March 2016 / Volume 44/ Number 4

Transcription

Racquet Tech
Knot or clamp?
How to START
A STRING JOB
Tennis Business
Check out the
agenda for the
T.O.M. CONFERENCE
APRIL 2016 / VOLUME 44/ NUMBER 4 / $5.00
Apparel
Trends:
Hitting
The Right
Shots!
Winning
Soft-Court
Facilities
Event Attendance
MARKETING
your events
effectively
TennisIndustry
www.tennisindustrymag.com
APRIL 2016
DEPARTMENTS
4
Our Serve
7
Industry News
14 Industry Recognition
15 TIA News
22 Racquet Tech
24 Grassroots Tennis
26 Retailing Tip
28 Event Marketing
38 Tips & Techniques
Your Serve, by Annie Beier
40
INDUSTRY NEWS
7
USTA PlayDev creates new
“Team USA” department
7
T.O.M. Conference and
Forum in Miami
8
PTR, TennisEurope partner
for TennisCoachEd.com
8
Babolat introduces
lightweight JET shoe
8
Pound, Maule have new
roles at Wilson
8
New edition out for
“Tennis Parent’s Bible”
9
USTA awards Wheelchair
Tennis grants
p.35
FEATURES
30 E
vent Tracking
How can you prepare for sudden spikes in
attendance at your facility? The next level of
service will help you forecast and adapt.
p.30
From high fashion, to toned-down neon, to
tech fabrics, to better stretch—the trends
continue to take apparel from on court to off.
Peoplewatch
10
10 Pickleball US Open
to be in Naples
35 Soft Touch
10 Solinco adds new Hyper-G
co-poly string
11 i TPA to hold 2nd World
Tennis Fitness Conf.
hort Sets
12 S
p.32
2 TennisIndustry
April 2016
32 Trends in Tenniswear
These outdoor Distinguished Facility-of-theYear award winners are excellent examples
of soft-court construction.
Our Serve
Publishers
David Bone Jeff Williams
Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
[email protected]
Associate Editor
Greg Raven
Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
Righting an
Industry Wrong
I
t was exactly nine years ago
when I wrote about this topic in
this column—and I can’t believe
nothing has happened in that time
to right this wrong.
Plain and simple: Dennis Van der
Meer should be inducted into the
International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Shame on the ITHOF—and all of
us—for not fixing this years ago and
recognizing the incredible impact
this amazing man has had on this
game—not just in the U.S., but
throughout the world.
Dennis has taught more people
to play—and to teach—tennis than
anyone in the history of this sport.
He has been a coach, innovator,
advocate and tireless promoter of
tennis for decades. While he has
personally taught thousands to play
this game, by teaching the teachers he’s had a direct hand in getting
millions of recreational players on
the court.
Now, in this 40th year of the
Professional Tennis Registry, the
organization he founded, it’s time to
fix this. While the HoF inductees for
this year are settled, we all can help
make this a reality for next year.
Go to www.tennisfame.com, click
on “Hall of Famers” and nominate
Dennis Van der Meer as a “Contributor.” And hurry—deadline for
the 2017 induction class is April 1,
2016. (Just look at that description
for “Contributor”—“exceptional contributions that have furthered the
growth, reputation, and character of
the sport…”—it was practically writ-
ten with Dennis in mind.)
And beyond that, flood the Hall
of Fame and any other influential
tennis people you know with emails
supporting Dennis for this honor.
This injustice in the tennis world
was again brought to light by none
other than Billie Jean King, who
spoke at the PTR Symposium in
February when she was inducted
into the PTR Hall of Fame. BJK
told the sold-out awards banquet
crowd that we need to get a petition
going to get Dennis into the International Tennis Hall of Fame—and
that’s what PTR CEO Dan Santorum started right then and there.
Visit www.ptrtennis.org to find out
more and to lend your support.
Dennis was the first inductee into
the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame in
2008. He’s been inducted into both
the USPTA Hall of Fame (2015)
and the PTR Hall of Fame (2013).
He’s also in the USTA Northern
California and the USTA Southern
section halls of fame. In 1972, the
U.S. State Department cited him for
Exceptional Coaching Performance
in the Middle East, and in 1989, he
received the Healthy American Fitness Award. He was named Developmental Coach of the Year by the
U.S. Olympic Committee in 1997.
Dennis has been honored by so
many groups, organizations and
governments that it makes no sense
to me he’s not yet enshrined in
Newport. This is something that
everyone in this industry can rally
behind. Let’s fix this now.
Peter Francesconi, Editorial Director
[email protected]
4 TennisIndustry
April 2016
Special Projects Manager
Bob Patterson
Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
Cynthia Cantrell
Peg Connor
Kent Oswald
Cynthia Sherman
Mary Helen Sprecher
Contributing Photographers
Bob Kenas
David Kenas
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Advertising Director
John Hanna
770-650-1102, x.125
[email protected]
Apparel Advertising
Cynthia Sherman
203-263-5243
[email protected]
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4 © 2016 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All
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IndustryNews
Information to help you run your business
USTA PlayDev Creates New
‘Team USA’ Department
U
STA Player Development has created a
new “Team USA–Pro” department that
will be focused on providing American
pro tennis players with coaching assistance,
training and financial resources to help them
reach the Top 100. USTA Lead National Coaches Tom Gullikson and Kathy Rinaldi have each
been promoted to leadership roles in the new
department and will lead its coaching efforts
on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively.
The Team USA–Pro department was created to provide professional players ranked
between 100 and 500 resources and assistance
similar to what has been available to junior
players since USTA Player Development first
began to incorporate the Team USA philosophy into its junior development structure in
2014. Geoff Russell will assume a new role, as
senior manager of Team USA–Pro, overseeing
the department’s administrative operations.
“When players move quickly into the Top
100, they have a much better chance of achieving rankings in the Top 50, Top 20 or Top 10,” Martin Blackman
says USTA Player Development General
Manager Martin Blackman. “Team USA–Pro
will better enable us to maximize this opportunity for our American pros and help them
achieve a ranking that gets them into the
main draw of Grand Slam events, where we
eventually want to see them competing into
the second week.”
Additionally, USTA Player Development
has reorganized its structure of National
Coaches, creating teams of coaches who will
focus on distinct groups of players: juniors,
Tom Gullikson
collegiate players and professional players.
Richard Ashby (girls) and Andy Brandi (boys) have each
been promoted to lead the junior coaching teams. The
overall coaching reorganization is a move to assemble
teams of coaches that will better be able to meet the developmental and training needs of those specific groups of
players.
“We are utilizing the expertise and commitment of our
coaching staff to develop smaller and more sharply focused
coaching teams in order to provide private-sector coaches
and programs with a collective resource that specializes
in a particular phase of development—junior, collegiate or
professional,” Blackman says.•
T.O.M. Conference Slated
For March 23-25 in Miami
It’s not too late to sign up for the
Third Annual Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.) Conference, March
23-25 at the Hilton Miami Downtown
during the Miami Open pro tennis
tournament. Single-day rates are
available for the T.O.M.
The conference will bring together
leading experts in facility management, programming and other key
areas to provide vital information to
grow tennis businesses, in addition
to a Tennis Tech Fair & Resource
Center.
Key speakers include Dr. Jack
Groppel, Cliff Drysdale, Gigi Fernandez, Emilio Sanchez, Jim Baugh and
Dr. Gerald Faust, among other management and business consultants.
Tennis industry speakers include
Craig Jones, Dan Santorum, John Embree, Randy Futty, Pat Hanssen, Lee
Sponaugle, Virgil Christian and Scott
Schultz. Among facility owners and
managers sharing their knowledge
will be: Greg Lappin, Simon Gale,
Mike Woody, Fernando Velasco,
Jorge Capestany, Doug Cash and
many others. To register and for
more information, go to TheTOMConference.com.
State of Industry
Forum in Miami
Kathy Rinaldi
Held in conjunction with the
T.O.M. Conference will be the
State of the Industry Forum, from
10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday,
March 23 at the Hilton Miami
Downtown. The Forum is free to
attend (but space is limited, so
register at TheTOMConference.
com) and will present the latest
news and data about the state
of the tennis industry, including
research, trends and more.
April 2016
TennisIndustry 7
IndustryNews
PTR, Tennis Europe Partner
to Boost TennisCoachEd.com
Tennis Europe and the PTR have a two-year
partnership that will make PTR an “Official
Continuous Learning Provider” partner of the
Tennis CoachEd initiative. The partnership
will provide PTR with additional opportunities to promote activities in Europe. TennisCoachEd.com is Tennis Europe’s project
aimed primarily at providing
new opportunities, information and services for the
European tennis coaching
community.
“PTR is looking forward to
working with Tennis Europe
and its National Tennis Federations to provide additional quality education for tennis
coaches,” says PTR CEO Dan Santorum. “We
are confident those Federations who choose
to work with PTR will benefit greatly and see
an increase in their overall tennis growth.”
Pound, Maule Take On
Key Roles at Wilson
Iain Pound (right)has been promoted
to national sales director for Wilson
Racquet Sports and
will lead the brand’s
sales efforts in the
specialty tennis
channel in the U.S.
Also, Wilson has
hired Mickey Maule
as its new regional
commercial director
for racquet sports in the Americas.
