale) have
held fairly stable over this period, decreasing 6%.
Contributing to these issues in the wholesale market
are changes among distribution channels, with U.S.
racquet shipments at mass merchants and sporting
goods chains plunging 47% and 40% from 2008 to
2015, respectively.
Likewise, the U.S. retail sporting goods landscape
has seen a recent shake-up after several large
companies shut their doors. Tennis pro specialty
retailersdespite not experiencing the level of decline
in racquet shipments that sporting chains have felt
nonetheless have seen a 23% fall in racquet shipments
from 2008 to 2015.
In 2007, tennis consumers on average purchased
one racquet every 3.7 years; in 2015, this increased
to one racquet purchase every 6.4 years. The number
of new models continues to expand, from roughly 100
models in 2000 to 200 in 2015.
Half of all players disposable income is unchanged
in the past year, with 60% expecting it to remain at
similar levels in the next year. Players also appear
unimpressed with the technological innovation in
equipment, as 62% stated there has not been any
innovation or improvement in the past five years that
has encouraged more tennis play or improved their
playing experience.
Research also shows that as players age, they hold
onto their racquet longer, a concern given the aging
base of players. When considering expenditures,
players place the highest priority on shoes, followed by
racquets, clothing and membership dues.
The TIA will continue to lead special consumer
studies in equipment and participation categories to
gain greater insight and spur action into improving
market conditions.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
NYC Meetings to Highlight Issues in Tennis Marketplace

The ninth annual TIA Tennis Forumwith a focus on addressing the current marketplace, outlining industry
TENNIS FORUM
efforts under way, and presenting the latest news and trendswill be held on Monday, Aug. 29, at the Grand
Hyatt New York City, starting at 8:30 a.m. The Forum will be followed on Tuesday by a roundtable working
session to examine ways to better engage consumers in an age of disruption that is impacting industry businesses,
manufacturers and retailers. For both events, attendees must register at TennisIndustry.org.
The Forum will include the latest on tennis participation
and consumer research, equipment sales data, grassroots
initiatives, updates from the USTA, and more. Registered
attendees will receive a copy of the 16-page 2016 TIA
Dan OConnor, the founder and CEO of RetailNet Group,
State of the Industry report. In addition, the TIA will
a leading advisory and insights firm that works with
present a Tennis & Technology focus highlighting many
large-scale retailers and brand leaders worldwide, will
innovative products on the market. The Forum will also
lead the roundtable discussion on Tuesday, Aug. 30,
include a ceremony honoring the 2016 inductees into the
on engaging consumers in todays retail environment.
Tennis Industry Hall of Fame: Eve Kraft and Eugene Scott
RNGs clients include Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and
(see page 26).
Home Depot, among others.
The roundtable on Tuesday, Aug. 30, will be facilitated
OConnor is the founding dean of the Retail
by retail expert Dan OConnor (right), the founder and
Leadership Program, an executive program at UCLA,
CEO of RetailNet Group. Discussion will focus on how to
MIT and Stanford for rising retail leaders from more
engage consumers in the age of Amazon and online retailer
than 50 countries. In addition, he is a frequent guest lecturer for major retail
disruption and what new business models may be explored
and brand marketing association meetings globally. Most recently, OConnor
for this industry and its businesses to thrive.
was named a 2017 Fellow with Harvards Advanced Leadership Initiative.
Retail Expert to Lead Roundtable
He also serves as a managing director at Front 4 Ventures, a consumer,

media and marketing services advisory and investment firm, and he has
extensive experience serving on boards of directors for companies such
as Daymon Worldwide and publicly-traded firms such as Coinstar, Emak
Worldwide and DemandWare, as well as on the board of Premier Retail
Networks, a division of Thomson. DemandWare is a cloud-based software
platform provider that powers digital commerce for some of the worlds
most successful retail bands, including Panasonic, Lands End, and Adidas.
Space is limited for the Aug. 30 roundtable, so registration (open only for
manufacturers and retailers) is mandatory.
Visit TennisIndustry.org.
2016 TIA/PAC Participation Report Available to Members

The TIA, in partnership with the Physical Activity Council (PAC), has released the 2016 Tennis Industry Association
Participation Report, which examines tennis participation trends, play frequency, participant profiles, venue
information, tennis business spending, fitness & health, tennis fans, cross participation in other sports, and
more. The tennis survey is part of an overall PAC online study of more than 100 different sports
and activities during 2015.
Some of the top-line survey results have already been reported (see 2016 State of the
Industry in the July issue of Tennis Industry), but the full 20-page report dives deeper into many
areas vital for tennis businesses. The 2016 Participation Report is available to TIA members at the
Associate level and above. Email research@TennisIndustry.org.
The TIA also has been working in partnership with the International Tennis Federation to measure
the global tennis marketplace, including participation and play frequency in countries around the
world and global shipments of racquets, balls and tennis strings in 26 countries, as well as track
participation in 20 nations. The 2016 Global Tennis Marketplace Report will be produced to provide a
top-line summary on tennis participation and shipment trends and provide valuable research to help
identify growth of initiative efforts. For more information, email research@tennisindustry.org.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 17
Racquet Tech
Use Care When Sharing
All stringers have to deal with shared-hole

string patterns. Here are some tips to help.
Plan ahead so
strings through
shared holes lie
parallel on the
outside of the
frame.
n the days of wood racquets, shared

holes for main and cross strings
were common. The fewer holes
drilled into the wood frame, the stronger it remained. With the emergence
of stronger frame materials, though,
shared holes all but disappeared.
In recent years, however, theres been
a resurgence of shared holes in racquets
as manufacturers are using various
string patterns and string spacing to
enhance features like spin, control,
comfort and power. Even on strings
without a shared-hole pattern, you will
always have to "share" a hole when tying
off. Two common problems you may
encounter with a shared-hole pattern
18 TennisIndustry
09_TI_RacquetTech_FINAL.indd 18
Sept/Oct 2016
are crossovers on the outside of the

frame and, quite simply, trying to fit two
strings into one space.
Most shared holes may have a larger
grommet to accommodate both strings,
but others have double grommets in
one hole or a grommet barrel divided
either completely or partially. With all
of these, though, its important to plan
ahead to avoid crossovers. If the mains
arent installed properly, you wont be
able to install the crosses without having a crossover.
If you have two shared holes on one
side of the frame, make sure the main
string is in the same section of both. In
other words, the string should go from
the bottom of one to the bottom of the

next, or top-to-top, so the strings lie
parallel on the outside of the frame.
Otherwise, it will create a crossover
when the cross strings are installed. In
some cases the notes in the Stringers
Digest will instruct you if the manufacturer designates a certain order for the
strings, meaning the top or bottom of
the grommet.
Fitting the second string through
a shared hole can be frustrating. All
stringers eventually encounter a
shared-hole pattern that sends a seemingly simple string job into double
overtime. Here are a few tricks to make
the process easier.
PHOTOS BY BOB PATTERS ON/USRSA
By Bob Patterson
7/22/16 11:26 AM
With shared holes,

pull the second
string slowly to avoid
burning the string.
Pull your second string slowly. When

installing a string into a grommet hole
already occupied, you risk burning the
string if you pull too quickly. Applying
a small amount of wax to the first 6 to 8
inches of string will reduce friction.
Keep your string tip sharp. String
tips wear quickly during installation,
especially coreless synthetics and natural
gut. Working with a frazzled tip can really
slow you down. Keep cutters handy to
maintain a sharp string tip.
Harden the string. On softer strings,
some stringers add a dab of glue, lacquer
or clear nail polish (allow adequate drying
time) to keep fibers from unraveling or
mushing.
As a last resort, use a waxed awl to
carefully enlarge the hole. This flattens
the grommet material around the hole to
give the extra room you need. Use only
a blunt-tipped awl and wax the tip. You
dont want to damage the string already
in place.
09_TI_RacquetTech_FINAL.indd 19
7/22/16 11:26 AM
Retailing Tip
Service With a Smile

Hiring customer-service naturals will help drive sales and
build shopper loyalty. By Jay Townley
20 TennisIndustry
08_TI_RetailingTip_FINAL.indd 20
Sept/Oct 2016
education takes over. Make sure to

focus on these five fundamentals:
Greeting customers: Your sales
associates need to be sincerely interested in helping, including guiding

customers to products without being
overbearing or intrusive.
Maintaining a smileand meaning
it: Its always been about being friendly,

approachable and understanding the
customer. A natural smile goes a long
way to closing a sale.
Listening: Your store employees
need to listen to customers to find out

what they are looking for, or need for
their games or lifestyle.
Ask questions: Sales associates
should always be respectful, but they

must also ask intelligent questions
to find out what customers want and
need, and to match players with products that can help them improve.
Suggesting tennis-lifestyle
solutions: Salespeople need to develop

ideas and solutions that are appropriate for the customers wallet and
consistent with what theyve expressed
as their expectations. Your employees'
knowledge is their greatest asset.
Your tennis retail business cant
afford sales associates who arent naturals at delivering customer service.
Jay Townley is a partner in the retail
consulting firm Gluskin Townley Group
(www.gluskintownleygroup.com).
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
n 2012, Walmart decided to do away

with its door greetersa feature
that founder Sam Walton had
instituted decades earlier. Evidently,
the bean counters thought that greeting
people with a smile as they entered the
store was an unnecessary expense.
But this past May, after a pilot program, Walmart announced the return of
its friendly greeters, becausesurprise,
surprisethe company found they
make shoppers feel welcome! What
Sam Walton knew a long time ago was
that a sincere smile goes a long way to
helping drive business and sales, and
building customer loyalty.
For a local tennis shop, this should
be a no-brainer. Consumers want and
expect great retail-store experiences,
and those start with a friendly greeting
by employees. Retailers should hire
sales associates who want to sincerely
servea personal touch that online
retailers and many big-box stores
simply cant match.
Your staff should include customerservice naturals, sales associates who
are hardwired to help, are naturally
cheerful and comfortable around others, and genuinely want to help shoppers. This may mean rethinking some
of your usual hiring practices.
For instance, as a tennis retailer, its
tempting to hire someone who is a great
player because they know the game and
the equipment. But that may not translate to exemplary customer service,
and may not be well-suited for a retail
environment. The player may even feel
uncomfortable dealing with shoppers.
To help you screen job applicants,
online customer-service assessments
are available at very reasonable costs,
which are invaluable in todays job
market. Of course, once you hire sales
associates, your in-store training and
7/22/16 11:30 AM
TI MAG AD pg.indd 2
5/26/16 12:53 PM
Grassroots Tennis
Play It Forward!
CTAs, public parks, schools and NJTLs
are on the front lines when it comes to
growing our sport in communities.
CARIBBEAN
SOUTHWEST
Life, and Tennis, On the Border

