www.racquetsportsindustry.com CHAMPIONS OF TENNIS 2011 CHAMPIONS OF TENNIS 2012 Our annual awards honor those who continue to make this sport a winner Susan DiBiase Life Time Fitness John Gugel Baseline Sports Construction Joe Habenschuss Tennis Town Nancy McGinley Todd Dissly Danice Brown Southlake Tennis Center Reston Association Curt & Lynn Bender Top-A-Court Tennis Kiest Park Tri-County CTA Roy Barth David Porter Terry Valdez USTA Northern California Our annual awards honor those who continue to make this sport a winner Susan DiBiase Life Time Fitness John Gugel Baseline Sports Construction Joe Habenschuss Tennis Town Nancy McGinley Todd Dissly Danice Brown Southlake Tennis Center Reston Association Curt & Lynn Bender Top-A-Court Tennis Kiest Park Tri-County CTA Roy Barth David Porter Terry Valdez USTA Northern California I - . ~ .. ,.;- " ~ . - ~ . ~ . t _, ""' ...13. All Novacrylic Sport Surfaces Have Undergone Extensive QUV Testing {Accelerated Weathering)- Earning the Highest Ratings Available! Premium Acrylics Novacrylid!l Sport Surfaces contain only the finest blend of premium acrylics. The high concentration of specially blended acrylics ensure unmatched durability, UV resistance and flexibi lity. Brilliant Pigments Novacrylic Sport Surfaces con- tain the highest concentration of premium UV resistant pigments to ensure brilliant long lasting colors. Our premium pigments provide unmatched vibrancy and beauty, while containing low glare properties to enhance the surfaces playability. Unique Low Abrasive Texture Novacrylic<!i) Sport Surfaces con- tain a non-angular rounded silica sand to allow for a low abrasive ITF classified surface. Because the sand has no sharp edges it becomes totally encapsulated in the acryli cs. This ensures the surface will maintain a consistent texture for the life of the coating. Simply, The World's Best All-Weather Sports Surface Quality All of our Novacrylic Sport Surfaces are manufactured in the USA in a state of the art facil ity specially designed to manufacture acrylic coatings. We are able to produce unmatched quality with industry leading efficiency. 2 DEPARTMENTS R S I J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 INDUSTRY NEWS 7 Participation grows by 4% in 2012 7 2013 PTR Symposium slated for May 8 Nova Sports tailors surface for Fed, Davis Cups 8 Todd Martin acquires TGA youth tennis franchise 8 Ashaway introduces MonoGut ZX Pro 9 ASBA elects new officers and directors 9 GSS Stringers Symposium sharpens skills 9 Gamma offers new FTX string 11 Tecnifibre restructures business model 12 Two gain Certified Builder designation 13 2013 Cardio Tennis training schedule 14 Greg Mason named TIA president 4 Our Serve 7 Industry News 17 TIA News 21 Apparel 23 Retailing Tip 25 Social Media 26 Facility Management 40 Ask the Experts 42 Tips and Techniques 44 Your Serve, by Chris Nicholson 2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com 28 Person of the Year Susan DiBiase 30 Private Facility of the Year Life Time Fitness 30 Stringer of the Year John Gugel 31 Builder/Contractor of the Year Baseline Sports Construction 31 Sales Rep of the Year Joe Habenschuss 32 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year Tennis Town 32 Tennis Advocate of the Year Nancy McGinley 33 Junior Tennis Champion of the Year Todd Dissly 33 Grassroots Champion of the Year Danice Brown 34 Municipal Facility of the Year Southlake Tennis Center Contents Contents 34 Park & Rec Agency of the Year Reston Association 35 Wheelchair Tennis Champions of the Year Curt & Lynn Bender 35 10 & Under Tennis Facility Developer of the Year Top-A-Court Tennis 36 Public Park of the Year Kiest Park 36 Community Tennis Association of the Year Tri-County CTA 37 PTR Member of the Year Roy Barth 37 USPTA Member of the Year David Porter 38 High School Coach of the Year Terry Valdez 38 USTA Section of the Year USTA Northern California Our annual awards honor the people, businesses and organizations that are making a difference in the tennis industry. !.uliJ!kf:J :t' .!..lr .ffls ;J :.; \ \ Our Serve (Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry) Publishers David Bone Jeff Williams Editorial Director Peter Francesconi peter@racquettech.com Associate Editor Greg Raven Design/Art Director Kristine Thom Contributing Editors Robin Bateman Cynthia Cantrell Joe Dinoffer Kent Oswald Bob Patterson Cynthia Sherman Mary Helen Sprecher Tim Strawn RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY Corporate Offices PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171 Email: RSI@racquetTECH.com Website: www.racquetTECH.com Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time Advertising Director John Hanna 770-650-1102, x.125 hanna@knowatlanta.com Apparel Advertising Cynthia Sherman 203-263-5243 cstennisindustry@earthlink.net Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times per year: monthly January through August and combined issues in September/October and November/ December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage paid at Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS #004-354). January 2013, Volume 41, Number 1 2013 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rights reserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 3009. RSI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA www.racquetsportsindustry.com Defying the Odds 4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 T his issue again highlights our annual Champions of Tennis award winners, honoring the often unsung heroes of the sport. These are incredible people doing some incredible things in tennis. Yet in many ways, these are stories of what hundreds, even thousands of peo- ple do every day in this industry. We started these awards in 2000, and its fair to say weve honored at least a couple of hundred people over the years. The fact is, though, well never get to all of those who deserve to be recognized for their great work in promoting and growing this sportthose who continue to defy the odds, defy the economy, defy the naysayers, by driving forward with their dreams and their passion. As I write this, thoughnow that all the other pages of this issue are finished, and Im left trying to fill this final spaceI cant help but think of my parents, and especially my 96-year-old father, Red. He lived a life defying the odds. Yet through all of the hardships, the incredible change he faced in the world, he always managed to push his dream forward. For him, it was the dream of family, of providing a stable life for us, of mak- ing our lives better than his. My parents have had nothing to do with the tennis industry, except that they did provide us with some old wood racquets when we were growing up, and encouraged us to go hit on the school courts up the street, probably to keep us from annoying them more than anything else. But they also encouraged us to play sports and be active, something my sisters and I continue to do in our lives. And they encouraged a sense of responsibility, respect, dedication and always putting forward your best effortagain, lifelong lessons that their kids learned well. Very shortly, probably by the time you read this, my father will have taken his last breath in the house, and home, he and my mother built together 65 years ago. His story, like that of so many others, may seem ordinary. But I assure you, he is a true champion, and the lessons he and my mother taught us will always be with me. We come across champions every daywe work with them, live with them, play tennis with them, teach them and are taught by them. And while we may publish our Champions of Tennis only once a year, every time is the right time to recognize, appreciate and honor these champions in our lives. Peter Francesconi Editorial Director I NDUSTRY NEWS I NDUSTRY NEWS I N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S New Date For 2013 PTR Symposium In 2013, the Professional Tennis Registry will hold its annual International Tennis Symposium from May 2 to 5 at the newly renovated Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The Symposium attracts tennis teachers and coaches from more than 50 countries. Many of the industrys notable speak- ers, including Dr. Jim Loehr, Pat Etcheberry, Butch Staples, Leo Alonso, Lorenzo Beltrame, Oivind Sorvald, Doug Cash and Dr. Mark Kovacs, will be among the more than 50 presenters who will conduct classroom and on-court presentations. Subjects range from 10 and Under Tennis to tennis business to teaching tactics and tech- niques. There is also a special high school coaches track sponsored by the USTA that will be held over the weekend to accommodate scholastic schedules. Teaching pros can show off their playing skills at the PTR International Championships, held in conjunction with the Symposium. The tournament starts April 30. The Symposium also offers a Tennis Trade Show. Professional Development Courses will be held May 1, 6 and 7. Visit ptrtennis.org for informa- tion or to register. R S I J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 Study: Participation Takes Upward Turn in 2012 T ennis participation in the U.S. grew 4% in 2012, topping 28 million players for the first time since 2009, according to the annual survey by the USTA and TIA. It's the second highest total number of players recorded since the survey began in 1988. Importantly, the number of frequent tennis players, those who play at least 21 times a year, grew from 4.8 million in 2011 to 5.3 million in 2012. Frequent players represent more than 70 percent of all consumer spending across the tennis industry, said TIA President Jon Muir. It's heartening to see the total number of frequent players increase by 10 percent after all of our col- lective efforts the past few years to drive this most immediate and impactful consumer segment. The age demographic that saw the greatest percentage increase in 2012 was young players aged 6 to 11, which increased 13% from 2011. "We are very gratified that our efforts geared to young players are paying off," said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. For the past two years, the USTA has invested significantly in 10 and Under Tennis, along with long- term commitments from the tennis industry. Several other key segments saw significant increases in 2012. The number of "rejoining" play- ers, those who left the game then came back, increased 6 percent over the previous year to 7.3 millionthe largest number in the last 10 years. Over the last six years, the number of rejoiners has increased by nearly 50 percent. "Continuing" players showed an 11 percent increase in 2012, to 14.7 million, halting two years of decline in this player segment. Its encouraging that our collective efforts to drive awareness and advocacy for our sport are beginning to show more positive signs to strengthen the position of the tennis industry overall, said Muir. The USTA/TIA tennis participation survey, conducted by Taylor Research and Consulting, is one of the largest annual surveys in sports. It was conducted via telephone (both landline and cell phones) and includes observations from more than 7,500 individuals. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7 www.racquetsportsindustry.com PHIT America Campaign to Launch in January T he new, year-round educational and advocacy campaign PHIT America, dedicated to creat- ing a movement for a fit and healthy America, will launch to consumers in mid-January. The PHIT America alliance focuses on prevention as a way to reduce health issues and costs, and getting Americans active, fit and healthy. Jim Baugh, a founder and key organizer for PHIT America, says that as of early December, there were 105 alliance sponsors, including the TIA, USTA and many tennis manufacturers. According to the website phitamerica.org, Our country needs to reduce health issues and costs before they happen. Prevention is a great way to control these costs and also the U.S. budget deficit. Get- ting active, fit and healthy is a real solution. PHIT America will help educate you on the issues and promote sport and fitness activities in local communities and schools. We will also ask for your help to sup- port critical U.S. legislation that will create incentives for a more active, fit and healthy America. The heart of the PHIT America campaign is a social media strategy that involves raising aware- ness by pushing out news flashes to contacts regarding health issues. PHIT America is asking companies and individuals to get involved in one (or more) of three ways: donate, advocate, partic- ipate. Visit phitamerica.org for more information. J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 I N D U S T R Y N E W S 8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com Nova Sports Gives Home Court Advantage for Fed, Davis Cups T he 100th Davis Cup final in November marked a special occasion in tennis history as the Czech Republic defeated Spain, 3-2, to capture its first title as an independent nation. The win came just two weeks after the Czech women defeated Serbia to claim the 2012 Fed Cup Championship. The same nation had not won both ITF championship matches since the U.S. defeated Australia and the U.S.S.R. in 1990. But the matches marked an interesting situation for Nova Sports USA, based in Milford, MA, which manufactured the acrylic surface put down in Pragues O2 Arena, where both the Fed Cup and Davis Cup finals were held. A five-coat cushion system was installed on 3- by 3-foot panels with the color coating to be applied at the venue once the panels were set into place, says Novas Jake Righter. As the Fed Cup final approached, the Czech Tennis Federation decided on a category 3 color system (medium) looking to slow Ser- bian power players such as Jelena Jankovic and Anna Ivanovic. Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova domi- nated on the court, defeating both Serbian players and helping the Czechs capture back-to-back Fed Cup titles. Shortly after their victory, the Czech men were drawn into play against defending champion Spain. As Spains David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal are almost unbeatable on clay, the Czech Fed- eration was looking to make their home courts pace as fast as possible, Righter says. So, with just two weeks between finals, Nova Sports non-textured Novacoat system was installed onto the panels. The Spanish had difficulty using their finesse to slow the game and the Czech men became the nations first Davis Cup champion. For more information on surfacing, contact info@novasports.com. Vitalsox Launches Tennis Line, Seeks Sales Reps V italsox, the Italian technical sock manufacturer, announced that it is launching a tennis specialty line and ten- nis-only sales team. The sales force, headed by industry veteran Don Crusius, will be made up of independent multi-line reps who will call on pro shops and tennis specialty stores with their made-for-ten- nis socks that feature the com- panys patented SilverDryStat fiber. For more information, contact Crusius at 214-460- 7681 or don@csilogowear.com. Ashaway Introduces 17-Gauge MonoGut ZX Pro A shaway Racket Strings has introduced MonoGut ZX Pro, a companion string to its popu- lar Zyex monofilament tennis string. The 17-gauge (1.22 mm) MonoGut ZX Pro is a thinner, lighter string, designed to pro- vide better elongation, snap- back and playability for players who do not require the added durability of its 16 gauge (1.27 mm) counterpart, says Ashaway. MonoGut ZX comes in red or a natural gut-like tan color and is available in 40-foot sets, and in both 360- and 720-foot reels. Recommended stringing ten- sion is up to 60 pounds. Visit ashawayusa.com. Todd Martin Acquires TGA Youth Tennis Franchise F ormer ATP World Tour pro Todd Martin has acquired a TGA Premier Youth Tennis fran- chise. TGA and Todd Martin Tennis will develop school-based tennis programs for youngsters in the Jacksonville, FL area. TGA Premier Youth Tennis is a new initiative to grow the sport of tennis in partnership with the USTA. The organizations have developed the infrastructure and specialized cur- riculum to bring the sport to the masses in schools nationwide. It is the only national after- school tennis program in the country. "TGA really appealed to me because in order for tennis to be a viable competitor in U.S. sports, it needs to be in the schools with other sports," Martin says. "The comprehensive curriculum, developed with the USTA, is also very exciting and proven to be effective." TGA began awarding franchises for its new tennis business in partnership with the USTA earlier in 2012. "The innovative TGA model stands to help 10 and Under Tennis establish itself as the best pathway for children to get through the early stages of tennis development," he adds. "TGA has an outstanding national reputation for delivering tennis and enrichment to young children. The youth of Jacksonville are very fortunate to have this after-school opportunity available to them," said Scott Schultz, USTA's Managing Director, Youth Tennis. Joshua Jacobs, founder and CEO of TGA Premier Youth Tennis, appreciates the prestige that Martin brings to the program. "To have someone of Todd's stature and disposition within the tennis community recognize our unique school-based model as a way to grow youth tennis is very gratifying for us," Jacobs says. For more infor- mation on TGA, visit www.playtga.com. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9 www.racquetsportsindustry.com I N D U S T R Y N E W S Gamma Offers New FTX String G amma Sports offers the new Gamma FTX, a performance processed string for players wanting a balance of playability and durability, says the company. FTX construction features a Dynalon monofilament inner core surrounded by Nylon 6 outer wraps and Gammas new cross-woven Foil Wrap that increases resiliency and durabil- ity, the company says. Gamma processes FTX with its patented Gamma Irradiation Process to increase the num- ber of intermolecular bonds in the materials, making FTX more resilient than similar construction strings for faster string return on impact result- ing in more court-penetrating shots and faster serves. Gamma FTX comes in black and silver, in 16 and 17 gauge. Its available in 40-foot sets ($6.25) and 660-foot reels ($103). Visit gammasports.com. ASBA Elects New Officers and Directors T he American Sports Builders Associa- tion, the national organization for builders and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities, has announced the election and installation of its officers and directors for 2013. The new slate took its place at the conclusion of the ASBA's Technical Meeting, held in December in Florida. w Professional Division President: Chris Sullivan (Verde Design, Inc., Santa Clara, CA) w Track Division President: Don Smith, CTB (Don Smith, CTB, LLC, Denver, CO) w Indoor Division President: Randy Niese (Robbins Sports Surfaces, Cincinnati, OH) w Board of Directors members, Builder Division: Kristoff Eldridge, CTB (Cape & Island Tennis & Track, Pocasset, MA) and Linn Lower, CTCB (Lower Bros. Co. Inc., Birmingham, AL) Officers continuing on the Board of Directors will be Chairman Mark Bro- gan (Pro-Sport Construction Inc., Devon, PA), Fields Division President Dan Wright, CFB (Sports Turf Company, Whitesburg, GA), Tennis Division Presi- dent Pete Smith, CTCB (CourtSMITHs, Inc., Toledo, OH), Supplier Division President Robert Righter (Nova Sports USA, Milford, MA), and Secretary- Treasurer Jim Catella, CFB, CTB (Clark Companies, Delhi, NY). Randy Futty (SportCourt, Charlottesville, VA) will be the Secre- tary-Treasurer-Elect. Individuals continuing on the board in their current director positions include Ben Brooks (Patriot Court Sys- tems, Inc., Houston, TX), Mike Edger- ton, CTCB (Copeland Coatings, Nassau, NY), Bruce Haroldson (Connor Sports Flooring, Arlington Heights, IL), Ed Nor- ton, RLA, ASLA (Holcombe Norton Part- ners Inc., Birmingham, AL), Chris Rossi (Premier Concepts Inc., Baltimore, MD), and John Schedler, CTB, CFB (FieldTurf Tarkett, Tualatin, OR). ASBA will hold its next Technical Meeting Dec. 6-10, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, TX. Annual GSS Stringers Symposium Sharpens Skills T he sixth annual GSS Symposium took place at the end of September at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, FL, providing presentations and hands-on workshops for racquet technicians. Plus, the courts at the resort came in handy for both fun and education. "Everyone came to learn and sharpen their skills as racquet technicians, says Tim Strawn, organizer and owner of the five-day event. But they also want to play tennis, and being at Saddlebrook opened up several opportunities to use the courts." An interactive on-court racquet customization class gave participants a chance to hit with several racquets of the same model, but all customized differently so they could see the effect customizing has on a racquet. There was also a Q & A session on court with Craig Boynton, John Isner's current coach and Academy Director at Saddlebrook Resort. Ron Rocchi, leader of the Wilson Tour Services Stringing Team, brought back the popular pro tour simulation stringing room seminar. Partici- pants had their own Wilson Baiardo stringing machine and Rocchi, who leads Wilsons string- ing teams at the US Open and Australian Open, tested their skills to see if they had what it takes to service racquets at the very highest level of the game. Steve Crandall of Ashaway, the only company that actually manufactures strings in the U.S., led a discussion on polyester strings. "Having Steve there was quite a treat for us this year," says Strawn. "I have the utmost respect for his tremendous knowledge. He really opened up some eyes with his presentation." USRSA certification testing, with USRSA Executive Director Dave Bone, was also offered at this year's event and for the first time. Also, the ERSA Pro Tour Stringer exam was provided by MRT Richard Parnell of Spain. Symposium sponsors were Adidas, Alpha, Ashaway, Babolat, Dunlop, Gamma, Prince, TIA, USRSA, Wilson, Yonex, Gosen and Xuron. Once again Adidas provided logoed shirts. Babolat, Dunlop, Gamma, Prince, Wilson and Yonex participated in a promotion that saw everyone in attendance walk away with a triple racquet thermal bag, 12 sets of premium string, and one premium racquet. Plus, there was an addi- tional gift bag with items from a variety of sponsors. Alpha, Babolat, Gamma, Prince and Wilson provided stringing machines for the event. For more information about the annual, international event, held the last week of September, visit gssalliance.com or contact Strawn at 540-632-1148. 10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 I N D U S T R Y N E W S www.racquetsportsindustry.com Industry veteran Randy Futty has joined Connor Sport Court International as its new director of tennis. Futty, the former general manager of Har-Tru Sports, will be based in Crozet, VA. He also is the chairman of the USTAs Technical Committee and the secretary-trea- surer of the American Sports Builders Association. Novak Djokovic, who plays with a YouTek IG Speed MP, achieved year-end world No. 1 status in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings for the second year in a row. Roger Federer is the new brand ambassador for Mot & Chandon champagne and will be featured in an advertising campaign start- ing in March. PTR Director of Communications Peggy Edwards is the winner of the USTA South Carolina Media Award, presented to those who make "an out- standing contribution to reporting or promoting tennis in South Carolina. Bob and Mike Bryan have been named The Tennis News Persons of the Year in recognition of both their service to worthy tennis causes throughout the year and for their career-setting record of tennis performance, says Daily Tennis News Publisher Bob Larson. They will receive the award at the Indian Wells tournament in March by Steve Bellamy, founder of The Tennis Channel and the first winner of the award. Serena Williams has been named the WTA's Player of the Year after win- ning major titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, and claiming gold at the London Olympics. It is the fourth time Williams has won the award. Ivan Lendl recently was honored with the 2012 Davis Cup Award of Excellence, presented by the Interna- tional Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation. Prince Global Sports has renewed a partnership with Spanish player David Ferrer, who will continue to use Princes EXO3 Tour 100 racquet. Head Penns Paola Longoria, the worlds No. 1 ranked female racquetball player, continued her domi- nance on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) in winning her third United Healthcare US Open Racquetball Championship in October. Dunlop squash player Ramy Ashour won the Delaware Investments U.S. Open title in Philadelphia. He uses a Biomimetic Max squash racquet. Four AmericansSerena Williams, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan and Taylor Townsendhave been named 2012 ITF World Champions. For Williams, it is the third time shes been named Womens World Champion; the Bryans were named Mens Doubles World Champions for the ninth time in 10 years; and Townsend is the first American girl since Gretchen Rush in 1982 to be named Junior World Champion. Current world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Ser- bia was named the 2012 ITF Mens World Champion. The Executive Committee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame has voted in November to indefinitely suspend South African tennis player Bob Hewitt from the Hall of Fame. Hewitt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. The suspension follows a comprehensive investigation into multiple allegations concerning sexual misconduct involving minor students that he coached. Adam Ford is the new head coach for the womens tennis team at Hope College in Holland, Mich., succeeding Nate Price. Ford has served as the head pro of the colleges DeWitt Tennis Center since 2010, is certified by both the PTR and USPTA and is a USTA high performance coach. John Austin has joined Bolt racquets as its first Executive Board Member. Hell also serve as the companys professional-industry liaison, technical advisor/playtester and Bolt brand ambassador. Former top 12 player Patrick DuPr of Savannah, Ga., and USTA Southern Section Executive Director John Callen of Johns Creek, Ga., have been select- ed for the USTA Southern Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 12. Robin Anderson of UCLA and Sebastian Fanselow of Pepperdine were named the 2012 USTA/ITA Sportsmanship Award winners in November. Peter Wright, head coach at the University of California, Berkeley is the winner of the 2012 USTA/ITA National Campus & Community Outreach Award, while Johns Hopkins University head coach Chuck Willenborg is the 2012 USTA/ITA National Campus QuickStart Provider of the Year. Hans Hach of Abilene Christian and Chloe Murphy from the State College of Florida were named the 2012 James O'Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award winners, presented by Rolex Watch, USA, at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships in October. Three players took titles at the 2012 USTA/ITA National Collegiate Wheel- chair Championships, held at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, AL, in October. Mackenzie Soldan of the University of Alabama took home the Tier I singles title and Kate Stuteville of the University of Arizona won the Tier II singles crown. Stuteville then teamed with Tier I singles runner-up Pedro Rocha to claim the doubles title. Six-time Grand Slam champion Margaret Osborne DuPont died on Oct. 24 in El Paso, Texas, at age 94. DuPont won the singles title at Wimbledon in 1947, the U.S. National Championship (now the US Open) singles title from 1948 to 1950 and the French singles title in 1946 and 1948. The tennis Hall- of-Famer also won 31 doubles and mixed doubles titles between 1941 and 1962. International insurer Nationale Suisse and Roger Federer have extended their six-year-long collaboration for a further four years. Adrians Zguns of Orlando, FL, and Ristine Olson of Austin, TX, won the open titles at the USPTAs Hard Court Championships. PEOPLEWATCH January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11 I N D U S T R Y N E W S www.racquetsportsindustry.com Tecnifibre Restructures Business Model for 2013 T ecnifibre is restructuring its business model for Tecnifibre USA for 2013, the company announced recently. Since 2003, Fromuth Tennis has been the U.S. importer of Tecnifibre products, but beginning Jan. 1, 2013, both companies agreed to change the existing business relation- ship, says Tecnifibre President Thierry Maissant. Tecnifibre has been very appreciative of Fromuth Tennis as our partner in the U.S. for the past nine years, Maissant says. While both parties agreed to discontinue our prior agreement, we look forward to having Fromuth Tennis as a distributor of Tecnifibre USA with our new organization. Maissant says Tecnifibre is modifying its current busi- ness model. Our ambition is to rapidly accelerate the progression of the brand in the U.S. market, so the next logical step for our development of Tecnifibre USA is to establish a wholly owned corporation that will distribute Tecnifibre products exclusively, he adds. For inquiries, contact (888) 838-3664 or info@tecnifibreusa.com. USRSA Names Strawn as New Certification Tester T im Strawn, a 22-year veteran of the racquet sports industry, has been named a Certification Tester for the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association. Strawn started his career as a USPTA and PTR teaching pro, which led to the opening of his tennis business in Roanoke, Va. From 2000 to 2010 he worked as a racquet technician at various ATP/WTA events including Wimbledon, the US Open, the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, and the Memphis Regions Morgan Keegan. In 2002 he introduced the website at www.grandslamstringers.com, which eventual- ly led to the development and introduction of the GSS Alliance website. He is the owner and founder of the GSS Racquet Stringers Symposium. Strawn is a USRSA Master Racquet Technician and an original member of the Wilson Tour Services stringing team. He was voted RSIs Stringer of the Year in 2007. Top-Selling Tennis Strings at Specialty Stores By year-to-date units, Jan.-Sept. 2012 1. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex 2. Babolat RPM Blast 3. Wilson NXT 4. Wilson Sensation 5. Luxilon Alu Power Top-Selling Racquets at Specialty Stores By year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Sept. 2012 Best Sellers 1. Babolat Aero Pro Drive GT (MP) 2. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP) 3. Wilson BLX Juice (MP) 4. Babolat Pure Drive GT (MP) 5. Babolat Pure Drive Lite 2012 (MP) Hot New Racquets (introduced in the past 12 months) 1. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP) 2. Wilson BLX Juice (MP) 3. Babolat Pure Drive Lite 2012 (MP) 4. Babolat Pure Drive 107 2012 (OS) 5. Wilson BLX Juice (OS) Tennis Racquet Performance Specialty Stores January - September, 2012 vs. 2011 UNITS 2012 574,650 2011 558,662 % change vs. 11 3% DOLLARS 2012 80,221,000 2011 79,563,000 % change vs. 11 1% PRICE 2012 $139.60 2011 $142.42 % change vs. 11 -2% Top-Selling Tennis Shoes at Specialty Stores By year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Sept. 2012 1. Prince T22 2. Adidas AdiPower Barricade 7 3. Asics Gel Resolution 4 4. Babolat Propulse 3 5. Nike Zoom Breathe 2K11 (Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys) FLY Headties Offer Stylish Headband Alternative T ired of selling the same old bandanas and headbands? Try FLY Headties, a functional, stylish and customizable accessory designed to wick away moisture with its 92% poly/8% spandex fabric blend. Flyties were developed by two recreational players in Denver, Barbara Askenazi and Vikki Goldberg, and manufactured locally. They come in four colors black, white, blue and redand can easily be customized with embroidered club logos, team names or other messages. Each dry-wicking, unisex tie is 36 inches long and 3 inches wide and fits anyone. For more information, visit flyheadties.com or contact 303- 875-7735 or info@flyheadties.com. Farmers Classic Tourney at UCLA Is No More T he Farmers Classic men's tennis tournament at UCLA, a part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, is gone. The ATP sanction for the event, whose roots go back to 1927, has been sold to a group in Bogota, Colombia. The Southern California Tennis Associa- tion announced the decision Nov. 20 after extensive attempts to find new sponsors. The tournament, which began at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, struggled economically in recent years as sponsors came and went, and as the U.S. struggled to find men tennis stars, according to tournament director Bob Kramer. Most recently, its two principal sponsors, Farmers Insurance and Mercedes-Benz, both failed to renew their sponsor- ships. Former champions of the event included Rod Laver, Arthur Ashe, Pancho Gonza- les, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. American Sam Querrey has won three of the past four tournaments. J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 I N D U S T R Y N E W S 12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com > Chris Evert, Lindsay Davenport and Justin Gimelstob will guest star as themselves on an episode of the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in January. The episode, about the death of a professional female tennis player, also stars actress Elizabeth Shue, who herself is an avid tennis player. > The ATP and Head Penn announced a five- year extension of their partnership. Under the agreement, Head Penn will continue to be the official tennis ball of the ATP World Tour, as well as the official ball of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, through 2017. The agreement marks an extension to a partnership that started in 1994. > The USTA donated goods and money to Hur- ricane Sandy relief efforts totaling more than $400,000. Clothing, bottled water and other beverages, and needed supplies such as sham- poos and soap, were collected from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and the USTAs White Plains corporate headquarters and loaded on 16 pallets for delivery to the hardest hit areas in Queens, NY. > The U.S. Davis Cup team will meet Brazil in the World Group First Round on Feb. 1-3 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jack- sonville, FL. > Prince Global Sports has signed a multi-year deal to become the official racquet of the Pow- erShares Series. Formerly known as the Champi- ons Series, the PowerShares Series will visit 12 U.S. cities during its seven-week 2012 season. > Adidas recently honored its top sales reps. Bethany Atkinson, who covers Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, was named 2012 Tennis Specialty Rep of the Year. She also received the All In Adizero Award. The Golden Barricade Award was presented to Paul Shlien SHORT SETS (New England) and Todd Granius (California, Ari- zona, Nevada). In addition, Bradley Glen has been promoted to tennis specialty sales manager. > Nick Matthew has been named the squash touring professional and ambassador for Sea Island resort on the coast of Georgia. The resort will host its inaugural Sea Island Fantasy Squash Camp, currently scheduled for March 28-31. > More than 100 high school student-athletes from across USTA Eastern showed off their talent and learned about a wide range of opportunities to play collegiate tennis on November 11 at USTA Easterns 26th Annual College Showcase Day. The event, which was held at Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco, NY, featured more than 60 college tennis coaches. > Asics America Group announced that first half 2012 net income was up 17.9 percent over the same half in 2011. The first half saw double-digit growth in all categories, which includes footwear, apparel and accessories, said the company. > ATP player and Connecticut resident James Blake helped raise money to benefit those affect- ed by Hurricane Sandy by auctioning off three of his match jerseys featuring his autograph along with those of top American tennis stars Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey. All pro- ceeds went to the Red Cross. > Tennis Australia has a new partnership to pro- mote tennis with the Australian Minister for Mul- ticultural Affairs and Sport. Minister Kate Lundy is launching a five-year, $250,000 pilot program funded jointly by the government and Tennis Aus- tralia that will begin on Australia Day (Jan. 26), which falls during the 2013 Australian Open. The program has the theme, Do Something Aus- tralian on Australia DayPlay Tennis. ASBA Announces New Certified Tennis Court Builders T he American Sports Builders Association has recognized two builders as Certified Tennis Court Builders: Todd Rudolph of Sun- land Sports of Phoenix, and George Stahlin of Evergreen Tennis Courts Inc. of Loveland, CO. There are more than 60 CTCBs in the U.S. The ASBAs certification program was developed to help raise professional standards and improve the practice of sports facility construction. Certification is offered in three different disciplines; an individual may choose to pursue the Certified Tennis Court Builder (CTCB) designation, Certified Track Builder (CTB), or Certified Field Builder (CFB) designation. To become a certified builder, an individual must meet specific criteria set forth by ASBA; he or she must complete an appli- cation that shows proof of a set amount of experience in the chosen type of sports facility, and then pass a comprehensive exam on construction and maintenance. In order to maintain the designation, an individual must recertify every three years. A full list of currently certified builders is at the ASBA website, www.sportsbuilders.org. > French sportswear company Lacoste has been purchased by Swiss firm Maus Frres. The move comes following a family feud that will end an 80-year French history of the brand, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Lacoste family shareholders agreed recently to sell their 30.3 percent stake in the firm to Maus, which already owned 35 percent of the apparel company through its licensing busi- ness. > Bjrn Borg AB, based in Stockholm, Swe- den, reported sales increased 4 percent in the third quarter ended Sept 30. Excluding curren- cy effects, sales increased by 2 percent. > The 20th anniversary edition of Mylan WTT Smash Hits raised a record $1 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, with a portion of those proceeds benefitting the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. The event is hosted annually by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King. > Maui Jim again provided eyewear for use by line judges at Novembers Valencia 500 Open 2012 tennis tournament in Spain. > Under Armour will open a new specialty retail store in a prominent Baltimore, MD loca- tion. The Under Armour Specialty Store at Har- bor East is expected to open in February and will occupy about 8,000 total square feet. > SRO Sports has released two Wimbledon DVDs2012 Wimbledon: The Men's and Women's Finals and 2012 Wimbledon Offi- cial Filmand a US Open DVD2012 US Open Men's Final: Murray vs. Djokovic. Each costs $24.99. Visit kultur.com. > A new $500,000 WTA International Series tournament will take place in the southern Chi- nese city of Shenzhen in January 2013. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13 www.racquetsportsindustry.com I N D U S T R Y N E W S Congratulations To the Following For Achieving MRT Status New MRTs Naoufal Houmairy Westwood, MA Paul Boslet Akron, OH Danny Tran Houston, TX John Woo Ra Colorado Springs, CO Jason Wood San Diego, CA Michael Lau Scarborough, ON CANADA New CSs JVyron (Byron) Sacharidis Washington, DC Will Carter Lewisham , NSW AUSTRALIA PTR to Host New 10 & Under Tennis Conference in Feb. T he Professional Tennis Registry will hold its inaugural 10 & Under Tennis Conference Feb. 15-17 on Hilton Head Island, SC. The event will provide skills and knowledge for tennis professionals and coaches who work with children, as well as offer strategies to increase lesson income and overall business. Participants will learn from and interact with experts in the field, including Mike Bar- rell, Simon Gale, Rita Gladstone, Laramie Gavin, Anne Pankhurst and Butch Staples. In addition to teaching the physical skills, emo- tional and psychological issues pertaining to young children will be addressed. Working with parents, programming, competition and increasing bottom-line income opportunities are among the topics that will be covered. The conference will also feature vendor displays. PTR has been at the forefront of the 10 and Under Tennis movement, said Dan San- torum, CEO of PTR. We put a tremendous amount of resources into the development of our Junior Development pathways to certifi- cation, and PTR is uniquely qualified to offer an event that focuses on working with chil- dren 10 and under. To register, call 843- 785-7244. PTR Holds Inaugural Directors of Tennis Conference P rofessional Tennis Registry hosted its inaugural Directors of Tennis Confer- ence in October on Hilton Head Island, SC. The three-day event brought together 50 attendees and 14 presenters and addressed the needs of tennis directors, including such topics as pricing, budgeting, hiring and compensa- tion, software solutions, programming and management. Participants enjoyed morning Cardio Tennis and the new Cardio TRX workouts. Yonkers Kids Play 10U in Madison Square Garden T he Yonkers Tennis Center outside of New York City showcased its 10 and Under Tennis program in Madison Square Garden during the Nov. 5 Pow- erShares Series event, which featured Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Patrick Rafter and Peter Sampras. Fifteen YTC players and their coaches put on a 45- minute on-court demonstration while fans poured into the arena and cheered them on. 2013 Cardio Tennis Training Schedule T IA Cardio Tennis Manager Michele Krause has announced a robust schedule for Cardio Tennis and TRX Cardio Tennis Training Courses. The following are confirmed training courses (more are in the process of being firmed up for 2013). Most courses are offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit cardiotennis.com/ courses for more information and for the most updated schedule. w Jan. 9, Intensity Club, Norwalk, CT w Jan. 12, The Club at Carlton Woods, Houston, TX w Jan. 25, Dorado Beach Resort, San Juan, PR w Jan. 26, Dorado Beach Resort, San Juan, PR (TRX Cardio Tennis) w Jan. 27, Life Time FitnessFridley, Fridley, MN w Feb. 18, Brookhaven Country Club, Dallas, TX w Feb. 24, Wyndike CC, Memphis, TN w April 13, Orlando Tennis Center, Orlando, FL w April 18, Wee Burn CC, Darien, CT w May 11, Forest Crest Athletic Club, Mill Creek WA w May 17, Valley CC, Aurora, CO w June 15, Tennis Center at College Park, College Park, MD w June 16, Tennis Center at College Park, College Park, MD (TRX Cardio Tennis) w Sept. 29, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, FL w Sept. 30, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, FL (TRX Cardio Tennis) 14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com T I A N E W S I N D U S T R Y N E W S Mason Named TIA President; TIA Board Set for 2013-2014 G reg Mason, the vice president of sales and mar- keting for Head Penn, will be the president of the TIA for 2013-2014. He succeeds Wilson Racquet Sports Jon Muir, who was pres- ident for the last four years. Im excited to assume this role and continue to build on the momentum this industry and the TIA has built over the past few years," says Mason. "Our focus will remain on grow- ing the base of frequent players and improving the economic vitality of this industry. Mason has spent over 25 years in the sporting goods industry in a variety of senior management roles, including the last 12 years at Head Penn Rac- quet Sports, where he is responsible for all marketing and promotions for the Head and Penn brands in the U.S. and directs the U.S. sales force and sales man- agement team. His prior experience includes man- agement roles in the outdoor industry while a vice president at Eastpak backpacks. He has also held sales management roles at both Reebok USA and Puma North America. We've had a great TIA President in Jon Muir over the past four years," says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer, "and I'm looking forward to working alongside Greg as we continue to focus our efforts as the trade association for the sport to grow the eco- nomic vitality of the industry and the game of tennis. In addition to Mason, the following have been named to the 2013-2014 TIA Board of Directors: David Malinowski - Adidas Fred Stringfellow - ASBA Linda Clark - ATP World Tour Eric Babolat - Babolat Kai Nitsche - Dunlop Meredith Poppler - IHRSA Kevin Callanan - IMG Dave Miley - ITF Mark Stenning - Int'l. Tennis Hall of Fame Chris Circo - Prince Americas Dan Santorum - PTR Tom Cove - SFIA (formerly SGMA) David Egdes - Tennis Channel Jeff Williams - Tennis Magazine John Embree - USPTA Dave Bone - USRSA Kurt Kamperman - USTA Jon Muir - Wilson Sporting Goods Ilana Kloss - World TeamTennis Stacey Allaster - WTA Tour TIA Launches New and Improved Website T ennisIndustry.org, the central information source for the ten- nis trade, has recently been redeveloped and relaunched by the Tennis Industry Association. The new website not only focus- es on providing specified content for the various segments of the industry, but it also consolidates much of the information that previously resided on ancillary sites hosted by the TIAmaking TennisIndustry.org a true "one-stop shop" for industry informa- tion. In addition to a complete overhaul in website design, func- tionality, and user interface, the TIA also has integrated logins for both TIA members and for the GrowingTennis System directly into the new TennisIndustry.org. By integrating logins into one central location, we've elimi- nated the need to go to multiple sites and reduced the amount of clicks it takes to update tennis provider information in the industry's largest database of facilities, retailers, courts, and pro- grams, says the TIA's IT Manager, Matt Allen. Streamlining the process of obtaining and updating informa- tion played an important role in this redesign, says TIA Execu- tive Director Jolyn de Boer. We focused on how to make it more intuitive for tennis providers to find the information, resources, and research pertinent to their segment of the industry. For instance, facility owners/managers/directors, retailers, manufacturers, and media can visit TennisIndustry.org and click on the appropriate link to get instant access to resources, tools, services, member benefits, and research available to help their businesses. The new site also makes it easier for visitors to keep current on the latest developments in the industry, get involved with ini- tiatives, and stay up-to-date on some of the key research trends the TIA monitors on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis through the Industry Dashboard. In addition to the Dashboard, there are a variety of top-line research reports available for free download in the research section. The TIA continues to work to grow the game and the eco- nomic vitality of the tennis industry, and the new TennisIndus- try.org furthers that mission by ensuring important and pertinent information is easily accessible to help tennis busi- nesses grow, de Boer adds. Visit TennisIndustry.org to see the new website. For comments and feedback, email the TIA at info@tennisindustry.org. Babolat Launches New Aeropro Frame, Propulse 4 Shoes T en years ago Babolat launched the Aeropro Drive racquet and now introduces the fifth generation of the frame. The latest Aeropro Drive uses Coretex Active Technology, which Babolat says give players more feel. The racquet also features Aero Modular Technology, which the company says is an aerodynamic shape and modular frame to help the racquet move through the air; Woofer, a system that allows the frame and strings to interact for better feel and accu- racy; and GT Technology, a graphite and tungsten composition that reduces torque on impact, according to Babolat. Each racquet in the line is 100 square inches and includes: w Aeropro Drive/Aeropro Drive + (suggested retail $199), designed for baseliners look- ing for power and spin. w Aeropro Team ($195) for baseliners who like power and want more maneuverability. w Aeropro Lite ($189), for women and high-level juniors looking for a lightweight racquet with spin. The new Propulse 4 All Court shoe was devel- oped in collaboration with Andy Roddick and fea- tures Side 2 Side, to improve lateral movements. It also has a new Michelin OCS2 outsole for all court surfaces and abrasion resistance. The new Lateral Stability System (LSS) combines support and stability, says Babolat. Available in mens and womens (suggested retail $119) and junior ($64) versions. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15 I N D U S T R Y N E W S www.racquetsportsindustry.com ITF, StarGames Announce World Tennis Day T he International Tennis Federation has entered into an agreement with StarGames to launch World Tennis Day to help promote tennis participation around the world. The inaugural World Tennis Day will be on Monday, March 4, as part of the ITF's Centenary activities. World Tennis Day will be centered around a series of high profile exhibi- tion events around the world, including the BNP Paribas Showdown in New Yorks Madison Square Garden. Each of the events, organized by the promoter StarGames, will feature current and for- mer professionals together with demonstrations of the ITFs Tennis10s program (called 10 and Under Tennis in the U.S.) aimed at increasing partici- pation among young players around the world. We look forward to World Tennis Day as a way to put a spotlight on ten- nis participation, says ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. The very success- ful Tennis Night in America, staged by the USTA in association with StarGames, is an example of how spe- cial events and participation activities can be combined successfully. The ITF will be encouraging its 210 national associations to support World Tennis Day with their own grassroots and club activities to attract new participants. The USTA has already established Tennis Night in America in conjunction with the BNP Paribas Showdown in which clubs are asked to open their doors as part of a month-long drive to get children playing the sport. Over 2,200 clubs in the U.S. took part in 2012. To be able to expand this to World Tennis Day in partnership with the ITF and its 210 member nations is a unique opportunity, says Jerry Solomon, president and CEO of StarGames. Several other National Associations have already pledged their support to join the USTA in World Tennis Day activ- ities in 2013, including Davis Cup final- ists Czech Republic and Spain, plus Argentina, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Norway, Portugal and South Africa. MAKING TENNIS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Until December 31, 2013, kids 10 and under, new to the United States Tennis Association, can receive a FREE 1-Year Junior Membership- a $20 value! NOW IT'S EASIER THAN EVER FOR KIDS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION TO GET IN THE GAME. Tennis has new rules. Kid-sized racquets. Slower, lower-bouncing bal ls. No courts necessary. Kids can play tennis anywhere, anytime, at any level. And now, for a limited-time, kids can join the USTA for FREE! USTA Junior Membership Benefits Include: An annual subscription to Bounce* newsletter Access to play USTA Jr. Team Tennis* * Access to play USTA Junior Tournaments* JOIN NOW Go to www.tryusta.com/juniorfree Or call1-800-990-8782 and mention source code FYFRSI13 Offer Expires: December 31,2013 FOR NEW tOANO UNDER MEMBERS ONLY. No necessary. Ofte<openonly to U.S. r9Sldentsandappliesonly to new 10 lind Under 1-'lear .AJnlof pnce: S201. 1ndMciJal must be aged 10or tndef t time ol en<oftment Ottw quoltications apply. Terms ol11\1!11'lbershop om subJect to dlaf'9" on th8 UST/>:5 sole dlsc!etion. USTA Merrtlershp is Mt translo!rlli.lle. orr... eocpores 11:59 p.m. ET on 12/Jt/13. Visit or cal 1-aoo-ooos782 for C<Jrf1Jiate terms ard condi00<1S and enrollment JlSIIUC00<1s. lf'ldlllll1wls (and tt- mJSt agree to """"e to the Bylow& and fUes erd Rego.jatims of the USTA (awilalle on www.usta.oornl. 0 2012 Uniled States Ternis Association in::JJt!:aated. AI rig>ts resenll!d. ' For Family, Seniot, l.Ae. lind Orgerizeoon Merrtle<shps, $10 of l'lU< IMJIII membefshop d-os llllocaled to e 1;eb< to TENNIS tnllgf!>line and Temi.s tlh:lO cigotal magazlt'lll. For Junior Molmbershipe. $10olyour amual Is alloanedtoe ..,_-..acripoontoent-.r Bour>c:8a ta'l181ed newskmor forbds 10 or .....:19< or Tsnnrs amount aliocmedanrutlyos noo:dedllcttllefrom l'nlll'liJef!hip ol n'll!n"berslrrp ard sub,ect to d1aroge on the UST.t>:s sole discretioo. USTA Mentler"'-> is no\ translo!rallle. Please oantact merrborservices0us1a.com wrlh [JJeStlOOS. Visit USUI.oonVIeuns lor l:efms and oondii>Ons. fees rrvff opplv lor \Qurnamenc om league Over the last 12 months, the TIA has made meaningful strides in aligning our key initiatives, creating a stronger toolbox of resources, and strengtheni ng several ar eas in order to provide sustainable growth platforms for our industry and to further unite all of us under one brand- Year in Review TENNIS. Meanwhile, we have seen important increases in participation, and positive signs in tennis equipment shipments/ sales, facility programming and on-court revenues- y et we realize we still have many challenges in this industry, and we continue to work toward building long-term growth for all industry stakeholders. JANUARY Free Retail Business Assessments are offered to specialty tennis retai lers through the TIA's retail consulting partner, Gluskin-Townley Group. TIA's 2012 Webinar learning series kicks off with "Annual Business Planni ng." CardioTennis.com was redesigned and re-launched, giving providers and players access to new technology tools to fill Cardio Tennis classes and sign up easily. TRX and Cardio Tennis begin a pilot partnership program to incorporate the TAX Suspension Training System into Cardio Tennis classes. TIA launches a playtennis. com "partners" website f or the download of free marketing material and collateral to support the industry-wide init iative. The 2011 tennis participation study is released, showing a total number of 27.8 million tennis players. - - ~ . - . - Tennis Australia announces at the Australian Open that t he TIA/USTA- developed Cardio Tennis program will be a key component of the country's efforts to increase participation, showcasing the program on Margaret Court Arena. Year-end shipment data shows that shipments of red, orange, and green tennis balls in 2011 were up 53% versus 2010. Year-end numbers show t hat t he TIA's job board, Careers In Tennis, received more than 30,000 job views in 2011. lim Heckler, longtime CEO of US PTA, announces his retirement at the end of 2012. FEBRUARY TIA travels to Orlando, FL. t o exhibit at the 2012 PTR International Tennis Symposium where the new playtennis.com kiosk is unveiled, allowing tennis pros and coaches to i mmediatel y post t heir information on the site. Cardio Tennis Interactive- a new program to help Cardio Tennis participants track their fitness and participate in health challenges-is announced for a spring 2012 launch. TIA travels to New Orleans, LA, to present at the 2012 CMAA World Conference. Michele Krause, Cardio Tennis Manager, receives the 2012 PTR/TIA Commitment to the Industry Award. TIA holds its "Grow Globally Webi nar," with esteemed author and international business consultant Mona Pearl. TRX Cardio Tennis is a part of morning workouts at t he 2012 PTR International Tennis Symposium. TIA introduces GrowTennis.com to growtennis., nm handle t he sign- up process for teachi ng professionals t o get listed on playtennis.com. TIA announces a new Authorized Provider program for Cardio Tennis, ensuring consistency and quality delivery of the program at tennis sites across the country. MARCH TIA travels to NYC for the BNP Pari bas Showdown and Tennis Night in America event, and for meetings to discuss the playtennis.com launch, industry efforts at retail, and plans f or a national retail promot ion. TIA attends the SGMA's National Health Through Fitness Day in Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress to support physical activity legislation. TIA travels to the USTA Annual Meeting in Carlsbad, CA. TIA holds its semiannual board meeti ng at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carl sbad, CA. TRX Cardio Tennis begins its rollout with the release of its 2012 training course schedule. Playtennis.com is soft-launched to consumers for beta testing. TIA holds the retail-centric webinar "Men vs. Women: Different Shopping Habits." Joi n the TIA .. Increase Your Profits .. Grow t he Game . . www.Tennislndustry.org Janu<Jry 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 17 APRIL The 2012 Physical Activity Council releases its annual Sports, Fitness and Recreation Participation Report, showing tennis as the fastest growing traditional sport, up 37% since 2000. 