Pound—a former Division 1 college
player, USPTA certified pro, club director
and college coach—previously, he served
as regional sales manager for Amer Sports
Winter, Outdoor and Cycle sales organization, and prior to that, worked as a territory manager for Wilson in the Southeast.
Maule comes from Babolat, where he
was national sales manager. At Wilson,
he will focus on growing the brand in the
U.S., Canada and Latin America. Maule
was an ATP-ranked pro player in 19901993 and won the ITF Men’s 40 and over
doubles World Championship in 2012. He
led Northern Illinois University’s tennis
team as head coach and served as assistant head coach at Northwestern.
New Edition Released For
‘Tennis Parent’s Bible’
Babolat Introduces New,
Lightweight JET Shoe
B
abolat’s new, lightweight JET shoe is now available, weighing in at 11.46
ounces. The company says the shoe is made from the “lightest performance
material ever put into a tennis shoe.” The shoe is “built for speed yet exceptionally supportive,” says Babolat, designed to help players move faster and more
lightly on the court.
The unique one-piece upper uses “Matryx,” a patented, woven textile made with
durable Kevlar and Polyamide woven into specific zones where players need it
most, and creating areas of visible support amid the catchy design. The shoe also
features an exclusive “S” pattern Michelin outsole that’s designed to allow for quick
direction changes while providing traction and durability, says Babolat.
The shoe is designed for competitive players looking for lightness and support.
It’s available in all-court men’s and women’s models, and a clay men’s model, in
gray/red and light gray/yellow. Suggested retail is $135. Visit babolat.com. •
8 TennisIndustry
April 2016
Frank Giampaolo has come out with the
Second Edition of his popular “Tennis Parent’s Bible,” written to help increase family
harmony, decrease the game’s dramatic
drop-out rate, and maximize a player’s potential at the quickest rate.
Unifying the player, parent and coach
relationship holds many benefits, not only
for the athlete and his or her parents, but
also for tennis industry professionals, says
the author. Improved team
synergy will help build
and maintain a healthy
club bottom line, support
a thriving junior development program, reinforce the
lesson curriculum, organize
parental accountability with
actual job descriptions and
strengthen parental commitment.
For more information or to order the new
edition, visit maximizingtennispotential.
com.
U.S. Fed Cup Team
Plays in Australia
The U.S. Fed Cup Team will travel to Australia for the 2016 Fed Cup World Group
Playoffs April 16-17 at a site to be determined. Australia is seeded No. 8, while the
U.S. was unseeded. The U.S. advanced to
the playoffs after winning its World Group
II First-Round tie over Poland, 4-0, held in
Hawaii in February.
IndustryNews
USTA Awards Wheelchair
Tennis Grants to Nine Programs
T
he USTA is awarding $62,550 in
USTA Wheelchair Tennis Grassroots
Grants to nine programs nationwide to promote and develop the growth
of wheelchair tennis and use the sport of
tennis to build stronger, healthier communities.
“Wheelchair tennis continues to grow
in stature and popularity in the U.S.,” says
Dan James, USTA national manager of
Wheelchair Tennis. “These organizations
positively impact wheelchair tennis and we
know these grants will be a part of a continued effort in expanding programs that support the wheelchair community through
tennis and foster growth and success in
players.” Grants are being awarded to:
• Dwight Davis Memorial Tennis Center, St.
Louis
• Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association,
Lake Forest, Ill.
• Rome Sports, Rome, Ga.
• Grey Rock Tennis Club, Austin, Texas
• Houston Wheelchair Tennis Program &
Team, Cypress, Texas
• Tennis 4 Every 1, The Woodlands, Texas
• University of Alabama–Adaptive Athletics, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
• West Coast Wheelchair Tennis Association, North Hollywood, Calif.
• Wheelchair Sports Federation, Middle Village, N.Y.
Since 2008, the USTA has given more than $450,000 to wheelchair tennis programs across the country.•
Mitch Case is newest
USRSA tester
Mitch Case, the director of tennis at Woodridge Lake in Goshen, Conn., is the newest
USRSA tester. Case has been stringing
racquets since 1995 and customizing frames
since 2007. He's a PTR-certified pro in both
Adult Development and
Junior Performance,
teaching players of
all ages at Woodridge
Lake, as well as indoors
at the Farmington
Valley Racquet Club in
Simsbury, Conn.
Case, who played
college tennis at
Western Connecticut
State University, is also
an Etcheberry certified coach, a No-Cut High
School coach, and is a member of Tennis
Magazine's Playtest Panel.
SCTA Presents Awards
Several individuals and organizations
were honored recently at the Southern
California Tennis Association’s Annual
Meeting & Awards ceremony held at the
Los Angeles Tennis Center-UCLA.
• Henry Talbert Lifetime Achievement:
Franklin Johnson
April 2016
TennisIndustry 9
IndustryNews
People
Watch
Aimee Ruiz and Jose Dias,
two members of the Head Penn
National Playing Staff, have
earned appointments to the
USA Racquetball National Adult
Team with their title runs at the
2016 National Doubles Championships held in February.
Wes Beaullieu has been appointed as the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association's new Championships Coordinator. Prior
to joining the ITA, Beaullieu
was a youth tennis coach and
tournament coordinator at
Tennis Success Inc. in Corpus
Christi, Texas.
Kristina Mladenovic and
Alizé Cornetare are the latest
WTA players to endorse USANA Health Sciences nutritional
products.
West Chester (Pa.) Univer-
• Evelyn Houseman Junior Sportsmanship Award: Brandon Holt and Ena
Shibahara
• Member Organization: Marguerite Tennis Pavilion
• LA84 Foundation/NJTL: Mike Casarz
• Long Ellis Intercollegiate Award: University of California, Santa Barbara
• Curt Condon Spirit Award: Hank Lloyd
• Eugene Jung Multicultural Award: Jay
Diaz
sity men’s and women’s tennis
coach Tina Tharp has been
named coach of the year for the
USTA Middle States section.
Mario Ibarra is the new executive director of USTA Wyoming
in the Intermountain Section.
Mary Edman has been appointed as the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association's new Membership Coordinator. Edman, a
Service Awards were presented to
Dave Nowick, Junior Tennis; Mahlone
Becker, JTT; Ron Marquez, Cathedral
Catholic H.S., San Diego, High School Tennis Coach; University of California–Santa
Barbara, Tennis On Campus; Bryan East,
Wheelchair Tennis; Pete Brown Scholarship Fund, Los Angeles; Scott Cleere, Central Coast; Alvin Alaman, Orange County;
Amy Ellison, Adult Leagues (Inland Empire); Richard Chang, Volunteer.
Solinco Adds New
Hyper-G Co-Poly
2015 graduate of Colorado
College in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, began her duties
with the ITA on February 16.
Prior to her joining the ITA,
Edman worked as a Graduate Assistant for Diversity &
Inclusion at the United States
Olympic Committee's offices
in Colorado Springs. She
was also a USTA Junior Team
Tennis Intern in the summer
of 2014.
US Open Pickleball Chps.
Set for Naples, Fla.
The inaugural US Open Pickleball Championships is set to take place in Naples, Fla.,
April 26-May 1, and it is already so explosively popular that its organizers are beyond
excited.
“We’re going to sell out on mixed doubles;
it’s the most popular event,” says Terri Graham, president of Spirit Promotions, the
group responsible for organizing the event.
“We have 48 courts. They’ll all be busy.”
Paddletek LLC of Niles, Mich., developed
a custom paddle for the tournament, and
Curtis Smith, CEO, says it is selling out as fast
as it can be produced—“and we haven’t even
officially announced it yet.” Wilson has produced the official balls for the tournament
and DecoTurf is the official surface; in fact,
local officials in Naples fast-tracked construction proceedings in order to have all the
facilities ready for the event. The event has a
title sponsor, home builder Minto, as well as
sponsorship support from more than a dozen other companies and charity partners.
The event is filling room nights in hotels
in and around Naples, and also bringing in
traffic in local condos. And, says Graham,
once pickleball players get a look at the facili-
P H O T O C O U RT E S Y U S A PA
S
olinco introduces a new string to its formidable lineup. The Hyper-G is a
co-polyester string utilizing a newly developed chemical formula in combination with the high-powered polyester monofilament fiber that is designed and
shaped to generate maximum power and control while amplifying spin, according
to the company.
Hyper-G is available in four gauges—16/1.30, 16L/1.25, 17/1.20 and 18/1.15—in 40foot packages and 656-foot reels. Visit solincosports.com.•
10 TennisIndustry
April 2016
IndustryNews
ties—either in person or by being one of
the estimated 50 million who will see the
finals on CBS (which has signed a multiyear deal to televise the finals)—they’ll
want to come back to Naples and play
there.
“This place is going to attract visitors
long after we leave here,” she says.
—Mary Helen Sprecher
trainers, athletic trainers, physicians, healthcare providers and other
tennis-specific specialists. Faculty
included some of the world’s leading
tennis-specific fitness education
experts.
For information, on the 2016 World
Tennis Fitness Conference, visit itpatennis.org.
USRSA Announces
New MRTs and CS
Master Racquet Technicians
Albert Juliano - Farmington, CT
Jeremy Reeve - Melbourne, VC Australia
Hernan Chaves-Posse - Vancouver, BC
Canada
Certified Stringer
William Milne - Fort Wayne, IN
iTPA to Hold 2nd Annual
World Tennis Fitness Conf.