On the U.S.-Mexico border, theres
a town called Nogales, Ariz., with a
population of 22,000. Just across the
line to Mexico is Nogales, Sonora, with
a population of more than 400,000.
Now, a bi-national organization is
looking to improve the lives of the
youngsters who live in both cities
through tennis, education and crossborder interaction.
Called BYTEBorder Youth Tennis
Exchangethe NJTL has been developing partners on both sides of the line,
including USTA Southwest, the USTA
Southern Arizona district, the University of Arizona and the Green Valley
(Ariz.) Tennis Association.
Charlie Cutler founded BYTE late
last year. Originally from Portland,
22 TennisIndustry
09_TI_Grassroots_FINAL.indd 17
Sept/Oct 2016
Ore., Cutler is a former pro player who

was ranked as high as No. 1420 on the
ATP tour. He has a masters degree
in International Human Rights and
started teaching tennis in Nogales after
he took an internship there with the
nonprofit Border Community Alliance. Now, BYTE is an NJTL from
all aspectsthe tennis aspect and the
educational aspect, Cutler says. Weve
begun to create a mirror curriculum on
both sides of the border.
I think the most important question
this project asks is, how do we want
to interact as countries? The answer
would probably be to find a way to
connect on a human level, connect the
communities that are in the trenches
dealing with these issues.
Nearly 200 youngsters ages 8 to 12

came out for the USTA Caribbean Sections Mini Tennis Tour stop in late
May at the Honda Tennis Center in
Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The fun-filled
event had the kids playing tennis on
shorter courts, using Red, Orange and
Green balls and shorter, age-appropriate racquets. Kids 8 and under played
with the Red ball, those 8 to 10 years
old used the Orange ball and those 10 to
12 used the Green dot ball.
The Bayamon event was the third of
five Mini Tennis Tour stops for 2016.
The remaining venues will be the San
Francisco Tennis Club in San Juan in
September and the Mayaguez Racquet
Tennis Club in November.
Similar to Play Days, Mini Tennis
Tour events are one-day tournaments
organized by the Puerto Rico District.
We started these eight or 10 years
ago, but its evolved quite a bit, so now
we try to organize them by beginner,
intermediate and advanced levels, says
Monica Carrasquillo, the youth tennis
manager for USTA Caribbean Section.
For many kids, its their first experience playing tennis.
Were very excited. Now, many kids
know what the Mini Tennis Tour is and
are excited to be a part of it.
COURTESY USTA SOUTHWEST (LEFT)/USTA CARIBBEAN (RIGHT)
Kids Join Mini-Tennis

Tour in Puerto Rico
7/22/16 11:31 AM
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5/26/16 2:27 PM
Executive Point
Craig Morris
The USTAs general manager of Community Tennis &

Youth Tennis talks about growing the sport, focusing on
the customer and maintaining a passion for tennis.
"Getting young
adults back into
the sport is critical
for growth," says
Morris.
24 TennisIndustry
09_TI_Executive_FINAL.indd 18
Sept/Oct 2016
director of participation. Based out of the USTA

National Campus in Orlando, Fla., Morris will
oversee the day-to-day operations of all areas of
Community Tennis and Youth Tennis, including Tennis on Campus, Adult Tennis and more.
Tennis Industry recently caught up with Morris
for a few questions and answers.
COURTESY USTA
ast November, the USTA hired Craig

Morris as general manager of Community Tennis and Youth Tennis. Morris, who
reports to Kurt Kamperman, USTA chief executive of Community Tennis and USTA National
Campus, comes to the organization after many
years with Tennis Australia, most recently as its
7/22/16 11:31 AM
Tell us about your new role. What

drew you to this job?
My role includes overseeing the

development and implementation of
all community tennis, with an emphasis on youth, which is critical to growing the sport. To make tennis accessible
and get more people playing the game,
we need to invest in both youth and
adult tennis.
As to what drew me to the job, it was
really the opportunity to take my learnings from Australia and bring them
to the U.S., adapting and modifying
what I learned there to establish that
same growth here. The health of tennis
internationally is heavily influenced by
the health of tennis in the U.S. Being a
passionate tennis person, I want to see
tennis thrive in the U.S. and, ultimately,
internationally. The U.S. market is key
to that success.
What are your top priorities?
One major focus is the youth market.

There has been great work the last
several years with the introduction of
10 and Under Tennis. Ultimately, we
want to sell tennis to American
families, particularly with young kids,
and get them involved in the sport in a
way they havent before. The priority
is to align all of our efforts and connect
the dots to focus on the consumer.
You had great success in Australia

bringing kids into the game. What
strategies will you use to increase
junior participation in the U.S.?
We had a junior program called Hot
Shots that was a tremendous success, with more than 10 percent of
the Australian population ages 5 to
12 registered in tennis programs. The
strategies I am looking to bring to the
U.S. are customer-focused. We need
to make the sport easily accessible for
American families.
In Australia, we used a strategy of
having one brand that was designed
to inspire kids and parents. Through
that strategy, we developed one go-to
destination (website) where we were
09_TI_Executive_FINAL.indd 19
able to connect families to their local

providers. It was a big part of the
successAustralian families knew
exactly where to go when they wanted
to get their kids into tennis.
Increasing participation will be a lot
around accessibility, branding,
encouraging healthy and active lifestyles to combat childhood obesity,
and making sure people know how to
get into tennis.
coaching education. I look forward

to working with both the USPTA and
PTR around the role that coaches play
in getting more people to play tennis
more often. Coaches are often the sales
force of the sportnot only delivering lessons but also running facilities,
delivering tournaments and leagues,
etc. It is critically important that we
support coaches in what they are doing
across the industry.
Health and fitness were major

components in driving increased
tennis participation in Australia.
What are your plans in this area?
There have been a number of

initiatives to engage younger
adults in tennis. What are your
thoughts here?
With the growth of the health and
One major focus is the

youth market. There has
been great work the last
several years with the
introduction of 10 and
Under Tennis. Ultimately,
we want to sell tennis
to American families,
particularly with young
kids, and get them
involved in the sport in a
way they havent before.
fitness industry, Tennis Australia
utilized Cardio Tennis to get people
into the sport. With Cardio Tennis
initiated here in the U.S., we will be
working through strategies on how we
use Cardio Tennis and link that into the
ecosystem of all our products to send
the message that tennis is great for
health and fitness.
Will you have a role in coaching

education?
I will be working alongside Scott

Schultz, managing director of USTA
University, within USTAs role in
Getting young adults back into the

sport is critical for growth. The
under-40 market, not only as young
adults but also as young parents, is vital
for us, so we can get and retain them
in the sport as well as motivate them
to get their kids into the game. I have
been very impressed with the social
leagues, which have been driven by the
USTA Sections and different organizations. How we brand and message
that to the entire under-40 market is
currently being worked onit is a critically important audience.
Youve been on the job for several

months now. Whats impressed
you most so far?
Ive been impressed with the

enthusiasm of both the national and
Section staffs, key stakeholders and
the passion of the entire tennis
industry to ensure the sport flourishes. There is enormous opportunity,
and thats been motivating for me.
We have an amazing product that will
become more appealing to American
families. If we come together as an
industry and move in one direction,
then consumerscurrent and future
playerswill understand where
tennis is and how to access it, and
hear our fantastic message.
The passion has been overwhelming.
I look forward to the next several years
playing my part in supporting the industry and growing tennis in the U.S.
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 25
7/22/16 11:31 AM
Hall of Fame
Honoring Gene
Scott & Eve Kraft
An influential tennis journalist

and community tennis innovator
are this years inductees into the
Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.
26 TennisIndustry
09_TI_HallOfFame_FINAL.indd 36
Sept/Oct 2016
parks, thanks to group instruction,

said Anne Humes, former longtime
USTA staffer and friend of Krafts. Eve
saw that, and what she was trying to do
was emulate the Princeton tennis program [which Kraft helped to found in
1954] around the countryshe wanted
to help other communities establish
service organizations for tennis with
the idea that you could get quality
group instruction and learn the game
at affordable prices.
The late Henry Talbert described
Kraft as one of the few lonely voices
suggesting to the U.S. Lawn Tennis
Association that group instruction in
parks and playgrounds were the wave
of the future, because there were so
many people who fit that model than
there would be people who would
become champions.
In 2001, the USTA renamed its annual Community Service Award in honor
of Kraft; it is the highest award given
for community tennis and recognizes
volunteer tennis leaders for significant
contributions to tennis development in
their communities.
We are excited to have Eve Kraft
and Gene Scott as our 2016 inductees
into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame,
said TIA President Jeff Williams, the
chair of the Tennis Industry Hall of
Fame Committee. Their contributions
continue to help this sport and industry to grow, and continue to impact
peoples lives for the better.
The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
Gene Scott founded

Tennis Week magazine,
while Eve Kraft helped
spread enthusiasm for
the sport of tennis.
was created in 2008 to recognize

inventors, founders, innovators and
contributors who have made a significant impact on the sport of tennis. The
TI Hall of Fame currently has 10
inductees: Howard Head (2008),
Dennis Van der Meer (2008), Alan
Schwartz (2009), Billie Jean King
(2010), Nick Bollettieri (2011), Howard
Gill Jr. (2013), Walter Montenegro
(2013), Sheldon Westervelt (2013),
Jim Baugh (2014) and Peter Burwash
(2015). A plaque honoring the inductees is on display at the International
Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.
EVE KRAFT IMAGE: COURTESY USTA & PRINCETON TENNIS PROGRAM;
ennis journalist and player

Eugene L. Scott and community
tennis pioneer Eve F. Kraft are
the 2016 inductees into the Tennis
Industry Hall of Fame. Both will be
inducted posthumously at a ceremony
in New York during the TIA Tennis
Forum in August.
Scott, who was inducted into the
International Tennis Hall of Fame
in 2008 in the Contributor category,
was the founder, publisher and editor
of Tennis Week magazine, where his
column, Vantage Point, was considered a must-read. He ranked as high as
No. 4 in the U.S. as an amateur tennis
player in 1963 and as high as world No.
11 in 1965. He also was a member of the
U.S. Davis Cup team, where he was both
teammate and roommate to the late
Arthur Ashe. He later served as president of USTA Eastern Section, a board
member for the International Tennis
Hall of Fame and on the national board
of directors for the USTA.
Annually, the International Tennis
Hall of Fame gives the Eugene Scott
Award to honor an individual who
embodies Scotts commitment to
communicating honestly and critically
about the game, and who has had a
significant impact on the tennis world.
Scott passed away in 2006.
Kraft, who died in 1999, was a visionary when it came to bringing tennis
into local communities. In the 1960s
and 70s, tennis was starting to come
out of the country clubs and more into
G E N E S C O T T I M A G E : C O U RT E SY P O L LY S C O T T
By Peter Francesconi
7/22/16 11:33 AM
Facility Construction & Renovation
A GRAND SLAM
TRANSFOR
With the expansion and renovation of the USTAs
National Tennis Center, the US Open now has a home
that is unrivaled in the world
By Ashley Marshall
28 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
09_TI_USOpenConstruction_EM.indd 1
7/22/16 11:37 AM
ORMATION
Raise the Roof
A 270,000-squarefoot retractable roof
on Arthur Ashe
Stadium is just one
of many facility
upgrades coming to
this year's US Open.
Sept/Oct 2016
COURTESY USTA
he capstone of the $550 million expansion and renovation of

