May 2008

Volume 36 Number 5 $5.00

Contents SPECIAL SECTION
R S I

INDUSTRY NEWS
M A Y 2 0 0 8

27 Tennis’ Upward Swing! 7 Patrick McEnroe heads new

Across the board, this sport is
growing, and that’s good news for
everybody in this industry.
31 Centers of Action
Family-oriented, affordable and
fitness for life is proving a winning
combination for private and
public facilities.
34 Valuable Lessons
As the public realizes all the benefits
that tennis provides, teaching
pros—and the sport itself—are
cashing in.
36 Building Boom
The upsurge in tennis in the U.S.
is providing more building and
renovating opportunities.
38 Shopping Centers
Despite the challenging overall
business climate, the tennis
business is doing well for retailers.
USTA Elite Player Development
7 Doug Fonte retires from
Prince
7 Nominations sought for Tennis
Industry Hall of Fame
8 Max Brownlee joins Prince as
Western sales vice president
8 Recreational Coach Workshop
leaders recognized by USTA
9 Players to receive one more
line-call challenge at US Open
10 Zina Garrison, Rodney Harmon
to lead U.S. Olympic teams
10 Oncourt Offcourt offers
QuickStart Tennis package
11 ASBA facility awards
application available online

40 String of Success 12 Dunlop offers $1 million prize

For stringers, unit sales have
increased, but the bigger news
15 USTA honors people and
may be the growth of the
organizations at 2008 CTDW
premium string category.
16 PTR offers new
“CoachingMinute” benefit
43 Public Service
For CTAs and public parks, gains in
participation have led to full courts,
18 New Orleans to host National
new facilities, an impact on the local
Public Parks tournament
economy, and more.
18 Industry cites Top 50 Tennis
Welcome Centers

DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve 23 String: Luxilon
7 Industry News 46 String Playtest: Tecnifibre Xr3
20 TIA News & Updates 48 Your Serve, By Robin Bateman

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

Our Serve
(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

Spread the News Publishers

David Bone Jeff Williams

ournalist and commentator Gloria Borger once

J
Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
said, “For most folks, no news is good news;
Associate Editor
for the press, good news is not news.” Greg Raven
Well, we humbly disagree, at least with the second part of Design/Art Director
that quote. Kristine Thom

For tennis, there has been a lot of good news recently Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
coming out of the TIA, USTA, manufacturers and others Cynthia Cantrell
regarding how tennis, and the business of tennis, is doing. Rod Cross
Kristen Daley
And in this case, the good news is something we all should Joe Dinoffer
be talking about. Liza Horan
James Martin
In fact, in a special section in this issue that begins on
Greg Moran
page 27, we’ll tell you how this good news is affecting the Chris Nicholson
various constituents in the tennis industry and how you can Bob Patterson
Cynthia Sherman
continue to take advantage of this news to both help your Mary Helen Sprecher
business and help the sport grow as a whole.
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
The interesting part of all this is that the economy is a Corporate Offices
complete mess, yet tennis is doing well. There’s something 330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084
Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171
about this sport that keeps people coming back to it. Maybe Email: RSI@racquetTECH.com
it’s the fact that it’s relatively inexpensive to get into and Website: www.racquetTECH.com
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time
play. Maybe it’s that there are so many great programs now
to get people into the game. Maybe it’s that so many indus- Advertising Director
John Hanna
try groups—teaching pros, organizations, associations,
770-650-1102, x.125
media, etc.—all started coming together a few years ago in hanna@knowatlanta.com
a concentrated effort to grow the game and show its bene-
Apparel Advertising
fits. Or maybe, most likely, it’s a combination of all of these, Cynthia Sherman
and many more. 203-263-5243
cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
You all know of the benefits the sport provides, and
Racquet Sports Industry (USPS 347-8300. ISSN 0191-
you’ve all seen the numbers of increased participation, 5851) is published 10 times per year: monthly Janu-
equipment sales, play occasions and more. Now, get out ary through August and combined issues in
September/October and November/December by
there and trumpet these to your community. All are good Tennis Industry and USRSA, 330 Main St., Vista, CA
storylines at the local level. 92084. Periodicals postage paid at Hurley, NY 12443
and additional mailing offices. May 2008, Volume
And we’ll all see that “good news” is indeed the best news 36, Number 5 © 2008 by USRSA and Tennis Industry.
of all for your business. 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 circu-
lation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscrip-
tions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to Racquet Sports Industry,
330 Main St., Vista, CA 92084.

Peter Francesconi
Editorial Director
RSI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008


INDUSTRY NEWS
INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
Fonte Retires
From Prince
Prince
Americas
President
Doug
Fonte has
retired—
for the
second time. Fonte came out
of retirement in 2005 to help
rebuild the Prince brand in
the U.S., then later added
responsibility for Canada and
Latin America.
"This time it's permanent,"
Fonte says. "Getting back in
the tennis industry, contribut-
ing to the revival of Prince,
working with [Prince Chair-
man and CEO] George Napier
and the terrific Prince team
over the past three years has
been a lot of fun and very
rewarding, but now is the
right time to let a younger
generation take the company
to the next level.”
“Working with Doug the past
three years has been really
good for our team and a priv-
ilege for me,” says Napier.
“Although Doug is leaving his
management role, he will stay
connected to Prince as a con-
sultant—through 2009—and
as a Prince ambassador to
several organizations includ-
ing the Arthur Ashe Youth
Tennis and Education Center
in Philadelphia and the Inter-
national Tennis Hall of Fame.”
As for the future, "I fully
expect to fill Doug's role
when the time is right,” says
Napier.
R S I M A Y 2 0 0 8
RUN YOUR BUSINESS
McEnroe to Head USTA Elite Player Development
atrick McEnroe has been named general manager of USTA Elite Player Development, as part
P of a new strategic direction for the development of future American champions. The initiative
will provide a greater focus on top American junior players and young pros.
The USTA also will create a “Champions Advisory
Board” and “Coaches Commission” to bring together the
best in American tennis to provide input into talent iden-
tification, program development, and coaching. In addi-
tion, the new direction will include the launch of “USTA
Pro Track,” providing a pathway for top American juniors
to achieve at the highest levels of the game.
McEnroe, who led the U.S. Davis Cup team to its first
title in 12 years last December, will remain in his role as
Davis Cup captain. He will begin his new full-time posi-
tion as general manager on May 12, and will report to
Arlen Kantarian, CEO of Professional Tennis. McEnroe
will oversee the USTA’s National Coaches and coaching
program, as well as the USTA Training Centers in Boca
Raton, Fla., and Carson, Calif.
“This is one of the sport’s highest callings and I am
thrilled to unify and lead a team to keep America the
home of champions,” says McEnroe. “The USTA has sig-
nificantly stepped up its commitment to the develop-
ment of elite champions, and I am honored to lead this
effort. I look forward to working with our past champi-
ons, top coaches, academies, and other industry leaders.”
“Patrick McEnroe is one of the most respected and forward-thinking minds in tennis today, and
has achieved success at every level of the sport,” says Kantarian. “With Patrick at the helm, we look
forward to building a broad coalition of support toward one common goal: creating the next gen-
eration of American champions.”
“The USTA is clearly on the right track,” says coach Nick Bollettieri. “Patrick is a man who puts
what is best for American tennis in front of everything else. We look forward to working with him
and the USTA on this new effort to create American champions and inspire individuals to play the
game.”
Nominations Sought for Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
he Tennis Industry Association is creating a “Tennis Industry Hall of Fame,” to recognize those
T individuals who have had a significant impact on the sport of tennis. Eligibility is open to any-
one who has been or is currently in the tennis industry. TIA membership is not required for
consideration in the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.
To nominate someone, go to www.tennisindustry.org/hof by Friday, May 30. Nominations, and
those submitting nominations, will remain confidential. All nominations will be considered by the
Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, then submitted to the TIA Board of Directors.
Inductees into the inaugural Tennis Industry Hall of Fame class will be announced in New York
City in August, in conjunction with the TIA Tennis Forum and the US Open.
May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7
 M A Y 2 0 0 8
INDUSTRYNEWS

Rec Coach Workshop Leaders Recognized Congratulations To the

T
he Southeast Michigan Tennis Association and
Texas teaching professional Mike Carter have Following For Achieving
been honored by the USTA for providing an MRT and CS Status
excellent experience for Recreational Coach Work-
New Master Racquet Technicians - MRTs
shop attendees.
The SMTA was named 2007 Host Site of the Year.
Jon Anderson Worcester, MA
It hosted two RCW events last year, catering to more Daniel Bickett Whitewater, WI
than 100 participants interested in learning and Myong-Yong Koo Incheon, KOREA
improving their tennis teaching abilities. Carter Lynn Khaing Dallas, TX
(left), the director of Community Development for Abdolreza Zarandi Houston, TX
the Texas Section, is an RCW Master Trainer and has
Larry Haugness Springfield, MO
been involved in the program for six years.
“Recreational Coach Workshops are a great tool
Peter Oman Norwalk, CT
for the on-court training of coaches working with
groups of new players,” says Kirk Anderson, director New Certified Stringers - CSs
of Recreational Coaches & Programs at the USTA. “But nothing happens without a Justin Henderson Bowling Green, KY
great leader and organizer to make a workshop happen.” Julie Farina Palm Beach Grdns, FL
Carter and a representative of the SMTA will receive an all expense-paid trip to the
Matthew Tarentino Somerville, NJ
USTA Tennis Teacher’s Conference in New York City in August.
Andrea Cescolini San Diego, CA
Tomas Hlavaty Needham, MA
Babolat, Unique Federer, Bryans Win Kelvin Aquino San Diego, CA

Sports Settle Multiple ATP Awards Chris Rothrock Bryn Mawr, PA

Elena Cornwell Hilo, HI

R
oger Federer and Bob and Mike Bryan are
Overgrip Lawsuit the big winners in the 2007 ATP Awards,

B
abolat VS and Unique which were announced in Miami on the
Sports Products recently eve of the Sony Ericsson Open in March. Brownlee Joins Prince
settled a long-standing dis-
pute involving the blue colors of
For the fourth consecutive year, Federer
won both the Player of the Year Award and As Western Sales V.P.

their overgrips for tennis rac-
quets.
In 2002, Unique sued Babolat
in Atlanta Federal Court alleging
that the blue color of Babolat's
“ProTeam” overgrip infringed
upon Unique's claimed trade-
mark in the blue color of its
“TournaGrip” overgrip. The case
settled in January 2008 after
Unique surrendered its damages
claim during the trial. The settle-
ment allows Unique to retain its
federal trademark registration
for the blue color, but it does not
require Babolat to change any of
its overgrip colors, including the
blue color of ProTeam.
“Because the settlement
means that we can continue sell-
ing overgrips in the shades of
blue we currently offer, we are
very pleased with the result,”
says Jean-Louis Boyre, Babolat
USA’s chairman of the board.
Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award Present-
ed by Stanford. Additionally, fans gave Federer
the ATPtennis.com Fans’ Favorite Award Pre-
sented by RICOH for the fifth consecutive year.
The Bryan brothers, who last year finished
as the No. 1 doubles team for the fourth time
in five years, won the Doubles Team of the
Year Award Presented by Stanford for the third
consecutive year. The Bryans also were voted
ATPtennis.com Fans’ Favorite for the third con-
secutive year.
Other winners include Novak Djokovic of
Serbia, the first player to clinch Most Improved
Player of the Year honors in back-to-back
years; Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, named
Newcomer of the Year; Russian Igor Andreev,
Comeback Player of the Year; and Bud Collins
won the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award.
Ivan Ljubicic was named Arthur Ashe
Humanitarian of the Year in recognition of his
support of individual, smaller charities in his
native Croatia and his sponsorship of the
Monaco Special Olympics, donating his entire
Davis Cup prize money to those charities as
well as playing exhibitions to raise money.
M
ax Brownlee has joined Prince as
the regional vice president of
sales for the western U.S. Brown-
lee was named RSI’s “Person of the
Year” in 2005 when he was the North
American general manager for Babolat
USA, a position he left at the end of last
year.
Prior to Babolat, Brownlee served in
different capacities for both Prince and
Wilson for more than 20 years.
“We are extremely proud that Max is
re-joining the Prince family at this excit-
ing time,” says Charlie Osborn, vice
president of national sales at Prince.
“Max’s relationships and experience in
the industry will help us build upon our
recent successes, elevate the brand to
the next level and introduce genera-
tions of players to the ground-breaking
products we are bringing to market.”
Brownlee succeeds Ken Diller, who
had been with Prince for 16 years as
Midwest territory sales manager and
West regional vice president.