The Second Annual World Tennis
Fitness Conference, presented by the
International Tennis Performance
Association (iTPA) will be July 30-31
in Atlanta. The conference focuses on
techniques and evidence-based information to help participants to more
effectively train tennis players.
About 140 people from six countries
attended the inaugural event last year,
including tennis coaches, strength
and conditioning coaches, personal
April 2016
TennisIndustry 11
IndustryNews
Short
Sets
Fila will become the
Official Athletic Apparel
and Footwear partner
of Tennis Canada. The
multi-year deal will also
make Fila a silver sponsor
of the Rogers Cup events,
held in both Montreal and
Toronto, and of Davis Cup
and Fed Cup official uniforms, senior, junior and
wheelchair national and
international events, as
well as all Tennis Canada
officials, and national
training center participants.
The Marshfield (Mass.)
Tennis Club received the
USTA New England CTA
12 TennisIndustry
April 2016
of the Year Award. Also,
Sportsman’s Tennis and
Enrichment Center of
Dorchester, Mass., was
named USTA NE Organization of the Year,
and the Boston Tennis
Classic hosted by
Tennis 4All was named
Special Tennis Event of
the Year.
Advanced Polymer
Technology (APT)
has introduced its
new Laykold Masters
premium all-weather
surface, with several
enhancements to the
high-performance
surface. APT backs all
Laykold Masters systems
with a five-year warranty.
Masters systems have
been featured at tennis
showcases and events
across the globe including Chicago, New York
City, Rome and Tokyo. For
info, visit laykold.com.
The same-gender
couples’ doubles tournament, inaugurated last
March in Palm Springs,
Calif., is now a USTA
National Championship
event and will become an
annual part of the USTA’s
adult competition tennis
calendar. The Plaza Racquet Club again hosted
the event, which was
held March 4-6.
NetJets Inc. has signed
on as the official private
aviation partner of the
2016 PowerShares
Series, the circuit for
champion tennis players over the age of 30.
NetJets will receive advertising spots, branded
in-broadcast features,
signage and hospitality
while providing flights
for PowerShares Series
players to select events.
The 2016 PowerShares
Series features 12 events
throughout the year
starting April 8.
TGA Premier Youth
Tennis has a new
franchise, located in
Durham, N.C.
The University of
North Carolina defeated
Virginia to win its first
Intercollegiate Tennis
Association Division I
National Men's Team
Indoor Championship
in February. Meanwhile,
No. 6-ranked California
captured its first-ever
ITA Division I National
Women's Team Indoors
Championship title in
February with a 4-3
victory over No. 5 North
Carolina.
IndustryNews
Tennis Racquet Performance
Specialty Stores
January-December, 2015 vs. 2014
2015 669,914
Units
2014 677,842
% change vs. ’14 1%
$98,637,000
Dollars 2015 2014 $100,171,000
% change vs. ’14 -2%
Price
2015 $147.24
2014 $147.78
% change vs. ’14 0%
Top-Selling Racquets
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars
Jan.-Dec. 2015
Best Sellers
1. Babolat Pure Drive 2015 (MP)
2. Babolat Aero Pro Drive (MP)
3. Wilson Pro Staff 97 (MP)
4. Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Auto (MP)
5. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
“Hot New Racquets”
(introduced in the past 12 months)
1. Babolat Pure Aero (100) 2016 (MP)
2. Wilson Blade 104 2015 (MP)
3. Head XT Instinct MP (MP)
4. Wilson Blade 98 18x20 2015 (MP)
5. Wilson Burn 100 S (MP)
Top-Selling Tennis Shoes
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Dec. 2015
1. Asics Gel Resolution 6
2. Prince T22
3. Asics Gel Solution Speed 2
4. Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour
5. Nike Zoom Cage 2
Top-Selling Strings
at Specialty Stores
By year-to-date units, Jan.-Dec. 2015
1. Babolat RPM Blast
2. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex
3. Wilson NXT
4. Wilson Sensation
5. Luxilon 4G
(Source: TIA)
April 2016
TennisIndustry 13
Industry Recognition
PTR Honors Members
With Annual Awards
T
he Professional Tennis Registry
presented its annual awards during the 2016 PTR International
Tennis Symposium, held Feb. 16-20
on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The event
included more than 40 educational
presentations for tennis teachers and
coaches.
A highlight of the week was the induction of Billie Jean King into the PTR
Hall of Fame. King, who won 39 Grand
Slam titles in singles and doubles, was
coached by PTR founder Dennis Van
der Meer during the famous “Battle of
the Sexes” match with Bobby Riggs in
1973. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
The PTR Hall of Fame, considered
the organizations highest honor, was
created to preserve history and honor
excellence. Candidates are elected by
the PTR Board of Directors and must be
current or retired PTR members who
have contributed to PTR and the game
of tennis in a way that far exceeds the
norm. King is the fifth inductee, joining
Dennis Van der Meer, Jim Verdieck, Dr.
Jim Loehr and Arthur Ashe.
Beltrame Named
PTR Pro of the Year
Lorenzo Beltrame of Windermere, Fla.,
has been named PTR Professional of
the Year. The honor is presented to the
PTR professional who has displayed
the highest standards of conduct
and service to both tennis and PTR.
Throughout his career, Beltrame has
worked with dozens of ATP and WTA
tour professionals, including Jim Courier and Pete Sampras, and has coached
players in major events including the
four Grand Slams, Davis Cup and Hopman Cup.
Since 1996, Beltrame has served as
Director of Tennis and Athletic Performance Coaching at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla. He is
responsible for the Mental Toughness
14 TennisIndustry
April 2016
2016 PTR Award winners: (front row, from left) Aruna Bernier, Billie Jean King, Larry Keeter; (back row)
PTR CEO Dan Santorum, Leo Alonso, PTR Board President Roy Barth, Adams Zhao Ruifeng, Ann Koger,
Katy Rogers, Darryl Lewis, Lorenzo Beltrame.
Certification Program at the HPI and
has helped to design and implement
critical components of that training.
Both a PTR pro and a USPTA Master
Professional, Beltrame has received
the Coach of the Year and “Doc”
Counsilman Science Awards by the
U.S. Olympic Committee.
Aruna Bernier Named
PTR Humanitarian
PTR pro Aruna Chettri Bernier of
Austin, Texas, director of Tennis
Buddys LLC, has been named PTR
Humanitarian of the Year. Bernier
had been putting all her energy into
growing the game by teaching tennis, but when major earthquakes
hit her native Nepal a year ago, she
took action, establishing a nonprofit,
ArunasNepalRelief.org, to help in the
relief effort, including traveling to
Nepal and risking her safety to deliver
aid directly.
As PTR Humanitarian of the Year,
Bernier received a $2,500 check
from the PTR Foundation to help
her continue her work. Moved by her
acceptance, PTR Foundation Chairman Scott Tharp doubled the amount,
then Billie Jean King matched the
Foundation grant and asked others to
contribute as well. •
2016 PTR Awards
• PTR Hall of Fame: Billie Jean King
• Professional of the Year: Lorenzo Beltrame,
Florida
• International Master Pro: Darryl Lewis, North
Carolina
• Touring Coach of the Year: Patrick Mouratoglou, France
• College Coach of the Year: Ann Koger, Pennsylvania
• High School Coach: Suzie Heideman, Minnesota
• Wheelchair Professional: Larry Keeter, North
Carolina
• Humanitarian Award: Aruna Bernier, Texas
• Volunteer of the Year: Katy Rogers, Texas
• Clinician of the Year: Adams Zhao Ruifeng,
China
• Tester of the Year: Leo Alonso, Argentina
• Public Facility of the Year: Southlake Tennis
Center, Texas
• Private Facility of the Year: Circolo Della
Stampa-Spoting, Italy
• PTR/TIA Commitment to the Industry: P.J.
Simmons, New York
• PTR/USTA Community Service Award: Jessica Weyreuter, Alabama
• Female Player of the Year: Emmy Kaiser,
Kentucky
• Male Player of the Year: Clayton Almeida, New
York
• Newcomer of the Year: Carlos Pedrero, Arizona
Members
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2016
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INCREASING
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State of the Industry Forum
TENNIS OWNERS &
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sports facility management
YOUTH TENNIS MARKET
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
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AGENDA | MARCH 23-25
T.O.M. AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY FORUM
TENNIS OWNERS & MANAGERS CONFERENCE
8:00 A.M.
REGISTRATION OPENS
8:00-9:00 A.M.
BREAKFAST
9:00 A.M.
TENNIS TECH FAIR & RESOURCE CENTER
10:00 A.M.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY FORUM
Top industry officials present the latest news and data about
the state of the tennis industry, including participation research,
consumer and technology trends, tennis marketplace data, an update
on grow-the-game initiatives, updates from the USTA, and more.
11:30 A.M.
FOCUS ON TENNIS HEALTH:
THE CHALLENGE TO CHANGE BEHAVIORS
Dr. Jack Groppel, Co-Founder, Johnson & Johnson
Human Performance Institute
Dr. Groppel states the case for changing the behavior of Americans
of all ages when it comes to how they view health and fitness, and
for the need for a unified message of health and fitness among
organizations, companies and individuals in the tennis industry.
12:00-1:00 P.M.