0 1 TIA Census data shows positive growth in racquet, ball, and t ransition ball shi pments. TIA announces that it will hold its f i rst Tennis Show in NYC just before the start of the US Open (the 2011 Tennis Show was canceled due to Hurricane Irene). Cardia Tennis is featured as a morning workout opportunity at the American Association of Neurologists Conference in New Orleans, LA. The 2011 TIA Tennis Consumer reports are released, highlighting frequent player buying habits, brand preferences, and other key tennis consumer trends. Former TIA President Jim Baugh is honored by RSI Magazine as a HPioneer in Tennis." The first TAX Cardio Tennis pilot training courses are held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY. 01 2012 TIA research indicates that racquet sales in the tennis specialty market were up 14% over 2011. A new "Industry Dashboard" is developed and placed on the TIA's homepage (Tennislndust ry.org) to provide visitors with quick access to key top-line industry performance indicators. TIA research shows that Cardio Tennis participation is up 56% since 2008, to 1.3 million. r TIA releases its annual State of the Industry report, which shows t he value of t he U.S. tennis industry to be $5.4 billion and highlights key figures from the TIA's more than 70 annual research reports. The US Open National Playoffs begin and are presented by playtennis.com, a websi te initially developed by t he TIA in 2009. A retail webinar, uusi ng Direct Response Marketing," is held by the TIA. An updated version of t he NParent's Guide to 10 and Under Tennis" is published and available for tennis retailers through free 10 and Under Tennis Retail Kits from t he TIA. JUNE TIA begins plans to launch a National Youth Tennis Retail Initiative at retail chain stores that educates consumers on t he new equipment developments in youth tennis. A new website for providers to easily access youth tennis marketing collateral and resources from the TIA is added to Tennislndustry.org/Partners. KeepTennisReal.com is re-launched to create awareness about counterfeit tennis racquets and provide a platform for retailers to sign up as " Verified Deal ers." PEP Funding, a part of t he National Health Through Fitness Day Platform, passes the Senate Appropriations Committee. r Mid-year wholesale shipment data from the TIA shows positive dollar growth in the tennis ball and racquet categories, both up 7% versus mid-year 2011. ~ Cardia Tennis Interactive, a new web-based health t racking system to complement Cardia Tennis programming, is launched by the TIA in partnership with Total Health Interactive. Cardia Tennis is featured as part of early morning workouts at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in San Francisco, CA. JULY TIA releases an update to its " Strategic Overview," highlighting the association's four key strategic platforms: frequent player growth, industry research, advocacy and awareness for the sport, and uniting t he industry under one brand - TENNIS. Playtennis.com, the new consumer portal for all thi ngs tennis, officially launches to the public. TIA's 2012 Cost of Doing Business Facilities Report is released; highlights include that introductory programs for beginners have a 64% retention rate. The GrowingTennis System, managed by the TIA. is revamped and re-released to make the data input process for tennis providers easier and more intuitive to get listed on the all-new playtennis.com website. A new partners' page to download playtennis.com marketing collateral is also set up at Tennislndustry.org/ playtennis. IMG Tennis Academy in Bradenton, FL, hosts Cardia Tennis and TAX Cardia Tennis Traini ng workshops, where legendary coach Nick Bollettieri spoke to those in attendance. TIA data shows there are over 2,700 Tennis Welcome Centers; 1,800 Cardia Tennis sites, and more t han 300,000 registered tennis players i n TIA databases. Former WTA players Gigi Fernandez, Lesl ie Allen, Kyle Copeland Muse, and Roberta McCallum Russo participate in Cardia Tennis Training courses. The TIA develops the website and coordinates with tennis manufacturers t o deliver the USTA External Discount Tennis Equipment Program for USTA Organization members that are a schooVcollege, parks and rec, CTA, NJTL, or Community Service Organization. TIA holds its first Tennis Show at the Grand Hyatt in NYC with nearly 40 exhibitors and over 400 attendees and gives away more than $20,000 worth of prizes. The 5th Annual TIA Tennis Forum is held at New York City's Grand Hyatt. Coaching legend Nick Boll ettieri becomes the fifth inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame in a ceremony held during the TIA Tennis Forum. TIA hol ds its annual board meeting on opening day of play at the US Open, outlining i ndustry plans for future growth and sustainabi lity. TIA President Jon Muir announces that the TIA is working with t he USPTA and PTR to form a Task Force to assess how to develop a more aligned pathway t o strengthen the position, economic growth, and industry impact overall for coaches and tennis professionals. TIA coordinates meetings with tennis i ndustry manufacturers and t he ITF to discuss developments impacting their businesses wit h respect to ITF rule changes. A meeting is held with tennis retailers to discuss development of the TIA Retail Division. SEPTEMBER Final plans for the National Youth Tennis Retail Initiative are made, w1th more than 1 million youth tennis equipment racquet hang- cards set to hit retail channels later in the year. TIA representatives travel to Monterey, CA. f or the annual USPTA World Conference, where the playtennis.com kiosk is on display to register teaching pros for the playtennis.com website. Former TIA Board Member John Embree is named new CEO/Executive Director of the USPTA. TIA develops and distributes a new Youth Tennis Resources flier for retailers and other t ennis providers to quickly review the tools and resources available from the TIA. The 10 and Under Tennis dashboard, provided by the USTA, is added to the TIA's tennis industry dashboard that is accessible at Tennislndustry.org. Morning Cardia Tennis workouts are featured daily at the USPTA World Conference in Monterey, CA. A new website, YouthTennis.com, is launched by t he USTA, with support and messaging delivered to providers by the TIA, to drive tennis participation in youth programs across the country. OCTOBER TIA holds its first Tennis Faci lity Owners and Managers Workshop at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, SC. TIA presents a State of t he Industry Update at the PTA's inaugural Directors of Tennis Workshop on Hilton Head Island, SC. RSI Magazine features Cardia Tennis as the cover story f or its November/December issue. CareerslnTennis.com surpasses 30,000 job views f or the second consecutive year. A new brochure to better i nform t he industry about TIA efforts and how industry constituents can get involved in t he various efforts is developed and distributed. A new report on Tennis Consumer Retail Buying habits of tennis racquets is developed and released by the TIA. TIA travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the Physical Activity Council to discuss measuring physical activity in America through the annual Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Participati on Study. The annual Tennis Consumer and Dealer Trends studies are released. Former TIA Board Member Dave Haggerty is nominated to be the USTA Chairman of the Board and President for 2013-2014. NOVEMBER Tennislndustry.org is redesigned, providing the industry w ith a central resource for all trade-based i nformation, r esearch, i nitiatives, and programs. Messaging continues to industry providers to get their information -- and programs listed in the Growing Tennis System, which supplies data to playtennis.com searches. TIA travels to London for the ITF Play + Stay meeting and Global Research meeting. TIA travels to t he annual ASBA Technical Meeting in Orlando, FL. to meet with court contractors and other sports industry builders. TIA messages to tennis retailers to take part in AMEX's Small Business Saturday promotion. TIA introduces Business Assessments benefit to associate members to help facility ownerS/managers and retailers improve their bottom line. 03 wholesale shipment data results show growth in all categories measured. DECEMBER The 2012 USTNTIA Participation study shows an i ncrease in the total number of tennis players for the first time since 2008- to over 28 million. Jon Muir ends his tenure as two-term TIA President. Representatives from the TIA travel to Naples, FL for the annual ITA Coaches Convention. TIA publishes its annual Consumer Research Reports on racquet s, balls, footwear, strings, and apparel. The Late Season Court Activit y Monitor i ndicates positive net increases in al l categories measured. TIA ratifies its board of directors f or 2013-2014 with Greg Mason {right) of HEAD Penn assuming the role of TIA Presi dent in January 2013. The 2013 industry event and promotional calendar is publ ished and distri buted by the TIA. The TIA continues to evolve and is more focused than ever on our key initiat ives and platforms to support industry growth. While we have begun to turn a corner in 2012, we know we still have much work to do as we enter 2013. We look forward to your continued support, which will help put the TIA in an even stronger position to support your efforts as we move forward together. To help YOUR industry, visit Tennislndustry.org and become a member of t he TIA.
Apparel clothings debut that, "The tennis line will closely resemble the look and feel of the actual perfor- mance wear that Mr. Djokovic will wear. Echoing Djokovics relation- ship to the clothings style, Naoki Takizawa, Uniqlos creative direc- tor, said inspiration for the designs, the colors and even the piping that runs down the sides on both shirt and shorts, comes from the Serbian flag. The shirts, shorts, warm-ups, cap, sweat- bands and socks, with items priced from $9.90 to $89.90, will be created with fabrics produced by Uniqlo partner Toray Indus- tries. The clothing is cut in a more tapered, less baggy style than is standard. The shirt fea- tures the proprietary Dry-Ex, which wicks away sweat and doesnt cling and has ultra-thin meshing under the arms. The shorts pockets have a pile fabric to hold tennis balls and give play- ers a quick way to wipe away perspiration. Uniqlo currently sponsors two other male tennis players, current No. 19 Kei Nishikori and Japans premier singles wheelchair play- er, Shingo Kunieda. There are no current plans to sign an endorser from the womens tour, a deci- sion echoing that Uniqlo is not actually a sportswear manufactur- er as well as what anyone can observe with a walk down the aisles of any of their stores: They have no problem attracting fash- ionista females, but can always use a few more men aspiring to hit like, or at least look like, Nole. w ast May, the worlds fourth largest retailer, Uniqlo, took over from Sergio Tac- chini as clothing sponsor of the worlds then No. 1 player, Ser- bias Novak Djokovic. In August, in conjunction with the 2012 US Open, the Japanese chain unveiled the Djokovic Perfor- mance Wear Collection at its 90,000-square-foot New York City Herald Square flagship store. Credit the megabrand with outside-the-box thinking. The company was interested in expanding the idea of its Uniq- lo Innovation Project (UIP) begun in 2011 to offer the com- panys Made for All motto in a more tangible form. A company spokesperson explained how Djokovic arrived at this junction in brand building: We believe that tennis is a sport where the individuals performance is combined with a personal sense of style and fashion, both on and off the court. They hired the winner of the 2012 Australian Open and run- ner-up at Roland Garros and US Open, not even midway through his Tacchini deal, as a global brand ambassador. Rather than enter the perfor- mance-wear market against the established heavyweights, Uniq- lo is limiting distribution to a select number of its own 1,100- plus stores. And in something of a hat tip to the halcyon days in the 1970s and 80s, the compa- ny markets the 10-piece collec- tion as fashion, explaining in a press release announcing the L With Djokovic, Uniqlo Gains Tennis Inspiration January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21 www.racquetsportsindustry.com BY KE NT OS WAL D Retailing The Confidential Assessment Report you receive will provide your score and the per- formance level of your retail store. But the most important feature of the report you receive will be the Strengths, Neutral Areas and Weaknesses of your retail store. After you read through the complete report, go back and take a harder look at the weaknesses. Those are the immediate threats to your specialty tennis retail busi- ness, and you should address them as soon possible. Howeverand this is extremely impor- tantwe dont advocate attacking the weak- nesses of your retail business without a plan. You need to leverage the power of planning by focusing on what you are going to do to correct and turn around the weaknesses uncovered by your assessment. So, develop your business plan with an immediate focus on your stores weakness- es, and when they are literally neutralized, or better yet turned completely around into strengths, you can turn your attention to the neutral areas of your business and turn them into strengths as well. When you feel youve turned around or greatly improved the identified weaknesses, go back to the TIA and arrange to take another TIA Retail Business Assessment so you can track improvement and re-do and renew your business plan. You need to prepare your tennis retail operation for whats ahead. Make the TIA Retail Business Assessment the first step in planning your future. w For upcoming TIA retail webinars, and to view previous webinars, visit tennisindustry.org/webinars. ness to start the New Year off right. The entire TIA Retail Business Assess- ment will take only 20 minutes or less to complete online. The assessment is com- pletely confidential; it is evaluated and scored by independent retail consultant Gluskin Townley Group, which does not share the results with anyone, including the TIA itself. (The Gluskin Townley Group will only communicate with the person who filled out and submitted the Retail Business Assessment.) The assessment focuses on eight areas important to your specialty retail tennis business: 1. Business Technology and Reporting 2. Financial Benchmarks 3. Store Operations 4. Staff Recruiting & Hiring 5. Ownership & Management 6. Store Environment 7. Marketing & Promotions 8. Customer Service You dont have to prepare or review your books or financials before you take your online Retail Business Assessment because we are interested in what you know about your business right now. Once the online assessment is scored, a Confidential Assess- ment Report is prepared and emailed to the person who filled out and submitted the assessment. n todays highly competitive retail environment, with consumers con- trolling who stays in business and who doesnt, its crucial that you have a firm understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your specialty ten- nis retail business. The authors of Nine ShiftWork, Life and Education in the 21st Century warn in their Second Decade Predic- tions for the 21st Century that the number of retail stores declines by 50% (half) by 2020. We clearly see this already happening across many different retail segments; just look at the empty retail spaces you probably have in your own communities. (You can learn more about Nine Shift at www.nineshift.com.) This is why its importantnow that you take a close look at your busi- ness. And the TIA can help with its TIA Retail Business Assessment, which provides specialty tennis store owners with a 360-degree view of their busi- nesses. After taking the Retail Business Assessment, youll: w Understand what youre doing right and where you need to improve. w Build sustainable growth in profits and not just revenue. w Build sustainable value in your business. And now through the month of January, the TIA Retail Business Assessment, normally $200, is FREE for any TIA Retail Member (see box). With todays challenging and con- tinuously changing marketplace, it's important for tennis retailers to under- stand what they are doing right and what areas of their business have room for improvement, says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. And now is the time for you and your busi- I First Step in Planning Your Future The TIA Retail Business Assessment offered free in Januarycan build sustainable growth for your store. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23 www.racquetsportsindustry.com This is part of a series of retail tips presented by the Tennis Industry Association and written by the Gluskin Townley Group (www.gluskintownleygroup.com). FREE Offer For TIA Retail Members Now is the time to change up your game and start off the new year head- ing in the right direction. Through the month of January, the TIA, in conjunc- tion with retail consultant Gluskin Townley Group, is offering the TIA Retail Business Assessment (normally $200) for FREE to any TIA Retail Mem- ber. Contact Marty Mohar at marty@tennisindustry.org or 866-686- 3036 ext. 704. Social Media are using Facebook, make sure you have a great cover photo and profile image. Also, include your phone number and hours of operation if applicable. You would be amazed how many businesses forget that and dont realize the business they are losing. Test Just like players test different strokes and strings, the same goes for social media. If youre not seeing the results you want, make some changes. Every audience is different in relation to what types of content they want socially and you must meet them there. Do not be afraid to change it up. On Facebook, try pictures. And try videos. And try text updates. Try different times of the day and days of the week. The key thing is to use moderation. Each time you push out a message, no matter if it is Facebook, Twitter or some other platform, you are, in effect, interrupting someone. That said, own it. Be who you are. Thats the ultimate beauty and simplicity of social media for people and business- es. If you are authentic, you can and will be successful. w e all know that for many players, tennis is a social experience, as well as an athletic one. Thats where social media comes in. Yes, as a tennis provider, you still need to have a website. But being on Facebook, Twitter and other sites can be the boom your business needs to take a leap forward. But how do you get started? Define Your Goals Being on any social network takes a commitment, but it doesnt have to become a hassle. What are your goals? Some of the goals of being on a social network for a business can be brand recognition, experience expansion, product launches and sales. Of course there are many oth- ers, but those are the main reasons. No matter your motivation, you have to know the reasons and goals as that will dictate where you spend the most time. Build Once you decide which social plat- forms are best for your goals, then it is just a matter of doing it and not quitting. Before launching any com- munity publicly, make it look 100 percent complete and active. That means all your images should be quality and representative of your brand. Dont launch a newsletter as just text and full of misspellings. Now is the time to build the templates so that it is easy moving forward. If you W How to Launch Your Social Business Being on Facebook, Twitter and other sites can be the boom your business is looking for. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 25 www.racquetsportsindustry.com Richard Dedor, a former Tennis Service Representative for the USTA Missouri Val- ley Section, is a social media consultant, speaker and personal coach. His work has appeared in Sports n Spokes Magazine, The Community Manager and SocialFresh. You can find him online at RichardDe- dor.com and on Twitter @RichardDedor. He has written one book, Anything is Possible. Which Social Network is Right for You? w Facebook: You dont have to be on Facebook. But if your target audience is 13- to 35-year-olds, you need to be. Once you know that, set your goals and get cre- ative. The more creative, the better on the penultimate social network. w Twitter: People still think Twitter asks, What are you doing? That is simply not the truth. Twitter is much more about sharing great content and engag- ing around that content. Head to Twitter.com and search Ten- nis. w Google+: Even a year after its launch, Google+ is slow to grow. But if you have a website, a physical location or a store, you should at least be on Google+ and engaging in related conver- sations. Why? It helps with search. w Instagram: Tennis, and sport in general, is visual. Use Instagram to take photos of your events, your space and the community. It can start slowly, but its a fun way to stay in front of your cus- tomers. w Pinterest: If you goal is primarily to sell, begin to use Pinterest. Be sure to pin things from your online store, but provide a cre- ative context. You cant just say, Buy me! And be sure to spread the love to others, too! RI CHARD DE DOR FACI LI TY MANAGEMENT Now, we can reach a vastly larger audience than ever before, but that also means a lack of control over what they ultimately decide to do. BY ROD HE CKE L MAN T oday, we have more influence over our customers than we have ever had before. Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, e- mailthe list is growing and becoming more diversified by the minute, allowing us to pass on information to the gener- al audience in the blink of an eye. You Like one person and another 200 people become your new friends. These are phenomenal tools that the modern tennis pro, especially those involved in management and the organization of events, can use to promote, inform and organize. But these great new tools come with a new understanding. Twenty years ago you would call someone on the phone to promote an event or a program. You might hope they would tell their friends, helping you to spread this information. As a consequence of that call, you have influenced a few people. You expect to have a degree of control over that information and also over how many people will be impacted. Through the course of the day you make a number of calls and interact with people on a personal level. Little by little, your plans are being put in motion and your influence remains mostly in your con- trol. It takes a herculean effort, but your efforts pay off and the program or event runs its course properly. Todays new technology has changed all that. Now you send one e-mail blast, Tweet once and then post on Facebook and you have reached an unknown number of people. Your once controlled process is now lost, but youve been able to reach hundreds of people in a few short steps. The question is, can you deal with this loss of control, and maybe even more important, do you understand how to take advantage of this new world of instant communication? Goals, Process, Results The best way to understand this new world of communication is to break it down into several stepsthe goals, the process and the expected results. The goal of any organizer, especially a tennis director, head pro or manager, is to get the word out and create interest, enthusiasm and attendance. From that standpoint, having these new communication tools are fantas- tic as long as there is also an understanding of the target audi- ence and the limits you may have with the event. Its a tennis pros nightmare to have too many people show up for an event and not have enough facility to host them. Its even a bigger nightmare to have people show up that do not fit into the program. As an example, youre looking to host a 4.0 womens round robin that will include food and some competitive activ- ities. You know that you have enough court time to take on 24 players. Before you know it, the sign-up sheet that you posted to control the attendance is halfway filled with 3.5 players looking for competition. Sure you can explain during the recruiting that you were only going to allow 4.0 players, but some wanted to bring their friends, others already play on a USTA 4.0 team and feel it would be okay to join in, the reasons 26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 MORE INFLUENCE, BUT LESS CONTROL MORE INFLUENCE, BUT LESS CONTROL www.racquetsportsindustry.com are many. The bottom line is that you have influenced more peo- ple than ever, created great enthusiasm and interest and now as a result have lost some control. Telling a few people that they cant attend is manageable; telling half that have already planned to attend and have signed up for the event is another story. League play has really been impacted by this new technology, and the task to inform and communicate has been greatly enhanced, but the task to manage has become more compli- cated. At the end of the day, the pro has to realize that when they provide one person with information, they are also providing another 500. Privacy is no longer part of the equationnever forget that and take a few seconds before pushing Send. The Personal Touch As for the process, many organizers make two fundamental mistakes with this new technology. First, they put too much trust in this new technology. There is an assumption that e-mails are delivered and internet messages are received. Once again, here we have all this ability to influence the public with our mes- sages, but are never quite sure if these messages are getting through. Net result? Less control. Its an experienced organizer that engineers into the messaging system a method to confirm that any message is received. Didnt you get my e-mail? is not the best way to greet a lesson that has come at the wrong time or a member who has appeared to attend a class that has been can- celled. Second, overly depending on technical communication can result in a loss in personal contact. It is very easy to lose control over your clientele if you begin to rely only on high-tech commu- nication. Many facilities are learning this lesson the hard way, watching their attrition rate increase and their retention rate decrease. There is no substitute for personal contact, and there never will be. It is only through direct communication that your message is clear and understood. A good example of watching communication spin out of control is when your message is filtered through a number of people. What starts off as being a sug- gestion for Tom to play on a 2.5 team so that he can participate and contribute becomes, after weaving through several people, Tom is not good enough to play at the 3.0 level. Public Performance Lastly, new technological ways of communicating are impacting the results of your work in ways you never saw before. If you ran a tournament, a party, or any event, the success or fail- ure would be reviewed by those attending and maybe a few of their friends the attendees might interact with. Not anymore. Your performance becomes public in numbers that are amaz- ing. Remember the old adage, make one person happy and prob- ably another person will hear about it, but make one person unhappy and 10 will hear about it. These days, take those num- bers and magnify them by the hundreds. While that sounds threatening, it can also be promising, because now if you run a successful event, you no longer have to brag about it; your local tech world will announce it to everyone. This is a perfect example of using your loss of control to your advantage. No longer will you need to be the major push behind your P.R. Now you can unleash the social media system on the public and get far more mileage out of your positive results. If you can master this process, you have successfully learned how to take advantage of this loss of control. Remember, this new world of communication also creates a new world of rapid change and progress. Tradition, a mainstay mindset of the tennis world for years, has taken a back seat. The public seeks, maybe even demands, new events that are evolving at all times. Tournaments, parties, events and activities must take on this process of evolving with a passion. Because we live in a more informed world, keeping up with the Joneses, or the Grass is always greener, is no longer an occasional desire, but has become the common thinking of most people; part of how they perceive a normal lifestyle. If another club is running a new program or event that is successful, you can bet your clients will know about it and want it to happen at their club right away. You cannot afford to watch any event die and lose participation and interest. The tennis world provides too many alternative choices and players will migrate to those choices as rapidly as they receive Twitter or Facebook updates. Simply put, with all this new technology, we currently have more influence than ever over our customersbut along with that, we have less control than ever. The question is, How will you embrace the result of having less control? Will you stay with your traditional methods, or opt to move into the new technology? Maybe even more important, do you really have a choice? w January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27 www.racquetsportsindustry.com 28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com I ts tough trying to find out information on Susan DiBiase. The director of marketing for Babolat in the U.S. just doesnt like talking about herself or her accomplishments. In fact, shes very adept at deflecting the conversation away from her and peppering an interview with words like team, partners and family when talking about business. But its that sense of shared purpose that DiBiase projects and which permeates the team at Babolatthat may well have been the driving factor in putting the French brand on top in the U.S. tennis market. At Babolat, all we do is tennis, and weve grown really quickly the last few years, DiBiase says. We want to stay rel- evant to players and give them products to improve their games, and we want to grow the game of tennis, too. Babolat has definitely stayed relevant to players; so much so, in fact, that in the U.S., its seen a remarkable increase in market share in the last six years. While DiBiase downplays her hand in this, the fact is she has had a major leadership role in orchestrating Babolats surge. And for 2012, she is RSIs Person of the Year. Susan knows our brand perfectlyits strategy, its roots, its values, says Jerome Pin, managing director for Babolat North America. She is the guardian of the temple for our brand in the U.S., always looking for the right balance between actions that favor sales and other activities. She aims to maintain and improve the premium image of the brand. According to the most recent data available from Sports Marketing Surveys USA (Q3 2012 Pro/Specialty Audit), Babolat is the dollar leader for racquets at pro and specialty shops, in- creasing its share from 9% in 2003 to 35% in 2012. Its had the No. 1-selling racquet at specialty stores every quarter since Q2 of 2007. Babolat entered the tennis shoe market in 2005, and since then, its dollar share has increased to 14% in 2012 (Q3 2012 Pro/Specialty Audit). For racquets, the company saw a sharp in- crease in dollar share starting in 2008; shoes took a nice jump starting at the end of 2010. In increasing its dollar share in both categories, Babolat ben- efitted from many factors, including key introductions of new Babolat products, other manufacturers product reaching the end of their cycles, holding the line as far as the number of SKUs Babolat offered to retailers, and strong support among junior and college players. Of course, it didnt hurt to also have some of the most popular players on the pro tour, either, such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters. DiBiase, who lives in Golden, Colo., joined Babolat in 2007, Person of the Year SUSAN DIBIASE Person of the Year SUSAN DIBIASE Susan DiBiase surrounded by the team at Babolats French Open party held in Malibu, Calif., in May (from left): Jrme Pin, Dave Dwelle, Rich Francey, pro player Ryan Harrison, DiBiase, Eric Babolat, Mickey Maule and Steve Strecker. www.racquetsportsindustry.com RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 29 after working for the Schwinn bicycle company and Nautilus fitness. She grew up in western Pennsylvania playing tennis in the summer and skiing in the winter. Dibiase taught tennis for many years in Pittsburgh and played two years on the team at Penn State. After she gradu- ated with a degree in marketing, she moved to Colorado, where she made the U.S. Ski Team as a mogul skier. She also was a top mountain biker. I was top 10 in the world in both freestyle skiing and mountain bike racing, she says. DiBiase was on the professional mountain biking circuit for 10 years. In both skiing and biking, I was never a world champ; I never won the big races, she says. My value to the teams was that I did all the festivals, clin- ics, ridesId go anywhere where I could be a brand ambassador. I knew that would help me get a job when I was done. As it turned out, DiBiase was right on target in her strategy to boost her experi- ence dealing with the public and getting to know consumer markets. I think a lot of people think of Babolat as a high-performance premium brand, only for super-competitive athletes, DiB- iase says. But thats changing. We have more exposure now, with all the different programs were doing now in the U.S. Five years ago, she says, Babolats marketing efforts were mainly focused on grassroots sponsorships, junior play- ers and college players. We have since then really spread our roots out, DiBiase says. We didnt have a teaching pro pro- gram before, certainly not to the level it is now. Our communications efforts have expanded broadly, including our social media. Were doing field marketing with a team of marketing reps, and were going to retailers and training the sales force staff. Susan has been doing great things at Babolat, says Brad Blume of retailer Ten- nis Express. Shes behind Babolats strong MAP policy that helps retailers maintain margin and profitability. Mark Mason, of New York City retailer Masons Tennis Mart, agrees. Susan un- derstands what Im trying to do as a re- tailer to promote whats new and exciting to my clientele, he says. She truly understands the commonality of goals that a brand like Babolat has with its key retailers. Shes very consis- tent in making sure that we retailers have the tools to do our job. With our National Sales Manager Mickey Maule, adds Pin, Susans been the architect of our selective distribution strat- egy, building a consistent set of policies in order to protect our brand and our dealers. For me, says retailer Steve Vorhaus of Rocky Mountain Racquet Specialists in Boulder, Colo., Babolat has become an increasingly important partner, not just the No. 1 selling rac- quet in our store. Since Susan joined, Babolat has really grown as a company. I know a number of people who work there [the U.S. headquarters is in Boulder], and they love the job. Susan does a nice job of infusing energy and passion into the corpo- rate subculture. The U.S. market is different, Vorhaus continues. What I sense is the U.S. distributorship has a better voice, thats heard more in France. Many other foreign compa- nies have struggled here, but when the parent company understands how the U.S. works, it makes it better for the company. And that ends up being a key job that DiB- iase fulfills. One of the biggest parts of my job is being the liaison between the whole team in France and what the U.S. market needs in terms of product, marketing, etc., says DiBiase, who makes about a dozen trips a year to Babolats headquarters in Lyon, France. I think the time I spent competing in those other sports in Europe really provided me with a healthy respect for the culture. But I know that often we need to change the message to be more appropriate to the U.S. market. The U.S. market is about 25 per- cent of Babolats global volume, she adds. But it all goes back to that team feeling. Its a culture that comes down from the top, right from company President Eric Babolat, DiBiase says. Its such a refresh- ing change being part of a family-run busi- ness. DiBiase praises the Babolat team in the U.S.National Sales Manager Mickey Maule, National Key Accounts Manager Rich Francey, Regional Sales Manager Dave Dwelle and Marketing Manager Steve Strecker. Those guys are like my brothers, she says. Everyone has a mutual respect for everyone else. In a lot of companies, sales and market- ing tend to be in different silos, says Maule. Susan and I are basically on the same page with everything we doher for marketing, me for sales. Right now, were excited about the new Play and Connect, and were working together on strategies to maximize this new product. We always want to maintain that challenger spirit, DiBiase says. Thats something Eric always says to us. And to have an extremely healthy respect for all of our competitors. Peter Francesconi Tips for Success w Strive for collaboration with coworkers. Always work together and work as a team, DiBiase says. Thats the path to success. w Care about your teammates. Susan wants everyone to succeed and will help out anyone if they need it, says Regional Sales Man- ager Dave Dwelle. w DiBiase believes that sales and marketing go hand in hand, says Marketing Manager Steve Strecker. w Never accept the status quo there are always areas to improve or things that can be done differ- ently, and better. 