the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing
Meadows, N.Y. may be the retractable roof over Arthur Ashe
Stadium, but that enhancement only scrapes the surface of the
sweeping transformation that has taken place since construction crews first
broke ground on the 42-acre site five years ago.
The retractable roof will be fully operational for this years tournament,
putting an end to rain delays inside the largest tennis stadium in the world. But
also debuting when the tourney begins on Aug. 29 is the new 8,000-seat Grandstand located in the southwest corner of the site, along with 10 field courts that
have been rebuilt from the ground up.
The entire South Campus has been extended and improved, and fans will
benefit from a larger food court, wider walkways and more amenities than
ever before. With the completed renovations, the US Open will be able to
accommodate an additional 10,000 visitors per day, increasing overall annual
attendance by approximately 100,000.
This transformation highlights the continued growth of our sport on both
national and global levels. Its more than just an investment in the US Open,
its an investment in tennis, says USTA President and US Open Chairwoman
Katrina Adams. Were committed to promoting and developing the growth of
tennis across America, and the US Open and USTA Billie Jean King National
Tennis Center increases our visibility from coast to coast.
TennisIndustry 29
7/22/16 11:37 AM
Facility Construction & Renovation
Arthur Ashe Stadium
The new, 270,000-square-foot retractable roof is octagonal

and required more than 5,500 tons of steel. The structure
is supported by four catenary trusses, each 460 feet long,
while the opening for the retractable roof is 62,500 square
feet, making it the largest such opening of all the Grand
Slam venues.
Sitting more than 150 feet above the ground, the two
retractable panels that make up the roof weigh 1 million
pounds each. When the decision is made to close the roof,
five 30-horsepower motors turn each of the four winches
(two on each panel) to pull the roof along 27-inch wheels on
a track to the center of the stadium. It will take an estimated
500 kilowatts and five minutes to move the panels from the
30 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
Heavy Metal
The new roof on
Arthur Ashe Stadium
was built with over
5,500 tons of steel.
east and west sides of the stadium to cover the court.

A high-tech polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fabric
stretches over the frame of the roof. New LED lighting will
reduce energy costs while improving visibility, and an innovative cooling system will monitor and control humidity and
temperature.
Grandstand
Similar to Court 17, the new 8,125-seat Grandstand, relocated to the southwest side of the grounds, is sunken 10 feet
below ground level to create an intimate experience. (The
old 5,800-seat Grandstand will be used as a practice court for
this year and then demolished.)
A walkway around the upper bowl of the new Grandstand
will allow fans to move freely, and a raised viewing platform will allow spectators to watch matches on neighboring Courts 8, 9 and 10. There also are eight new concessions
stands, a picnic area and plazas surrounding the Grandstand.
Aesthetically, the design features a sun-shade canopy that
COURTESY USTA
The US Open competes in the most competitive sports

marketplace in the world and our standard is to build the
finest sports venue in New York and the best tennis facility in
the world, adds USTA Executive Director Gordon Smith. I
was a member of the USTA board when the strategic transformation was first discussed. To see it to fruition as executive director gives me great satisfaction.
The ambitious project has not only been daunting in terms
of the physical amount of work necessary, but also in terms of
logisticsthe construction site still has to host a Grand Slam
tournament every year.
Heres a closer look at how its come together:
7/22/16 11:37 AM
arcs around two-thirds of the stadium and an exterior skin pattern designed to create the perception of peering through foliage. While the structure may appear to be circular, the design
actually is a much more complex, 16-sided hexadecagon.
In order to make these projects possible, designers and
planners have leaned on technology, 3D mapping and
computer-aided design. The exterior skin features a total
of 486 panels that would run the length of 13 football fields.
Computer software was used to determine the geometry of
these panel flags and to test thousands of possible combinations to ensure the best design.
The design and build of the new Grandstand also meets
several important criteria toward LEED certification, a
U.S. Green Building Council program that recognizes best
practices. For example, the new Grandstandmade with 10
percent recycled materialwill use LED lights to reduce
energy usage by 15 percent and low-flow plumbing fixtures to
cut water use by 40 percent. In addition, storm-water runo
will be treated before being discharged, the white roof will
reflect heat to keep the stadium cool and an updated sitewide green cleaning policy will be employed.
South Campus
COURTESY USTA
When the transformation is complete, more than 85 percent of the grounds will have been renovated. As part of this
Dirt Oasis
A new, private red-clay
court located on a semiprivate island
in Miami
Braces/Supports
Beach won the ASBA's
Bronze Award.
pro-tecathletics.com
project, the sites south boundary was pushed back 30 feet.

By moving and realigning these courts, developers created a
450-foot-long, 40-foot-wide walkway between Court 17 and
the new Grandstand.
For the 2016 tournament, 10 field courts have been
completely renovated to provide more seating, ease congestion and enhance the overall fan experience. With the
exception of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong
Stadium, Court 17 and Courts 4, 5 and 6, every tournament
court has been torn up and replaced, increasing seating
capacity by 36 percent from last year.
A new seating structure at Court 12 will increase capacity
from 216 in 2015 to 1,378 this year. Courts 8, 9 and 10 in the
southwest corner will hold 20 percent more fans following
the introduction of raised seating behind the baseline, and
nearly 600 seats have been added to Courts 13, 14, 15 and 16.
Moreover, Courts 7 and 11 will each hold around 1,500 fans. A
raised walkway will connect Courts 8, 9 and 10; another will
connect Courts 13, 14, 15 and 16.
In total, 14 new food and drink stalls will opensix near
Court 12 and eight near the new Grandstand. The mini food
village by the new Grandstand will seat approximately 600
people (the existing food village seats 1,500). Court 7 will also
feature a 36-foot-long oyster bar, twice as many restrooms as
before, and four shops instead of two.
Contact us for
wholesale pricing!
Massage Therapy Kinesiology Tape Hot/Cold Therapy
800-779-3372 info@pro-tecathletics.com
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 31
7/22/16 11:37 AM
Apparel
Fashion Fallout
New tenniswear for fall includes bold and sporty colors
in comfortable blends to help players look and play their best.
Lucky in Love
Inphorm
Bolle
Tonic Tennis
LU C K Y I N LOV E K I D S.C O M
INPHORMNYC.CO
BOLLETENNISWEAR.COM
TONICACTIVE.COM
305-638-5484
2 1 4 - 74 9 - 0 3 0 0
301-362-0360
604-294-9499
Lucky in Love continues its

affair with fun, tiered skirts
that accentuate movement.
Its Life in the Fast Lane
line shows off colors of the
season in black, denim and
raspberry, including the
Twist Front Cami (suggested
retail $58) with a built-in bra
and the Bottom Line Pleated
Tier skirt ($72). Fabrication
is a poly/lycra blend.
Inphorms fall tenniswear

boasts warm hues and cute
cuts. Its best-selling
Activewear ruched cami
tank ($97.50), featured in
berry, features a feather
mesh overlay with a sideruched adjustable drawstring and built-in impact
bra. The 13-1/2 inch length
flirty flounce Activewear
skort ($92.50), featured
in black, has an edgy mesh
trim. Both pieces are a
poly-spandex blend with a
polyamide-elastane overlay.
Bolle celebrates fall with

a sporty double strap tank
($66) with contrast accents
at the sides and printed
insets, making the perfect
accent on the outer strap.
The skort ($70) sports a
pleated trim. Both pieces
are from Bolles Seraphina
group and feature a comfortable jersey/poly/spandex
fabric blend.
Martina Hingis partnered

with Canadian-based Tonic
Lifestyle Apparel a few
years ago to design its tennis
collection. Emphasizing
environmentally friendly
production, Tonic Tennis
fluid performance Dual Fit
Light fabric is composed of a
moisture-wicking poly/nylon combination in UV/UPF
50. The Point Dress ($98) is
shown in geranium.
32 TennisIndustry
09_TI_Apparel_FINAL.indd 1
Sept/Oct 2016
TONIC TENNIS PHOTO FROM THOMAS BULLOCK
By Cynthia Sherman
7/22/16 12:17 PM
Athletic DNA
AT H L E T I C D N A .C O M
470 - 2 3 6 - 2 0 0 1
Known for bold colors and

durable fabrics, Athletic
DNA made a splash in mens
clothing when Lleyton
Hewitt was one of the first
athletes to wear the line.
Theyve since expanded to
create a womens/girls line,
which includes the Mesh
Back Racerback Tank ($42
women/$40 youth) in sangria spiralgraph and the
Origami skort in dress blue
($50/$42), both comprised
of a poly/spandex blend.
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 33
7/22/16 12:17 PM
Footwear
Stepping Out
The US Open fortnight is an opportunity for manufacturers
to build their brands with new shoes for the season.
By Kent Oswald
K-Swiss
Fila
KSWISS.COM 800-938-8000
FILA.COM 800-845-FILA
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, K-Swiss dresses up its

newest shoes with collector-edition touches, including
dated lace keepers and printed text on the tongues inside.
Mens and womens shoes in special colorways include the
supportive Hypercourt (suggested retail $130), the durable
Hypercourt Express ($110) and the lightweight Bigshot
Light 2.5 ($90), which all come with a commemorative bag.
The recently revamped, lightweight, breathable and highperformance Cage Delirium line ($100) will be releasing
new colorways for the fall in both the mens (shocking
orange/Fila navy/white) and womens (dark shadow/pink
glo/royal blue) lines.
Wilson
Asics
W I L S O N .C O M 773 - 71 4 - 6 4 0 0
Getting a jump on 2017, the new Rush Pro 2.5 ($129) for
men and women will hit shelves in time for holiday
shopping and winter play. In addition to multiple vibrant
colorway options, the shoes will provide an improved feel
with no loss of stability, as well as an updated look that
includes a matte finish.
34 TennisIndustry
A S I C S A M E R I C A .C O M 8 0 0 - 678 - 9 4 3 5
The Gel-Resolution 6 ($140) gets an update for both men

and women with an extra emphasis on mid-foot support
and stability, new colorways and wide options. The mens
and womens low-profile, lightweight Gel-Solution Speed 3
lines ($130) receive extensions through new colorways and
an enhanced upper design.
Sept/Oct 2016
7/22/16 12:17 PM
Adidas
A D I D A S .C O M 97 1 - 2 3 4 - 2 3 0 0
The Stella McCartney line will be augmented in the fall with a new, elegant
Barricade Boost ($150) and women will have a new option with the comfortable, durable Adizero Ubersonic 2 ($120). New options for men include an
Energy Boost ($175) offering support, advanced kinetic technology and a
one-month comfort guarantee, and a new choice of the lightweight, stable and
supportive Adizero Ubersonic 2 ($130).
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 35
7/22/16 12:17 PM
Ask theExperts
Your Equipment Hotline
Prince stencils revisited
Q: I've been stringing since 1982, and