T.O.M. CONFERENCE LUNCH
(T.O.M. Conference registration or ticket required.)
12:15 P.M.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A BUSINESS
Dr. Gerry Faust, Founder & President, Faust Management Corp.
How you run your business today is vastly different from 20 years
ago. What is, or should be, influencing how you make decisions
in today’s business climate? With his entertaining style, wit and
wisdom, world renowned business expert Dr. Gerry Faust offers
insights into how you can increase your business, get more people
playing tennis, and boost your bottom line.
1:15 P.M. (Concurrent Session)
HOW TO FILL ALL YOUR COURTS
Mike Woody, Genesis Health Clubs
The manager behind the highly successful Greater Midland Tennis
Center, Mike Woody also was the driving force behind Midland being
named “Best Tennis Town in the U.S.” Find out how his community
focus helped to push his facility to new heights.
1:15 P.M. (Concurrent Session)
SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MODERN TENNIS FACILITY
P.J. Simmons, The Tennis Congress, Sustainability Expert
Implementing sustainability practices can help your bottom line. P.J.
Simmons, who works with senior executives from 70 Fortune 500
companies to form the Corporate Eco Forum, is an expert in finding
and sharing ways that being “green” can lead to “gold.”
2:00 P.M.
IS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE JUNIOR PROGRAM
RIGHT FOR YOUR FACILITY?
Emilio Sanchez, Owner, Academia Sanchez-Casal
Former world No. 7 singles player Emilio Sanchez, who develops
young talent at academies in Barcelona and Naples, Fla., has
worked with pros including Andy Murray, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Juan
Monaco, Feliciano Lopez and Janko Tipsarevic. Sanchez will discuss
whether a high-performance junior program might be the right move
for your facility.
2:20 P.M.
HOW TO BUILD AND RETAIN MEMBERSHIPS
Gary Stewart, Virgin Active
With nearly 300 clubs in 10 countries, Virgin Active knows how to
build and retain membership. The head of the company’s racquet
sports division shares his programming tips and secrets so you can
keep and create members for your facility.
2:40 P.M.
DEMO: SHORT-COURT ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF TENNIS
Moderator: Doug Cash, CashFlow Tennis
Simon Gale, General Manager & Partner, Taconic Sport
& Racquet Club
Ken Lindner, President & Founder, U.S. POP Tennis Association
Butch Staples, National Tennis Director, Midtown Athletic Clubs
More and more adults are looking at getting active and maintaining
their health on a court that’s shorter than 78 feet. How are POP
Tennis, pickleball and other forms of short-court tennis appealing
to consumers right now, and how can you capture this wave—and
their dollars?
3:15 P.M.
NETWORKING BREAK
TENNIS RESOURCE CENTER
3:30 P.M.
IDEA FAIR/INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLES:
PROGRAMMING AND GENERATING REVENUE
Moderators: Doug Cash, CashFlow Tennis,
& Greg Lappin, Facility Consultant
We want to know about the best ideas you’ve used to help grow
your business and get more people playing tennis! Our small-group
roundtable discussions (two 30-minute sessions) will include an
expert on a specific topic, but we want you to share with your peers
what’s worked for you, too.
• Marketing Tennis: How to Acquire New Players—Jeff Gocke
• Keys to Successful Programming—Ajay Pant
16 TennisIndustry
April 2016
Times, topics, presenters and exhibitors as of Feb. 20, 2016, and subject to change.
TheTOMConference.com
T.O.M. AGENDA
• Growing Your Revenues Through Local Play—Craig Jones
• Adult Alternative Formats (Masters Tennis)—
Christine Murphy Foltz
• Increase Profits with Cardio Tennis—Michele Krause
• Family Tennis—Greg Lappin
• Young Adult and Innovative Programming—Marilyn Sherman
• Increasing Lesson Revenue Is the Easy Part—Lenny Schloss
• Connecting with Parks: Contract to Expand & Add Funds—
Tom Sweitzer
• Hispanic Grants, Programming and Diversity at Your Facility—
DA Abrams
5:00-6:00 P.M.
COCKTAILS AND NETWORKING BREAK
TENNIS TECH DEMO & RESOURCE CENTER
Sponsored by USTA; introduction by Craig Morris, General Manager,
USTA Community Tennis & Youth Tennis
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
7:00 A.M.
CARDIO TENNIS
8:00 A.M.
T.O.M. CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENS
11:00 A.M.
NETWORKING BREAK
11:15 A.M. (Concurrent Session)
MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF MANAGING A FACILITY
Fernando Velasco, Owner/Manager, Grey Rocks Tennis Club
Managing a private tennis club or a public facility is a challenging
endeavor. Longtime facility owner and manager Fernando Velasco
provides suggestions on how to meet the demanding needs of
players and members.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RETAIL AT YOUR FACILITY
Kevin Brandt, Brandt Sports Management
With a long history in the retail sporting goods market, tennis facility
manager and director Kevin Brandt offers a unique perspective, and
interactive session, about the importance of retail, and how to boost
sales of equipment and apparel.
12:00-1:00 P.M.
LUNCH
8:00-9:00 A.M.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:30 A.M.
9:00 A.M.
ARE YOU A “TENNIS WELLNESS CENTER”?
Dr. Jack Groppel, Co-Founder, Johnson & Johnson
Human Performance Institute
The health and fitness benefits of tennis should be a tool to help you
grow the game and your business. How can you use the “wellness”
aspect of tennis to get more people playing in your community?
9:45 A.M.
DELIVERY SYSTEM AND THE NEXT GENERATION
Moderator: Craig Jones, USTA Director of Junior Play
John Embree, CEO, USPTA
Dan Santorum, CEO, PTR
Scott Schultz, Managing Director, USTA University
Top executives from the professional tennis teaching organizations
and the USTA talk about and answer your questions on how to find
young pros, women and diverse coaches, certification and continuing
education, pro compensation, programs and initiatives, working with
youth, and much more.
10:30 A.M.
COMPENSATING YOUR STAFF
Doug Cash, CashFlow Tennis
For every club and facility, investing in good staff is one of the
most important areas of your business, ensuring your members and
customers will return year after year. How should you compensate,
and evaluate, your staff to help reach your business goals?
12:15 P.M.
TRENDS IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & SPORTS:
PHIT AMERICA & WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Jim Baugh, PHIT America
Longtime sports industry advocate Jim Baugh shows the latest eyeopening trends in sports and fitness participation, stresses the need
to grow tennis and to be open to “alternative forms” of the sport,
and explains how PHIT America is getting Americans, especially
children, more active, fit and healthy.
1:00 P.M.
HOW TO BUILD RESPONSIBILITY IN A TEAM
Dr. Gerry Faust, Founder & President, Faust Management Corp.
As a tennis facility owner/manager, you need to lead your staff to
success in many areas. With his entertaining style, business expert
Dr. Gerry Faust helps you find the right ways to lead that will produce
sustained results.
1:45 P.M.
INDUSTRY BENCHMARKING AND APPLICATIONS
FOR STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Jim Bates, Sports Club Advisors
Rich Jackim, Sports Club Advisors
This interactive presentation will go through key metrics from
the TIA’s most recent business assessment survey that was sent
to facility managers and owners, and will apply those metrics to
business valuation, value enhancement and strategic planning.
April 2016
TennisIndustry 17
T.O.M. AGENDA
2:30 P.M.
INCREASE RETENTION AND DUES INCOME
THROUGH HEALTH INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT
Reid Hans, Athletic Club Financial Consultant
Health insurance reimbursement programs for fitness activities can
have a significant impact on your revenue—all with a limited amount
of investment in dollars and time.
3:00 P.M.
NETWORKING BREAK/
TIA AND USTA RESOURCES TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS
Jolyn de Boer, TIA Executive Director
Scott Schultz, Managing Director, USTA University
When it comes to growing the game, and your business, you need to
use all the tools you have at your disposal. See how TIA and USTA
resources, many free to use, can help your facility, and share your
questions in a Q&A.
3:30 P.M.
YOUR FACILITY: PROTECTING & MODERNIZING
YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET
Moderator: Peter Francesconi, Tennis Industry Magazine
Virgil Christian, USTA Sr. Director, Market/Facility Development
Randy Futty, California Sports Surfaces
Pat Hanssen, Har-Tru Sports
Lee Sponaugle, Sport Court International
How can you keep your courts and facility in the best shape possible,
to appeal to consumers and players? Our panel of top experts
discusses key trends that tennis facility owners and managers need
to be aware of, and answers your questions.
8:30 A.M.
9:00 A.M.
WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE’RE GOING
Cliff Drysdale, ESPN Broadcaster
International Tennis Hall of Famer and TV tennis analyst Cliff
Drysdale offers his entertaining, engaging and enlightened insights
into the business of tennis from his view as one of the most popular
personalities in the tennis community, to his involvement in club
and resort management, to his experience as an on-court teacher of
the game.
9:45 A.M.
SELLING TENNIS: STRATEGIES FOR TODAY’S MARKET
Casey Conrad, President, Communication Consultants WBS Inc.
Longtime club consultant Casey Conrad offers keys to a successful
sales system for your business, how to target tennis prospects, and
how to leverage the latest technology in the sales process.
DRIVING NEW REVENUE THROUGH DIGITAL MARKETING
Bill Konstand, President & CEO, TAG
What are the most important aspects of digital marketing that you
need to implement right now to keep ahead of the curve? Our expert
will answer this and many other questions that will keep you in
control of your future.