30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com B igger isnt always better. But Life Time Fitness, this years Private Facility of the Year, proves that better can be con- tained within bigger. Americas largest manager of in- door tennis facilities counts among its current roster 105 fitness clubs 16 of which showcase tennis across seven states (the highest end operating as Life Time Athletic Clubs). The company, focusing on upscale properties and service, opened its first health and exercise facility in Minnesota in 1992. Since then it has grown into a publicly traded company with $1 billion-plus in revenues and more than 20,000 employ- ees. Earlier this year it acquired a tennis flagship and is currently putting the USTA regional training center Racquet Club of the South (to be rebranded as Life Time Tennis Atlanta) through a months-long renovation, turning it into the companys Southeast hub for junior tennis champion training, coaching and develop- ment, tournaments and recre- ational play, and instruction. According to Layne McCleary, general manager of the new fa- cility and the companys senior managernational tennis opera- tions, tennis has been part of a developing vision the last five years and serves as a key to the companys future, Because its a major differentiator for our brand, a statement to a particular demographic that Life Time is not just a gym. Having found that tennis is a key to attracting their target de- mographic, clubs run programs for all ages and levels and focus on helping new players, to providing social and competitive op- portunities, to serving as a training academy for current and fu- ture pros. Tightening the bond between the brand and tennis, plans are to incorporate tennis into all new properties whenever possible, with a minimum 10 indoor and outdoor courts. Virgil Christain, USTA directorCommunity Development and Facilities, notes, Life Time is putting an emphasis on tennis, [en- visioning] that tennis can drive their business. Kent Oswald Tips for Success w Intertwine a full comple- ment of tennis programs and services with your brand. w Spend the money to make the money. w Look to build a community in person and online (Life Time uses Tencaptennis.com). A bout 40 years ago, John Gugel designed a one-piece molded tennis racquet with a foam core. I wasnt a ten- nis player at the time, he says. I was working in the plastics molding business. A friend was associated with Head ski company in Colorado, so I designed a water ski and a racquet. The ski ultimately failed; the racquet, we did make and sell some. It wasnt a piece of art, but it did win an award from an industrial design magazine because it was so unique. After designing that racquet it dawned on me that stringing is pretty doggone impor- tant, says Gugel, of Orlando, Fla. So Ive been trying to communicate with racquet techni- cians and generate a better understanding of what takes place. He became a Master Rac- quet Technician and now strings or customizes about 1,300 racquets a year. Hes strung for pros and at tourna- ments, and he gives seminars and training sessions. "John is the consummate professional, says Tim Strawn, who often collaborates with Gugel for Grand Slam Stringers. There's never any doubt about his commitment to the art of racquet service because it's clearly his passion. And its this unyielding passion that makes Gugel RSIs 2012 Stringer of the Year. John is an amazing cross between a world-class stringer, a mad-scientist genius, a cut- ting-edge racquet designer, a profitable shop owner, and a philanthropist who gives his time freely to help improve the racquet service industry, adds David Bone, executive director of the USRSA. The fun of stringing to me, and what makes it important, Gugel says, is having someone enjoy what Ive done. Peter Francesconi Tips for Success w Make sure you have good equipment. w Know what your clients want, keep them up to speed with what youre doing, and pro- duce a consistent product. w Understand the structure of a tennis racquet the best you can, and continue to learn all the time. w Take advantage of the people who are willing to teach you. As a new stringer, find some- one or some place thats will- ing to help you and dont hesitate to ask. For seasoned stringers, if you think youre doing something no one else has, youre kidding yourselves. Share so everyone can have a good result. www.racquetsportsindustry.com RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 31 I n 1982, Empire Recreational Surfaces, a small construction company in Knoxville, Tenn., started resurfacing tennis courts. Company personnel quickly recognized the need for quality court construction from the ground up, and began per- fecting the art of building and maintaining courts. They in- creased their reach into the industry, eventually renaming themselves Baseline Sports Con- struction and becoming a full-service recre- ational contracting com- pany whose high-quality finished products in- cluded not just tennis courts, but tracks, indoor facilities and synthetic fields. As the company grew, its leadership became increasingly in- volved with the American Sports Builders Association. Com- pany President Will Ferguson served on the board of directors and as the ASBAs chairman. Its vice president, David Clapp, meanwhile, became both a Cer- tified Tennis Court Builder and a Certified Track Builder, and most recently chaired the com- mittee to rewrite the publica- tion, Tennis Courts: A Construc- tion and Maintenance Manual. Baseline primarily serves the private market, but is also in- volved in municipal facilities. The company, whose motto is "Bringing excellence to the surface," has been honored in the ASBA's awards program many times. Now, it joins a distinguished list of honorees as RSIs 2012 Builder/Con- tractor of the Year. These days, the company serves the Southeastern region and is a licensed contractor in eight states. And yet, to borrow a clich, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The company's philosophy remains unchanged, according to Clapp: "Build quality projects, make customers happy, and be truthful in representing ourselves." Mary Helen Sprecher Tips for Success w The growth of my business is really on my shoulders, Clapp says. I work at it every day. w Get involved with your trade association. The ASBA helps give Baseline the tools to keep its business healthy and growing. w Our goal as a corporation is to provide excellent services and products to the construc- tion industry. Reliability and integrity are important in our work, Clapp says. O ver the 30 years that Joe Habenschuss has been in sales (13 of those with Head), hes seen trends come and go. But when it comes to finding whats most ef- fective for moving product from manufacturer, to retailer, to customer, he says theres one constant thats always at the top of the list: providing great customer service. Making appointments, showing up on time, responding to calls and emails promptly, responding to and handling complaints right awayit all separates good reps from bad reps, and customers appreciate that, says Habenschuss, who is the Head Penn rep in South Florida. Things like listening carefully and re- spectfully to customer issues are funda- mentals that go a long way. The selling part is easy; its all the follow-up and everything after thats more difficult. Joe is a great blend of professionalism and hard work, com- bined with a personality that people gravitate to, says Greg Mason, VP of sales and market- ing for Head Penn. Besides the great results, hes just a pleasure to work with and a rep Im proud to have on the team. And for 2012, Habenschuss is RSIs Sales Rep of the Year. Habenschuss always keeps his accounts top of mind. Re- tailers dont like surprises, he says. For instance, when items are discontinued, or new prod- ucts come out, or there are price changes, he gets that information to retailers quickly. He also reminds accounts ahead of time when new product will ship, because sometimes they forget what they ordered. While online sales have changed the retail playing field, Habenschuss believes specialty shops will survive. They can not only compete on price, but also with in-person customer service that online vendors cant provide. Cynthia Sherman Tips for Success w Retailers appreciate it if you can help them move older inventory to make room for new product. Habenschuss does what he can to help his accounts, often trading older merchandise with other ac- counts that can use it. w Top pros, like Head players Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova, help sell rac- quets. Use all the tools. w Take the time to listen to what your accounts are telling youabout their shoppers, about your prod- ucts, about marketing, etc. 32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com H aving grown up and played tennis in the Pittsburg area, Kent Johnson was aware that there had never been much of a tennis retail presence. As a teaching pro, during lessons, people would ask him where they could buy tennis equipment locally. So Johnson decided to open Ten- nis Town, which occupies a 1,300-square-foot space in the Pitts- burg suburbs. Now, just three years later, Tennis Town boasts a huge wall of racquets and carries all the major brands of racquets, shoes and clothing. He has three staff members, who are also stringers (a requirement to work there), and two stringing machines, which see a steady flow of tennis, squash and racquetball racquets. Johnson says his staff knows tennis and his inventory thoroughly and can help cus- tomers navigate the barrage of brands and hype, which, he adds, is something that online retailers cant do. His prices are competitive with online vendors and he has an aggressive demo program where customers pay $20 a month and demo as many rac- quets as they like and at the end of the month, the $20 gets ap- plied to the purchase of the rac- quet of their choice. Johnson has noticed in- creased sales each year and can probably attribute some of that success to the fact that hes been very involved in the tennis com- munity, sponsoring and donat- ing supplies to local tournaments, including several junior events throughout the year. That, coupled with excel- lent customer service, brand va- riety, maintaining current inventory thats fresh and ever-changing and servicing team needs with uniform and equipment sales, has helped put Tennis Town at the top of the game, and made it RSIs Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year. Cynthia Sherman Tips for Success w Hire customer-service-ori- ented people who have a solid knowledge of the in- ventory and good communi- cations skills. w Continue to expand the brands and selection you carry to provide more op- tions for consumers. w Keep a fresh face. Routinely rearranging the store so dis- plays look new and inviting for shoppers. R ecently, Charleston County (S.C.) Public Schools Super- intendent Nancy McGinley was visiting one of the dis- tricts schools and the principal proudly showed her the big, new trophy case. It had one trophy in it, McGinley says. The whole school was so excited because their kids had excelled in tennis. Thats whats exciting to meto see the joy that playing tennis is bringing to kids. A former player for Temple University, McGinley is an avid league player and is the driving force behind why so many kids of all ages are now playing, and loving, tennis in Charleston. And for 2012, she is RSIs Tennis Advocate of the Year. Dr. McGinley has been an amazing part- ner, says Barry Ford, the USTAs director of Public Affairs and Advocacy. Her passion for the sport and her leadership has galvanized the community around the goal of providing access and opportunity so every kid in Charleston County Public Schools can learn and grow through tennis. The district has 45,000 students and 80 schools. Under McGinleys leader- ship, CCPS and the USTA began a collaboration in 2010 that has led to the cre- ation of after-school tennis opportunities at 25 of the neediest public schools in the county; the development of a play pathway from after- school Kids Clubs to school- and community-supported team tennis opportunities; and the creation of 32 kid-sized courts. For me, its not just about tennis being physical fitness and a game that teaches rules and sportsmanship and discipline, McGinley says. Its also about social access and opportunity. My goal is to introduce tennis to all students at a young age so they can grow up feeling very comfortable playing and net- working and getting to know people. Peter Francesconi Tips for Success w Dont hide your passion. McGin- ley loves tennis, and she isnt shy about using that passion to propel wellness initiatives. w Get teachers involved. Four years ago, McGinley started the annual Superintendents Cup tournament for teachers and last spring nearly 400 partici- pated in the fun day of tennis. w Communicate the vision, and in- vite others to help make it a re- ality. I didnt do this alone. I introduced an idea that I saw as an opportunity, McGinley says. www.racquetsportsindustry.com RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 33 T odd Dissly, who supervises 14 park and recreation ten- nis programs for three Northern California cities for thousands of kids and adults, has moved from a self-de- scribed status as one of the outcasts with funny tennis balls doing stuff people didnt understand to RSIs 2012 Junior Tennis Champion of the Year. As USTA direc- tor of coach education and development Kirk An- derson notes, Todd is one of our best recreational coaches, involved in 10 and Under Tennis and our training workshops. [He was] kind of a ringleader in getting things started in Northern California. Disslys philosophy as a teaching pro is to reinvent yourself as a student of the game and take a step in a new direction. The former No. 1 Norcal junior is a PTR trainer, USPTA Pro 1 and former professional of the year, certified USTA clinician, and QuickStart and RCW trainer, among other profes- sional certifications and honors. He started incorporating the ideas of QuickStart Tennis into his lessons about 10 years ago and says early on he saw that the shorter courts and foam balls were bringing his younger students greater engagement with the game much earlier. Most sports have a scaled-down version it just made sense, he says. He brings the game to students at schools with no courts, setting up on four-square courts or wherever there is flat ground. I saw early on that having new players hit with foam balls worked, says Dissly. It opened up my mind to a different way of how lessons should be delivered. Tennis shouldnt just be for the most athletic kids. With this format, were seeing 80 percent return, and theyre bringing their friends. Kent Oswald Tips for Success w Dont wing it. Work on lesson plans to make sure coaching time is organized. w Create and promote a learning pathway. w If you focus on student in- volvement, the achievement will follow. w Keep exploring new ideas. P ortland After School Tennis & Education is more than a non-profit youth program. PAST&E is a year-round, tuition-free program for at-risk and low-income stu- dents in grades K through 12 that, in the words of its executive director, Danice Brown, strives to be life changing. Brown joined PAST&E in 2007, before the education component was in full swing. At the time, she was alarmed to discover that only 54 percent of Portland, Ore., public school students earn a diploma in four years. As the new executive director, she went to the board and had education added to the programs list of can-dos. "Our goal is to cre- ate student-athletes who will develop a pas- sion for being healthy, playing tennis, and excelling at school, she says. Now, 60 percent of a PAST&E youngsters time focuses on education, and Brown sets high standards for both kids and parents. Danice is the heart and soul of the program, says Development Director Maureen Moe Dugan. Her structure and expectations make the pro- gram a success. And her dedi- cation to improving lives has led her to be named RSIs Grassroots Champion of the Year. Prior to accepting the posi- tion at PAST&E, Brown was the general manager for West Hills Racquet & Fitness Club. Tennis demands things (of you), like eti- quette, she says, The biggest hook for me is that tennis is non- violent. You arent roughing someone up to win a point. Every year, PAST&E touches the lives of about 1,000 young- sters and their families, and it currently serves 62 year-round participants. We believe our program will be the catalyst for students staying in school until they graduate from high school, Brown says. Robin Bateman Tips for Success w Get parents involved. Offer discounted lessons to in- crease interest and advocacy. Require monthly meetings to keep everyone informed. Family involvement is a key to the programs success, says Ruth Turner, director of Community Tennis for USTA Pacific Northwest. w Empower the community. Strengthen alliances through off-court opportunities. Brown rents land so the par- ents of players can grow food to feed 62 families all summer long. w Cultivate partnerships within the community and USTA section. 