8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Players Get Extra The Best Can Play on Water, Too

Challenge at Open Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams exchanged shots on what
may be the world’s most challenging surface: water. The cus-

T
he USTA has added one more player challenge to
the electronic line-calling protocol used at the US tom-made floating court was installed in the rooftop pool of
Open and at all Olympus US Open Series events the new Gansevoort South Hotel in the South Beach section
this summer. On courts where the electronic system is of Miami before the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open in March. A
in use, players will now receive three challenges per team of 12 took five days to build the water-covered court
set plus one for tie-breaks. in the 110-foot swimming pool, using custom-built acrylic
The additional challenge per set has been added to sheets supported by 130 acrylic tubes.
increase usage of the player challenge system, known
as the “Chase Review” at the US Open, while helping
to create a uniform protocol across the pro game. The
“3 plus 1” system will now be in use at all profession-
al tennis events where an electronic line-calling system
is in place.
In 2006, the US Open became the first Grand Slam
to use the electronic line-calling technology, creating a
“2 plus 1” system. “Electronic line-calling, with its
player challenge system, has been one of the most
widely-acclaimed initiatives in tennis,” says Jim Curley,
USTA managing director of tournament operations and
the US Open tournament director. “With an additional
challenge per set, we look forward to the Chase Review
being used more frequently at this year’s US Open.”
During the 2007 US Open, 320 calls were chal-
lenged by players, and a total of 95 calls, or 30.6 per-
cent, were overturned.

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

 INDUSTRYNEWS M A Y 2 0 0 8

Garrison, Harmon to Lead Olympic Teams

U
.S. Fed Cup Captain Zina Garrison and USTA Director of
Men’s Tennis Rodney Harmon have been named the
women’s and men’s coaches for the 2008 U.S. Olympic
Tennis Teams. In addition, Dan James, Head U.S. National
Wheelchair Team Coach, has been named coach for the U.S.
Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Team.
The 2008 Olympic Games tennis competition will be Aug.
10-17 in Beijing, China, at the Beijing Olympic Tennis Centre.
The 2008 Paralympic Games tennis competition will be Sept.
8-15 in Beijing at the same venue. The Olympic competition
will conclude eight days prior to the US Open and will be
played on the same DecoTurf II hard court surface as the US
Open.
The 2008 U.S. Olympic tennis team will consist of up to six
men and six women, with a maximum of four men and four
women competing in the singles competition and a maximum
of two men’s and two women’s teams competing in doubles.
Olympic team selections will made by June 23. The U.S.
Olympic Committee will approve all team and staff selections
for the Olympic Games.

Oncourt Offcourt Offers QuickStart Package

U
SPTA and PTR Master Professional Joe Dinoffer, president of Oncourt Off-
court, has announced the launch of a QuickStart Tennis “36/60 Package” that
sets up 6 courts for under $100. Weighted bases and vertical poles combine
with Tennis Caution Tape to create 6 mini courts along the length of a tennis court.
The kit easily adapts to driveways, cul-de-sacs, parking lots, gymnasiums, or
any other open area. It also includes a 1,000-foot roll of durable Tennis Caution
Tape that can be reused or recycled after
each use, plus a zippered nylon carry
case.
Oncourt Offcourt also carries a full line
of transition balls designed to help begin-
ners improve faster and have more fun,
including high-density foam Spinners as
well as low-compression and slow-bouncing
pressureless Champs.
For information and to receive a free
color catalog, contact 1-88-TENNIS-11 or
visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

ASBA Facility Awards Application Available Online

A
SBA's 2008 Awards Application is now available in the Members Only section of its website,
www.sportsbuilders.org. Print out the form to fax or mail or save it to complete it on your com-
puter. The application has been simplified and the number of photographs has been reduced.
Completed applications and payments ($150 per application submitted) are due by July 1, 2008.
If you need assistance accessing the Members Only section or if you require any other informa-
tion, contact Cynthia at 866-510-ASBA or cjordan@sportsbuilders.org.

Tennis Racquet Top-Selling Racquets Top-Selling Top-Selling

Performance at Specialty Stores Tennis Shoes at Tennis Strings
Specialty Stores, By year-to-date dollars, January-December 2007
(average selling price)
Specialty Stores at Specialty
January-December, 2007 vs. 2006 By year-to-date dollars,
Best-Sellers January-December 2007
Stores
1. Babolat Pure Drive Cortex (MP) $172 (average selling price) By year-to-date dollars,
Units 2007 822,556
2. Prince O3 White (MP) $185 1. Adidas January-December 2007
2006 793,836
3. Wilson K Six One 95 (16x18) (MS) $174 Barricade IV $99 1. Prince
% Change vs. ’06 4%
4. Wilson K Six One Tour 90 (MS) $184 2. Nike Synthetic Gut Duraflex
5. Wilson K Six One Team 95 (MS) $176 Air Breathe Free 2 $95 2. Wilson
Dollars 2007 114,042,000
“Hot New Racquets” 3. Adidas NXT
2006 105,225,000
(Introduced in the past 12 months) Barricade II $82 3. Wilson
% Change vs. ’06 8%
1. Wilson K Six One 95 (16x18) (MS) $174 4. Prince Sensation
2. Wilson K Six One Tour 90 (MS) $184 MV4 $93 4. Prince
Price 2007 $139
3. Wilson K Six One Team 95 (MS) $176 5. Prince Lightning XX
2006 $133
4. Babolat Aeropro Drive Cortex (MP) $175 T10 $77 5. Luxilon
% Change vs. ’06 5%
5. Prince O3 SpeedPort Blue (OS) $241 Alu Power

(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

 INDUSTRYNEWS M A Y 2 0 0 8

O P L E W AT C
E H
P of Onalaska,• Ian Griffin
Wis., is
the grand-prize winner of
the USPTA’S first-ever personal
website contest. Griffin is a USPTA
Pro 1 and 29-year member. His web-
site, iangriffin.usptapro.com, stood out
for the creative use of colors, links to
online lessons and club information, and
availability of content in English, Spanish
and French. As the grand-prize winner, Grif-
fin receives products from Head/Penn, includ-
ing racquets, a bag and string.
• John McEnroe will return
for his eighth season with
the World TeamTennis
Pro League presented by
Advanta, playing three
road matches for the New
York Sportimes this summer.
Other top names in the WTT Pro League
include Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams,
Andy Roddick, Venus Williams, Martina
Navratilova, Anna Kournikova and Bob and
Mike Bryan. The Pro League season runs July
3-23 in 11 markets.
• Satoshi Ochi, of Omaha, Neb., has been
named strength and conditioning specialist
for USTA Sport Science. Ochi joins the
Player Development staff at the USTA
Training Center and Player Development
Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla.
• Todd Martin defeated John
McEnroe to win the sin-
gles title in March
at the
$150,000 The Oliver
Group Champions Cup in
Naples, Fla., the opening event
on the 2008 Outback Champions
Series tennis circuit.
• Ashaway Racket Strings has
signed squash great Natalie
Grainger to a multi-year spon-
sorship agreement. Grainger,
who won the US Nationals in
March after switching to Ash-
away's new SuperNick XL Micro, is
currently ranked No. 1 in the US and No. 4
on the Women's International Squash Players
Association Tour.
• College of Charleston junior Megan Man-
they, a member of the women’s soccer team,
won the $5,000 scholarship grant donated
each year by the Family Circle Cup Commu-
nity Outreach program.
• Pro Nikolay Davydenko switched to Prince’s
new Ozone Pro Tour racquet at the 2008
Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in March and
took home them men’s singles title. He also
started wearing Prince’s OV1 shoes, too.
Other Prince champions at the Sony Erics-
son included men’s doubles winners Bob
and Mike Bryan and women’s doubles
winners Ai Sugiyama and Katarina Sre-
botnik, all playing with O3 Speedport
Black frames. In addition, women’s
singles finalist Jelena Jankovic
uses the O3 Speedport Pro
White.

Dunlop Offers $1 Million Prize

I
n March, Dunlop launched its newest consumer promotion, the Million Dollar
Slam, which gives recreational players a chance to win up to $1 million. Tennis
players who demo a Dunlop Aerogel racquet at participating pro shops, tennis
retailers or at events throughout North America will receive a contest Game Card with
a unique PIN code. Participants enter the sweepstakes contest online at
www.Dunlopsweepstakes.com.
Upon entering the PIN code, participants are assigned a Dunlop Tour Team play-
er, and if that player is named the Dunlop Spotlight player and wins one of the final
three Grand Slams in 2008, they will win up to $1 million. Dunlop Tour Team play-
ers are James Blake, Tomas Berdych, Tommy Robredo, Nicolas Almagro, Tommy
Haas, and Thomas Johansson.
But the $1 million Grand Prize isn’t the only prize. An all-expenses-paid trip for
two to Saddlebrook Tennis Resort in Tampa to meet James Blake, along with Dunlop
Gear packages, can be won as well. Complete rules and details of the contest can be
found at Dunlopsweepstakes.com.

12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

SHORT SETS
>andDunlop Sports Group is the official ball
racquet for the WTA Tour’s Family Circle
USOpen.org for every new member you
refer to the USTA. Send them to
Cup, which celebrates its 35th anniversary USTA.com/MGM.
this year. Dunlop, based in Greenville, S.C.,
has also become the official ball and racquet
>historical
For the first time, the USTA Yearbook
records are available online at
of the Family Circle Tennis Center in
www.USTA.com/Yearbook. The online
Charleston, S.C.
edition of the Yearbook will serve as a
> The USTA and Evian Natural Spring Water
will extend their 22-year partnership with the
supplement to the longstanding print
edition and will be updated yearly, pro-
US Open through 2012. Beginning this year, viding access to current and former
the partnership will expand to include spon- champions, results and USTA Award-
sorship of the Olympus US Open Series for winners in both the professional and
the first time, with Evian becoming the offi- amateur ranks.
cial bottled water of each of the USOS tour-
naments held in the U.S. In related news,
> The Active Network Inc., a provider of
application services technology and mar-
Juvederm will also be an official sponsor of
keting solutions for community service
the US Open, the event’s first cosmetic indus-
and participatory sports organizations,
try sponsor.
has signed on to provide online registra-
>uctsThewasPlexipave surface by California Prod-
chosen for the 2008 Pacific Life
tion for the Intercollegiate Tennis Associ-
ation's memberships, conventions and
Open, which was played in March in Indian 85 ITA-administered college tennis tour-
Wells, Calif. naments. In addition, Active will rebuild
ITA's website, www.itatennis.com.
>Outstanding
Applications for the 27th annual USTA
Tennis Facility Awards are now
available online at www.usta.com. Recogni-
tion will be given to outstanding public ten-
nis facilities under the jurisdiction of (1) a
parks and recreation department, (2) an edu-
cational institution, (3) a non-profit corpora-
tion or (4) a private and commercially owned
and operated facility with USTA and other
growth programs open to the public. Appli-
cations are due in July.

>theThephilanthropic
USTA Tennis & Education Foundation,
and charitable entity of the
USTA, has appointed five new directors-at-
large to its board: Lucy S. Garvin of
Greenville, S.C.; Jonathan Vegosen of Chica-
go; Carol Kimmelman of Bernardsville, N.J.,
and Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Terry L. March of
Water Mill, N.Y.; and Paul Palandjian of
Boston. “Their expertise and commitment
will help support the organization’s goal to
reach as many at-risk and special-need
youngsters as possible through tennis and
education,” says Karen Martin-Eliezer, execu-
tive director of the USTA T&EF.

>“Member
Are you a USTA member? With the
Get Member” program, you can
receive $15 off your next purchase at

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13

 INDUSTRYNEWS M A Y 2 0 0 8

2008 GSS Symposium

Trade Show to Feature Top Companies
he Grand Slam Stringers Symposium presented by the USRSA, scheduled for Oct.

T 11-14 in Orlando, Fla., is shaping up to be a major player in the industry. After a

successful inaugural launch in 2007, this year’s event will be bigger in both size
and scope, with enhanced and expanded seminars and a trade show featuring many
top manufacturers.
“The USRSA is excited to be involved in such a big way because, with enough
support, this event could become the new Super Show for rac-
quet sports,” says David Bone, USRSA executive director (and a
co-publisher of RSI magazine).
Bone and Tim Strawn, the founder and owner of GSS, have
teamed up to make this gathering beneficial for anyone who
sells or services racquets. “If we can train people to do what we
do the right way, there are lots of benefits,” says Strawn.
“Players stay in the game longer when they're using the right
equipment and it's properly serviced,” he adds. “Shop owners can open up new
sources of revenue by using the information available at the Symposium—cus-
tomizing, shop operations, working with gut, etc. If they can increase revenues,
they can stay in business. The idea is to do our small part to keep the game healthy
and continue the growth of the sport.”
Adds Bone: “As the technology and science of equipment and racquet service
continue to become more complex, it is exciting to have a setting where racquet
service professionals can get together to share ideas and help increase everyone's
knowledge.”
Several participants at last year’s GSS Symposium bought stringing machines
and diagnostic equipment after seeing and using them at the event. The expanded
trade show at this year’s event will provide an opportunity for participants to see
the latest technology and equipment and talk to company reps.
“The trade show is an opportunity for vendors to communicate directly with
retailers,” says Bone. “The fees generated by the vendors also help to keep the costs
for the participants as low as possible.” Vendors can still sign up for the trade show.
For a list of participating vendors to date, or for more information, visit
www.grandslamstringers.com.
There also are several new additions to the Symposium, including the Simulat-
ed Tour Stringing Room sponsored by Wilson, the official string team of the US
Open. If you hope to one day string on the pro tour, or if you’re just curious about
what happens behind the scenes at a major tournament, this is a rare opportunity.
Another new seminar is a presentation by Ameriprise designed to help small busi-
ness owners evaluate their operations. To register for the 2008 GSS Symposium,
visit www.grandslamstringers.com.