5:00 P.M.
NETWORKING BREAK
SECRETS TO FILLING NON-PRIME-TIME COURTS
Doug Cash, CashFlow Tennis
Keeping your courts as full as possible, at all times of the day, are a
key to profitability. See what our experts have to say about how to fill
non-prime-time courts.
5:30 P.M.
BUSES LEAVE FOR MIAMI OPEN
(Ticket required, additional purchase.)
11:00 A.M.
NETWORKING BREAK
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
7:00 A.M.
CARDIO TENNIS
8:00 A.M.
T.O.M. CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENS
8:00-9:00 A.M.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
18 TennisIndustry
April 2016
11:15 A.M.
HOW DOUBLES CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Gigi Fernandez, Former World No. 1 Doubles Player
Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez, with 17 Grand Slam doubles titles to
her credit, states the case for how the game of doubles can help you
grow your business.
11:45 A.M.
ADDRESSING YOUR TOP MEMBER COMPLAINTS
Jorge Capestany, Manager, DeWitt Tennis Center
If you’re in a service industry, you’ll most likely receive complaints
from time to time. One of this sport’s top managers helps you to
address member complaints in a way that makes your facility, and
your staff, shine.
T.O.M. AGENDA
12:15-1:30 P.M.
LUNCH AND WORKING SESSION
PROBLEM-SOLVING ROUNDTABLES: ASK THE EXPERTS!
Moderators: Doug Cash, CashFlow Tennis,
& Greg Lappin, Facility Consultant
Have an issue that you’d like to know more about? Our small-group
problem-solving roundtables (two 30-minute sessions) pair you up
with an expert in an area you need to address—and help you get
solutions from your peers, too.
• The ROI of Technology—Sashi Menon
• Addressing Your Top Member Complaints/Q&A—
Jorge Capestany
• TIA Knowledge Base and Industry Blog Site—Israel Castillo
• How to Sell Tennis/Q&A—Casey Conrad
• Finding the Proper Software for Your Facility/Q&A–
Charlie Ruddy
• Strategic Management for Your Facility/Q&A—Jim Bates
• Strategy for Doubles Tennis Growth/Q&A—Gigi Fernandez
• Sustainability and Your Facility/Q&A—P.J. Simmons
• What You Need to Know About Working With Youth—
Craig Jones
• Independent Contractor or Employee?—Doug Cash
T.O.M. CONFERENCE
RESOURCE CENTER EXHIBITORS
10sPortal
10-S Tennis Supply
American Sports Builders Association
Beard Tennis Systems
Billie Jean King’s Eye Coach
Cardio Tennis
Careers In Tennis
Club Automation
ClubClix.com
Court Desk
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
FORUM
Healthways (Silver Sneakers)
Jusuru International/Liquid Bio Cell
LEDs4Sports
LidLum
Lux-Craft Inc.
NetKnacks
Oncourt Offcourt
Play TennisConnect
Playmate Ball Machines
POP Tennis
Professional Tennis Registry
QLIPP
Sport Court International
Sports Interiors
Sports Marketing Surveys
Tavistock Development Co.
U.S. Tennis Association
Zensah
(Exhibitors at press time.)
TIA State of the Industry Forum
Tennis Tech Fair and Resource Center
March 23, 2016 starts at 9:00 am (Hilton Miami Downtown)
Join top industry leaders and executives, manufacturers,
organizations and more in support of YOUR industry.
• Latest news about the state of the tennis industry
• Participation, consumer and technology trends
• Updates on key initiatives, including “Rally the Family”
• How to boost the “tennis economy”
• USTA updates, including the USTA National Campus and NTC • And much more…
Free to attend—but registration required at TheTOMConference.com.
For more info or to register: TheTOMConference.com • contact the TIA / 843-473-4504 • [email protected]
April 2016
TennisIndustry 19
Join thousands of tennis facilities across the
country as they Rally The Family!
How do you
get involved?
• Sign up to participate at
RallyTheFamily.com and
get listed so consumers
can find you, your
programs and events.
• Agree to offer introductory
and multi-week entry level
programs for all ages.
Rally The Family
. . . to play tennis!
Sign Up Now at RallyTheFamily.com
You’ll be a part of an industry-wide campaign to boost
tennis activity and interest across the U.S.
• Utilize Red, Orange and
Green tennis balls on
36- and 60- foot courts.
• Make sure your staff has
gone through the free Coach
Youth Tennis training (visit
CoachYouthTennis.com).
• Consider offering online
registration (through your
own website or options
provided at PlayTennis.com
or YouthTennis.com).
36'
Why should my facility participate in the Rally The Family campaign?
1) Attract more people and more
business to your club, tennis center
or public park facility.
4) Provide activities for important
family time, and provide families
with a health and fitness option.
2) Fill your existing programs, or help
to create new, family-focused
programs and events.
5) It is a new, exciting campaign that
is supported by the entire tennis
industry—you’ll help to support the
game both in your community and
on a national level.
3) Add new members and players,
create more demand for court time,
and increase pro shop sales.
Go to RallyTheFamily.com to sign-up as a participating site, get free materials and
listings onPlayTennis.com, Youth Tennis.com and other consumer search engines.
For more info, call the TIA at 843-686-3036 or email [email protected]
60'
Download free guides and
promotional material to
help grow your business–
including the Guide to
Welcoming Families
Join YOUR Industry
To Help Revitalize
Tennis in America!
Racquet Tech
Are Starting Knots
a Thing of the Past?
By Bob Patterson
I
n our “Ask the Experts” section of the March 2016 issue,
Associate Editor Greg Raven
addressed a question from a reader
that we field often here at the
USRSA: “Are starting knots a thing
of the past?”
Greg answers the question and
explains the process of using a
starting clamp in lieu of a starting
knot, but I thought it presented
a great opportunity to show the
procedure in action.
Whether or not you are comfortable using a starting knot, as a
racquet technician you should, at
least, be familiar with how to use a
starting clamp instead of a starting
knot. Although we touched on the
subject in an earlier RacquetTech
article, “One Tool, Many Uses”
(June 2015 issue), the accompanying photos should help demonstrate the procedure with using an
offset device and without.
First, you will need a quality
starting clamp. They can be a bit
pricey, but getting a good one is
well worth it. The one I use is
almost 30 years old and still works
great.
You may also want to invest in an
offset device. These are available
from various sources and I have
seen some pretty good homemade
ones, if you are so inclined. We
have photos of several variations of
these devices provided by Master
Racquet Technicians Albert Lee,
John Gugel and Mike Newbound.
Of course, it is up to you to decide
the best practice and procedure for
you, but as we always stress, be consistent! Consistency is the cornerstone of good racquet service. •
22 TennisIndustry
April 2016
Procedure without an offset device.
Procedure using an offset device.
These four
photos show
various offset
devices.
Grassroots Tennis
Play It Forward!
CTAs, public parks, schools and NJTLs are
on the front lines when it comes to growing
this sport in communities.
USTA Northern
It’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ For Kids in Fargo
Looking for high school kids on Friday nights in Fargo, N.D.? Now you
can find more than 60 of them playing tennis at Courts Plus Community
Fitness as part of its new “Friday Night Lights” High School Junior Team
Tennis program. Players from Fargo Sheyenne, Shanley, Davies and South
high schools are all participating, as well as teams from West Fargo and
Valley City (who drive over 60 miles to play). They’re all getting valuable
match-play opportunities, followed by pizza and social time.
Last November at the USTA’s Tennis Development Workshop in San
Diego, Courts Plus head pro Oliver Summers heard about World Team
Tennis (WTT)—a co-ed program where kids play singles, doubles and mixed doubles as part of a team and use a total-gameswon format, and where cheering is encouraged during play. He thought it would be a great way for girls’ and boys’ high school
tennis team members to play together.
“I'm excited with how it’s going,” he says. “We asked the kids which night would be best, and surprisingly, they said Friday,
which was great because we often have open courts then. Each team has at least 10 players and each team's organizer is their
high school head or assistant coach. Plus, the parents have gotten involved.”
“I used to feel some pressure on Friday to go out just for the sake of going out,” one participant says. “But now I play tennis
and it’s awesome.”
Another player agreed, “You get to be with your friends and meet new people. I love that we play against other teams, have
fun and work on tennis. Afterwards we all go out, or see a movie, or just hang out. Tennis is now what I do on Friday nights!”
—Lisa Mushett
USTA Eastern
Partnering With Schools in Orange County, N.Y.
Orange County, N.Y., has had a recent resurgence of tennis players, in large
part for the work that Ari Roberts, director of MatchPoint Tennis, has been
doing. He’s built a relationship with the local YMCA to facilitate afterschool tennis programming in more than six school districts in the county.
With kid-friendly equipment, shorter courts, and instant-play games
and activities, it’s easier than ever for tennis and providers to connect with
schools to grow their programs. The USTA has developed a specific curriculum and training program for introducing tennis in phys-ed classes,
which can provide a strong foundation for connecting kids to additional
play opportunities.