34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com I f there is one word to describe the Southlake Tennis Center in Southlake, Texas, it would be active. Between league matches, 10 and Under Tennis, lessons, clinics and tourna- ments, the joint is always jumping. In 2011, STC won a USTA Outstanding Facility Award, and this year, it is RSIs Municipal Facility of the Year. Since its opening in 1999, STC has been a hub for local and USTA tennis activity, says Virgil Christian, USTA director of Community Development & Fa- cilities. Importantly, STC was one of the first in the area to line its courts for Youth Tennis, contributing to the tremendous suc- cess of the centers youth program. Were really into Youth Tennis, adds Director of Tennis Stephen Poorman, who together with his wife and STC general manager, Mia Gordon-Poorman, keep the activity going. We have a lot of kids and families in our community. STC has 19 lighted hard courts, with blended lines for six 60-foot and eight 36-foot courts. There are nine pros on staff, including a Master Racquet Technician, and the full-service pro shop carries 10 clothing lines, four shoe brands, four rac- quet brands, and more than 30 strings. Three years ago, residents said there werent enough courts, says Gordon-Poorman. We proposed adding six courts to our original 13, got some grants from the USTA and raised $40,000 ourselves. Now, be- cause of increased usage, the city is looking into remodeling the building to add more space. Working with the city has been tremendous, says Gordon- Poorman. Twenty years ago they added a half-cent sales tax that goes toward parks and rec, which has enabled us to do some really great things, including this tennis center. Cynthia Sherman I ts hard to pick just one word to describe tennis in Reston, Va. Unique comes to mind. So does impressive and active. Tennis in this Washington, D.C., suburb of 62,000 is through the nonprofit Reston Association. We are an NJTL, a CTA and a Tennis in the Park, and my job is to grow tennis, providing it as an amenity for the community and sharing our passion, says Tennis Manager Mary Conaway, who started teaching for RA Parks, Recreation & Events in 1997. There are 52 community courts in more than a dozen loca- tions, including eight sub-irri- gated clay courts, 26 lighted courts and six Youth Tennis courts. Programming reaches about 2,500 adults and kids. We also have a large after- school program where we teach tennis in gyms, says Conaway. The Reston Association also offers scholarships, and there is a huge group of volunteers to do fundraising. Recently, the Reston Associ- ation was named USTA Mid-At- lantic Section Organization of the Year, and now, it receives honors from RSI as the 2012 Park & Rec Agency of the Year. The hard courts stay open year-round, but most of the more than a dozen staff is sea- sonal. A lot of our pros are re- ally community-oriented and love to give back, says Conaway, who herself is active at the USTA section and national levels and currently chairs the USTAs Learning and Leadership Development Committee. Reston Association is a model agency that highlights tennis as a great opportunity to increase physical activity for all resi- dents, says David Slade, USTA national manager for Commu- nity Tennis. The USTA couldnt ask for a better partner. Maybe there is a word that best describes Reston tennis: outstanding. Peter Francesconi Tips for Success w If you love something, share your passion, because its con- tagious. w Weve always done the games approach to teaching tennis, says Conaway, be- cause we want to make it fun. w Position tennis as a lifestyle, not just a sport. Its a great social connector. w We really try to market to the community and get the word out there because we are so unique, she adds. Tips for Success w With the pro shop, We try to make it as much like a private club pro shop as we can, says Gordon-Poorman. We try to be a full-comple- ment pro shop. w Have a resurfacing and maintenance plan. The city understands the need to keep a tennis facility in great condition, she says. w Get great people. Our pros do a wonderful job. Our overriding principle is to en- hance the self-esteem of players, so they stay positive and feel better about them- selves. www.racquetsportsindustry.com RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 35 T ennis is what brought together Lynn and Curt Bender of Grand Rapids, Mich. About 12 years ago, Curt [who was injured in an auto accident in 1989] was playing in a local tournament and I was a therapist at the rehab hospital, and was helping out at the event, Lynn says. A teaching pro and former collegiate player, Lynn says she knew nothing about wheelchair tennis at the time, but was asked to coach. Once Curt and I started hitting we became friends, and our passion for tennis grew together. Its a ten- nis love story. The Benders have been in- volved with the Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association for many years, and recently the GRWSA merged with a local rehab hospital to form the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports program, of which Lynn is the wheelchair ten- nis program director. Lynn also has been honored by the Inter- national Tennis Hall of Fame with the 2011 Tennis Educational Merit Award. Curt, still very active in playing the sport, chairs Wheelchair Tennis committees for both USTA National and USTA Midwest and is on the ITF Wheel- chair Committee. And now both are RSIs Wheelchair Tennis Champions of the Year. Curt and Lynn have been dedicated to wheelchair tennis at every level, says Dan James, the USTAs national manager for Wheelchair Tennis. They run one of the best local programs in the country and still have time to volunteer at the national level and help our programming. We do it through the joy and passion that we have together, Curt says. Its a testament to the teamwork that says one plus one is always more than two. Peter Francesconi P roviding opportunities for children to learn tennis can be a game-changer for a contractor, says John Coll, president and owner of Top-A-Court Tennis of Hatfield, Pa. The company, which has been in business since 1988, is one of the most active proponents of youth tennis. And for its support of the initiative and involvement in the process, Top-A-Court is the 2012 winner of RSIs 10 and Under Tennis Facility Devel- oper of the Year award. According to Coll, it has been a great ride. After setting up a meeting with the USTA, Top-A-Court learned the techniques and the new rules, and went to work. "To be able to provide new courts for kids by working with the USTA was just a terrific experience," he says. But being a part of growing the next generation of tennis players isn't the only reward. It has had the ancillary benefit of helping Top-A-Court grow financially as well. "It absolutely is a business opportunity," notes Coll. "If someone is getting their courts lined, we are able to introduce ourselves at the same time." He estimates that approximately half his new business is gained through contacts made during 10U line installations. Top-A-Court is a member of the American Sports Builders Associ- ation, and Coll is a Certified Ten- nis Court Builder. He and his company build tennis, basketball, bocce and multi-use courts in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey. Not surprisingly, Coll is a strong advocate for 10 and Under Tennis. If you asked me if I thought this was a good thing for tennis, I'm going to say yes, absolutely. It's great for the kidsthey enjoy it now because it's so much easier." Mary Helen Sprecher Tips for Success w Take advantage of the early opportunity. We did, and it has been terrific, Coll says. w 10 and Under Tennis is something that works. It's no different from baseball or any other sport that has been modified for kids. w Our mission statement has always been: Build it right with integrity and do busi- ness honestly, and make your work last as long as possible, for the customer as well as for our own pride. Tips for Success w We do a lot of things to- gether, but also a lot of things apart, Curt says. Un- derstand your similarities and your differences, as each others gifts. w One of the biggest rewards is when a newly injured player comes out to practice for the first time, Lynn says. Its amazing to watch them grow and find out, Wow, I can do this! w Integrating a wheelchair sport into an able-bodied sport is cool, says Curt. But the important thing is, everyone just calls it tennis. 36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com I n the spring of 2010, the Dallas Tennis Association teamed up with Dallas Parks and Recreation, USTA National and USTA Texas to convert the citys eight courts in the 70-year- old Kiest Park into a 10 and Under Tennis facility featuring 12 stand-alone 36-foot courts alongside four 78-foot courts with 60-foot blended lines. The courts, which were in disarray three years ago, are now booming with activity. We have 350 to 425 juniors enrolled in fall and spring programs, says Bert Cole, DTAs Junior Recreation Director. Clint Laukhuf, DTAs Junior Team Tennis coordinator, sees firsthand the excitement kids feel. Kids are in a rush to play on [the blended-line] courts, but when you see their faces the first time they set eyes on the stand-alone courts, its real tennis [for] them. Laukhuf utilizes the courts for season-end tournaments, where about 150 kids grab racquets and play matches. Its such a great experience, says Laukhuf, who feels the stand- alone 36-foot courts generate re- newed excitement while culti- vating a stronger commitment, which leads to continued play. "Were very fortunate, says Amanda Shaw, USTA Texas field officer for 10 and Under Tennis, Kiest Park is the only area in our state where we have 10 and Under Tennis stand-alone courts." The USTA is proud to have played a part in the develop- ment in Kiest Park, says Kurt Kamperman, the USTAs chief executive of Community Tennis. Our design and technical ad- vice are part of our longstanding effort to support the growth of tennis programming across the country, and the DTAs vision to implement Youth Tennis at Kiest Park should be com- mended. Robin Bateman Tips for Success w Free, free, free! Every Sun- day afternoon for four hours, we have a tennis pro teach- ing beginning lessons to any resident who shows up, Cole says. Once we built the new courts, suddenly everyone wanted to play! w Partner with other organiza- tions. When you offer tennis to other groups, they bring their own ideas to the table. w Go for the stand-alone courts. When budgets allow it, stand-alone 36- and 60- foot courts underscore the excitement kids feel about tennis. I f youre into tennis in the Jackson, Miss., area, you want to get involved with the Tri-County CTA, which serves Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. Founded in 2006, Tri-County is dedicated to promoting, developing, growing and supporting tennis, and theyve beenas USTA Community Tennis Devel- opment Coordinator Jon Thompson saysa model CTA. And for 2012, Tri-County is RSIs Community Tennis Association of the Year. Tri-County offers quality programming while growing the game at all levels, Thomp- son says. Providing everything from 10 and Under Tennis to senior tennis, Tri-County has cre- ated an outstanding tennis community where everyone is welcome. Tri-County manages leagues for all types of players, says Elizabeth Lyle, the CTAs marketing coordinator. One key to growing tennis, she says, is making sure league captains feel extra special. Sometimes well have a wine and cheese gath- ering for them. When the captains are happy and on board, tennis grows. The CTA also works with community groups such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and with area schools. Plus, We try to do a lot with area teaching pros, says Lyle, who herself is a USPTA pro. There are a lot of private clubs and public facilities here, and we want to make sure our pro- grams and events jibe with them. We even host a free luncheon twice a year to tell teaching pros what we have coming up, and to get their feedback. CTA President Gary Nowell also praises the tennis volun- teers in the Jackson area. A lot of our activity and growth comes from people giving back to the community and support- ing tennis. Peter Francesconi Tips for Success w Maintain a positive partner- ship with area teaching pros; everyone stands to benefit. w For every event we help to sponsor, we try to put our logo on T-shirts, etc., so peo- ple can get to know us, Lyle says. w League captains are a key to local tennis participation. Make sure captains always feel special. w When programming, involve as many people or other or- ganizations and companies as you can. Get companies to donate for goodie bags, too. www.racquetsportsindustry.com RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 37 R oy Barths tennis resume features extensive experience and accomplishments as a player, teacher and admin- istrator. A former top 50 pro and founding member of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Barth is in his 37th year as tennis director at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. Barth attended his first PTR International Symposium on Hilton Head Island, S.C. in 1984, when he and partner Jorge Andrew began a 13-year undefeated run in the mens 35s and 45s doubles. Playing got me to the Symposium, says Barth, who was named PTR Pro of the Year in 1990 and a PTR Master Pro in 2007, but networking got me involved. Networking opportunities led to his roles as president of USTA South Carolina and the Southern Tennis Patrons Founda- tion, and as current chairman of the USTA Davis Cup Commit- tee. In fact, Barth has dedicated his distinguished career to improving the sport for all of its constituents. For his tireless efforts, he is RSIs 2012 PTR Member of the Year. Barth says he learns some- thing new each year from the tennis teachers and coaches at the PTR Symposium from more than 50 countries. He has served as treasurer of the PTR board and helped to develop the inaugural PTR Directors of Tennis Confer- ence, which took place this past October. PTR Executive Director Dan Santorum credits Barths longevity with his dual strengths administratively and on court, where Barth advocates for resort pros to enhance stroke funda- mentals rather than a particular style that contradicts a players regular pro back home. Roy is an asset to the PTR board and our industry, Santorum says. Hes the best in the business. Cindy Cantrell Tips for Success w Take the first step. Barth was drawn to the PTR Sympo- sium for the tournament competition, then became increasingly immersed in its education and certification opportunities. w Keep an open mind. The game is always changing, and pros must change with it to stay relevant. w Give back. Barth was a standout junior, college player and pro whose lead- ership as a tennis director resulted in a tennis center at Kiawah being named for him. Barth continues his vol- unteer efforts with the PTR and USTA to improve the sport for all. D ave Porter is one of the best educatorsif not the bestIve ever known, says USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. He not only implements his own methods of teaching, but has also spent many hours studying those of other great teachers in the world. He is a person of im- peccable ethics and is dedicated to the improvement of the ten- nis-teaching profession. Porter of Laie, Hawaii, has taught tennis for more than 35 years and been a USPTA member for more than 25 years. In September, Porter was honored with the associations top annual member award, the Alex Gor- don Award for the USPTA Professional of the Year. And now, he adds RSIs USPTA Member of the Year honors to his resume. A USPTA Master Professional, Porter has been a USPTA Head Tester since 1988 and has served on the National Board from 1994 to 2007, including serving as the national president from 2003 to 2005. In addition, he has served as chairman of the education committee and the chairman of the testing and certification com- mittee. He has also been a speaker at numerous USPTA divi- sional conventions and national conferences. Currently the head tennis coach at Brigham Young Univer- sityHawaii, where he also teaches courses in the Exercise and Sports Science Department, Porter has a record of 1,193 wins and 145 losses over his college coaching career, and he has never lost a conference match in womens tennis during his ca- reer. His BYUHawaii womens team is the three-time Pacific West Conference champions (2010, 2011, 2012). He has also taught or worked with several nationally ranked tour players, including Zheng Jie and Li Na. Peter Francesconi Tips for Success w There are no menial tasks, there are only menial attitudes. w Do It! Do It Right! Do It Right Now! w Remember that when play- ing tennis, "Hard is good, but in is better." 