I disagree with the tip about Prince
stencils in Tips and Techniques in
the July issue. For years I closed the
non-ink portions, then I saw a string
job that didnt close them, and it looked
much neater to me. When I showed
both versions of the logo to my regular
Prince customers (stenciled onto two
separate frames), they also preferred
the non-filled in version.
Also, I make sure that Prince racquets over 27 inches have an arrowhead at the bottom of the P.
A: You are certainly free to express
yourself in this way if you choose.
However, if you look at the way Prince
applies ink to the strings, you will see
that there are no gaps in the P.
It is worth noting that when using
white stencil ink with dark strings, leaving black bars in the white stencil makes
it more difficult to see, and visibility is
the main purpose behind the stencil.
With the older "arrow P," we commend you for your attention to detail;
unfortunately not everyone has that
older stencil.
Which side is up?
Q: In Julys Tips and Techniques,

there was an item about directional and
non-directional racquets and which
side to tie the starting knot. Please
explain the difference between directional and non-directional racquets.
Also, how do you tell if the frame is
mounted right side up or upside down?
A: Bob Patterson explained the differ-
36 TennisIndustry
09_TI_AskExperts_FINAL.indd 38
Sept/Oct 2016
ence between directional and nondirectional racquets in the Racquet

Tech article Following Directions in
the June issue. The item in Julys Tips
and Techniques was an expansion on
that original article, and included some
peculiarities about two-piece stringing
of these directional frames.
Directional racquets require the
strings be installed in a specific manner, whether to permit stringing in
specially configured racquets (such
as the Wilson T series, Wilson Rollers
series, Prince O-port frames, etc.) or to
match special features (such as in wood
frames, some new Babolat frames,
newer Donnay frames, new Dunlop
frames, new Pacific frames, etc.).
Non-directional racquets have more
traditional design, grommets and
bumper guards, which allow for greater
flexibility in string installation.
Essentially, right side up is the
way you normally mount the racquet
for stringing, assuming you always
mount the racquet the same way each
time. Upside down would then be
when you mount the racquet with what
would normally be your top side
down. Which side is up is not a major
issue with non-directional racquets,
but it definitely can be an issue with
directional frames.
For example, if your custom is to
mount frames so the manufacturer logo
on the butt cap is facing up, and then as
part of your process always tie the starting knot for the crosses on the left side
of the racquet (at the top, of course),
then you may wish to make an exception
when stringing Prince O-port frames,
many of which have to be mounted with
the manufacturer logo on the butt cap
upside down to allow you to proceed
with the crosses with the starting knot
on the left. The alternative would be
to mount the racquet with the butt cap
logo facing up, which then places the
starting knot on the right side.
It is up to you whether it is easier to
mount this frame (and other similarly configured frames) upside down
to preserve your normal method of
approaching the installation of the
crosses, or if it is easier to mount the
frame with the butt cap logo facing up,
and then start the crosses backwards

from what you are used to.
The point of all this is that you now
have to pay attention to bumper guard
and/or grommet features that may have
directional aspects, even though they
seem conventional at first glance. The
Notes section of the stringing instructions in the Stringers Digest will let you
know if a frame is directional.
Stringing programs
Q: Are there any programs that track

customer restringing?
A: There are a number of stringing

software programs available, but well
mention just a couple here. StringJob
(www.StringJob.com) is a program
developed by stringer and computer
software expert Matt Colton. This is a
web-based program, which means your
records are not stored on your computer
unless you copy them to your local disk.
New racquets will automatically appear
in the drop-down menus without you
having to enter them. There are three
subscription levels, ranging from free to
up to $20 per month.
RacquetRecord (www.racquetquest.
com) is a program developed by MRT
and former TI Stringer of the Year John
Gugel and comes in Mac and PC versions. There is a demo version to try free
for 10 days; the unlocked version is $79.
Babolat is working to have its My Play
Point and Racquet Station systems available by the end of the year. You can read
more details about this in New Concept
in Racquet Service in the February 2016
issue of Tennis Industry magazine.
We encourage anyone who offers
racquet-stringing software to contact
us at greg@racquettech.com.
Please send questions to Tennis Industry,
48 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10010;
or email greg@racquettech.com.
7/22/16 12:20 PM
monogut-advert-update.pdf
28/03/2016
20:44
IS
N
I
N
N TEN .
O
I
.
T
.
T
Y
U
N
L
G
E
O
O
V
M
L
E
A
O
L
R
I
A NOF ECHN
MO ING T
STR
MonoGut ZX
MonoGut ZX
MonoGut ZX Pro
CM
MY
CY
CMY
ZERO POLYESTER
DYNAMIC SOFT POWER
1.27
mm
16 gauge
40 ft 360 ft
set
reel
ZERO POLYESTER
DYNAMIC SPIN
720ft
reel
1.22
mm
17 gauge
40 ft 360 ft
set
reel
720ft
re e l
Dynamic stiffness of Zyex polymer provides playability similar to natural gut

Absence of polyester increases power and decreases string bed stiffness
Superior elongation increases resiliency and control of the ball
Zyex is a registered trademark of Zyex Limited
w w w. a s h a w a y u s a . c o m
8 0 0 - 5 5 6 - 7 2 6 0
String Playtest
On the Court
In the Lab
tex Square-X is a square profile

monofilament string containing
co-polymer, carbon and polyolefin that is finished using a Thermo
Foil Cooling Process. Ytex claims that
where the mains and crosses contact,
the two flat surfaces increase durability,
eliminate notching and allow the string
to return to the neutral position after
impact with the ball.
Ytex tells us that because Square-X
measures 1.20 mm across the flat sides,
it plays like a much thinner string,
increasing power and control.
Ytex Square-X is designed for players who love poly and co-poly but are
looking for a softer string that is easy
on the arm.
Square-X is available in 16L (1.25
mm) in black or white. It is priced from
$5.50 for 40-foot sets (retail $8.50),
and $64 for reels of 660-foot (retail
$99). For more information or to order,
contact Ytex at 843-816-1440, or visit
ytexstrings.com. Be sure to read the
conclusion for more information about
getting a free set to try for yourself.
38 TennisIndustry
Sept/Oct 2016
09_TI_StringPlaytest_FINAL.indd 36
We tested the 16L-gauge Square-X Black.

The coil measured 40 feet, 8 inches. The
diameter measured 1.24 mm prior to
stringing and 1.22 mm after stringing.
We recorded a string-bed stiffness of 77
RDC units immediately after stringing
at 60 pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95
racquet (16 x 18 pattern) on a constantpull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 73 RDC units,
representing a 5 percent tension loss.
Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut
Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC
units immediately after stringing and 71
RDC units after 24 hours, representing
a 9 percent tension loss. In lab testing,
Prince Synthetic Gut Original had a stiffness of 217 and a tension loss of 11.67
pounds, while Ytex Square-X Black 16L
has a stiffness of 214 and a tension loss
of 12.46 pounds. Square-X Black 16L
added 16.1 grams to the weight of our
unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks by
27 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings
from 3.5 to 6.0. These are blind tests, with
playtesters receiving unmarked strings in
unmarked packages. The average number
of hours playtested was 29.8.
Ytex supplied us with a tension chart
for specific head sizes and mains counts,
with a general recommendation to set the
reference tension 5 percent to 10 percent
lower than for a typical nylon string. We
passed these recommendations along to
our playtest team.
Ytex Square-X has rounded corners, so
installing it was not a problem. We saw
some burning, although only one playtester reported this.
No playtester broke the sample during
stringing. Three reported problems with
coil memory, one reported problems tying
knots and one reported other problems.
Conclusion
If this reminds you of an untwisted
version of the Ytex Quadro Twist we
playtested for the February 2012 issue of
Tennis Industry magazine, you are in the
right ballpark. One difference is that our
playtesters rated Square-X to have even
more Spin Potential than Quadro Twist.
If you think that Ytex Square-X Black
might be for you, fill out the coupon on the
next page to get a free set.Greg Raven
Playtester Comments
I like this string. It has a little bit of texture
to it that my normal string doesn't. That
Playtester Ratings:
Ease of Stringing
(compared to other strings)
Much easier: 1
Somewhat easier: 3
About as easy: 17
Not quite as easy: 4
Not nearly as easy: 0
Overall Playability
(compared to the string played most often)
Much better: 1
Somewhat better: 5
About as playable: 6
Not quite as playable: 13
Not nearly as playable: 1
Overall Durability
(compared to other strings of similar gauge)
Much better: 5
Somewhat better: 8
About as durable: 13
Not quite as durable: 1
Not nearly as durable: 0
Rating Averages
From 1 to 5 (best)
Playability: 3.2
Durability: 4.0
Power: 3.1
COURTESY YTEX
Ytex Square-X
Our playtesters loved the Spin Potential of

Square-X, rating it 20th best in this category of the 194 strings we have playtested for
publication. Ytex Square-X also rated well
above average in Durability, Resistance
to Movement and Control. Overall, Ytex
Square-X rated above average.
No playtester reported premature fraying or peeling, none reported buzzing and
four reported notching. Only one playtester broke the sample during the playtest
period, after nine hours of play.
Control: 3.6
Comfort: 3.1
Touch/Feel: 3.0
Spin Potential: 3.7 (20th overall)
Holding Tension: 3.3
Resistance to Movement: 3.7
7/22/16 12:22 PM
was a big plus. Would like to see other

color than black. 4.5 male all-court player
using Prince Warrior 100L strung at 52
pounds LO (Prince Warrior Poly)
Liked the ease of stringing for the kind
of string. It held tension well. Would use it
when it hits the market. 4.0 male all-court
player using Wilson Burn 100S strung at
55 pounds CP (Wilson Revolve 17)
Felt good for a poly. Seemed to bite quite
well with good serve performance. 5.0 allcourt player using Prince Warrior strung at
55 pounds CP (Prince Premier Power 17)
Does what a poly does with added spin
and durability. Comfort and touch are
second to spin and durability. 5.0 male
serve-and-volley player using Wilson Pro
Staff RF strung at 48 pounds LO (Gamma
Live Wire Pro 17)
Good string for people who want spin
and control. 4.5 male all-court player
using Babolat Pure Aero strung at 50
09_TI_StringPlaytest_FINAL.indd 37
pounds CP (Babolat Origin 17)

Overall, for a poly it was average.
Played well, and easy on the arm. Wish
it had more pop. I should have strung it
5 percent to 10 percent less. 5.0 male
all-court player using Head Prestige
Graphene strung at 60 pounds LO (Head
Sonic Pro 16)
Average string; not something I would
buy. 5.0 male all-court player using Head
Prestige strung at 50/46 pounds LO (Tecnifibre NRG2 16)
Good overall string. Not enough power
for my game, though. 3.5 male baseliner
with heavy spin using Wilson BLX Blade 98
strung at 55 pounds LO (Gamma Professional 17)
Started out OK and then began to fade
really fast (at about the 20 hour mark).
4.0 male all-court player using Prince
Warrior 107 Textreme strung at 50 pounds
CP (Prince Tour XP 17)
(Strings normally used by testers are in

parentheses. For the rest of the tester
comments, visit www.tennisindustrymag.com.)
FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM

Ytex will send a free set of Square-X to
the first 500 USRSA members who
cut out (or copy) this coupon and
send it to:
USRSA, Attn: Ytex String Offer, 310
Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North,
Suite 400, Birmingham, AL 35203
or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the
info below to:
stringsample@racquettech.com.
Offer expires Sept. 15, 2016. Offer only
available to USRSA members in the U.S.
Name: __________________________
USRSA Member number: ___________
Phone: _________________________
Email: __________________________
If you print your email clearly, we will
notify you when your sample will be sent.
Sept/Oct 2016
TennisIndustry 39
7/22/16 12:22 PM
Your Serve
Empower the Player
The success of a large league shows that the

smallest details can make a big difference.
By Ed McGrogan
Active management of the

league makes everything
work. It is the key.
But losers of the leagues best-of-threeset matches can also earn pointshalf
of the total for winning at least seven
games, and three-quarters of the total
for winning a set.
The ranking system ensures that
Ill get to play a large number of people
with a variety of styles, says Zach
Horne, a league member for five years.
The league provides a great opportunity to grow all sides of my game.
According to Hoegler, 80 to 85 percent of players will have at least a .500
record. Its a competitive balance that
the NFL and NHL would be proud of.
40 TennisIndustry
09_TI_YourServe.indd 40
Sept/Oct 2016
Another key to a great league is its

flexibility. This is a Tuesday-night
league, but courts are set aside for
make-up matches on Wednesdays.
We realized that players were going
to miss matches, says Hoegler. It
meant that more players could commit,
because they know theyd get them in.
Hoegler is extremely hands-on,
accommodating schedule requests
down to the morning of the match.
Revisions are frequent, but players are
alerted to them instantly over email.
Players also go online to enter their
scores and connect with each other. Its
a system that all league members
appreciate, no matter their skill level.
Not to mention a great post-match
atmosphere with cold beer available,
adds player Jeremy Rabinowitz.
The good vibes can help the club in

other ways, including generating new
memberships. Unlock the potential of
your league by putting the players first.
Above all, Arnies active management of the league makes everything
work, says league member Marin
Strmecki. It is the key.
Ed McGrogan is a
senior editor for TENNIS
magazine, TENNIS.com
and Tennis Industry, and
has been earning quality
points in Hoegler's
Tuesday-night league
since 2012.
PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
he most intimate league Ive ever

been a part of is also the biggest
league Ive ever been a part of.
Those two qualities would seem to be
mutually exclusive, but not at the Four
Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, Conn.,
where a 15-year-old, 50-player league
proves that organization and consideration lead to widespread appreciation.
It was totally designed from a players perspective, says commissioner
Arnie Hoegler, who had experienced
the common pitfalls of tennis leagues
first hand: lopsided matches, inflexible
scheduling and general confusion.
Hoegler wanted players to look forward to each week as an ever-changing
challenge, so he ditched the traditional
ladder systemwhich often leads to
repeat matchesin favor of his qualitypoints system. Each player is assigned
a point value based on their position in
the standings; if that player loses, their
opponent earns that amount of points.
We welcome your opinions. Please email

comments to info@tennisindustrymag.com
7/22/16 12:25 PM
Inside this issue

USPTA World Conference 46
Whats Your Job?
Make Tennis Fun! 54
Competitive Edge: TGA Franchise,
Passion for Tennis Give USPTA
Pro Advantage in Market 56
Departments:
50 USPTA News
42 CEOs Message
52 Master Pro Corner
44 First Vice Presidents Message 54 Inside Coaching
46 USPTA World Conference
56 Growing Your Business
48 Endorsement News
58 Career Development
49 Industry News
60 Member News
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
On the cover: USPTA members attend a National Education Day event in
San Diego. See Page 50 for more details about 2016 National Education
Day on Nov. 12.
CEOs Message
Appreciation for Tennis

History
by John Embree
s most of you are aware, I spent

much of my early career at
Wilson Racquet Sports (17+
years). During that time, I
came to learn so much about the history
of our great sport from treasured time
spent with some of the legends of the
game. Frequent conversations with the
likes of Jack Kramer, Vic Braden, Tony
Trabert, Billy Talbert (US Open Tournament Director in the 70s-80s), Mike
Blanchard (long time US Open referee)
and Ted Schroeder, just to name few,
left an indelible impression on me as a
young professional getting started in
the tennis industry.
Couple those incredible experiences with the mentorship of Gene
Buwick, who was truly the godfather
of grassroots promotions for Wilson
for more than 30 years beginning in
the late 1950s, and I became a sponge
who thrived on learning how the game
evolved, understanding who did what to
bring the game to what it is today, and
recognizing the contributions that the
forbearers made to enrich our sport. I
became fascinated by those who took
calculated risks to be different, those
who challenged the status quo, and
eventually those who made a huge impact on our industry.
To this day, I have a deep sense of
pride knowing that I was fortunate
enough to have crossed paths with so
many of the wonderful characters who
graced the courts and who blazed the
trail so that those who are playing now
or who aspire to play in the future will
benefit from the groundbreaking actions of so many. What saddens me is
that few in the current generation can
possibly comprehend what transpired
a half a century ago or longer and what
sacrifices were made to create what we
know the game to be at present. Ever
asked a person under the age of 30 who
Bjorn Borg was? You would be surprised
how many have no idea
42 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
Because of my personal passion for

the history of the game, I was thrilled
when I was invited to become involved
with the International Tennis Hall of
Fame in Newport, R.I., as a volunteer.
Not only am I serving on the Board
of Governors, but I am chairman of
the Membership Committee, and I
participate on the Strategic Planning,
Marketing, and Revenue committees.
My purpose in telling you this is not to
them as they developed as juniors and

on into the pro game. I can promise
that Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver and
Lindsay Davenport will provide terrific
insight into their careers with Todd
eloquently interjecting his perspective during the session. By the way,
this general session will be streamed
live via YouTube to every member of
the International Tennis Hall of Fame
around the world.
We should celebrate on a daily basis the giants of our sport while preserving
the heritage of our own association and the legends who made the USPTA
the dynamic association that it is today.
boast (by any stretch of the means) but
to suggest that in these various roles, I
can and am giving back to the game that
I so cherish while fueling my genuine
appreciation for the history of the game.
I write this just prior to my departure for the 2016 International Hall
of Fame Induction weekend when
Justine Henin and Marat Safin will be
inducted into the Hall of Fame. During
this special celebration, there will be a
number of activities and engagements
that celebrate the achievements of tennis greats while the Hall of Fame Tennis
Championships, an ATP 250, take place.
What a thrill for me to be a part of this
annual gathering.
In a concerted effort to tie together
the International Tennis Hall of Fame
and the USPTA, we are going to have
a Hall of Fame Day at the upcoming
World Conference in Indian Wells,
Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 27. For the
first time ever, we will be providing our
membership with a forum to engage
with fabulous members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. With Todd
Martin (CEO of the ITHF) facilitating,
we will be holding a panel discussion
with three of the great female tennis
players who have been inducted into
the Hall of Fame to talk about coaching
and the influence their coaches had on
Immediately following this general

session, we will have our Awards Luncheon with recognition being given to
many of our national award winners,
highlighted by the induction of Peter
Burwash into our own USPTA Hall of
Fame. Past USPTA Hall of Fame inductees will be saluted before P
eter is warmly
welcomed into this august group. Todd
Martin will conclude our luncheon with
his keynote address. This will be a terrific
event that you wont want to miss.
To wrap up our Hall of Fame activities, Peter will pass along his wisdom
from more than 50 years in the sport in
a general session after the Awards Luncheon. He has always been one of our
most sought-out speakers whenever we
have been fortunate enough to have him.
By bringing a small piece of the
International Tennis Hall of Fame in
Newport, R.I., to our USPTA World
Conference, we marry tennis history
with the greats of our association. It is
not only unique to our World Conference to have this opportunity to have
Todd, Rosie, Pam and Lindsay with
us, but it is also symbolic. We should
celebrate on a daily basis the giants of
our sport while preserving the heritage
of our own association and the legends
who made the USPTA the dynamic association that it is today. h
First Vice Presidents Message
How to Expand Yourself

as a Professional
n a tennis match, we play to our

strengths and when we practice,
we all want to work on certain
weaknesses to become a better
player. This should be true of your
professional skills and resume building
to increase your worth at your current
employment or obtain that dream job
in the future.
Here are some ideas and areas that
I have worked on personally, or mentored other professionals and staff to
become stronger tennis professionals
in the future. The strength of our association is the education, learning from
others and mentoring.
Programs and Events Are you offering something for all levels/genders/
ages/families? Your calendar needs to
be a mix of social, mildly competitive,
team and individual tournaments.
Take time each summer to drop some
events that are old and tired and bring
in something exciting. I will snoop
around on other club websites or when
I visit other clubs and talk to other
pros to share ideas on events and
themes, modify them for my club and

experiment!
Teams You must be able to organize a
team with team captains, rosters, league
deadlines and team meetings. It is important to be able to run team practices
and to have themes for making the
players interested and improving. Make
sure that you make time to observe
them playing and know when you can
coach on match day. (Know the rules!)
Juniors Start with Coach Youth
Tennis and use Red, Orange and Green
balls, knowing how to handle each level, age and court size for these juniors.
Many of our juniors are not skilled or
ranked and still need programming and
events for intermediate levels as well.
Seasonal players that play other sports,
school season tennis players, and
ranked juniors have different needs
from you as a coach.
Business From budgets, business
plans, pro shops, human resources,
resumes and hiring and firing it is all
Have lunch occasionally with your local professionals and trade program ideas
the camaraderie and networking is essential to being successful in any profession.
by Gary Trost
part of our jobs. I do know that every

pro gets paid differently, with percentages of group and private lessons, bonuses, and how they get paid for working events.
I know these are a few basic examples of what some of us do every day,
but there can be no way that we are all
experts in every field. We all need more
education and help from our mentors
and colleagues. Volunteer some time
at a local tournament and help that
USPTA Professional you will learn
how the tournament is run, gain experience and it beefs up your resume. Have
lunch occasionally with your local professionals and trade program ideas the
camaraderie and networking is essential
to being successful in any profession.
Take the time to list out what your
strengths and weaknesses are, and
work on those areas. Look for help in
the USPTA whether it is from World
Headquarters, your division conventions and workshops, or maybe your
next door neighborhood pros it will
make you a better pro and employee. h
Top 5 Reasons We Created an App

for the USPTA World Conference
heres always a lot going on at the

World Conference seminars to
attend, people to meet and places to
go. The USPTA World Conference
app will help you keep organized by giving
you a customizable schedule, list of contacts, detailed maps and more right at your
fingertips.
Here are just a few benefits and reasons why
you dont want to miss out on it:
1. Access the event schedule and customize
your agenda with personal appointments
2. Get reminders and schedule updates
through the app with push notifications
3. See all the speakers, read their bios, and
download their outlines
4. See whos attending and share contact information by networking with other
attendees
5. Check out the exhibitors and locate their
booths more easily through an interactive
map
Go one step further and log in with the
personalized registration code that was
emailed to you (conference attendees only)
to use advanced features like:
In-App instant messaging

Personalized schedule of the sessions you
want to attend
Exportable notes regarding sessions,
speakers and attendees
Share your event experiences on
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
and post on the apps activity wall
Scan your QR codes for education credits
Access the Virtual Event Bag
Ready to get started? Go to https://crowd.

cc/s/f9iA from your device. If you use Apple
or Android, you can also search for USPTA
World Conference in the iTunes store or Play
store. h
Conference Schedule
Sunday 9/25/16
Monday 9/26/16
9 1 p.m.
9 10 a.m.
Are you a Dr. Feelgood?
(Ct) / Stan Oley
Teaching Effective
Strokes: Volley Patterns /
Panel Discussion (I) /
Hank Pfister
USPTA Benefits
Specialty Course 1:
10:30 11:30 a.m.