MatchPoint hosted a tennis carnival for all Goshen, N.Y. Intermediate School Tennis program participants and had more
than 60 kids attend—with 30 signing up for programming. (Roberts has shown that you can teach large groups in small spaces—and quite successfully, too!) Once school permission is obtained, conducting phys-ed class visits introduces tennis to large
numbers of students and familiarizes them with the local programs and/or facilities. Partnering with a school is a great way to
attract more kids to the game and grow your business!
As community development chairperson, Roberts, along with USTA Eastern, have produced a short video called “Tennis
Anywhere,” highlighting how much fun kids have playing tennis off-court. (Visit eastern.usta.com/videos.)
Partnering with schools to make tennis grow and expose more players to tennis will enrich the lives of youngsters and make
club owners more successful!
24 TennisIndustry
April 2016
Retailing 143
Your Store Is The Brand!
By Jay Townley
A
s I look over the retail landscape,
I am struck by the difference
between specialty retailers who
think complaining is a strategy, and the
new-wave and outlier specialty retailers who are creating uncontested local
market space.
The first group complains that if only
their suppliers and the major brands
would support them, things would go
back to the way they were, and they
would be able to compete with the pureplay online retailers. The second group
understands that things will not go
back to the way they were. They know
their specialty retail store is the brand
in their neighborhood and community,
and as such they can not only compete
with the pure-play online retailer, they
can make these competitors irrelevant.
“If you are in business, you already
have a brand,” writes T. Scott Gross in
his book “Micro Branding: Build Powerful Personal Brand & Best Your Competition.” We highly recommend this
book to independent specialty tennis
retailers to help develop their stores as
the brand in their local markets. These
key points are paraphrased from “Micro
Branding”:
• You don’t need a nationally recognized brand to compete successfully.
• Your store brand is, in many ways,
more powerful than a national brand.
• You don’t need leading-edge technology or a national reputation to create
loyal, profitable clients.
• Building your store brand costs less
than you now spend to be mediocre.
• Building your store brand is easily
accomplished on your budget.
It’s About Consistency
So, how does a tennis retailer make
their store the “brand” in their local
26 TennisIndustry
April 2016
market? Let’s start with consistency,
which is a part of building your store
brand with the budget you already
have. Remember that your store brand
is not what you think or say it is—it’s
what your customers and the people
in your community think and perceive
your brand to be.
Once you’ve decided on your store
name and logo, you need to stick with
it consistently. Don’t deviate from the
design or color across all the places
and ways you use your logo. It helps if
you settle on a name and logo that the
majority of your customers like and can
relate to—but once you have a store ID
that works, be consistent.
For the same money you spend on a
disjointed brand presentation—to be
mediocre—you can mount a coordinated store brand campaign that presents
a uniform, consistent and recognizable
image on everything your customers
see and touch.
Consistency also extends to how you
and your staff deliver an outstanding
retail shopping experience. The thing
to remember is your customers don’t
form one impression or image of your
store brand, even if it is bad (the exception is if the experience is horrible).
What the research shows is your customers form your store’s brand image
in their conscience over time and based
on numerous contacts and inputs—and
consistently good to great retail shopping experiences accumulate to form one
generally favorable brand image.
Cutting-Edge Tech?
Leading-edge technology is great when
you can afford it, but your local store
brand doesn’t need leading-edge technology to create loyal, profitable customers. You can create customers for life by
consistently delivering outstanding and
memorable tennis lifestyle shopping
experiences.
What about brand-name products?
If you don’t need nationally recognized
brands to compete successfully, what do
you sell? The answer: The brands that
you determine will support your retail
store brand and are interested in you
making a fair and equitable profit.
Your tennis customers have access to
huge amounts of objective information
about everything in the tennis world and
you can use this information to assist you
in selecting the brands and products that
will support your specialty retail business and help build your retail brand.
This is how your store brand becomes
more powerful than any national brand
in your neighborhood and community. •
Jay Townley is a partner in the retail
consulting firm Gluskin Townley
Group (www.gluskintownleygroup.
com).
Event Marketing
Tennis Event Marketing:
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
By Laura Bowen
A
s the director of marketing for
the USTA Florida Section, one
of the questions I get asked most
often by tennis providers is, “How can
I get more people to attend my tennis
event?”
Whether it’s a festival, Play Day,
tournament, exhibition, or other tennis
event, we all want to max out on attendance. But achieving that goal requires
some solid planning before and beyond
the actual event, and getting outside of
the usual channels.
Here are a few quick tips to help you
plan for a bigger (and better) tennis
event:
1. Think about your consumer
Who would be interested in your tennis
event? Why would they want to attend?
Don’t be afraid to narrow your audience. People want different things, and
trying to be all things to everyone often
muddies the value proposition.
2. Find out where your consumer
is already going for information
and activities
For example, if you are looking to bring
in new participants, hanging posters at
your tennis facility is likely not going to
reach a new audience. Think of where
those consumers are going now and
build a presence in those channels.
Are there major community events
in your area that naturally attract this
audience? If so, create an experience
at those events that will help promote
your play opportunities. Avoid scheduling your event on a date when you will
28 TennisIndustry
April 2016
compete with another, possibly more
popular, event.
and encourage them to sign up on the
spot (at a discount).
3. Offer an incentive for those
who register early
5. Technology is your friend
Promotional products are best applied
to get people to register for a current
event and attend future events. Think
about what your minimum participant
count is and offer an incentive (food,
drink, giveaway item) for that number
of registrants. Not only will you seed
the pot, but it will help you know early
on if you might need to cancel or reschedule due to low participation.
4. Use the current event to sell
the next one
The best opportunity to sell your next
event or play opportunity is at a current
one. Once participants (especially new
players) leave your event, getting them
to return becomes incredibly difficult.
Be sure to have another event scheduled, or better yet, use your event as a
kick-off to regular play opportunities
Using an electronic registration system
for your event will help you capture
information on your participants that
you can use to communicate with them
before and after the event. Social media
ads are a great way to expand your reach
at a very low cost.
Of course, getting the participants
engaged in social media during the
event itself is another great way to
cross-promote and reach people for
future events. Twitter, Facebook and
Instagram are all great tools to show
how much fun your event is. Be sure to
promote your next event while posting
about this one. •
Laura Bowen is the director of marketing & membership for USTA Florida.
This column was adapted from USTA
Florida’s Weekly E-News from June
2015.
Facility Management
Event Tracking—
the Next Level
of Service
I
By Rod Heckelman
t’s 1 p.m. on a Tuesday and out of nowhere, you are
slammed with an unbelievable number of members and guests. Your staff is well-trained, but such
unexpected numbers are overwhelming.
The tennis courts are swamped with players having to wait an extra long time to get on. There’s not enough
help in the pro shop, too few lifeguards for the outdoor pool,
and your front desk staff is struggling to handle the check-ins
and the concerns of members. Both members and staff are
stressed and conflicts and complaints begin to erupt.
Only a week ago on the same day of the week, the facility
operated wonderfully, with every member having plenty of
space and allowing your staff to perform without a hitch. So
how did this happen?
While your software provides member tracking, it does not
provide you with any warning of a possible spike in attendance. Like most facilities, your actual number of members
works well when attendance is distributed throughout the
week, but if a large percentage of members decides to come at
any one time, your facility will be overwhelmed.
With further analysis, there is a reason for this sudden increase in attendance; you just could not see it coming. In this
case a sudden heat wave hit your area. Members flocked to
the pool, which also increased the activity for your café. The
tennis backup was the result of players playing slower due to
the heat. League matches that normally would have taken an
hour and a half took two hours.
But this wasn’t the first time your attendance has suddenly spiked. A month ago on a Wednesday, there suddenly
was an enormous number of children coming to the club,
which overwhelmed the facility. In this case it was because
the school district had scheduled a teacher training day. As
it turns out, parents knew about this, but not you or your staff.
These two events may appear to be anomalies, but in fact,
they are par for the course. Can the software you use help
you predict these events? Probably not. Even though most of
today’s software has become quite sophisticated and is very
30 TennisIndustry
April 2016
accurate in tracking attendance and usage, it is not designed
to forecast the unexpected.
In fact, member tracking is a high priority for most facilities when they decide on which software to purchase. One
common method for tracking members is to use a membership card with a barcode that checks in the member and
displays their photo for the staff.
Programming ‘Event Tracking’
Whatever the system, the purpose is to track usage and understand the flow of the club. Statistically these are accurate
systems, as long as you are diligent about checking in every
member. But still, the software is not capable of forecasting
the weather or the scheduling of special school days. So again,
what is the solution?
It’s called “event tracking” and it can be programmed into
your personal management schedule. Event tracking begins
by recording spikes in attendance then associating them with
a cause. This cause is then entered into your programming
much like the way Microsoft Outlook provides you with a
calendar for scheduling. Alarms are placed on your calendar
that can connect with events that spike attendance.
For example, since your local weather is usually forecasted
days in advance, you can set up alarms to notify you of an
impending heat wave or storm. This is similar to the technology ski resorts use to forecast winter conditions. This same
type of warning system can be integrated into your software
to remind you of other events that take place in schools or the
community. As much as you would like to follow a pre-determined calendar, you will want to be reminded monthly, if not
weekly of any special events that impact children’s school attendance. Maybe it’s a parent/teacher day, or a special day off
for a school district—whatever it is, it can dramatically impact
your club’s attendance.
Even scheduled holidays can cause disruption in the attendance of classes. For example, if you do spin classes, normally
you’ll have plenty of bikes for early morning or evening
classes. On a holiday, members who would normally be at work
may suddenly want to attend a day class. Now you could have a
problem that can be difficult to handle.