FREE ADMISSION
TO THE 2008 GSS STRINGERS SYMPOSIUM
GSS is waiving the $495 symposium fee for one lucky winner.
Just cut out this coupon and mail it to:
Baselines Racquet Sports LLC
4710 Norwood St SW, Roanoke, Va 24018
One entry per month, per person please. Drawing will be held July 15th, 2008.
Offer good for symposium admission only. Travel, lodging, and food not included.
Name _____________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________________________
winner will be notified by phone and email - please write legibly!

14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

 INDUSTRY NEWS

Cast in Cement
During their first-round Davis Cup win over Austria in
February, the defending champion U.S. Davis Cup team of
Bob and Mike Bryan, Andy Roddick, James Blake and Cap-
tain Patrick McEnroe
took time out to
make their mark on
Vienna’s Avenue of
Champions. Each
team member laid a
hand down in a
cement casting,
while McEnroe’s feet
were immortalized.
The team’s imprints and
bronze plaque now join
those of other superstar ath-
letes such as Boris Becker,
Steffi Graf, Ernie Els, Carl
Lewis, George Foreman, Pele
and Mark Spitz.

USTA Honors People,

Organizations
at 2008 CTDW

T
The USTA presented honors
to various tennis organiza-
tions and people from
around the nation at the annual
Community Tennis Development
Workshop, which was held at the
Flamingo Las Vegas Feb. 22-24.
The CTDW is one of the pre-
mier gatherings in the U.S. for
community tennis leaders. The
following awards were presented:
Q NJTL of the Year (presented at three dif-
ferent budget levels): Rising Stars of Ken-
tucky Tennis, Louisville, Ky.; NJTL of
Trenton Inc., Trenton, N.J.; and Dallas
Tennis Association, Dallas, Texas.
Q Janet Louer USTA Jr. Team Tennis Organ-
izer of the Year: Rita Gladstone, Daytona
Beach, Fla.
Q Adaptive Tennis National Community
Service Award: Orthotic & Prosthetic
Assistance Fund of Langhorne, Pa.
Q Community Tennis Association of the
Year: Florence Tennis Association, Flo-
rence, S.C.
Q Eve Kraft Community Service Awards:
Sue Jollensten, Albuquerque, N.M.; Nancy
Horowitz, Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Jaime
Kaplan, Macon, Ga.; Bob Phelps, Carson
City, Nev.

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 15

INDUSTRYNEWS M A Y 2 0 0 8

PTR Offers New Benefit King, Spadea

Choose Prince’s
T
he PTR and CoachingSchool.org have joined forces to provide PTR teachers and
coaches with a resource for coaching kids tennis. PTR members receive a free
email subscription to the CoachingMinute, a weekly 2-1/2- to 5-minute audio-for- Aerotech Line

A
matted file with world-class coaching concepts. t the start
The CoachingMinute is designed for anyone working with kids at any level, from of the
first-time instructors to seasoned veterans. The resource can help tennis teachers cre- 2008 Sony
ate an environment where young students enjoy their lessons at a fuller, deeper level, Ericsson Open
learn more and perform better. The concepts are grounded in play, coaching and in Miami in
behavioral success sciences. March, nearly
30 tour players
were wearing
Prince’s new
Aerotech
apparel line,
including Vania
King (top),
Vince Spadea
and Albert
Montanes (bot-
tom right). The
Aerotech line
was officially
launched this year.
“The fact that 27 world-class ath-
letes have decided to wear our new
performance apparel on tour is a
great start,” says George Napier, CEO
and chairman of Prince Sports.
"Developing Aerotech apparel has
been an intensive initiative and the
response we're getting from athletes
and consumers is rewarding.”
The Aerotech Spring 2008 line is
available in three collections:
Q Gold: The premier on-court collec-
tion featuring an athletic silhouette
and worn by ATP and WTA touring
pros.
Q Silver: A more relaxed silhouette
featuring fashion accents.
Q Black: A comprehensive line fea-
turing classic silhouettes, colors
and designs in contemporary cuts,
perfect for school teams and
leagues, says Prince.
Features of the apparel lines
include AeroFit, allowing fabrics to
move and stretch for comfort and
mobility; AeroShield, for protection
against UV rays and bacteria; and
AeroVent, technical materials with
cooling zones for ventilation and
moisture management.
To see the Aerotech line, visit
www.princetennis.com/VCAB.

16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

INDUSTRYNEWS M A Y 2 0 0 8
New Orleans to Host Public Parks Tourney
T Announce Partnership
he 82nd National Public Parks Tennis Championships will take
place July 21-29 at the University Tennis Center in New Orleans.
The tournament is open to all USTA members and features junior,
adult, NTRP and family events in both singles and doubles. The junior
events will take place on the opening four days, followed by the adult
divisions.
The deadline to register for all events is July 11. For more informa-
tion on registering for the Public Parks Tennis Championships, visit
firstservetournaments.com.
Industry Cites TWCs
T
he "Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers of 2007" have been recognized
by the TIA, USTA and Racquet Sports Industry as leading the charge
in the growth of the sport by providing well-rounded programs to
new and current players of all ages and abilities.
The facilities honored exhibited excellent participation figures
involving new and returning players, support of industry programs and
community tennis development, and were active with TWC facility
requirements, among other criteria. To see the winners, visit
www.GrowingTennis.com.
The Tennis Welcome Center initiative is backed by all sectors of the
industry. Popular pro player Maria Sharapova and James Blake are
spokesmodels for the program, which is free to tennis facilities who
wish to support industry efforts to grow participation through specific
programming and marketing.
18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008
ITA, TennisRecruiting.net
T
he Intercollegiate Tennis Association and the Ten-
nis Recruiting Network have announced a part-
nership to help college coaches connect with
future players. All ITA member coaches will be eligi-
ble to receive a special rate for the Coaching Advan-
tage service at the TennisRecruiting.net website.
TennisRecruiting.net offers content and services
for college-bound athletes, coaches and tennis enthu-
siasts. The website has player profile web pages for
more than 60,000 high school and middle school ten-
nis players.
"Our mission is to help college coaches connect
with junior players, and working with the ITA should
help us with that mission," says Julie Wrege, editor of
TennisRecruiting.net. "The ITA can help us expand
our reach with college coaches, giving both colleges
and players more options with respect to recruiting."
The ITA is the governing body of collegiate tennis
in the U.S., comprised of nearly 1,500 member
coaches representing more than 1,200 institutions. It
oversees activities involving over 25,000 college stu-
dent-athletes. For more information, visit
www.ITATennis.com and www.TennisRecruiting.net.

News You Can Use!
Although the
completed
Tennis
Health
Index isn’t
Jolyn de Boer due until early
May, this new
measure is a welcomed
research addition to help
track player participation.
Over the last several months,
we’ve seen an increasing
number of facilities register-
ing to become official
Tennis Welcome Centers,
with many offering Cardio
Tennis and to date nearly
600 offering QuickStart Ten-
nis. At GrowingTen-
nis.com, facilities and
retailers can get involved
with these initiatives by post-
ing their information for con-
sumers. With an average of
1 million queries per month
and a 1000% increase in
facilities using this system,
we encourage you to find
out more through the weekly
online Open Houses.
Mark Your Calendars:
The second annual TIA Ten-
nis Forum will be held
on Aug. 25, during the
USTA Tennis Teachers Confer-
ence in New York.
At the Forum, the first
inductees into the new Ten-
nis Industry Hall of Fame
will be recognized for their
contributions to the tennis
industry. For more informa-
tion, see page 7.
Thanks for your support of
the TIA and our joint efforts
to grow tennis.
20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008
T I A N E W S M A Y 2 0 0 8
NEWS & UPDATES
Tennis Health Index Update
5 of 8 Indicators Available Reporting Growth
E
very year since 1999, the USTA and TIA have carried out
a major national survey of the number of tennis players in
the U.S. While this has been an important measure of the
health of tennis over the years, the industry felt that rather than
risk being over-reliant on a single survey, more measures could
be used to introduce a series of checks and balances sort of like
creating our own Dow Jones Industrial Average for Tennis..
So last year, the TIA/USTA created the Tennis Health Index,
which combines eight indicators to give an accurate measure of
the state of tennis in the U.S. on a yearly basis. The components
of this robust index include a number of participation surveys Using four of the eight Tennis Health Index
from various sources; ball shipment data; and facility, player and indicators that were available in early April,
court activity monitors to give a broad and diversified view of the chart above shows a projected index for the
last eight years. The full THI will be calculated
the development of the industry. So far, five measures are in:

Tennis Participation–USTA/TIA Phone Survey: In 2007, ten-
when all indicators are available in early May.
nis topped 25.1 million players, the first time since 1999 that
the sport has broken the 25 million barrier. In addition, since 2003, frequent players (who play 21
times a year or more) have increased 15%.

Ball Shipments: The TIA has tracked tennis ball shipments for more than 20 years. Tennis ball units
have historically been a good indicator of the level of play. Shipments have increased 15% since 2003.

Court Activity Monitor: For the first time in 2007, the TIA/USTA began an “audit” to measure activ-
ity at facilities. A panel of 628 facilities was surveyed online and by telephone. From this, a “total courts
used” figure was calculated for 2007. A total of 137 million courts were booked/used last year.

Annual Facility Survey: As part of the TIA/USTA’s Court Activity Monitor, a bi-annual survey of facil-
ities is carried out. From the survey, 60% of facilities said new players had increased and 6% said new
players had decreased. The “net” of 54% will be included in the Tennis Health Index.

Tennis Participation–NSGA Mail Panel Survey: The National Sporting Goods Association has been
tracking participation in dozens of sports for nearly 30 years. Its 2007 survey, of participants 7 years
old and older who play more than once a year, shows a nearly 20% increase in tennis participation.
Expanded RSI Partnership Includes New TIA Member News Feed
T
he TIA is increasing the visibility of its member companies with a new
RSS feed for company press releases and news. The RSS feed, “Ten-
nisIndustry News,” will appear on TennisIndustry.org, RacquetSportsIn-
dustry.com and additional sites for up-to-date member news. This increased
marketing and communications effort started in April.
Any press release submitted by TIA member companies to
news@tennisindustry.org or already on a distribution list with Racquet Sports
Industry will automatically be posted on the TennisIndustry News RSS feed,
and it also will receive bonus email distribution to industry contacts and
media.
In addition, the TIA is working in conjunction with The Sherry Group, a
national public relations firm, to help direct attention to TIA member news. As
a TIA media partner, The Sherry Group will deliver exposure for TennisIndus-
try News to their more than 100,000 media sources.
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
 TIA NEWS

Growing Tennis News

Online Open Houses: Boost Your Business for Free

I
n just 30 minutes, you can learn how to post your programs for free on key consumer web-
sites using the GrowingTennis system. It’s easy when you go to a TIA “Growing Tennis
Online Open House.”
The Open Houses are every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 1 to 1:30 p.m. EST.
When you post your information on the GrowingTennis system, it will appear on key con-
sumer websites such as USTA.com, Tennis.com, TennisWeek.com, TennisChannel.com and
others. Plus, you’ll get extra mileage as a facility participating in industry initiatives on Ten-
nisWelcomeCenter.com, CardioTennis.com or QuickStartTennis.com.
Every month, more than 1 million queries are made to facilities who post their program
information on these sites, so don’t be left out of using this system for free marketing to sell your programs and
grow your business. Online sign-up and payment features also are available.
The half-hour Open House session will take you through the easy steps to get the most out of the GrowingTennis System.
The online training includes an opportunity to “ask the expert” about the system and its features and benefits, as technol-
ogy professionals guide you through this information tutorial. All you need is a computer and phone line to call in.
To register, visit GrowingTennisTraining.com, call toll-free 866-686-3036 or email info@growingtennis.com.