38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com W ith sports, says Terry Valdez of Wenatchee, Wash., its about the memories. You re- member the fun times. Valdez has been helping create fun memories for his tennis players for 30 years. The coach of the Eastmont High School boys and girls teams, he has always had a no-cut policy, al- lowing any student who wanted to play to be a part of the team. Last year, Valdez had a total of about 85 students on his teams. In his biggest year, he had about 120 students. My mentor was my Little League baseball coach, Valdez says. He was a real believer that everyone should play an equal amount of time in the game, whether we win or lose. It was a great way of building us up. For his long-term commitment and implementation of a no-cut pol- icy, and for enriching the lives of his players, Valdez was honored with the 2012 USTA Starfish Award for high school coaches. And he also is RSIs 2012 High School Coach of the Year. Ensuring that all players re- ceive real match playing time and treating all of them as equals is a sign of Terrys devo- tion to emphasize the one-team concept, says Kurt Kamerp- man, USTA chief executive of Community Tennis. Valdez, who also was a recip- ient of the Elliston Presidents Award for North Central Athletics for positively impacting youth and high school tennis, recently retired from teaching (he was an art teacher) and coaching the high school team. However, he remains active with his local community tennis association and still supports the high school program. For some coaches, its all about winning, he says. For me, its about giving kids great memories. Peter Francesconi T he USTA Northern California Section boasts a strong commitment to getting the tennis message to young- sters. The section has about 7,500 players in 10 and Under Tennis programming, and it continues to grow. Executive Director Steve Leube praises both the Youth Ten- nis initiative and the NorCal staff for moving the dial. You take an 8-year-old and put him on a 36-foot court with the right-sized rac- quet and ball, and theyre successfuland they have fun, he says. Of course, Nor- Cal, with about 37,500 adult, 12,500 junior and 400 organiza- tional members, does much more than promote Youth Tennis. But this initiative is so important to the industryand its a driving force behind RSIs USTA Section of the Year winner. Alison Vidal, NorCals Tennis Service Rep account manager, and the sections nine TSRs bring tennis to communities, in- cluding to the Girls Scouts in Northern California, reaching more than 100,000 scouts. Every time a scout participates in one of the sections events, they earn a patch, which is a huge deal, Vidal notes. NorCal also works with about 20 PAL organizations, training and equipping police volunteers and staff in Youth Tennis pro- gramming. Police welcome a program like this thats exciting for kids and keeps them engaged, Vidal says. Many of the thousands of kids would never be exposed to tennis otherwise, and are now maintaining regular physical activity. NorCals ul- timate goal is to develop Play Days, then establish leagues. Fred McCasland, the area director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley, couldnt be happier. If it werent for USTA Nor- Cal, the kids would never have been exposed to tennis. It in- creases their fitness and gives them lessons in teamwork. Cynthia Sherman Tips for Success w Focus on collaboration and great teamwork within the staff. w Be open-minded, creative and think outside the box to promote the idea that tennis can be played anywhere. w Stay focused on the mission of promoting and develop- ing the growth of tennis as an inclusive and lifelong activity. Tips for Success w Kids will remember the fun times they have in sports. With our kids, we noticed they really enjoyed the ca- maraderieand the bus trips, says Valdez. w Get all the students on the team; youll figure out a way to handle it. w Fun plus discipline means the kids will improve their tennis. ? Ask the Experts PRESTRETCHING GUT I JUST READ ONLINE (http://goo.gl/GzqPw) that pre- stretching natural gut is no longer required. Is this true? Is pre-stretching natural gut still required on the MRT exam? PRE-STRETCHING GUT HAS never really been a requirement in the real world. It has always been a personal preference issue, so there are still a few players who ask for it to be done. There- fore, it is still a requirement on the certifi- cation tests. Just like stapling the replacement grip, we know these are not universal practices any longer, but we still want Master Racquet Technicians and Cer- tified Stringers to demonstrate they are able to do them. TYPE VS TENSION IN THE ARTICLE STRING Selec- tor 2012 (Racquet Sports Indus- try magazine, January 2012, page 35), you wrote, All strings on the same vertical line should feel about the same, no matter what the tension. How did you arrive at this assumption? We have been stringing racquets since 1929 and advising customers that the feel of rac- quet stiffness is primarily controlled by the type of string and the string tension, more so than the type of materials and the frame. THE VERTICAL LINE REFERS TO the above graph, in which the X- axis represents dynamic string stiffness. According to Technical Tennis by Rod Cross and Crawford Lindsey, Dynamic string stiffness refers to how much the stringbed will deflect perpendicular to the strings when it is impacted with an object of given energy. The way the USRSA determines dynamic stiffness is to tension a single strand of each string sample to 62 pounds and then allow it to sit for 200 seconds. After that, the string is hit five times with a force equivalent to hitting a 120 mph serve. The explanation attached to the graph reads, in part: Test Procedure. [] The stiffness value is a calculation derived from the amount of force created at impact to stretch the string. Lower values represent softer strings and lower impact forces. Higher values represent stiffer strings and higher impact forces. Stiffer strings contribute to a stiffer string bed, and softer strings contribute to a softer string bed. In tests performed by the USRSA, string bed stiffness was the most important determining factor influ- encing power and spin. This is not to say that string stiffness and string bed stiffness are one in the same, but the purpose of the String Selec- tor is to divorce inherent string stiffness from the rest of the system. Once we do this, we can state that if our lab test results for two different strings are similar, then the all-important string bed stiffness will be similar for those two strings, regardless of gauge, composition, cross-section, etc. By extension, if you replace one string with another string with similar lab test results, at the same tension, then the feel of the two strings should be similar. You have to keep in mind, though, our standard disclaimer, which is that although this test is as comprehensive and scientific as we can make it, it is still a lab test, one that looks only at a small portion of the racquet/string system. It is meant to help guide you in your string selection, not to make your string selection for you. As always, we do not recommend you select a string (or racquet, for that matter) based on a numerical value from a lab test, but rather on the basis of playtest- ing. Including the type of string and string tension in a discussion of racquet stiffness can be helpful. As pointed out in Technical Tennis, every string and racquet technology that affects the stringbed does so by affecting its stiff- ness. Here, the phrase the stringbed refers not only to the stiffness of one string (the basis of the test results shown in the String Selector), or the way multiple strings interact with others on the face of the rac- quet, but also the stringbed density, the racquet head shape, racquet head size, rac- quet stiffness, string tension, and other factors. However, racquet stiffness is a separate factor from string stiffness. Usually, rac- quet stiffness is also considered separately from string bed stiffness as well, and even recreational players can detect differences in frame stiffness between two different frames strung with the same string at the same tension. Furthermore, racquet stiffness can have ramifications in terms of shock and vibra- tion, both in the lab and on the court. ISOLATING FRAME DIFFERENCES I AM USING A 100-SQUARE-INCH Head racquet with a 16 x 19 pat- 40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 www.racquetsportsindustry.com Q A Q A Q Your Equipment Hotline January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41 www.racquetsportsindustry.com Although there are some similarities, such as the overall weight and flex, there are many more differences between them (chart above), such as head size, string bed density, and swing weight, as well as head shape and construction. Your best bet will be to maintain the same string and tension with the new rac- quet that you have been using with your old racquet, and go from there. LOWER TENSIONS YOU MENTIONED AN ARTICLE IN The Wall Street Journal (Tennis without all the Tension) in the Ask the Experts section of Racquet Sports Industry magazine (June 2012, page 41). In this article, it is stated that some players are getting down to 30 and 40 pounds of tension. I presume that is machine tension! In our shop we have been collecting data from frames brought in for re-stringing (with no broken strings). The last 100 frames had an average ten- sion of 37.75 pounds (the mains aver- aged 44 pounds and the crosses averaged 31 pounds). YES, THOSE FIGURES ARE FOR the reference tension. Also keep in mind that while recreational players often leave strings in their racquets long after they should have been replaced, a professional player typically has his rac- quet re-strung every day. Thus, not only are these low tension professionals starting with a much lower reference ten- sion than most recreational players, they are also getting the most tension depre- ciation, as tension losses are highest immediately after re-stringing. Greg Raven w We welcome your questions. Please send them to Rac- quet Sports Industry, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096; fax: 760-536-1171; email: greg@racquettech.com. A Q tern. I normally use multifilament strung at 55 pounds. The recommend- ed tension is 52-62. I am buying a 95- square-inch Dunlop racquet with an 18 x 20 string pattern. The recommended tension is 55-65. It is a lower powered frame and that's what I'm after. I want the frame to lower the power without accidentally stringing too low and compensating for the lower powered frame and vice versa with stringing too high. That is, I want to see the difference the frame makes without the string tension having an effect either way. I was wondering if you could rec- ommend a string tension given these desires? Any assistance would be much appreciated. ITS NOT GOING TO BE possi- ble to compare these two rac- quets head-to-head as you propose. A Racquet Len. Wt. Bal. SW Head Flex 16 x 19 27.2 331 32.1 310 100 63 18 x 20 27 339 32.5 330 95 62 42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 skipped string just remove your marker string. 10 3-Packs of Head Xtremesoft Overgrip to: James Mosley, Rio Rancho, NM YET ANOTHER STAPLER RECOMMENDATION I recently pur- chased an Arrow Easyshot Stapler at Home Depot for $9.97. It is perfect for grips and butt caps. It is lightweight and very little muscle to use. Additionally, it has an attachment that allows you to staple up to 25 sheets of paper. At this price, I pur- chased several and keep them at home, TALE OF THE TAPE Id like to share a tip I share with new stringers. When preparing to string, espe- cially several racquets consecutively, I take a minute to apply a thin layer of ath- letic tape to my forefingers and pinky fin- gers. I find these fingers often suffer string burn, chafing, and callouses. This seems to be especially true when work- ing with stiffer, shaped, or textured co- polys. Tape on these fingers absorbs the damage and still allows me to feel the string. 10 3-Packs of Wilson X-tra Tack Overgrip to: Ed Ramirez, North Haledon, NJ MARKING YOUR SKIPS One day while stringing a racquet and constantly checking my Stringers Digest for the locations of the skipped strings, I had an idea. I found some bright scrap string and placed 1-inch pieces into the holes to be skipped. When you get to the Tips & Techniques the club, and my bag for "emergencies." 5 sets of Dunlop Explosive 16 to: Ed Ramirez, North Haledon, NJ MAKING ROOM IN TIGHT TIEOFF HOLES Racquet manufacturers usually try to place tie-off holes where the anchor strings path through the hole is such that it doesnt block the passage of the tie-off string. Sometimes, though, you run across a tie- off hole where the anchor string angles across the grommet, making it difficult to get the free end of the string through unless you are using a stiff poly. On tie-off holes such as this, I make a little extra room for the tie-off string by bracing the palm of my hand against the frame, and using my index and middle fin- ger to pull the anchor string up and away from the centerline of the racquet. Have the free end of the string already to go in your needlenose pliers before you do this. www.racquetsportsindustry.com Readers Know-How in Action The anchor string doesnt deflect that much inside the grommet barrel, but you should be able to create just enough of a gap to admit the end of the tie-off string. 5 sets of Babolat Revenge 16 to: L. Hodges, Lucerne Valley, CA TOURNAMENT SHEETS I realize that the trend in documentation for tournament stringing at big events is toward computerizing everything, but there are still plenty of small events where paper and a pencil do just fine. I used to try to cram as many lines on each sheet as possible, but the sav- ings in paper werent worth the mess and confusion. Now, I print up forms for each stringer for each day of the tournament. Twenty-five lines is usually enough to hold all the entries for any given stringer, and the taller rows offer lots of room to enter the player name, racquet name, string used, etc. Reduc- ing the total number of lines also allows me to set a larg- er top mar- gin, which makes it eas- ier to use these sheets in a clip- board. At the bottom, I leave a space to enter the total number of racquets done that day. Although the lines are num- bered, if anyone has to line out an entry, the line numbers wont reflect the actual number of racquets done, but the bottom total will. I also print up a Totals sheet for each stringer. Each day, every stringer transfers the total number of racquets done on the previous day to the Totals sheet, where there is also room to enter the amount earned that day (number of racquets multiplied by the amount earned per racquet). There are also blank lines below the one-a-day lines for entering unusual items such as bumperguard replacements and other chargeable services rendered to the player. One small but important column on the Daily form has a check mark at the top. This is for reconciling the stringers records against the records at the check-in desk, which we do for every day of the tourna- ment. At some slow point of the day (usu- ally after the morning rush), the person running the check-in desk will go through the book alphabetically, count up the num- ber of racquets shown for each player the day before, and call out that number for that players stringer to verify. When the check-in desk and the stringers records agree, the stringer places a check mark in this column for each racquet re-strung for that player the previous day. Keeping on top of the daily reconciliation makes tournament-end calculations and pay- outs a snap. 5 sets of Tourna Big Hitter Blue 17 to: Doug Denton, San Diego, CA Greg Raven Tips and Techniques submitted since 1992 by USRSA members and appearing in this column, have all been gathered into a searchable database on www.racquettech.com, the official mem- ber-only website of the USRSA. Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084; or email greg@racquet- tech.com. January 2013 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43 www.racquetsportsindustry.com A UGUST 25, 2001, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE START OF US OPEN: Andy Roddick, 18, stands on the court of Arthur Ashe Stadium, not yet a year removed from winning the tourna- ments junior championship. In the 11 months since, he accomplished a few eye- catching results, but nothing that should have predicated this moment: standing center-stage at Arthur Ashe Kids Day, fac- ing Andre Agassi in the events ultimate expo match. Roddick wears a body microphone, but doesnt talk much. He is playing at playing in front of thousands of young fans, but he doesnt entertain much. If not for the pres- ence of John McEnroe in the umpires chair, one might wonder if the moment would include any banter at all. Roddick was put on this stage to match Agassi, one of the most entertaining players in the sports history, not just shot for shot, but wit for wit and gag for gag. As Agassi quips and jests, and as McEnroe jokingly bellows that Roddicks strong serves are clearly wide and clearly long, the young pre- star is clearly uncomfortable and unsure of himself. My intent is not to criticize Roddicks performance that day, but rather to ques- tion the marketing machine that created the spectacle in the first place. You cant fault the sentiment. The U.S.s golden age of mens open tennis was waning; Jim Courier and MaliVai Washington were retired, and Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Todd Martin were no longer pre- dictable forces on tour. American tennis was in an anxious state. No one knew who could possibly replace these players in the marketing playbook. Then this kid Roddick wins the US Open junior title and a few impressive tour matches, and suddenly the sport manufac- tures a limelight that he never asked to step into. To even the most casual bystander, the impetus is obvious: U.S. tennis wants to create a superstar to take the reins from the horses of the 1990s. So they put a kid front-and-center and asked him to wear Andre Agassis shoes. For a long time after, it seemed there was a part of Roddick that felt obligated to live up to that charge. He also seemed not sure how to, because his personality was not Agassis personality, his game was not Sampras game, and he didnt much resemble his other predecessors, either. He represented a new era, but was asked to sustain the old. The effects of this were clear for years. Roddick was great at winning matches, especially long ones, and at wowing crowds with increasingly hard serves. He earned a US Open title, won Davis Cup matches, and represented the only credi- ble threat to Roger Federer in his prime. But he appeared uncomfortable as an entertainer, and uneasy prolonging a retired generations legacy. Fortunately for Roddick, at some point mid-career he decided to just be himself on courtloud with the racquet, quiet with his words (albeit not when barking at umpires). And this was much more pleas- ant to watch. He was just Andy. Its some- thing tennis should have let him be when he was perhaps too young to know to choose that on his own. 44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2013 Too many times we see a brand molded to fit a successful marketing strategy, rather than the other way around. SEPTEMBER 5, 2012, DAY 10 OF THE US OPEN: Roddick has just lost to Juan Martin del Potro and is now retired from tennis. At his final post-match press con- ference as a pro player, a reporter asks who the next big American player will beout of all the young talent on tour, out of all the promising juniors rising through the rankings, Who can fill your shoes? Roddick pauses, as if reflecting on people relaying that responsibility on him 11 years earlier, and the unneces- sary pressure that created on his young career. Lets not do the next, Roddick replies. Lets let them have their own personality, and lets let them do their own thing and let them grow. There is no filling shoes. I think weve got to be looking for individuals, not clones. Hes right. It's an important thing, let- ting young players grow into their own image, rather than someone else's. Too many times we see a brand molded to fit a successful marketing strategy, rather than the other way aroundand tennis can be just as guilty of that as B-level marketing agencies. Just develop the kids as tennis play- ers who can compete on a global court, and let the other stuff ferment on its own. Then we'll have genuine personali- ties to market, which will be far more beneficial for everyone involved. w Your Serve www.racquetsportsindustry.com Rage Against the (Marketing) Machine A longtime tennis journalist says lets not create the next American star, but let young pros develop their own personalities. BY CHRI S NI CHOL S ON Chris Nicholson is a freelance tennis writer and photographer based in New York City. He is a former editor for Tennis maga- zine and author of the book Photographing Tennis: A Guide for Photographers, Parents, Coaches & Fans. We welcome your opinions. Please email comments to RSI@racquetTECH.com.