If you have a child-care center, this area is very sensitive to
increased numbers. The last thing you want is to turn away
members because your child-care staff is outnumbered. Even
worse is having your staff try to handle too many children
at any one time. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Are you
aware of any events in your community that will impact the attendance in your child care? Is there an event that would close
day-care centers in your community resulting in members
having to bring their children with them to the club? These
questions can only be answered if you are able to keep in touch
with local schools and communities.
Tracking Exceptional Flow
So what makes event tracking so important, and what makes
it the next level of service for your membership? The obvious
answer is that it gives you the information you need to properly staff your facility. It also allows you to know how many
members can attend your facility given the amount of space
and equipment you have.
But here is inside knowledge that few facilities are willing
to let their public know: It gives you the ability to optimize
the number of members that your facility can accommodate.
Consider your parking, your shower usage, the size of the
classes you provide. Also consider the number of tennis courts
you have, or the size of your pool and, of course, the amount
of exercise equipment you provide. Given these numbers, if
you have optimized your membership count, you will have far
more members than any of these areas can accommodate. This
is why it is important to understand how to track not just the
normal flow of members, but the exceptional flow of members.
It’s at these times that your club accessibility is truly measured; the times when members most want to use the facility.
This is what makes event tracking so important.
Ask any member at what point is their membership most
valuable, and most will tell you it’s those times when they most
need it. Just think about this mindset. When is a gas station
most important to you? It’s always there, but when it’s not
available due to a sudden increase in demand and you really
need it, you’ll take your business elsewhere.
If you integrate event tracking into your system, you will be
able to properly forecast and adapt to these sudden spikes. Now
instead of a member being frustrated by the lack of space or
service, they feel more like they are part of a successful, wellorganized, popular operation, full of activity and excitement.•
Rod Heckelman is the general manager at Mount Tam Racquet
Club in Larkspur, Calif.
April 2016
TennisIndustry 31
Apparel
Trends That Make
Tenniswear Tick
From high fashion, to toned-down neon, to
greater use of tech fabrics, to better stretch and
mobility—and more—the trends continue to take
apparel from on court to off.
W
By Cynthia Sherman
e all know it: Women care about how
they look when playing tennis—and
about how those outfits can cross
over to other activities off the court.
Gone is the utilitarian look of single-sport-oriented clothing, as looks from the fashion runway
have filtered down to tennis and activewear, using color, style
and fabrication in unprecedented ways for tennis court, gym,
going out with friends afterward, then picking up the kids and
running errands.
Tennis clothing manufacturers realize this, as do fashion
brands that are looking to the sport for direction and inspiration themselves, and are capitalizing on form and function
with new looks, pleated skirts, polos and tennis warm-ups
in many collections, says Fila designer Francine Candiotti.
Textures, bright, bold colors and new cuts are the order of
the day.
The activewear category in the U.S. is big business—as of
last fall, it clocked in at around $35 billion, according to market research firm NPD Group, and it is still growing,.
To catch the eye of tennis consumers, apparel manufacturers are catching a number of new trends.
Remember the bright neon of just a few years ago? Now,
you’ll still see bright colors, but without the neon. Technical
fabrics have become the norm, not the exception, as players
want ventilation, moisture-wicking, and more from their
clothing. Stretch and mobility are key features, especially
with poly-lycra blends. With some manufacturers, there’s
a revival of white in tennis outfits, as the sport continues to
pursue a high fashion-tennis correlation. Also, lace is in. And
the tennis dress? Some apparel companies are saying women
32 TennisIndustry
April 2016
are now more apt to wear two, or three, pieces rather than
one.
Toning Down the Neon
Having gone through four seasons of neon colors, Bolle apparel designer Carlos Perez sees consumers doing neon “with
less acid, becoming more muted with less saturation of color,”
pointing to Serena Williams’ yellow outfit in the Australian
Open. Colors are toned down, but still have the same vibrancy
because people still want to stand out.
He sees a continuing trend toward brighter shades, but
without the neon element. And while fashion color leaders
such as Pantone may go with more blue-red, Perez will introduce yellow into the mix because, he says, “It goes better with
ladies’ skin tones.” Pink is still hot, but Perez says he tries to
make it fresh every season.
Since color plays such an important role, Fila also looks to
Pantone and fashion trend authority WGSN. Notable colors,
says Candiotti, are “clean whites and organic brights, like
warm blues and fire tones.”
Adidas has a team that ensures color palettes go with fashion trends and follow a certain “logic throughout the year,”
says Product Manager Reinhard Ebler. Adidas also highlights
the court colors of the different Grand Slams, since each
Grand Slam and season “has a ‘mood’ that can be translated
through color.” Neon colors don’t play a dominant role as
main color, and since the company and consumers are more
environmentally aware, Ebler adds, that attitude is reflected
in color selection.
Since Bolle does well with stripes, Perez tries to incorporate them in different ways—one way is using overlays of lace,
since that’s a hot trend right now. Combining bright colors in
the mix just adds to its appeal.
Perez also sees a revival of white in fashion outfits. By bringing retro, classy elements like mother of pearl buttons and satin
trim, white becomes a sought-after fashion statement. He also
thinks women can do more with tops and bottoms than with
dresses, so the trend is to wear two or three pieces, which allows more flexibility mixing jackets and vests.
Comfortable Fabrics
Men, says Candiotti, not only gravitate toward comfortable
fabrics, but also to style. “Men are especially drawn to vibrant
colors, and the trend now is fitted shorts and tops, with bold,
bright designs.”
For Fila, women’s collections focus on skirts, shorts and
racer-back tanks. New fabrications and trim—creating lighter,
more comfortable pieces, Candiotti notes—are appealing not
only to players but to fans, who seek to incorporate those looks
into their clothing arsenal.
Fila’s athletes provide valuable feedback about what works
and what’s comfortable, enabling Candiotti to develop better
designs each season. “It’s important that each collection have
its own identity,” and Candiotti likes to design lines that tell
different stories, but remain true to Fila’s brand philosophy.
Perez says he sees wearers demanding more stretch and mobility and tries to bring that concept forward at Bolle by using
a popular poly-lycra blend for functionality and performance.
He calls poly-lycra “bullet-proof, in that it never dies,” and says
Bolle is using a new woven poly-lycra fabric that has amazing
stretch. “Its light weight lends itself to more feminine design
lines, incorporating pleats and swirls,” he adds.
No longer are “technical” fabrics an aberration, but rather
a mainstay of tenniswear. Adidas’ polyester blends in knits
and wovens, and its ventilated mesh-like Climachill fabric, are
consistent elements in its lines, says Ebler. “Fabric newness is
a very important reason to buy products” where textures and
feel are important, he adds. “How you feel in your shirt affects
your performance and confidence on the court.”
Even with the crossover of fitness and sports-specific clothing, Ebler sees tenniswear as creations specific to tennis where
movements lend themselves to particular fabric combinations,
articulated fits, and cuts and styles.
Ebler also sees a strong correlation between the fashion
runway and tennis, with trends being showcased to a wide
audience. This high fashion-tennis correlation is highlighted
by Adidas’ Y-3 collection, produced by Japanese designer
Yamamoto, one of the first designers to cross the line between
high fashion and sportswear. Last year’s and this year’s French
Open outfits highlight this collaboration. Popular flower prints
became an iconic element of that Adidas look, as well as a fashion statement.
Adidas depends on its customers and athletes to let them
know what works and what doesn’t. “Analyzing likes and dislikes helps us shape future [designs] and enables us to come out
with a stronger direction,” Ebler says.
It’s important to know your customers and “give them what’s
in style and what they demand,” adds Bolle’s Perez. “When you
merge both, you give them the perfect outfit.”•
Bolle
Fila
Adidas
April 2016
TennisIndustry 33
Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards
Belle Meade Country Club
Nashville, Tenn.
Soft Touch
These outdoor facility winners are excellent
examples of soft-court construction.
T
here were only six outdoor tennis facilities
that took home honors in the Tennis Industry/American Sports Builders Association
for 2015, and three of those were exclusively
soft-court projects.
Once again, the majority of these winners are in Florida
(come on, the rest of the country!) and as it happens, all three
of these winning projects were done by Welch Tennis Courts
of Sun City, Fla., one of the world’s largest court builders.
In Nashville, Tenn., the Belle Meade Country Club
project consisted of building eight entirely new courts with
subsurface irrigation and complete with lights, fencing and
canopy for player comfort. Working directly with the owner
of the facility, the renovation used the existing granite base
material and was completed in April 2015.
The Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club in Palm
City, Fla., reconstructed six of its existing overhead irrigated
courts. The contractor demolished the courts, then regraded
the site and installed six new, subsurface irrigated courts,
with lights and new fencing—all ready for play in January
2015. The new courts, which use the existing limestone base,
drain into the surrounding landscape. The club itself installed
shrubs and complete landscaping around the tennis facility after the court renovation. Due to site restrictions, the contractor
had to access the site from a single point on the north battery,
and had to work from south to north to complete the project.