CARDIO TENNIS • TENNIS WELCOME CENTERS • QUICKSTART TENNIS

Cardio Tennis Update Business &

ardio Tennis workshops Technology Workshops

C offer two days of complete

Cardio Tennis training for
new and existing sites:
I
mprove your customer service through the use
of the latest advancements in online tennis

 Atlanta, April 13-14

technology. Attend a Growing Tennis Business

 Houston, May 3-4

& Technology Workshop in your area for an inter-

 Bowie, Md., May 17-18

Retailer News
 Receive a free topline
report when you partici-
pate in the Cost of
Doing Business Study of
operational data for ten-
nis retailers. Compare
your business to others.
Go to TennisIndustry.org
to take a 10-minute sur-
vey. All information kept
confidential.
active, hands-on workshop on “How to Fast Track
 Los Angeles, June 8-9
Your Business with Technology.” The work-
 Cardio Tennis made appearances
shops, ideal for service providers, marketing staff,
directors, managers or owners, are led by experi-
at the Tennis Channel Open, the
enced facilitators who have expert training and
Pacific Life Open and the Sony
background in technology and online business,
Ericsson, with stadium-court
marketing and customer-service solutions. See the
demos, consumer participation
schedule below, and visit www.GrowingTennis-
activities and Cardio Tennis on
Training for more info.
 Tampa, April 19
the beach.
 Internationally, Cardio Tennis will
 Atlanta, April 28
 Philadelphia, May 5
make its debut in Turkey with a
 Los Angeles, May 19
two-day workshop. And while
 Chicago, June 16
Cardio Tennis has been a pres-

 Become a panelist for

Sports Marketing Surveys
and receive up to $300 a
 Cardio Tennis for Kids (CT4kids)
year. Call SMS at 561-
427-0647.
 Get an online stringing
tracking system, avail-
able with TennisCon-
nect. For more
information, email
info@tennisconnect.org
or call 866-686-3036.
ence in Canada for more than
two years, the first national work-
shop was presented in conjunc-
tion with Tennis Canada recently.
QuickStart Tennis
T
he QuickStart Tennis format,
designed to get kids 10-and-
debuted recently at the USPTA
under into the game using age-appropriate
NorCal and Texas division con-
equipment, smaller courts and modified scoring,
ventions and at the PTR Sympo-
officially debuted in February as part of ESPN The
sium in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Weekend in Orlando, Fla., with Martina Navratilo-
To learn more about CT4kids visit
va and Mary Joe Fernandez helping children on
www.partners.cardio-tennis.com.
court. As of early April, more than 600 facilities
had registered their QuickStart sites and program
information. Get on board now by visiting Grow-
ingTennis.com or Partners.QuickStartTennis.com.

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21
 STRING
Ask Headline BYLINE?
Luxilon has been getting a lot of play among the top
pros, but is this string right for your players?
W
hen it comes to the world of recreational players, just
how valuable are the equipment patterns of the pros?
This has always been a tricky question for shop owners.
Most recently, a string that’s become a standard among pros is
drawing significant interest among recreational players. Luxilon is
a string that turns the age-old notion of a racquet and a string on
its head. As recently as 10 years ago, pros such as Pete Sampras
often used highly resilient, lively gut strings as a means of adding
life to their frames. But Luxilon is completely different.
Luxilon is a dead string. Nate Ferguson, head of Priority One,
the company that strings for such pros as Roger Federer, Lleyton
Hewitt and Novak Djokovic, says, “Because the string is so dead,
the player can swing loose and hard. The result is much more dip,
whip and power.”
marketing SUCCESS
BY JOEL DRUCKER
According to ATP pro Paul Goldstein, “The rotation you get is
drastically different than with gut. The ball jumps and moves unbe-
lievably. A ball that looks like it’s going way out and then drops like
a stone—that’s what everyone calls ‘a Luxilon shot.’”
Adds Goldstein’s coach, ex-pro Scott McCain, “It’s changed pro
tennis from linear to parabolic. It’s like Ping-Pong out there.”
With this kind of acceptance and performance among the top
pros, stringers all over the country are finding their customers
increasingly eager to try Luxilon. Neil Rothenberg, an independent
stringer based in Piedmont, Calif., who strings racquets at the
Berkeley Tennis Club and for the UC Berkeley men’s and women’s
teams, says, “Lots of people are asking about Luxilon now. It’s very
much part of my inventory.”
But putting this string in racquets is not so simple. Luxilon is a
May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23
 string fraught with a range of issues and nuances that if not centage of their tension in the first few hours, but that doesn’t
addressed could lead to significant customer pain. happen with Luxilon. So for more comfort, some pros will string
“You’ve got to understand the player’s physical style, as well Luxilon looser than other strings. While a pro like Goldstein
as what they can withstand,” says David Bone, executive director dropped his tension from 58 to 48 with Luxilon, Bone’s advice for
of the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association [and co-publisher of RSI recreational players is “probably 5 to 10 percent less—3 to 6
magazine]. “Shock is a factor with these stiffer strings.” pounds lower.” Luxilon itself recommends lowering tension by
Rothenberg’s philosophy is that, “To do my job best, I need 10 percent.
to ask people questions about how Tim Strawn of Roanoke, Va.-based Baseline
they play and how they hit the Racquet Sports, and founder of GrandSlam-
ball. Fortunately I know a lot about Stringers.com, believes that, “In an oversized
the people I string for, but when I racquet, this string has some breathing room.
don’t know someone, I find out if I’ve found with frames 110 inches or larger, it
they have a history of tennis elbow performs well for a lot of players.”
or other injuries—shoulder, wrist. Durability is certainly a benefit—but with a
If they insist on trying Luxilon, I degree of caution. Noting that the strings are
warn them. Unquestionably there “pretty much indestructible,” Rothenberg puts a
are some great advantages to it— date sticker on every frame so that his cus-
that is, if you play often and can tomers can keep track of when to get their rac-
consistently generate good rac- quet restrung rather than wait for them to
quet-head speed.” break. He recommends 5.5 players or rising
John Lyons, the global busi- juniors restring as frequently as every two
ness director for Wilson Sporting weeks.
Goods, the company that distrib- But for all these comments about Luxilon’s
utes Luxilon, says he makes sure properties and cautions, what’s emerged as the
to distinguish between the two best way to deploy this string is a hybrid mix.
kinds of Luxilon Alu Power. The “You can pretty much mix it up with anything,”
first, Luxilon Alu Power 125, is says Bone.
what’s used by pros—a firm, One approach
durable string that provides significant control and spin. The is to use Luxilon in
second, Alu Power Flouro 123, is a softer, more comfortable the main strings
version that Lyons believes “is a better first try for recreational and a quality nylon
players.” (See our playtest review of in the crosses.
Alu Power Flouro 123 in the April 2008 Says Lewis, “That
3 KEYS issue, or visit www.racquetsports- can soften it and
FOR YOUR industry.com.) give some benefit
CUSTOMERS Still, says Lyons, “The fact that pros as far as control-
Are your customers ask- are using something doesn’t mean it’s ling the big power
ing to try Luxilon srings? necessarily appropriate for the recre- shots.”
Here are three things ational player. The best person for it is There’s no
you should consider a fairly hardcore player, a fairly serious question players
when installing Luxilon person who can really take advantage will continue to be
for recreational players. of this string’s special properties.” curious about Lux-

Q Install Luxilon strings

Former touring pro Chris Lewis, ilon. With com-
head of Tennis-Experts.com and a mentators like
5 percent to 10 per-
coach at the Woodbridge Tennis Club John McEnroe and
cent looser than nylon
in Irvine, Calif., concurs. “The person Jim Courier raving
strings.
who’s best for this string is someone about it on the air-
Q Consider using Luxilon who mostly plays singles and has a big waves, with more and more pros and aspiring juniors using it, it’s
as mains in a hybrid game with big swings who might be become a major part of the equipment mix. The wise stringer will
with a softer cross looking for more control,” Lewis says. be the one who can properly explain its nuances. Q
string. “You get used to it when you’re whaling

Q Remember that these

at the ball. A lot of juniors I’ve worked
with are into it, but the hardness of the
strings perform best
strings can create more injuries to the
for players who
arm, so it’s tricky as a young player
already generate a lot
develops physically.”
of spin.
Most strings will lose a certain per-
Oakland-based Joel Drucker is one of the world's leading tennis
writers, his work appearing in a variety of print and broadcast
media, including Tennis, USTA Magazine, ESPN and Tennis Chan-
nel. A technical editor for Patrick McEnroe's book “Tennis For
Dummies,” Drucker's first book, “Jimmy Connors Saved My Life,”
was published in 2004.

24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

Across the board, this sport is growing,
and that’s good news for everybody in
W
this industry.
e’ve all cringed at the gloomy headlines and omi-
nous sound bites that have dominated the news
lately. “Gas Prices Increase Again.” “House Foreclo-
sures Are Up.” “Consumer Confidence Down.” “Is The U.S. in a
Recession?” What seems to dominate the news nowadays is the
economy. And the economy is a mess.
BY PETER FRANCESCONI
That, of course, would be the bad news. The good news is that
in the tennis industry, things are looking good. Very good.
In fact, there is a lot of good news coming out of the TIA, USTA,
manufacturers, retailers and others regarding how tennis, and the
business of tennis, is doing. On the following pages, we’ll tell you
how this good news is affecting the various constituents in the ten-
May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27
 nis industry, and how you
can keep the momentum
going.
First, a few facts from
recent research by the TIA
and USTA:
Q Tennis participation is up.
At the end of 2007, total
participation was 25.1 mil-
lion players, up 3.8 percent
over 2006, and the first
time that figure has broken
25 million since 1999.
Q Frequent participation, that
is, those who play tennis 21
times or more a year, is up
1.2 percent to 5.25 mil-
lion—an important measure because frequent players are the Key, says Kamperman, is making sure the basics are covered. “A
heart of your market. While this increase from 2006 to 2007 lot of sports have gone for the quick hit,” he says. “But we’ve done
appears modest, over the last four years, frequent participation has a great job of shoring up our infrastructure and making sure we can
risen by 15 percent. support the game, especially when you consider the investment in
Q Racquet shipments are up, both in dollars and units. In wholesale parks and schools. We’ve concentrated on making sure there are
dollars, racquet shipments are up 9.5 percent over 2006, to $121.4 public facilities to accommodate play, local programs available, and
million, which is the fourth straight year shipments have increased. properly trained people to organize and run those programs.”
In units, racquet shipments have increased over the last four years In fact, so much has been going on in this industry in the last few
by 42.1 percent. years—from many sources, not just the USTA—it would be impossi-
Q Youth racquet shipments are way up. In the last four years, this cat- ble to pinpoint a sole catalyst for the sport’s growth. It’s even possi-
egory has grown by 80 percent. ble, maybe likely, that the down economy is helping tennis, as
Q Specialty store racquet sales are up 30 percent from 2003 to 2007, people look for things to do closer to home. “While people may give
showing consistent growth in each of the four years. up the big winter ski trip for thousands of dollars, tennis barriers for
Q Ball shipments, which tradi- entry are really low,” says
tionally have been an indica- Kevin Kempin, vice president of
tion of the level of play in the sales and marketing for
U.S., have increased by 15 Head/Penn.
percent since 2003. And this And close to home, what
steady growth comes without you’re often seeing are full
ball sales data from some big courts. “Five years ago I could
discount retailers, like Wal- go to the community courts any
Mart and Target. time of day and always get a
Q String shipments to dealers court,” says Doug Booth, the
are up 15 percent from 2006 executive director of the USTA
to 2007. Florida Section. “Now, I have to
Keep in mind, most of these wait. And what’s really exciting
measures have been consistent- is I see children out playing with
ly increasing each year for the their families.”
last four years. And it’s impor- Getting kids into the game
tant to note that when the TIA analyzed two leading economic mea- has been a huge push in the industry. Recent, and ongoing, initia-
sures—the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Consumer tives include the USTA School Tennis program, after-school pro-
Confidence Index—against tennis player participation numbers and grams, and now, an industry-wide push for QuickStart Tennis for
equipment shipments over the last six years, they found the tennis kids 10 and under. The QST format uses age-appropriate equipment,
numbers were not affected by the overall downturn in the economy. court size, and scoring to get kids playing quickly and keep them
It appears that the united effort to help grow the game has been playing. QST will allow kids 10-and-under to enter the sport on a
working. team and learn the game while playing on a team.

STEADY GROWTH
“Having four years of steady and consistent growth in both partici-
pation and industry sales is the best news we could have,” says Kurt
Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis.
And one happy consequence of QuickStart and other kid’s pro-
grams may be that parents appear to be coming back to tennis, too,
realizing that no matter what their skill level, they can play tennis
with their kids and, importantly, all family members can enjoy the
experience. Industry data shows that “rejoiners” are up 10.2 percent

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

since 2003. Also up are than 2,100 TWCs pledged to
“continuing players,” by 5.6 create a welcoming environ-
percent. And the number of ment for new and existing
“lapsed players,” those who players. And to capitalize on
have given up the game, is the health benefits, Cardio Ten-
down 3.3 percent. nis programs allow partici-

TEAMS
pants to burn hundreds of

FOR ALL AGES

calories, often more than 600,
in a fun, active, 45 minutes on
Participation increases also court. There are now more
are showing up in adult than 800 registered Cardio
leagues, both USTA and Tennis sites.
non-USTA. “USTA Leagues were up 6 percent last year, with Increased play also seems to be triggering a building boom. “In
310,000 unique players, and almost 700,000 total participants,” the last three to four years, I’ve seen more big public facilities being
says Kamperman. “What’s interesting is that those players on aver- built or resurfaced,” says Kamperman. Court builders also report an
age play in at least two leagues.” The increase in USTA League play upsurge in building and renovating, especially for public court
has also helped boost overall USTA projects.
membership, to an all-time high of Large-scale facilities bring in large-
more than 730,000. scale events, too, and communities
Playing in leagues and on are reaping the benefits as adults and
teams seems to be appealing to juniors and their parents travel and
players of all ages. Combined with stay at tournament locations. In fact,
QuickStart Tennis and adult the 60-court public facility in Mobile,
leagues, two other key team-based Ala., which hosts about 20 tourna-
programs run by the USTA clearly ments a year, has a $28 million
are succeeding in getting and impact to that city.
keeping players in the game: High- Another recent USTA focus is
School No-Cut and Tennis on Cam- advocacy. “All this positive news is
pus. Both have shown robust great ammunition for volunteers
growth in just a few years. throughout the country advocating for
“I believe a lot of the parents more tennis courts and more pro-
who have a passion for tennis grams in their communities,” says
know how family-friendly the Kamperman. “Local providers
sport is and what a great already know that tennis
sport it is for their kids,” can have a positive
says Jolyn de Boer, the impact on a community
executive director of the and on people’s lives,
Tennis Industry Associa- and now through our
tion. “Not only are the advocacy efforts, more
older baby-boomers and more public officials
finding more time to are realizing this, too.”