The Serve (Ct) /
Jeff Salzenstein
Maintaining Your Hard
Courts (I) / Jeff Gearheart
Lunch
1 2 p.m.
Retail Management
and Pro Shops (I) /
Pat Shields
Doubles Strategies That
Will Make a Difference
(Ct) /Gundars Tilmanis
Tuesday 9/27/16
Wednesday 9/28/16
Thursday 9/29/16
9 10 a.m.
Tennis Analytics:
Measurement and
Performance (I) /
Lorena Martin
Performance (Ct) /
Jumio Godreau
10:30 11:30 a.m.
General Session (I):
Hall of Fame Panel /
Rosie Casals, Lindsay
Davenport, Pam Shriver
Noon 2 p.m.
9 10 a.m.
Momentum How to
Start, Stop and Steer it
in Your Direction (Ct)/
Emma Doyle
Locker Room Power (I) /
David Sammel
10:30 a.m. noon
General Session:
Seminar (Ct) /
Jose Higueras
8:30 a.m. noon

CYT Workshop
(register at
coachyouthtennis.com)
9 10 a.m.
Utilize Digital Platforms
to Energize Your Brand
and Business (I)/
Tracy Almeda-Singian
Seminar (I) /
Feisal Hassan
10:30 a.m. noon
General Session:
Seminar (I) /
Gerry Faust
Lunch
Lunch
Keynote speaker:
Todd Martin
1 2 p.m.
Cardio Tennis: Heart
Rate Training (Ct) /
Michele Krause
Budge Outside Your
Comfort Zone (I) /
Ajay Pant
1 5 p.m.
1 5 p.m.
Specialty Course 3:
Specialty Course 4:
A Better Teaching System

/ John Yandell
Equipment Consulting:
A Professional Racquet
Adviser /Bob Patterson
Awards Luncheon
2 6 p.m.
2:30 3:30 p.m.

2:30 3:30 p.m.
2:30 3:30 p.m.
Attracting the Future
General Session (I) /
Panel Discussion (I) /
How to Plan Your Career
Pros in the Industry
Peter Burwash
CMAA Manager
/ Paula Scheb
Through USTA (I) /
Competencies:
Craig Jones, Scott Schultz
Tim Dietrich, Jason
Koenigsfeld, Steve Shaw
How to be Addicted
to Health in 2016 (I) /
Jane Savage
3:45 4:45 p.m.
3:45 4:45 p.m.
3:45 4:45 p.m.
Manufacturers Ad
USTA: Community Tennis
Start Young & Right:
Staff Meetings
and Player Development Early Years of Developing
(I) / Martin Blackman,
a Grand Slam (I) /
Kurt Kamperman, Craig
Tim Mattek
Morris
Leadership: Core
Competencies (I) /
Howard Moore
5 6 p.m.
5 10 p.m.
5 6:30 p.m.
USPTA
General Session (I) /
Ways to Become a More
Buying Show
USPTA Membership
Effective Leader (I) /
and Reception
Meeting
Desmond Oon
Seminar (I) /Brian Teacher
7 9 p.m.
6:30 9:30 p.m.
Division Parties
Poolside Reception
Specialty Course 2:
(This schedule is tentative and subject to change)
www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 47
Endorsement News
The Times, They are a Changin

By John Embree, USPTA CEO
hose of you who are Bob Dylan

fans will recognize the title above
from one of his famous songs first
released in 1964. I reference it
because it is apropos for what has happened with our major endorsee, Prince.
Unbeknownst to us until early April,
the company (the Waitt Group) that licensed the Prince brand from Authentic
Brands Group (ABG) decided, after two
years of operation (2014-2015), to discontinue the business (for reasons which
I am not privy). Thus, the Prince licensee
reverted back to ABG in mid-March,
thereby scuttling the Prince Global
Sports Group with whom we had our endorsements. The corporate offices in Atlanta have since been closed and almost
all of the staff is no longer employed.
Once we were advised of this change,
Authentic Brands Group let us know
that they were not legally bound to
honor the endorsement agreements
that we had previously negotiated with

Prince Global Sports. Strategically,
their intent is to find another company
that would become the licensee for the
Prince brand, but as of this writing, no
announcement has been made nor have
we been advised as to who that new entity is. It is entirely possible that if they
are unable to find a suitor to take over
the brand, they may determine it best
to continue to operate the brand, even
though that is not part of their corporate
model.
So, we find ourselves in a very difficult and unexpected situation. We have
members who were promised equipment that wont be shipped. We have
divisions that did not receive the ball
allocation that they were expecting. And
corporately, the revenue and retirement
plan contributions that Prince had committed to us through August of 2018 are
no longer intact. I can honestly tell you
that since being notified of this change,

we have done everything on our end to
be good corporate soldiers during this
uncertain period by upholding our end
of the bargain, hoping that a satisfactory
solution could materialize.
As of July 1, it does not appear as if a
remedy is in the offing. With the help of
our in-house general counsel, the board is
evaluating options that could be pursued
to protect our brand and image within
the marketplace. We are in the process of
unwinding our agreement. Meanwhile,
it is vital that we try to find a suitable replacement for Prince for both hard goods
and tennis balls. With the challenges facing the tennis industry at present and the
time constraints for this process, this is
not going to be an easy task.
Once we have confirmation of a new
endorsee relationship, we will share it with
you immediately. Thanks for your ongoing
patience as we undergo this process. h
Industry News
Final Overtime Rule Released

with Concessions to Employers
he U.S. Department of Labor

has released the final version of
the Overtime Exemption Rule,
which will require clubs to pay
overtime to any employee making less
than $47,476 per year. The final rule
will take effect on Dec. 1, 2016.
Under the current law, salaried employees making at least $455 per week
($23,660 per year) and who meet the
requirements under the primary duty
test are exempt from overtime compensation. Under DOLs new rule, the
minimum salary threshold will increase
to $913 per week ($47,476 per year).
The previous version had proposed a
threshold increase to $970 per week
($50,440 per year).
An important concession for clubs,
DOLs final rule makes no changes to

the primary duties test, which may have
further reduced the number of employees classified as exempt.
This is an important issue that will
impact all facilities and directors of
tennis, with their staffing budgets
and payroll beginning in December.
The rule also requires the minimum
salary income threshold to be increased
every three years not each year as
the previous version of the rule had
proposed. The threshold will adjust to
meet the 40th percentile of full-time
salaried workers. Based on wage projections, the threshold is expected to rise
to more than $51,000 on Jan. 1, 2020.
Also important for many private

clubs, employers will be able to count
bonuses and commissions including
golf and tennis lesson income toward
as much as 10 percent of the salary
threshold.
The rules most important concession is a six-month phase-in period for
its implementation.
This is an important issue that
will impact all facilities and directors
of tennis with their staffing budgets
and payroll beginning in December,
said USPTA CEO John Embree. We
want to bring this to everyones attention in case you are not aware of it. For
more information, contact your human
resource department or a local labor
board or chamber of commerce. h
USPTA News
Save the Date! November 12

is National Education Day
his year marks the third annual

National Education Day and the
end of the first three-year p
eriod
in the USPTA Professional
Development Program. All U
SPTA divisions are organizing educational events
on or around Saturday, Nov. 12 to help
USPTA Professionals reach this goal.
Three years ago, the Education Committee designated a Saturday in November as a day to not only help you meet
your education credit requirements,
but also help make you a better tennisteaching professional, said Education
Committee chairman Alan Cutler.
In order to elevate the standards of
tennis-teaching professional and coaches, all certified members are required
to earn 6 education credits every three
years to maintain their membership
(International members, Recreational
Coaches, and those 65 and older are
exempt).
Each division will send out information about the events via email. It will
also be posted on division websites.
USPTA Professionals who are interested
in hosting an educational event should
contact their divisions executive director/administrator. Previous years events
have included one-day workshops, meetand-greets, mini-conferences and more.
In addition to National Education

Day, USPTA has many opportunities
for members to earn education credits
at no cost.
Free webinar each month These
webinars cover topics ranging from
on-court coaching to enhancing ones
professional career skills. Webinars
are announced via USPTA E-News

and fill up quickly.
TennisResources.com All USPTA
webinars plus On Court with
USPTA episodes are posted on the
newly redesigned website. To view
these videos, log in and select Free
under Access Level and Education
Credit under Watch for Credit.
USPTA members must log in and select Yes when prompted to receive
credit for the video. Members report
cards are updated immediately.
CoachYouthTennis.com This website, developed by the USTA, has six
free online courses. Each is worth
.5 education credits, but the USPTA
Education Committee approved
doubling the point value when all six
have been viewed.
USPTA members can check their education credits by going to uspta.com/education and clicking on View Education
Report Card in the right-hand column. h
USPTA News
USPTA 2016 Hard Court Championships