Another winning renovation, completed in October 2014,
took place at Sundial Resort on Sanibel Island, Fla., where six
courts were demolished and removed, the site regraded, then
six new subsurface-irrigated courts were built. The two court
batteries, using the existing limestone base, were completed in
phases. During the demolition, it was discovered that previous
contractors had abandoned the old fence post foundations. The
contractor removed two and sometimes three foundations at
each fence post location. Along with the new courts, new curbing and fencing were also installed.
In addition to these three winning facilities, the Life Time
Fitness Center in Centennial, Colo., also received Distinguished
Facility honors. The facility has four clay courts and six hard,
and will be featured in an upcoming issue on outdoor hardcourt winners. —Peter Francesconi
April 2016
TennisIndustry 35
Belle Meade Country Club
Nashville, Tenn.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc.)
No. of Courts: 8
Surface: Har-Tru Sports Hydroblend
Sub-Surface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts HydroGrid
Nets, Netposts: Welch Tennis Courts
Line Tape: Har-Tru Sports
Lights: LSI Industries Courtsider XL
ASBA Certified Builder: George Todd Jr.
Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club
Palm City, Fla.
No. of Courts: 6
Sub-Surface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts HydroGrid
Windscreens: Putterman Athletics
36 TennisIndustry
April 2016
Sundial Resort
Sanibel Island, Fla.
No. of Courts: 6
Sub-Surface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts
HydroGrid
Windscreens: Putterman Athletics
Tool for Court Builders: The Latest ‘Tennis Courts’ Manual
Want to build award-winning soft courts? Want to have the best soft courts possible at
your facility? One of the best tools you can have in your toolbox is the latest edition
of “Tennis Courts: A Construction & Maintenance Manual.” The eighth edition came
out last summer and has chapters specific to soft court construction in addition to key
maintenance and repair sections. To order a copy (in print or digital format), visit www.
sportsbuilders.org.
For details on the 2016 Outstanding Facility-of-the-Year Awards, contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA
or [email protected], or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.
April 2016
TennisIndustry 37
Tips and Techniques
Readers' Know-How in Action
Black and White
One of my stringing machines has
a black turntable. When stringing
with black string, it can sometimes be
difficult to see the main strings as
I am weaving the crosses. A simple
solution to this is to place a white
sheet of paper on the turntable, to
increase the contrast between the
string and the turntable, making it
much easier to weave those crosses!
5 sets of Head Sonic Pro Edge to:
Alexander Maroudis
Lexington, KY
Seating new bumper guards
When doing a bumper guard
replacement, I like to make sure
the grommets get totally seated by
taking my needle-nose pliers and
pushing firmly along the bumper
guard strip. It gives the grommets
an extra nudge to get through the
38 TennisIndustry
April 2016
frame properly.
5 sets of Luxilon Savage White 127 to:
Terry Boyle
Highlands Ranch, CO
Editor’s note: An offsetting awl can be
handy for this task, too.
Machine cleaner
I just tried a gun CPL
(Cleaner, Preservative
and Lubricant) called
Gunzilla. It comes in a
pump sprayer, leaves
little or no residue, and
has no odor to speak of.
I use it to clean stringing machine tracks and
clamp bases. I used to
use Hoppe’s No. 9 Black
Powder Solvent, but it
tends to smell up the
whole workshop and
leaves sticky residue
after it dries. Gunzilla is
available from Amazon for $10.95 for
1.9 fluid ounces.
5 sets of Babolat M7 to:
Albert Lee, MRT
Potomac, MD
Wandering grommets
It is standard practice to check the
grommets while examining the racquet
before stringing, but often this examination takes place with the old strings
still installed. I recommend doing the
pre-stringing inspection immediately
after removing the strings, for two
reasons.
First, sometimes when removing the
old strings, parts of the grommet kit
can come out and be discarded with the
old strings, especially the throat pieces.
If you wait to cut out the old strings
until just before you restring each
racquet, any grommet pieces that separate from the frame are fairly easily
recovered, but if you cut out the strings
well in advance of restringing, there’s
always that chance that a vital piece
will be tossed out with the trash.
The other reason I wait to do my
pre-stringing inspection is that, with
the strings out, it is often easier to tell
how filthy the inside of the hoop is,
which gives me the opportunity to
do a little cleanup before getting the
frame mounted on the machine and
ready to go.
5 sets of Pacific Poly Power Comp to:
Alan Yoshida
Silverlake, CA
Editor’s note: We recommend always
doing a pre-check both before and after
removing the strings whenever possible
for reasons stated above, but also for
the fact that many other things may be
more or less visible when the racquet is
either strung or unstrung. Many hairline cracks may be invisible until pressure is released when the strings are cut
out, then they become very apparent.
The opposite can also happen, where
a crack is visible while strung but then
almost disappears when the strings
are cut, so it is always good practice to
check it twice.
Odor eater
I have a couple of customers who apparently don’t wash their hands after
drenching themselves in cologne,
and as a result the porous grips of
their racquet absorb the scent. When
they drop off their racquets for ser-
vice, that scent permeates the shop.
The best way I’ve found to mitigate
this is to wrap each handle in plastic
food wrap as soon as possible. I use
the Kirkland Signature Stretch-Tite
from Costco, which is available with
a dispenser so I don’t have to wrestle
with the wrap while getting it in place.
I remove the wrap before bagging
the racquet and returning it to the
customer.
5 sets of Head Sonic Pro to:
Tom Marcellus
Newport Beach, CA
—Greg Raven •
Tips and Techniques submitted since
1992 by USRSA members and appearing in this column have all been
gathered into a searchable database
on www.racquettech.com, the official
member only website of the USRSA.
Submit tips to: Greg Raven, USRSA,
PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 or
email [email protected].
April 2016
TennisIndustry 39
Your Serve
Finding My Tennis ‘Angel’
A tennis pro’s unwavering support on and off the court
helps a high school player make the cut in life.
By Annie Beier
I
f you’ve heard the name of my
tennis pro, it’s probably because
he and his brother set a tennis
world record. But that’s not how I think
of him. To me, he’s a person who has
influenced my life in so many significant ways.
He’s helped me through hard times.
He’s inspired me to never give up. He’s
made a larger impact on my life than
anyone else in my tennis career. I know
he cares about more than just my tennis; he cares about me as a person. And
I can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me.
Five minutes after meeting him, I
knew he was going to be the best pro I’d
ever have. He was happy, enthusiastic,
kind, honest, helpful and caring—and
a wonderful instructor. His teaching
style was perfect for me. After a couple
of lessons, my mom booked a weekly
lesson with him for the year.
I would always look forward to my
time working with him and improving
my game. I played tennis a lot throughout the week, but my favorite time was
always his lesson. He always knew how
to fix any problem I was having, and I
could see myself improving.
As the year continued, I started to
get nervous about my high school tennis team tryouts in the spring. Only 14
girls would make the team, and I was
up against tough competition. It was
all I could think about. I’m a pretty
analytical person, and every way I
looked at it, I just couldn’t see myself
making the cut. I had been playing
tennis ever since I could remember,
and loved everything about the sport.
40 TennisIndustry
April 2016
And I was nervous beyond belief.
Then, disaster. We had a bad winter
storm, and the roof of the indoor tennis
club I played at collapsed under the
snow. Thankfully no one was in the club
at the time, but we all scrambled to find
new indoor places to play.
While trying out a new clinic, the new
pro kept telling me I wasn’t hitting the
ball correctly and would need to change
my strokes. I barely made it through
the session without bursting into tears.
Tryouts were in a few weeks, and I knew
I’d never be able to change by then. I
was so upset and depressed that I just
didn’t want to play tennis anymore.
I was scheduled to have my lesson
with my regular coach the next day,
and I just didn’t want to go. I wanted
to be done with it all. But I reluctantly
decided I couldn’t give up now. Maybe
he’d have a quick fix for me.
And as soon as I saw him, I knew he’d
be able to make me feel better. After
only an hour on the court with him, I
was no longer discouraged and found
new confidence. He told me to go home
and write 100 times, “I will make the
high school team,” and to also write a
press release about tryout results with
me making the team. “You have to
believe you can do it,” he told me. I did
what he said, although inside, I still had
doubts. I met with him the next week,
a week before tryouts, and he told me
again to believe in myself, that I could
do it.
And you know, he was right—I could
do it. That Friday, I found out I had
made the team. I was so excited that all
of the hard work had paid off.
When I called my coach that night,
he was as excited and as emotional as I
was. He kept telling me how good of a
job I did. The fact that me making my
high school team was so important to
him is what makes him such an important person to me. I cried as we spoke
on the phone, because he has had such
a huge impact on my life.
A few weeks later, I saw a blog he
had written. Without using my name,
it was about my experience. He had
a photo of the “I will make the high
school team” lines I wrote out. He
wrote what it meant to him as a pro
to be able to help me through this
life-changing experience. This most
amazing pro just got even better.
I continued playing my best tennis, motivated by his kind words and
support. I had a great first season as
a freshman, made wonderful new
friends, and have never forgotten
how I got to where I now am. He gets
so much credit for the player—for
the person—I’ve become that I can’t
thank him enough. Anyone who has an
“angel” as great as mine in their life is a
truly lucky person.•
Annie Beier is now a sophomore at Brown University
studying biomedical engineering and a recreational
tennis player. She played
four season on her high
school team, highlighted by
reaching the semifinals of
the state doubles tournament.
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to [email protected].

March 2016 / Volume 44/ Number 4

Transcription

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