LEGITIMATE ONCE MORE

play themselves, but any from that generation with younger kids are
sharing their passion for tennis as a lifetime sport. And it doesn’t
hurt that tennis is relatively inexpensive, too.”
Plus, the time factor works to tennis’ advantage. Courts are pret-
ty much readily available in most communities and don’t take long
to travel to. You can play tennis in an hour or hour-and-a-half. And
you don’t have to pull together 10 or 12 other people like you would
for team sports.
The good news isn’t just on the recreational tennis side. Profession-
al tennis is drawing huge numbers of fans. The US Open has been
setting attendance records for years, and it remains the largest-
attended annual sporting event in the world. The 5-year-old Olym-
pus US Open Series, which creates a six-week summer season of
tennis leading up to the US Open, has also increased interest in the

MIND AND BODY

Then there’s the health benefit. “People get bored with just working
out with exercise machines,” says de Boer. Tennis, on the other
hand, provides a great workout without that boredom. “Tennis is a
great mind and body workout; it engages you mentally and physi-
cally at the same time.”
To help people get into the game, the industry launched the Ten-
nis Welcome Center initiative a few years ago. Now, there are more
sport and, importantly, has given tennis a regular, weekly home on
TV. And, whether American or not, pro players have created inter-
esting storylines that help to pull fans into the game.
The combination of all this good news means that, “Tennis is
legitimately a growth industry again,” says Kamperman. And that
sentiment is echoed by a very important group—manufacturers.
“When the numbers are this good, and consistently good, the
first thing it means is we can continue to invest,” says Head/Penn’s
Kempin. “Yes, we’re watching our dollars, but we’re spending

Chart Sources: Sports Marketing Surveys/TIA/USTA

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29
 more. The industry is growing rather than contracting, and that
in turn helps to propel this to continue.”
“We’re already heavily invested grassroots-wise, but we’re
looking at how we can shift some more of our resources to the
grassroots side to keep this going,” says Jon Muir, general man-
ager of Wilson. “It gives us more confidence that you can plan
around growth. In reality, you probably didn’t have that mentali-
ty five or 10 years ago. In the past, it wasn’t so much about organ-
ic growth, it was much more market share.”
Adds Linda Glassel, vice president of marketing for Prince
Sports, “We’re really excited with the trends in the industry.
We’re going to keep doing the things that we’re doing, and we’ll
continue to evolve our grassroots programs to help things grow.”
Kamperman says the fact that tennis has shown consistent
growth also means it should start attracting more young teaching
pros into the game again. “When tennis was stagnant and in
decline, we weren’t getting a lot of new blood.”
This “legitimacy” is apparent in other ways, too. One is that
big retailers, such as Target and Wal-Mart, are taking notice and
carrying more tennis products. Another is that the sport is show-
ing up more and more in advertising and marketing for non-ten-
nis products.
“It’s a great sign that people are buying more racquets,” says
Jeff Waters, executive director of the USTA New England Section.
“And that transcends into more tennis in TV commercials. We
know those big companies are doing their market research, and
the fact that tennis is good enough to show in their commercials
is a real positive sign.”
Overall, marketing in an up industry should produce exciting
results across the board—for teaching pros, facilities, retailers,
court builders, manufacturers and more.
MAINTAINING THE GROWTH
But can this growth continue? Right now, there’s no real reason
to think it can’t. Kamperman does have some concerns that,
while the USTA has brought a lot of resources to bear on com-
munity tennis in recent years, the current “budget crunch”
30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008
the organization is going through could impact certain areas.
“We’ve had four good years back to back,” he says. “I’d hate
to see cutbacks in any of our grow-the-game efforts, as I think
this has been money well spent, and is a significant reason we’ve
seen this consistent growth.”
And of course, there are other challenges. For instance,
online registration for lessons, clinics and court sign-up is a major
convenience for customers and has been a boon to facilities that
have implemented it, resulting in full courts and more play. But
many facilities still are reluctant to take that step. Players enter
tournaments and events online, but to book a court or a clinic, at
many facilities you still have to pick up the phone. The TIA has
been addressing this by offering various online registration
options, and the good news is that in the last three years, online
bookings have dramatically increased and continue to do so
every month.
Another challenge Kamperman points out is what he calls the
“antiquated” way most competitive junior and adult tourna-
ments are run. “Only a small percentage of adults, kids and fam-
ilies have the time or money to spend on traveling to three-day
events,” he says. “We don’t need to eliminate these traditional
tournaments, but we need to start offering more one-day and
half-day events that count for rankings.”
Many in the industry agree that the gains over the last few
years would not have come about if competitors in the industry
were not able to put aside their differences and come together.
“We should never take for granted what these companies and
organizations have done for the good of the sport,” says the TIA’s
de Boer. From his perspective, Kamperman adds, “The USTA has
to continue to make sure our resources promote ‘TENNIS,’ not
just the USTA.”
Right now, the news in tennis is good, and it’s something that
you should be trumpeting loudly in your communities. You can,
and should, be using all this positive news to be an advocate for
tennis.
It will not only keep the sport growing, but it will also keep
your business growing, too. Q
 BYLINE?

Family-oriented, affordable and

fitness for life is proving a winning
combination for both private and
public tennis facilities.
BY MITCH RUSTAD

W ith the economy in such a state of flux, how do you

explain the boon enjoyed by the tennis industry
these last few years, which has seen a healthy
increase in participation, racquet sales and ball sales?
Charlotte Hermann, a small business counselor for SCORE in
Gainesville, Fla., believes tennis facilities are sort of “recession
proof” as long as they offer enough extra services and amenities to
capitalize on the social aspects of the sport, like hosting fundrais-
ers or charity events. “There’s lots of fun stuff to do at tennis clubs
to keep people coming back,” she says.
Keeping fit and healthy is a national craze, and Hermann says
tennis clubs offer an ideal outlet. “If you have any money at all to
spend on fitness, it’s more fun to do it at a tennis club than a nor-
mal fitness club. Once you’re a tennis player, you’re going to cut
corners elsewhere than touch your tennis.”
We also asked a number of the country’s leading tennis facili-

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 31

ty managers to help shed some light on what many would see as a
head-scratching irony—how can a recreational sport like tennis be
flourishing in a down economy?
“This is a wonderful dichotomy, a very pleasant surprise, and
knock on wood it stays like that,” says Ajay Pant, manager of the
Overland Park Club in Kansas City, Kan., and national director of ten-
nis for the Tennis Corporation of America. “We have not in any way
sensed a hiccup of any nature on the tennis side in any of our clubs.
We’re doing exceptionally well.”
BRINGING THE FAMILY
Pant believes the best indicator of
the sport’s local health is reflected
in the volume of Overland’s junior
memberships being upgraded to
family memberships. “Now
they’re bringing the whole family
to play,” says Pant, who believes
tennis provides the perfect vehi-
cle for families to bond, especially
when times are tough.
“I think people build a strong
connection to their families via
this sport,” says Pant, “and are
choosing to spend more time
together knowing it’s an invest-
ment in their money. They may
hold off on a new car or expen-
sive dinners every weekend, but
when it’s crunch time you find
that people choose to come to a
place with a comfort level, with
their friends and family around.
That’s a lot more fun for people.”
Another industry leader
believes the industry’s healthy
numbers merely reflect a real
advantage tennis has over many
other recreational options—it is
relatively inexpensive.
“You can play an entire sea-
son of league tennis in this area
and it costs only about $20 (for
USTA members),” says Carl
Hodge, director of tennis for the
city of Macon, Ga., a metro area
with 36 public courts at two facili-
ties including the John Drew
Smith Center. “Even when you
include court costs, it’s probably
only $18 or so for court fees and
that covers everything. Where
else can you have that much fun
for so cheap?”
That “price is right” mentality
is shared by Scott Hanover, man-
ager of the 14-court Plaza Tennis
Center, a public facility in the
heart of Kansas City, Mo.
32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008
"Even though the economic times are a bit tough,” says Hanover,
“I think tennis survives because as a sport it is still fairly reasonably
priced for equipment like starter racquets and balls, and that attracts
both new and returning players."
WANING COMPETITION?
Affordability and being family-friendly may in fact be helping the
industry flourish, but Billy Freer, tennis director at the Brookhaven
Country Club in Dallas, also sees the competition from other sports
like soccer and in-line skating waning as well.
“Soccer moms are starting to realize tennis as a life sport, it’s a
MAINTAINING THE MOMENTUM
better choice than almost any other
sport,” says Freer. “Soccer used to
be going through the roof and now
While the economy remains volatile and about as predictable as a Roger
people are starting to realize you
Federer serve, what can club owners do to maintain their current
can’t play soccer when you want
momentum, or maybe even add to it?
to, or after you graduate. You only
Q Run “modified” events. Ajay Pant says modified events, such as need one other person to play ten-
parent/child events using foam balls and/or modified racquets, allows nis, you don’t need a whole team.
all levels and ages to participate and be competitive. “We sell out All you need is a court and some-
these tournaments every time,” says Pant. “We have to get them play- one to play with. You can play it
ing as quickly as we can by utilizing transitional equipment.” day or night, almost anywhere in
Q Take special care of members and guests. “In any business,
any city.
“I also think that people got
customer service is huge, but especially in tennis,” says Carl Hodge.
bored with sports like in-line skat-
“Make sure people know that they’re welcome, then offer quality pro-
ing and are coming back to tennis,”
grams and stay well organized. But covering customer service is the
adds Freer, “because it’s a sport
most important thing.”
you can continue to learn about, no
Q Reach out, network, and establish industry relationships. matter how good you are. It’s a
“Stay abreast of what is happening in the industry,” says Scott very diversified sport that continu-
Hanover. “And keep networking. Also, try new things, and don't be ally entertains people.”
discouraged if they don't work. Just try something else." But while the sport’s indicators
Q Go for variety beyond tennis, too. Charlotte Hermann says other
are all pointing upward, tennis facil-
ities still need to work to keep the
amenities, such as fitness equipment or racquetball, are important, too,
momentum.
and will bring in a more diverse client base.
“The single biggest mistake is to
sit back and say we’ve got it
made,” Pant says. “We need to
keep attracting people and whole
families to the sport. To maintain
this momentum, we need to keep
developing ways to make this game
easier for all players and families.”
Freer says the industry’s pros-
perity lies in its ability to attract tal-
ented college grads to fill leadership
roles at clubs and facilities.
“If you look around, the clubs
and facilities that have good tennis
directors are doing very well,” says
Freer. “I think the key is for tennis
to attract good, qualified young
people who have business and
marketing degrees who’ve also
played four years of college tennis.
We desperately need these kinds of
people coming into the industry.
We need these kinds of people to
choose tennis as their future.” Q
 With the public finally realizing all the
benefits that tennis provides, teaching
pros—and the sport itself—are

T
beginning to cash in.
BY KENT OSWALD

he tennis industry's front-line troops are riding the crest of
outstanding industry news. And while there may be no
standard measure, teaching pros acknowledge the steady,
and sometimes exploding, increase in lesson hours.
As Mike Woody puts it, "I look at our industry and I don't see
barriers, I see only opportunities." Woody, a USPTA Professional 1
and executive director of the 32-court Midland (Mich.) Community
Tennis Center, says 2007 was one of their best racquet-stringing
years ever and notes ball sales, lessons and "court utilization" all
rose—and are continuing to do so.
For Woody, marketing the sport’s traditional benefits is paying
off in increased lessons and play. Thanks at least in part to the Car-
dio Tennis program rolled out in 2005, consumers have
(re)discovered that in a couple of hours a week they can play, have
fun, socialize and get their cardio health benefits. And the Quick-
Start Tennis format "has really pinpointed a market that we can do
better at,” says Woody. “That's helped us. When you have a big
national campaign, that affects us locally."
Even the USTA, which in years past has been a target of criti-
cism about the sport’s lackluster grassroots growth, is now receiv-

34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

ing its share of praise for the good news. Shella Augspurger, Witherspoon has watched adults "discover" tennis as an
women's tennis coach at Newman University and a teaching activity that keeps them in touch with their kids, also a key
pro at the Wichita, Kan., Riverside Tennis Center and Reflec- tactic for the Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, Conn.
tion Ridge Golf and Swim Club, is one of many who believe Greg Moran, the Four Seasons director of tennis, says the
the national organization deserves credit for the swell of inter- club's success is certainly not an accident or reliant on tennis
est. “The USTA has done a great job opening up tennis at as a fad.
every level, from youngest to oldest,” she says. "There's a lot more beyond just coming here, taking your
Augspurger also credits touring professionals, who look lesson and leaving," Moran says. "We strive for a family feel."
like they are having more fun playing than in years past, as A metric of that success is about 700 kids in Four

quent play. Even electronic gaming has influ- KEEPING THE

enticing new students and encouraging fre- Seasons’ junior programs.

video tennis "want to hit with me just to see BALL IN PLAY

And sometimes all this good news
enced participation. People who have played can be bittersweet. "Last year was the
first year we had to turn people away,”
if they can do what they do on TV." Teaching pros may well be the most says Moran, “There were times when we
When Augspurger first arrived in Wichita important factor in the growth of ten- were simply full.”