Open for Registration
he USPTA 2016 Hard Court

Championships will be held
Nov. 4-6, 2016, at Hollytree
Country Club in Tyler, Texas.
Hollytree is located about 90 miles
southeast of Dallas and 80 miles west of
Shreveport, La. American and United
Airlines offer jet service into Tyler
Pounds Regional Airport.
The purpose of the event is to provide one of the few opportunities for
friendly competition and networking
among our members in the sport associated with our organization, said Jim
Sciarro, Director of Tennis at Hollytree.
I hope everyone has a great experience
in Tyler and has fun playing the event.
To be eligible to participate, all
competitors must be USPTA-certified
Professional-level members in good
standing at the time of entry. USTA
membership is not required. The entry
fee is $80 for singles and $40 per player
for each doubles event entered. To register for the tournament, players must
create free account through www.EastTexasTennis.com and then enter the

tournament. Entries must be submitted by Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. Detailed
tournament information is available
on the site as well. Entries also include
courtside breakfast, lunch and dinner
on Saturday.
The featured divisions that will take
place are: mens and womens open
singles and doubles, mens and womens
35 singles and doubles, mens and
womens 45 singles and doubles, mens
55 singles and doubles, mens 65 singles
and doubles, and mixed open doubles.
There will be limited free housing
with club members, but is not guaranteed until entry is received by the
tournament. Players traveling alone
will be offered housing before families
can be housed. However, the Holiday
Inn South Tyler will be the tournament
hotel for the weekend. The tournament
rate of $99 per night will be offered until Oct. 20, 2016.
Mens and womens open singles

winners are guaranteed a minimum of
$1,900 with full 16 draws. The tournament will offer first-match loser consolation in all events and prize money
to consolation winners. Prize money is
based on the number of entries in each
event. The total prize money for the
event is a guaranteed $13,000 to be distributed among all the divisions held.
Some of the sponsors for the weekend include: The Original Evans AC,
Quality Investments, Texas Spine &
Joint Hospital, Lago del Pino, Yvette
Brunette State Farm Insurance, Mc
Millin Holdings, and Urology Tyler, PA.
For more information regarding the
tournament and free housing, please
contact Jim Sciarro at jsciarro@gmail.
com or 903-581-7788.
Tournament Hotel Information:
Holiday Inn South Tyler is one mile
from the court at 5701 S. Broadway.
903-561-5800. h
2015 Hard Court participants
Master Pro Corner
Promote a Service Return Court

By Joe Dinoffer, USPTA Master Professional
Setting the Scene
Whats the second most important

shot in tennis? Good question. Easy answer. Its the return of serve. How can we
reach this conclusion? We have charted
the most frequently hit shots in tennis.
Of course, the serve is the most often
hit when you statistically factor second
serves and double faults into the equation. The service return is a close second.
Whats the most under-practiced shot
in tennis? Also the return of serve. Considering this, we have a marketing gem
just waiting to be discovered. Let me explain. Although there is an obvious need
for players to practice and improve their
service returns, tennis facilities rarely
have serving machines available, and it is
hard to find a practice partner who is able
and willing to help us systematically and
progressively practice just our returns.
Marketing Idea for Clubs
Promote a Return of Serve Court

at your club with a serving ball machine
that can be rented, along with private and
group instruction scheduled on that specific court. You could even charge a small
premium for lessons on that court. There

are serving ball machines ranging in price
from $6,000 to $14,000, so take an average of $10,000. If you charge $10 per hour
for machine rental or add $10 as a premium for lessons on that court, it would
take 1,000 hours to break even on your
investment. How long would that take?
If you use the machine just 20 hours a
week, it will take less than a year. And, if
you presell blocks of time at a discount,
you can get a lot of that money up front.
Conclusion
Add a designated service return court to

your facility and be the talk of your community. Everyone wants to stand out
from the crowd and this is one
surefire way to do just that! h
Joe Dinoffer has conducted clinics
and exhibitions in more than 50
countries. He received the 2006
USPTA Industry Excellence Award,
and was named USPTA Texas Division Pro of the Year for 2012. He is
the author and editor of seven books and more
than 20 DVDs. He has more than 200 published
articles in numerous tennis magazines, plus
many instructional tips on the Tennis Channel.
Photo by Fred Mullane
Andre Agassi was not born with a

great service return. He systematically
practiced against a serving machine
for countless hours. Before discounting this example as irrelevant to club
players, consider this simple fact.
Hardly anyone practices their service
return and the more they do, even
just a little, they can improve their
competitive results significantly.
Sweet 16 Reasons (for Serve n Volley in Doubles)

By Sheryl Behne, USPTA Master Professional
ow do you convince baseliners to serve and volley in

doubles? Try these Sweet 16 Reasons to serve and
volley. To coach is really to coax.
1. Attacking the net is more physical more endorphines

released and less choking
2. Moving brick wall two goalies are better than one
3. Less pressure for perfection more court to hit into
4. Partner will not be a target sitting duck
5. Your body will bisect your opponents highest percentage shot
6. Potentially using the CHIPS: Return of serve, approach
volley, final volley and smash are all slice and all use the
continental grip
7. All the muscle confusion movements are good for bun
muscle definition
8. More mileage covered
9. Service toss is more aggressive

10. Partners are naturally closer together for huddling
11. The volley can be learned faster and sooner
12. Aggressive and positive movement/planning will spark
improvement
13. Forces opponent to hit more difficult shots
14. Mission of make something happen not wait and
wonder
15. Pro-active not re-active
16. Win deserve it! Lose went down fighting! h
Sheryl Behne has taught in every tennis arena camps, high
school physical education, high school coaching. private and
municipal clubs. She has a bachelors degree from the University
of Texas and a masters in kinesiology from Smith College. Behne
has been awarded more honors from USPTA Texas than any
other Texas pro. She is a national speaker and a previous tester.
Inside Coaching
Whats Your Job? Make Tennis Fun!

By David Berens, USPTA
ast spring I attended the

USPTA Southern Convention
at the Standard Club in Johns
Creek, Ga., and I can honestly
say Ive never had so much valuable
information squeezed into three days
of learning. From Feisal Hassan to
Lane Evans and from Kirk Anderson
to Frank Giampaolo, the message
was clear: we want you to be the best
teaching pro you can be, and heres
how you do it.
I have a notebook full of scribbles
that I may or may not be able to decipher, but I do know that theres gold
in those notes. I heard things I had
never heard before, and I was forced
to examine the things I already knew
and maybe had pushed to the back
of my mind. I participated in drills
that made me smile, sweat and say,
I know exactly who Im going to use
this with!
But what was the overall theme?
What did every speaker, presenter,
award winner, and educator tell me that
was the same? Down to a person they
all said that our job is to Make Tennis FUN and Make Tennis about the
STUDENT.
That theme was hammered home
over and over again. Dont we all strive
to do that? Of course we do, but lets
be honest, there are times when we
are a little too impressed with our own
technical knowledge and ability. There
are times when we are teaching in a
certain way because thats the way
its always been done. There are times
when we reject others ideas because
we know the best way. There are times
when we go overboard into monotony
because practice makes perfect.
Right?
Hey, Ill be the first to admit that
I do so many things on the court for
the simple reason that its the way Ive
always done them. There are things I
do that I just know are the right way to
Lane Evans (left)
do them. But the convention and the

powerful presenters have woken me
up a little, given me some ideas, challenged me to make some changes, and
bettered my outlook on my career.
Make Tennis FUN:
Frank Giampaolo
Kirk Anderson
I was lucky enough to get on court

with USPTA Master Professional Kirk
Anderson for a session called Partner
Drills for Juniors No Lines Here.
I was drooling drills, drills, drills! I

come early to the convention to catch
love new drills. I can just imagine mythe specialty course taught by USPTA
self feeding all these new drills to my
Master Professional Feisal Hassan.
juniors and hear them saying, Dave,
Naturally, I knew who Feisal was
youre such a good pro with all these
from articles and pictures Id seen in
cool drills! And thats when Kirk said,
ADDvantage magazine and other pubOk guys, put down your racquets.
lications, but I had never heard him
Wait what? Yeah, for at least 15
speak. WOW! Again, the energy these
minutes, I didnt have a racquet in my
guys have is amazing!
hand. And by the end of that warmup,
For four solid hours, Feisal took us
I was sweating and my heart rate was
from the classroom to the court to see
quite elevated, and Kirk hadnt
fed a single ball and I hadnt run
Feisal Hassan
a single lap around the court.
And to top it all off, I was smiling
from ear to ear.
So, what gives? Kirk told us
that much research has been
done on what things students
DONT like about their tennis
lessons. They are:
1) Running laps
2) Standing in line
3) Shadowing other players
4) Picking up the balls
Within the first 15 minutes,
I had found out how to get
warmed up without running any
laps, standing in line, shadowing other players or picking up
any balls. Mission accomplished.
But, some other amazing things
happened. Backing up a few
minutes, Kirk told us as the participants that he only expected a
few things from us. These things
were:
1) Do your best
2) Keep your intensity high
3) Support your teammates
4) Have FUN
Amazingly, I didnt even have to try to
remember any of these principles. With
Kirks infectious high fives and high energy, I just naturally fell into the pattern
of all four. By the end of the warmup, my
attitude toward drilling had changed
and I wanted more. I left the court wanting to go out and hit isnt that what we
want our students to feel as they leave?
Make Tennis About the STUDENT:
Yeah, yeah, we all know this, right?

Of course, we want our students to be
successful! (Because then other people
will come to us to help them be successful too, right?) I made the effort to
him in action with all of us scribbling

furiously to keep up with his presentation. I have so many notes about this
course that it will take me hours just
to re-visit and remember everything I
learned but what was my major takeaway? A line from Feisal that I circled
HEAVILY in my notebook. It reads:
How many times have you walked onto
the court and said, Ok, students, heres
what were going to work on today.
Many times a week, I thought to myself,
whats wrong with that? Thats YOUR
agenda Its not about the STUDENT.
Feisal then demonstrated exactly

how he begins a private lesson:
Coach: What shot do you want to

work on?
Student: My low backhand volleys.
Coach: Singles or doubles?
Student: Doubles.
This conversation continued until
Feisal had diagnosed a very specific
shot and worked the student for
maybe 10 minutes in a way that
made a huge improvement on
the STUDENTS low backhand
volley. They had a common
language to talk about the shot
because of his earlier experience listening to Feisal teach the
course. This language is simple
and allows your students to accurately drill down to the specific
problems theyre having.
It was striking. Feisal made no
directives, taught very little technique, and had no agenda for the
lesson. He asked questions and
dug into the errors the student
might have been making and
then addressed it in a way that
was simple, effective and fun. I
know from speaking with him
afterward that he was extremely
positive about the effect this
short example had on his shot
making. It was all about the
STUDENT.
Theres so much more to what
these two amazing presenters
taught us and this only scratches the
surface of the other classes I attended.
There isnt enough room in this article
to go through them all. If you havent
been to a conference, I cant tell you
enough about how much I got out of the
experience. I will attend again and I will
attend often.
Here I am, Monday morning after
the conference, about to go on court
and Im excited! Im invigorated. Im
refreshed. Im ready. Ready to do
what? Make it about the STUDENT
and Have FUN! h
David F. Berens has been a USPTA Elite Professional since 2001. His experience in tennis

has taken him from city parks to exclusive resorts and island getaways. He has been a writer

most of his life and went to Carson-Newman College and East Tennessee State University

to obtain his English Literature degree. He has been published in ADDvantage magazine
and has appeared on several local news programs promoting 10 and Under Tennis. Berens

has written two books, Break Point 9 Life Lessons from the Tennis Court Taking You

from your own Break Point to a New Beginning with Specific Life Hacks from a Tennis Coachs Perspec tive, and a soon-to-be-released instructional book, Keep It Simple (Tennis) Students The ONLY 5
Strategies You Will EVER Need For Doubles.
Growing Your Business
Competitive Edge:
TGA Franchise, Passion for Tennis Give