FIRING
six years ago, she says, “There was nothing nis in recent years, and in its contin-

UP THE ENGINE
going on. Now, I’m getting complaints that ued growth in the future. Here are
people can't get courts to play on." just a few ways you can continue to

SEEKING COMFORT
not only grow the game, but grow But there may be a dark cloud on the
your income, too. horizon. Dan Santorum, CEO of the PTR,
That timetable fits with what Craig Jones, Q Gain marketing muscle. Tie into is as bullish as anyone on the sport’s cur-
director of tennis at the Petersburg (Ga.) Rac- national programs launched by the rent prospects, talking up the various
quet Club, has noticed, too. He believes PTR, USPTA, USTA, TIA and other new initiatives and the public's aware-
many people stayed at home, seeking safety groups. ness of the sport's health benefits and

cally, the current credit crisis is encouraging Q Consider more group lessons.
and comfort, after Sept. 11, 2001. But, ironi- relatively low cost. Rather than hearing
complaints about business or lack of
people to go out and seek more social situa- With players in groups, you can lessons as in years past, the biggest prob-
tions. As an example, he points out that at emphasize the social aspects of the lem most people are sharing with him is
the PRC, league play has doubled measured game, keep costs down to players, finding teaching pros. Still, the econom-
against 10 years ago, when it was about 40 and maximize revenue to pros by ics for teaching pros is a bit vexing for
percent of the non-lesson business. having more players on court at Santorum.
The theory that relative bad times for the one time. Also, arrange it so friends With all the new programs, people
economy can still be good times for tennis is or teammates can be in group are going to be learning quicker and
pervasive. USPTA CEO Tim Heckler says he lessons together, making it more starting play sooner, and because of the
sees tennis lessons as recession-proof. "Peo- fun for all. emphasis on health, they will stay with it
ple want to stay healthy and fit regardless of Q Expand your relationships longer. All of it will increase the need for
the economic climate,” Heckler says. “Typi- with your players. It should be tennis professionals. But, says Santorum,
cally, when people are faced with hard eco- about more than just giving a les- "salaries are like tennis balls—they’re the
nomic times, they will have to cut out yearly son and sending them on their same as they were 20 years ago."
vacations, but they make up for that by way. Invite them to involve their He expects many of the "first genera-
spending more time at the tennis club or friends and family in the program. tion" of teaching pros—those who took it

Sarah Witherspoon, an instructor with Q Don't cookie-cutter lesson

facility."
Macon (Ga.) Tennis Connect and coordinator
of their adult and junior programs, says the
keys to her facility's recent success are eco-
nomic and social. Tennis is "not as expensive
as the rumor used to be," she says. Actually,
one of her biggest problems concerns the
social aspect. She isn't able to move on many Q Keep new players involved.
folks from the group lessons because they
are motivated by the friendships they've
made. Her solution has been to move whole
groups into league play to open up lesson
time for more beginners.
plans. Get student feedback.
Retention depends on getting the
right coach or developing the right
lesson plan, rather than just trying
to fit everyone into the same
system.
For example, QuickStart Tennis or
Cardio Tennis keeps everyone mov-
ing, not just the student at the
head of an eight-person line.
up in the 1960s—to be retiring within the
next five to 10 years. He worries there
isn't the financial incentive necessary to
attract the necessary number of new
teaching pros.
Whether it is club owners or the pros
themselves, someone has to overcome
consumer resistance to increased lesson
prices so good teachers can be properly
compensated. “Teaching pros are the
engine,” Santorum says. “They drive this
industry.”
And we need to keep the engine
stoked to keep the good news coming. Q

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35

 The upsurge in tennis is providing more building and
renovating opportunities, but court builders need to market
themselves now. BY MARY HELEN SPRECHER
Courtesy Munson Inc.

36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

T ennis is surging in this country, and builders and suppli- grams, school athletic directors, police athletic leagues, fresh-air
ers in the tennis court market are already seeing harbin- fund camps and more.
gers of that growth, particularly at the parks and
recreation level, where many new players will be starting out.
“I think the biggest thing we all can do now is to talk about our
success and think tennis as we plan meetings, promote social
“We have seen a huge increase in inquiries and construction events and our own activities,” says John Welborn of Lee Tennis
in the park and rec departments, as well as the school markets, in Charlottesville, Va. “If, knowing what we know, we are not play-
since the end of the third quarter of 2007,” says Rick Burke of ing more and more tennis, we don't have any chance of influenc-
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based NGI Sports Inc. “The first quarter of ’08 ing others for the game.
has already shown to be more active than the past with inquiries “As a company, we live and breathe tennis. You have to live it
for tennis court reconstruction for these areas up over 300 per- to fan the flame.” Q
cent.”

S.C., has noticed an uptick in requests for bids not just in new MAKING IT HAPPEN FOR TENNIS
Fred Manchester of Manchester Tennis Courts in Lexington,

construction, but in reconstruction of existing facilities—a better By helping to market the game of tennis, builders and suppliers can greatly
sign than wanting to turn tennis courts into basketball courts or influence the number of players in this country.
playgrounds. “In the past three months, I have seen requests for
bids from seven different government sources,” Q Bring tennis into the schools. Supply gym teachers with court dia-

from top dressing to hard-court resurfacing, to MAKING IT HAPPEN

says Manchester. “These projects have ranged grams and information for programs and for-
mats for kids, such as the new QuickStart

asphalt overlays to new construction to enlarge
existing facilities.”
Those interested in renovating or building new
public courts have been calling places like the
American Sports Builders Association and request-
ing construction documents. “Tennis is on the
right track,” says Carol Hogan, executive vice pres-
ident of the ASBA. “Finally.”
FOR YOU
To keep tennis on the upswing, court
builders need to make sure they continue
to market themselves to schools, cities and
more. Here are some hints from successful
builders.
Q Reach out to municipalities. “I do
Tennis format, and possibly with donations of
blue painting tape or other tape to create
temporary court lines. Hold equipment drives
and donate old racquets. If the schools them-
selves don’t have courts, give them a list of
public facilities so kids can practice their
games.
Q Join your local Community Tennis

MAKING IT HAPPEN
The bad news? There is no real bad news—just a
caveat, really. Those who want to take advantage
of the new wave need to start now—not next sea-
son, not in the off-season and certainly not “some
day.”
Q Keep lines of communication open.
Richard Zaino of Zaino Tennis Courts in
Orange, Calif., says his company regularly reaches
out to municipalities—without asking for a return.
“We advertise and make available guidelines
and specifications to the cities and schools for
repairs, resurfacing and construction,” Zaino says. Q Help other programs grow. “I find
“We provide these free to the owners along with
inspections and budget costs.” Zaino also pro-
vides recommendations and information to
homeowners’ associations, but believes he “could
be more proactive in promoting the game.”
If promoting the game itself seems to be out-
side the job description of builders and suppliers,
think of the trickle-down effect: With more courts
being built and rehabbed at high schools, colleges,
then at homes, there will be more players (not to
mention more work for builders). Then, how
Q Advertise in industry publications,
about more Grand Slam winners coming from the
U.S.? The possibilities are there.
“We in the industry would do well to contact
all types of entities to help promote tennis,” says
Jonnie Deremo of General Acrylics Inc. in Phoenix.
Deremo believes contractors should reach out to
city councils, parks and recs, non-profit youth pro-
mailings to city, county and state pur-
chasing departments,” says Fred Man-
chester. “I also try to network with tennis
professionals. I have found that if the
director at a tennis center has a child in
public school and they are in the know as
to what is being considered.”
Richard Zaino and Jonnie Deremo are
among those who stay in contact with
city and school construction departments.
myself talking to a lot of people whose
wish list exceeds their budget,” says
Manchester, who has donated time and
equipment to facilities that have needed
to do in-house maintenance work. Tom
Magner of Deco Turf in Andover, Mass.,
notes that his company often directs
municipalities to grant opportunities that
they may not be aware of, including the
NRPA's Tennis in the Parks Initiative and
the USTA's Adopt-A-Court program.
and in those read by your target
audience. Don’t wait until next season,
don’t wait until that big job comes in. Do
it now.
Association. If you volunteer your exper-
tise in your local CTA, maybe by becoming
a consultant to the group, you’ll be helping
to promote tennis in your area. Also,
though, you’ll be promoting your business,
too.
Q Promote the image of tennis. Sponsor
appearances by professional athletes to give
demos to kids. “For tennis to survive, even
grow, it has to be fun, cool and accessible,”
says the ASBA’s Carol Hogan. “The USTA,
TIA and others have it right. Get it in the
schools. Get it in the parks. Make inexpen-
sive equipment available. Teach people to
play at any age, but especially the young.”
Q Convince tournament directors to
donate blocks of tickets to rec pro-
grams, boys and girls clubs and oth-
ers. Richard Zaino suggests getting kids
interested by letting them see tennis played
well.
Q Stress the lifelong aspect of the
sport. John Welborn and others recom-
mend marketing to baby boomers, not just
the new kids on the block.
Q Be a player. “By encouraging friends and
associates, you too can impact the growth
of the game,” says Rick Burke.

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 37

 Business remains good
for most tennis retailers,
and there are some
strategies you can use to
keep it going.
BY TONY LANCE
CourtesyTennis and Golf Company

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

F or tennis retailers today, it’s both the best of times and
perhaps the worst of times. While the tennis business
continues to grow, the overall economic climate
means that the actual costs of running your business are
increasing. How do you successfully navigate this potentially
tricky environment?
“It all boils down to how are you going to find and keep
loyal customers,” says Michael Levy, professor of marketing at
Babson College and former editor of the Journal of Retailing.
“And for specialty shops such as tennis retailers, the way to do
this is through building community.”
Leaders in the tennis retail arena agree, noting that main-
taining close ties with your market and building productive
partnerships is the basis of success, regardless of the state of
the greater economy. This is an approach that Tiffany Grayson
of Coach Matt’s Tennis in Atlanta employs as the basis of her
business strategy.
“We partner with local events and teams in a 5- to 7-mile
radius of our stores,” she says. “For example, if a team makes
the city or state playoffs, we have an in-store event for them.
And we support grassroots programs in our backyard.”
“The retailers are the ones who are really interacting with
the consumer and the more they can maintain the interest
level and excitement of the people wanting to play more, you
get more vested in the sport,” says Wilson General Manager
Jon Muir.
Not only does this build and maintain customer loyalty,
Levy says it gives retailers the chance to identify and target
opinion leaders who set trends at the community level. Steve
Vorhaus of Rocky Mountain Racquet Specialists in Boulder,
Colo. agrees. “We always try to maintain a close relationship
with local tennis pros who refer their clients to our business,”
he says.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Once you have the customer in the store, then you have to
know how best to serve them. For smaller stores, which typi-
cally cannot compete on price and selection, Levy says, “They
must excel in customer service and product expertise.”
“As a specialty retailer,” says Vorhaus, “we stress all the
things that differentiate us from the big boxes and internet
merchants: demo programs, great selection of products, state-
of-the art stringing and other services, and the opportunity to
talk to our expert staff one on one, whether it's about string-
ing, racquet choice or fit and fashion in apparel.”
And Grayson emphasizes the hospitality element. “We
take a boutique approach and try to make our stores touchy-
feely,” she says. “We want customers to feel they can come
in, hang out and talk about their latest match or what’s hap-
pening in professional tennis while they’re shopping or getting
their racquet restrung.”
Woody Schneider of Grand Central Racquets in New York
City takes specialization to the extreme. Although he offers a
respectable selection of racquets, shoes and accessories in his
two small Manhattan stores (he also runs the shop at the USTA
Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows,
N.Y.), his business is built around offering tour-quality string-
ing service.
“I spend extra money to make sure all my machines are
consistently calibrated and I make sure my staff is the best.
We are, first and foremost, stringers,” Schneider says.
Muir supports this strategy. "For retailers, I would definite-
ly focus on service. As new
ing players rejoin, the bet- BOND INITIATIVES
players come in and exist-
ter service the retailers can Creating stronger connections with your
provide, through stringing, market improves the odds of your busi-
new product education— ness growing—in good times and bad.
those are always going to Consider these tips for bonding with
be constants to support the your customers.
 Advertise intelligently. Many
retailer's business and the
industry.”
retailers may find that conventional
But even with the
print ads may not be the most effective
prospect of a prolonged
use of their money. Increasingly, con-
economic slowdown, most
sumers are using the internet to find
tennis retailers are
what they’re looking for. Make sure you
unfazed. “For us the econo-
have a website and keep it updated.
my is good and plenty of
Also, major equipment manufacturers
money is out there,” says
have store locators on their own web-
Michael Lynne of Michael
sites. Be certain your establishment is
Lynne’s Tennis Shop in
listed and the information is correct.
Minneapolis.
Chris Gadreau of Rac-  Make friends. Get to know the
quet Koop in New Haven, teaching pros, coaches, and top players
Conn., feels much the in your area. These folks mold opinions
same way. “An economic and influence buying patterns. Partner-
downturn will not affect ing with them exposes your business to
our business,” he says. customers you may not reach otherwise.
“People will still play tennis And don’t overlook junior players. Kids
and the demographic we shape trends much more readily than
target will be less affected adults. Be aware of their product
by a slowdown.” affinities.
 Nurture new players. A steady
This sentiment appears
to be broadly held. "With
stream of beginning players ensures
retailers, there's a solid air
that your tennis community will remain
of optimism,” says Kevin
strong despite inevitable attrition. Spon-
Kempin, vice president of
sor junior programs at your local clubs
sales and marketing for
and encourage your public parks depart-
Head/Penn. “I think the
ment to get in on the action as well.
prevailing notion is that
Don’t forget seniors. Not only do they
while tennis is not com-
have the time and money needed to
pletely recession-proof,
take up a new sport, they tend to be
retailers feel really good
loyal and community-minded.
about the equipment seg-
ment.”  Be an expert. Your biggest asset is
And in some cases, a thorough knowledge of your products
recession can bring oppor- and services and your ability to relate
tunity. Schneider has this information to your customers. Stay
noticed that the weak dol- on top of the latest developments in
lar has resulted in an unex- technology and the trends in the game,
pected increase in business both at the recreational and profession-
from foreign visitors to al levels. The more players learn to rely
New York City. on you for expertise and guidance, the
“A lot of my racquet more indispensable you become.
sales—it feels like it’s about
half, though it probably isn’t—are to tourists, particularly
South Americans, who are taking advantage of the relative
strength of their currency against the dollar,” he says.
May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39
 Unit sales have increased,
but even bigger is the
growth of the premium
string category, which
means more profit for you.
BY BOB PATTERSON

W ith the good news of improved participation in

tennis along with the increases in racquet and ball
sales, is your racquet service business keeping
pace? Stringers across the U.S. report increases in the overall num-
ber of string jobs for the last two years and many have experi-
enced longer growth periods. “I have seen steady growth in strings
sales the last three years,” says David Pavlich of North Shore Ten-
nis in Louisiana.
But while unit sales of string have increased, the more signifi-
cant growth may well be in dollar sales, which are way up, dealers
say. Premium strings are more in demand than ever, and that’s a
great indication of how the sport of tennis is viewed by consumers:

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

 STRING THEM ALONG
 Educate consumers about stringing.
Players, it appears, no longer just want the It can lead them to premium strings, which
cheap stuff in their frames. can both make them perform better and
In the tennis retail arena, stringing and add to your bottom line.
logo printed on them to dress up the string-
ing area and provide a little comfort to the
stringer,” adds Simons. “We also offer poly

In recent years, both dealers and manufac-  Use manufacturers’ point-of-pur-

racquet services are no longer add-on items.
turers have realized the importance of this
segment in the marketplace. Consumers
may not necessarily be more knowledge-
able about their equipment and in particular  Take a chance on premium strings.
their strings, but they are asking more ques-
tions. The opinion of several dealers across
the country attributes the consumers’ quest
for knowledge to several factors.
“Our customers are asking more ques-
tions,” says John Gugel of eTennis in Florida,
“which are being driven by TV commenta-
chase material. They help get the word
out about what you offer and about your
racquet-service business.
Concerned that your customers may not
want to pay higher prices for string? Let
them decide—they may well be looking for
something that will help their games, even
if it costs them more. Explore the possibili- last year that utilizes racquet technicians at
ties of what these new strings can do for
your players.
bags to put finished racquets in just like the
pros.” All of the point-of-purchase mer-
chandising is backed up with advertising in
major tennis magazines.
Wilson Sports has made a big effort to
increase their presence in the string market
by establishing the Wilson Pro Tour String-
ing Team. The team is the official on-site
stringing service for the US Open. Wilson
also initiated the String Maniacs program
Wilson dealers from across the country to
test new strings and grips and provide the

 Have a mechanism to get players to

tors to a great extent, and teaching pros to a company with feedback on the products
lesser extent, and the internet.” and programs.
TV broadcasters are talking more about restring regularly. Whether it’s a soft- And important in all this—and a good
the strings and racquets that players use ware program that automatically sends out sign that stringing, and tennis on the
and consumers are seeing that the pros email reminders, or note cards you keep in whole, is moving upward—is the invest-
value the role their strings play in their per- a constantly updated file, or free testing ment that manufacturers are making in
formance. Manufacturers are spending you offer players to see when they’ve premium-priced string. For instance, Wil-
money to market and advertise strings dropped tension, get your players to son with its [K]Gut, Prince with Recoil,
more than ever. The internet provides an restring regularly. Gamma with Asterisk, and Tecnifibre with
opportunity for them to make available  Work with customers to find the X-One Bi-Phase and NRG are introducing a
more information about all their products right string for them. Once you get a whole new tier to the string market, one
through their own websites as well as deal- player hooked on a string, you have built-in that pushes the premium-string envelope
er sites and those of industry organizations. repeat business. to near natural gut prices. While some deal-
Dealers can use the tools provided by the ers expressed skepticism about whether
manufacturers to draw attention to stringing consumers will pay these higher prices,
and educate players to its importance in their overall manufacturers clearly feel this market, and the sport, is worth the
performance. investment.

PROFIT MARGIN
By making the consumer more aware, there is a great oppor-
tunity to introduce the player to premium strings that are specifi-
cally suited for their racquet and style of play. This means the Buying programs are another important incentive manufacturers
player will not only feel better about their game, but they will like- provide to dealers. Strings sales should provide the highest profit
ly play more often. margin in a tennis store or pro shop. With the labor cost factored

MARKETING STRINGS
in, most retailers report margins of 60 to 80 percent—certainly
more than other categories.
Manufacturers are marketing stringing on several fronts. For “You can make a pretty good margin on stringing with a string
instance, Head is the official string and racquet of the USPTA. that you didn't pay very much for,” says Gugel. “We use strings
“Our affiliation with the USPTA is one of our best endeavors to that are proven and not necessarily the least expensive, but we do
promote our brand at the grassroots level,” says Ben Simons of not pass up a really valuable string program.”
Head. Simons introduced the “Please String Responsibly” cam- In addition to standard volume discount programs, many
paign for Head dealers last year. manufacturers will work with their dealers on creative ways to
“While we have been a major player in the industry with rac- promote their products. “I've entered into an agreement with one
quets, we are relatively new with strings,” says Simons. “The of my vendors to use a specific premium string in all of my
campaign is a fun way to point out the importance of putting a demos,” says Pavlich. “This vendor gave me a very good price
premium string into a premium racquet. Our sales have seen sub- and it has resulted in higher sales of this and other premium
stantial growth, especially in the premium string category.” string. It’s a good way to get premium string on the minds of the
Companies are providing dealers with point-of-sale items such customer.”
as posters, charts and floor mats to catch the eye of the stringing With all signs pointing up for our industry, don’t let your
consumers. stringing sales lag behind. With a careful buying plan and some
“We offer our dealers anti-fatigue mats with our slogan and creative marketing, you can make your No. 1 profit center soar.

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41


T
he Florence Tennis Association in South Carolina has a
problem—a very good problem. Visit any of the local pub-
lic courts in the evening, and chances are you’ll see peo-
ple waiting patiently for their turn to play. “Our community is
seeing the boom in tennis,” says FTA President Ed Sprenger.
“More kids and adults are playing, and people are coming back to
tennis.”
Increases in play have been witnessed across the country, with
the sport riding a wave of healthy growth unseen by other tradi-
tional sports. In fact, six years ago, as tennis was about to enter its
current trend of participation increases, the FTA approached the
city council to advocate for a new 30-court facility to handle the
hundreds of local citizens vying for court time on its existing 16
city courts and five county courts. And they had a very convincing
argument to present—tennis brings in about $3 million in eco-
nomic impact to the Florence area annually.
For CTAs and parks, gains in
participation have led to full
courts, new facilities, an
increasing economic impact
at the local level, and more.
BY KRISTEN DALEY
The facility construction project is now in Florence’s proposed
2008-09 fiscal year budget, to be built on 22 acres of donated land.
It’s proof positive that with tennis’ popularity on the upswing, now
is the perfect time for CTAs and parks to advocate for tennis needs
in their areas. “Advocacy is huge,” says Sprenger. “The communi-
ty has to know who you are and what you’re doing.”
The best plan of action? “Be a part of your community”
Sprenger says. “Educate them as to what you are doing, the bene-
fits of it, and why somebody would want to be involved.”
TENNIS FOR ALL
Keeping the game inclusive is key to the sport’s continued growth.
Jane Hines, immediate past president of the Omaha (Neb.) Tennis
Association, attributes the current growth in part to training and
competition programming for all generations of players, as well as
to variety that accommodates what different players want from the
May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43
 TSRs: HELPING
sport—from just a workout to national competition. “It’s not ‘Tennis, any-
THE GAME TO GROW
Tennis’ success can’t be attributed to just one program, initia-
one?’ anymore,” she says. “It’s ‘Tennis, everyone.’”
tive or organization. The resource pool is wide and deep, and
The OTA has mainstreamed players in their adaptive programs into
now easier to navigate with the help of USTA Tennis Service
the tournament structure. Diversity and outreach programming serve the
Representatives.
inner cities, and consistent participation is rewarded with

ment of the sport. For the last five years, the OTA has given TIPS FROM
tennis racquets and balls to encourage continued enjoy- “TSRs have two charges, to learn how we can

away 150 racquets a year to young players, an initiative THE TSRs

help providers with the need that they
express, and to help them uncover unrealized
supported by the Nebraska Tennis Association. “We know  Ensure that there is relevant opportunities,” says Mark McMahon, USTA
our racquets, and if you drive by the parks, you’ll see them tennis programming in place national manager of Tennis Service Represen-
being used on the courts,” says Hines. to serve your community. tatives. “They represent a philosophy that the
Adult leagues round out the OTA’s ample tennis offer- USTA is advancing—we’re not looking to go
ings. “If you want to fill your courts,” suggests Hines, “offer  Capture casual players by out and sell USTA programs, we’re going out
a senior rate for your facilities, include senior events and providing social and team- asking, ‘How can we help you?’”
leagues. It’s a swelling population. based opportunities.
In Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S.,
It’s important to cover all your bases to meet the tennis  Engage young, new players
tennis is so successful “that private clubs are
needs of every demographic to ensure their involvement with the QuickStart Tennis saying they need more courts and more pros
will continue, and to make your organization available and format. “A pro and park to handle all the business at their facilities,”
accessible. Web marketing has done wonders in getting the director can build any pro- says Cindy Benzon, the TSR for southeast
OTA’s news out to the public and the media. “Our web gram around that format,” Texas. “With the public facilities having more
page is visited quite regularly,” says Hines. We have exten- says Mark McMahon. courts than most clubs, they can have more
sive volunteer outreach posted on the website, and people
really respond to that. There was once a time that I needed  Most players begin playing
programming to get more people playing
tennis in the parks. Be sure tennis.”
to make a lot of phone calls; now they’re coming to us.”