USPTA Pro Advantage in Market
SPTA Professional Stefan

Gabler had the passion for
teaching and growing his
sport, and has found the competitive advantage in his North Carolina
market by investing in a TGA Premier
Youth Tennis (TGA) franchise.
Building my own business in the
sport I am most passionate about has
been very exciting, said the Durhambased former television and radio producer who has been a USPTA instructor for a decade. TGA has provided a
proven business model and teaching
methods that are receiving strong recognition within communities for how
it is impacting youth and families of all
demographics.
Gabler, who studied communications,
journalism and political science at Ruhr
University Bochum in Germany, has been
an instructor in Germany and the U.S.
and specializes in 10 and Under Tennis.
As a USPTA Professional, the TGA
business model has allowed me to
branch out into other areas of instruction, most notably the after-school
enrichment markets of elementary and
middle schools, Gabler said. While
other teaching professionals will also
target these markets, TGA has created
a significant advantage by building a
sustainable and scalable business infrastructure designed around getting new
players into the sport.
Since partnering with the United
States Tennis Association and launching
its school-based business model in 2012,
TGA has become a leading introductory
and recreational model in the tennis industry. The model has already activated
more than 50,000 new tennis players
across the country and is providing opportunities for USPTA professionals.
Gabler is proving that a USPTA
member can garner a competitive
advantage by providing after-school
tennis programs at every elementary
school within the community he works.
He has found that as those youngsters

age and become vested in the sport
along with their parents, a future pipeline of business is created, and overall
tennis participation is increased to foster a successful future for the sport and
for the USPTA Professional.
By putting tennis on the list of activities alongside mainstream sports and
implementing its multi-level play-based
enrichment curriculum for ages 5-10,
and a play-based enrichment curriculum for students 11-14, TGA increases
after-school program, which puts tennis on a level playing field with other
mainstream sports. Second, TGA ushers
students and their families to recreational programs at tennis facilities that
include USTA JTT and tournaments,
and Play Day Series. This increases access points into tennis for youth, grows
the base of tennis players, and presents
the sport with a new avenue to cultivate
elite talent for the future.
Gablers TGA of Durham County
along with other similar chapters across
access points into tennis for youth,

grows the base of tennis players, and
presents the sport with a new avenue to
cultivate elite talent for the future.
In addition, with many of our kids
and families never having played tennis
before, we are working toward offering
programs for parents to learn the sport,
which could grow into increased lesson
opportunities for my business in the
future, Gabler said.
The success of the TGA model comes
from the celebrated two-pronged formula: First, introductory tennis programs are brought directly into schools
and community centers as a before- or
the country are impacting thousands

of youth through tennis and opening
doors for USPTA Professionals to work
as coaches, whether it is part time a few
hours per week for enrichment programs, or full time at summer camps as
head coaches and camp directors.
It does take time, money and effort
to build the reputation and successful
business and clients in the community,
but it is well worth it in the end when
you are planting the seeds to grow the
sport, impact youth, and build future
business, Gabler said.
For more information visit
www.playtga.com. h
Career Development
Specialty
Exams, Upgrades Coach Youth
& PTCA I
Tennis Workshop courses
(4 credits for PTCA I segment)
(2 credits)
(2 credits)
Sept. 4
Louisville, Ky.
Sept. 10
Richland, Wash.
Sept. 7
Minneapolis
Sept. 29
Indian Wells, Calif.
Sept. 10-11
Aurora, Ill.
Sept. 10-11
Wayland, Mass.
Sept. 10-11
Boise, Idaho
Sept. 10-11
Richland, Wash.
Sept. 11
Coronado, Calif.
Sept. 18
Midlothian, Va.
Oct. 1-2
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Oct. 1-2
North Richland Hills, Texas
Oct. 2
West Bloomfield, Mich.
Oct. 2
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Oct. 6-7
Mt. Kisco, N.Y.
Oct. 8-9
Atlanta
Oct. 8-9
Boca Raton, Fla.
Oct. 9-10
Oct. 14
Vienna, Va.
Nichols Hills, Okla.
Oct. 14-15
Houston*
Oct. 9
Los Gatos, Calif.
Oct. 29
Fayeteville, N.C.
For more workshops, visit coachyouthtennis.com.
Webinars
(.5 credits)
Sept. 14
Applicant: late cancellation fee $95; failure to cancel

application fee is forfeited. Certified members: late
cancellation fee $25; failure to cancel $25 plus the
upgrade fee is forfeited. Registration for another exam
will not be accepted until cancellation fees are paid.
Teaching Effective Strokes:

Volley Patterns
H. Pfister
USPTA World Conference, Indian Wells, Calif.
Sept. 25
How to Plan Your Career

P. Scheb
Sept. 28
A Better Teaching System

J. Yandell
Sept. 29
Watch all recorded webinars at tennisresources.com.
For more information visit uspta.com/Education.
Cardio Tennis
Sept. 25
Cardio Tennis Training Course

Level 2
Windy Hill Athletic Club, Atlanta
Dec. 10
Cardio Tennis Training Course

Level 2
Midtown Athletic Club, Chicago
* This course is held at the USPTA World Headquarters.

Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam,
upgrade and PTCA I unless noted. Exam cancellations
must be received no later than 14 days before the
exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly.
Injury Prevention; Mark Kovacs
Sept. 25
Please visit www.cardiotennistraining.com to register.
Equipment Consulting:
A Professional Racquet Adviser
B. Patterson
Conferences/
Activities
(Division Conferences 6 credits;
World Conference 10 credits)
Sept. 25-29

Indian Wells, Calif.
Accredited
Professional Coach
Register your Accredited Professional Coach (APC)
and specialty course credits earned with the USPTA
SmartCode Education System. This uses your
smartphone to instantly register your attendance
to all seminars and specialty courses earning APC.
To use the system at a seminar,
general session or specialty
course, you must scan two
QR codes. One QR code is on
your conference badge. The
second QR code will be in your
conference notebook and cannot be scanned until
the end of the session or the beginning of the next
session.
If you do not have a smartphone, you may use
someone elses. Forms are available upon request.
Education requirements
All USPTA-certified Professionals must earn 6 education credits in a three-year period
to remain current. Go to USPTA.com/Education for a partial list of eligible activities. Please send verification (email, letter, certificate, receipt, etc.) that shows you
attended the event/activity and submit it along with the date and agenda to education@uspta.org to receive your credit. (International members, Recreational Coaches
and those over the age of 65 are exempt.) Questions? Write to education@uspta.org
or call 800-877-8248, ext. 147.
Member News
USPTA Professional Jackie Roe
and other organizers passionate
about growing the game coordinated Tennis in the Streets,
a tennis play day for 800 young
children to get them excited
about summer and playing tennis. For the 26th time since its
inception in 1990, 40 pros and 75
volunteers offered tennis instruction and fun on Market Street on
Rodney Square on May 20 for
Tennis in the Streets. Kids from about a dozen elementary schools showed up, got a T-shirt,
were provided racquets, and then were assigned to work with a pro for about 20 minutes.
Kids who showed real interest may qualify for a summer tennis scholarship at Rodney Street
Tennis & Tutoring Association. The USTA, USPTA, Wilmington Parks and Rec and RSTTA all
worked with Roe to help deliver a fun-filled morning to the school children. USPTA Pros who
participated in the event included: Adam Goldstein, Anthony DeCecco, Ed McQuillin,
Gary Cimperman, Jeremiah De Jose, Jim Flesch, Jonathan Stein, Mark Centrella,
Pat Tarrant, Rob Wirth, Shane Racine, Tom Weir and Kenny Beebe.
The tennis community in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,

along with the generous members of Indian
Hills Country Club and our sponsors, raised
more than $18,000 this year during its annual
one-day charity tennis tournament. IHCC Director of Tennis Keith Swindoll, USPTA Master
Professional, presented Becci Hauser of United
Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama with a check.
Past tournaments have raised money for ALS,
American Cancer Society, Hospice of West
Alabama, Tuscaloosa Tornado Relief and more.
Keiths Classic is a womens doubles event and
is in its 29th year at Indian Hills.
Jeff Abbey, long-time USPTA member and a

tennis legend in Southern California, passed
away on June 10 at the age of 90. He touched
many lives, both on and off the court, and will
be greatly missed.
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President
First Vice
President
Chuck Gill
Gary Trost
Vice Presidents

Past President
CEO
Legal Counsel
Alan Cutler
Feisal Hassan
Ken McAllister
Jack Michalko
Diane Selke
TM
USPTA Hawaii Pros show their Aloha Spirit wearing Hawaiian lei lanyards at the recent Hawaii
Conference held in May at Punahou School in Honolulu. For the third straight year, there
was record turnout for the USPTA Hawaii Division. Hawaii leads the nation in pros who have
already earned their 6 professional development credits.
ADDvantage magazine editorial offices
USPTA World Headquarters
3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite 202
Houston, TX 77042
Phone 713-978-7782 / 800-USPTA-4U
Fax 713-358-7794
email magazine@uspta.org
Managing editor
Circulation
Kimberly Forrester
Kathy Buchanan
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time

ADDvantage is published monthly by the
United States Professional Tennis Association.
Tom McGraw
John Embree
George Parnell
The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the

authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the
USPTA.
Copyright United States Professional Tennis
Association, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
permitted without written permission from USPTA.
DECOTURF, THE OFFICIAL SURFACE CHOICE OF THE US OPEN

Photo Credit: Ned Dishman/USTA
California Sports Surfaces, is the worlds largest

manufacturer of acrylic sports surfacing systems
and surface preparation products.
150 Dascomb Road Andover, MA 01810 USA
978.623.9980 |www.californiasportssurfaces.com
www.decoturf.com

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Executive Point

Tennis Industry Hall of Fame

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 / VOLUME 44 / NUMBER 9 / $5.00

New and improved USTA National

Letters to the Editor

USTA names 2016 Facility Award

ITHOF enshrines Henin, Safin

USPTA World Conference set for

10 US Open offers richest purse in

With the expansion and renovation of the

10 Cahill, Annacone join PlaySight

12 Renner Sports Surfaces

Bold colors, comfortable blends: New

14 USRSA seeks associate director

The US Open is a chance for manufacturers to

15 TennisTrunk.com offers tennis

Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

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staff devoted to advocacy, and with the

48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010

TENNIS HAS NEVER

Coach of Simona Halep,

The Our Serve column in the

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I believe people aged 50-plus are trying

Denis Kudla plays with the NEW TFight 305 DC*

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COACHING & EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES MARKETING

USTA Names Winners

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be a private or commercially owned and

The USPTA World Conference will

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Ball Machine Updates

USTA Foundation Distributes

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For the complete list of PTR workshops, call or visit

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Dicks Sporting Goods recently paid

Wilson Global Headquarters.

will feature Emmy Kaiser, Dana

Tennis Jay Berger were named

Sportsmens Receives $225,000

Inaugural PTR Tennis Tech

The PTRs inaugural Tennis Technology

Edwards recently won an

Great Britian's Andy

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For more information

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