ECONOMIC IMPACT
there is appropriate pro- Low-cost beginner programming for juniors
gramming to serve begin- and adults at Houston’s parks are getting
Keeping players coming back will benefit other aspects of ners and any overflow from players hooked on tennis. In fact, two local
your tennis operation as well. The Copeland-Cox Tennis local clubs. NJTLs are seeing increases in participation as
Center in Mobile, Ala., recognized as a result.

ity with 60 courts, hosts about 20 PLAYING TO THE CROWD

the world’s largest public tennis facil-
Benzon says that the industry’s focus in the
past has been on “the tip of the iceberg”—
tournaments a year, attracting Tennis can help keep a community healthy and vibrant.
the top, high performance players. A focus on
10,000 players and resulting in For public parks and CTAs, here are a few ideas to help
beginner recreational players is what is sus-
about $28 million in economic you bring tennis to all, and keep it thriving on the local
taining tennis’ recent growth, and what will
impact to the city. level.
continue to do so in the future.
 Cater to all groups. Create and market program-
The busy tournament schedule
ensures that inventory in the facility According to TSR Jim Amick, who serves Ohio
ming to serve every demographic in your community.
pro shop is constantly revolving for and part of West Virginia, introducing the
visitors and members of its tennis  Advocate for tennis needs in your communi- new QuickStart Tennis format for kids is prov-
community. “The local players love ty. Use the news of tennis’ participation increases and ing important to tennis’ growth at the local
it because there’s always something rise in equipment sales, as well as all what the sport level. “Use of the QuickStart format in many
new coming in,” says Tennis Direc- can offer to your community, as part of a convincing of my markets recently has resulted in new
tor Scott Novak. argument to local officials. courts being built or courts being resurfaced,”

 Take advantage of technology. A website is a

In terms of tennis’ ever-increas- he says.
ing popularity, the numbers speak
great way to market your organization and its pro- And QuickStart Tennis, Amick notes, is not
for themselves, and are something
grams, and to get people involved and on your courts. just attracting young players, but also adults.
that parks, organizations and pro-
grams can use to market the sports’  Partner with your Parks and Recreation
“Both age groups are now seeing more of
that instant success, and it’s keeping partici-
accolades to new and returning play- department. The Omaha Tennis Association’s involve-
pation numbers growing.”
ers. “We’re trying to say that tennis ment in the Metro Omaha Tennis Alliance with the city
is the ‘in’ thing right now, that this is helps ensure that tennis needs are met as they arise. “Once you get recreational players hooked,

 Keep your pro shop stocked. Make sure you

where you need to be,” says Novak. you’re going to have them for years,” Benzon
Twenty-five million people have says. “There’s only one direction they can go,
have the latest tennis equipment and apparel to ensure
already found their place on courts which is up.”
return visits from local players and tournament partici-
across the country, and now is the
pants. At this rate, the same will be said about the
perfect time to make room for
sport itself in coming years. —Kristen Daley
more.

44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008

 string PLAYTEST
Tecnifibre Xr3
Xr3 is a multifilament string from Tecnifi-
bre that is made with a core of three
composite monofilaments surrounded by
six bundles of Elastyl micro fibers,
imbued with Polyurethane 400. Accord-
ing to Tecnifibre, the monofilament cores
provide a firmer feel, more control, and
increased durability. The Elastyl micro
fiber bundles contribute to Xr3’s dynamic
properties and power. The Polyurethane
400, which makes up 35 percent of the
string, can stretch up to 400 percent of
its length, providing comfort by reducing
shock and vibration. Xr3 is also coated
with Silicone Pyrogene Lubritec (SPL) to
improve durability by reducing abrasion
that can lead to notching and wear.
Tecnifibre says that Xr3 offers the per-
fect combination of power and control,
and it is designed for the player who
wants a firmer stringbed from a multifila-
ment offered by Tecnifibre.
Xr3 is available in 16 (1.30 mm) and
17 (1.25 mm) in natural only. It is priced
from $12.50 per 40’ set, and $170 per
660’ reel. For more information or to
order, contact Tecnifibre at 877-332-0825,
or visit www.tecnifibre.com. Be sure to
read the conclusion for more information
about getting a free set to try for yourself.
IN THE LAB
We tested the 16-gauge Xr3. The coil
measured 40’. The diameter measured
1.27-1.31 mm prior to stringing, and 1.24-
1.26 mm after stringing. We recorded a
stringbed stiffness of 74 RDC units imme-
diately after stringing at 60 pounds in a
Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern)
on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed
stiffness measured 66 RDC units, repre-
senting an 11 percent tension loss. Our
control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Origi-
nal Gold 16, measured 78 RDC units
immediately after stringing and 71 RDC
units after 24 hours, representing a 9 per-
cent tension loss. Xr3 added 14 grams to
46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008
the weight of our unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks by
38 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP ratings
from 3.0 to 6.0. These are blind tests, with
playtesters receiving unmarked strings in
unmarked packages. The average number
of hours playtested was 18.1.
Our playtest team rated Tecnifibre Xr3
as being the 11th easiest string to install of out, so
the 120 strings we’ve playtested to date. we had to redress the tip
Xr3 feels very soft out of the package, and when negotiating one blocked hole.
has no coil memory. We experienced some No playtester broke his sample during
slight burning of the mains during installa- stringing, one reported problems with coil
tion of the crosses, which is normal with a memory, one reported problems tying
polyurethane-infused string such as this. knots, and three reported friction burn.
The end has a slight tendency to mush
ON THE COURT
EASE OF STRINGING Our playtest team was pretty excited
(compared to other strings)
about Xr3, rating it 4th overall of the 120
Number of testers who said it was:
strings we’ve playtested to date in Com-
much easier 5
somewhat easier 10 fort, 9th overall in Touch/Feel, and 16th
about as easy 20 overall in Power. Not stopping there, the
not quite as easy 3 team also rated Xr3 well above average
not nearly as easy 0 in Playability, Control, Spin Potential, and
Tension Retention. Not surprisingly, this
OVERALL PLAYABILITY
gave Xr3 an overall rating of well above
(compared to string played most often)
average.
Number of testers who said it was:
much better 1 Three playtesters broke the sample
somewhat better 13 during the playtest period, one after four
about as playable 15 hours, one after 10 hours, and one after
not quite as playable 9 12 hours.
not nearly as playable 0
CONCLUSION
OVERALL DURABILITY
(compared to other strings
Tecnifibre multifilaments have a well-
of similar gauge) deserved reputation for their soft feel, so
Number of testers who said it was: the stiffer feel of Xr3 is a bit of a depar-
much better 1 ture from the norm. Even so, some of our
somewhat better 7 playtesters compared Xr3 favorably to
about as durable 23 natural gut, which is high praise for any
not quite as durable 7
synthetic string. If you’re already using
not nearly as durable 0
Tecnifibre string at the high end of the
RATING AVERAGES tension range, you might find that Xr3
From 1 to 5 (best) feels similar to your current string, but at
Playability 3.6 a lower tension setting. If you’re not
Durability 3.2 already using a Tecnifibre multi, and
Power (16th overall) 3.5 you’re looking for a premium all-around
Control 3.5 performer with a good blend of power
Comfort (4th overall) 3.9
and control, Xr3 might be just the string
Touch/Feel (9th overall) 3.6
you’re seeking.
Spin Potential 3.4
Holding Tension 3.4
If you think that Tecnifibre Xr3 might
be for you, fill out the coupon to get a
—Greg Raven Q
Resistance to Movement 3.3
free set to try.
TESTERS TALK

“ This is a very comfortable string with pin-

point control. For a soft multifilament, I am
sion loss and the strings don’t move. Hard hitters
are encouraged to give this a try. This string can
B1025 OS strung at 54 pounds LO (Wilson
Sensation 16)
amazed at how well it holds tension. I am
also impressed with the lack of string move-
”
take a beating. 5.0 male all-court player using
Wilson nSix-One 95 (68 Holes) strung at 58

”
ment. This is a keeper. 3.0 male all-court
player using Prince O3 Citron OS strung at
61 pounds LO (polyester 17)
pounds LO (Gamma Synthetic Gut w/Wearguard
16)
“ This string is so easy to play with. Too bad it
“ Great feel and very easy on the arm. Low
string movement, with some slight notching.
Very durable for such an arm-friendly string.
6.0 male all-court player using Wilson nTour ”
Two strung at 57 pounds CP (Wilson NXT 17)

“ Great playability and feel. Remarkable broke. The power is awesome and the spin is
control and tons of bite. I’m able to experi-
ment with different trajectories because the
heavy. Very similar in playability to natural gut.
5.5 male all-court player using Prince AirStick ” For the rest of the tester comments, visit
www.racquetsportsindustry.com.
ball comes down very sharply and pre-
dictably. Volleys are effortless. Merely block-
ing the ball produces a deep, controlled

”
response. 5.0 male all-court player using
Head Liquidmetal Radical OS strung at 58
pounds CP (Head RIP Control 16)

“ Installation is very easy. Not only does

this string play soft and absorb shock better

”
than most, it has incredible control. 5.0
male all-court player using Wilson nSix One
Team strung at 53 pounds CP (Luxilon Big
Banger Alu Power Rough 16L)

“ This is easily one of the best strings I’ve

ever tested. I cannot get over the power,
comfort, and control. There is almost no ten-

FREE PLAYTEST
STRING PROGRAM
Tecnifibre will send a free set of
Xr3 to USRSA members who
cut out (or copy) this coupon
and mail it to:
USRSA,
Attn: Tecnifibre Xr3 String Offer,
330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084
or fax to 760-536-1171,
or email the info below to
stringsample@racquettech.com
Offer expires 15 May 2008
Offer only available to USRSA
members in the US.
Name:

USRSA Member number:

Phone:

Email:
If you print your email clearly, we will
notify you when your sample will be sent.

May 2008 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 47

 Your Serve
Beyond the Bottom Line
A tennis programmer and frequent
player says this business is about more
than just selling a product to customers.
BY ROBIN BATEMAN
W
hen I was a kid in the early 1970s, I
attended a summer camp about a
mile from home. My sisters, brother
and I loved going. Lots of our friends attended
and the camp offered many opportunities we
might not otherwise have experienced on our
own in a single-parent household.
On Fridays, the camp scheduled visitors
to come in to “teach” us stuff like arts
and crafts, along with various sports and
other activities. Once, “tennis” marked
our summer camp calendar. Since the
main site didn’t have a suitable tennis
area, camp counselors led us on a 20-
minute walk to my elementary school
playground to set up a makeshift tennis
court.
Back then tennis was boring to me.
After all, who wanted to chase down a lit-
tle ball when the Jersey Shore was right
there? The instructors were teenagers who
did nothing to entice me into the game.
Most of us sat down on hot asphalt with
our backs up against the chain-link fence
to watch two lucky campers attempt to
stroke the ball.
Years flew by before I gave tennis
another glance. Then one afternoon my
daughter came home from fourth grade
excited because tennis instructors had vis-
ited her gym class. Suddenly, I looked at
the little yellow ball with new eyes. Today,
I’m a frequent player at the 3.0 level, a
Parks and Rec tennis center facility manag-
er, tournament director, junior team cap-
tain, schools program coordinator and
sometimes schools instructor.
With tennis on the upswing, those of
us in the industry are in a wonderful posi-
tion. Even better, we’ve reached this posi-
tion with enormous help from others: the
TIA, USTA, PTR, USPTA and manufactur-
ers, to name a few. These organizations
are a mouse click or phone call away,
offering a wide array of assistance, in their
48 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2008
continued efforts to grow the game.
Through these organizations, tennis pro-
grams and formats exist to bring young
kids into the game, keep them in the game
in school and through high school, on into
college, then into adult and senior pro-
gramming. There are leagues and tourna-
ments for juniors and adults, and don’t
forget World TeamTennis and the new Flex
leagues. Add in your own programming
and clinics, along with local grassroots
advocates for tennis, and you have the
tools to provide tennis in your community
to anyone—at any level.
But what does all this good news mean
to you as a tennis coach? Programs coordi-
nator? Facility manager? Teaching pro? It
means now is the time, while you have
community and industry support, to go
after the things you want and need to
make this sport grow even more.
“Everyone is doing such a great job to
get tennis out there that it makes my job
easier,” says Donna Bailey, president of
USTA Georgia. Bailey, who’s been involved
in promoting the game at the grassroots
level for the past 24 years, says her commu-
nity support comes from everywhere. “Pro-
gram participation, increases in new
programs offered, even things like
bankrolling major court renovations—you
name it, our community endorses it.”
Marian Wharton knows first-hand of
this “good news.” She first picked up a
racquet about two years ago. Then she
decided to start making her own tennis
skirts. At the urging of friends, and oppo-
nents, she started making skirts for others.
Now, she runs her own business, Sassy Girl
Tennis Skirts, complete with an online
store. “I have the luxury of playing a sport
that I love and offering a service to oth-
ers,” she says. “What a great life!”
The good news is, players want more
than a pastime. They want a social outlet,
physical exercise, mental challenges and
an opportunity to compete. They want to
lose weight, or network for their business-
es. Tennis answers all these wants, and
then some. And as an industry employee,
you satisfy these wants.
"What means the most to me,” says
Carl Hodge, the tennis director for the city
of Macon, Ga., “is that I have the ability
to impact somebody's life in such a posi-
tive way—relieve stress, gain or maintain
physical fitness, feel good about them-
selves. That’s huge to me."
Hodge teaches beginners on courts
near the parking lot. He gets a great rush
when he sees his students graduate from
the beginner Play Tennis Macon to “real”
tennis player status. Walking past the
courts, they yell, “Hey, Coach Hodge,”
while carrying bona fide tennis bags. Not
many things make his day better.
In the end, it’s about more than the
bottom line. The good news about tennis
is that the lines are drawn deep in the
hearts of its players, the joy of the game
wraps around their souls, and it is firmly
grounded by those of us who offer them
the opportunities for play. Q
Contributing Editor Robin Bate-
man is the site coordinator for the
Tattnall Tennis Center in Macon,
Ga., where she coordinates tennis
programs and leagues, is a tour-
nament director, serves as a team
captain and assists junior teams competing at dis-
trict, regional and section events.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to rsi@racquetTECH.com or fax
them to 760-536-1171.