201211 Racquet Sports Industry

November/December 2012Volume 40 Number 10 $5.00www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Healthy Business!Cardio Tennis Continues To Grow, BenefitingConsumers and Providers

Tim Heckler:USPTA’s Driving Force

The Changing Pro Shop

NTC's IndoorTraining Center

Healthy Business!Cardio Tennis Continues To Grow, BenefitingConsumers and Providers

Tim Heckler:USPTA’s Driving Force

The Changing Pro Shop

NTC's IndoorTraining Center

FashionFor Spring

SPIN CONTROL

COMFORT Zo Dart

~ fti ~ ~

'-------------" GAmmA. GAmmA.

I

Zo Verve

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DEPARTMENTS

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INDUSTRY NEWS

7 USPTA names John Embree as new CEO

7 Task force to look into single teaching pro group

8 Hingis, Stich among Hall of Fame nominees

8 ASBA Tech Meeting in Orlando

9 Gamma introduces new RZR Bubba frame

9 7 facilities gain USTA honors9 PTR, Norwegian

Federation sign deal

11 Antigua tennis announces2013 apparel line

11 Racquet Art to distribute Ardor strings

13 SGMA launches rebranding plan

14 Dunlop announces 2013 racquet range

16 USPTA recognizes leaders in tennis

4 Our Serve7 Industry News15 Community Tennis17 Tennis Retailers19 TIA News

21 Retailing Tip22 Tennis & Health30 Pioneers in Tennis40 Ask the Experts42 String Playtest: Gamma Zo Dart 1744 Your Serve, by Jon Vegosen

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/December 2012 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

FEATURES

24 Healthy Tennis With 1.3 million participants after justseven years, Cardio Tennis continues toimprove and grow—benefiting con-sumers and providers.

28 New Fashions Spring to the Net!Colors, styles and patterns make theirmarks in playable soft fabrications thatare tough on the court and kind on thebody.

30 A Driving ForceAfter 30 years at the helm of theUSPTA, Tim Heckler’s departure leavessome impressive tennis shoes to fill.

34 Pro Actions Tennis Hall-of-Famer Gigi Fernandezbrings her talents to bear on a newstate-of-the-art facility in Connecticut.

36 Shopping CentersTennis facility pro shops are having tochange with the times, and it’s the con-sumer who is determining the direction.

38 The Inside StoryThanks in large part to the vision of for-mer USTA President Alan Schwartz, theNTC’s Indoor Training Center is a year-round boon for tennis.

ContentsContents

Our Serve(Incorporating Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry)

PublishersDavid Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial DirectorPeter Francesconi

[email protected]

Associate EditorGreg Raven

Design/Art DirectorKristine Thom

Contributing EditorsRobin BatemanCynthia CantrellJoe DinofferKent OswaldBob Patterson

Cynthia ShermanMary Helen Sprecher

Tim Strawn

RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRYCorporate Offices

PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-1171

Email: [email protected]: www.racquetTECH.com

Office Hours: Mon.-Fri.,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Time

Advertising DirectorJohn Hanna

770-650-1102, [email protected]

Apparel AdvertisingCynthia Sherman203-263-5243

[email protected]

Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times peryear: monthly January through August and combinedissues in September/October and November/December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO Box 3392,Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage paid atDuluth, GA and at additional mailing offices (USPS#004-354). Nov/Dec 2012, Volume 40, Number 10 ©2012 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All rightsreserved. Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo aretrademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Phoneadvertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulationand editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly subscriptions$25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to Racquet Sports Industry, PO Box3392, Duluth, GA 3009.

RSI is the official magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA

www.racquetsportsindustry.com

Common Goals

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/December 2012

At the TIA Tennis Forum, held in New York City justbefore the US Open, TIA President Jon Muir present-ed a slide to the 300-plus industry leaders, teaching

pros, manufacturers, retailers and others in the room thatsaid the TIA will be working with the USPTA and PTR toform a task force to look into forming a more unified teach-ing pro network “that can strengthen the position, econom-ic growth, and industry impact overall for coaches andtennis professionals, as one organization.”

Finally, someone decided to put aside politics and say publicly what many inthis industry have been thinking and talking about privately for years: Let’s gettogether and look into how we may be able to have one unified teaching pro orga-nization. A single organization has been the elephant in the room for decades.Politically, all of us in this industry, myself and RSI included, have tended to treada fine line, not taking a stand publicly one way or another.

But let’s open our minds for minute. For teaching pros and coaches, a unifiedorganization may well provide them with the credibility they deserve for the hardwork and dedication they put in. It can provide a clear pathway to education andcertification that is understandable by the public and that this entire industry canendorse and promote.

For consumers and recreational players … I don’t think most know enoughabout each of the two teaching organizations to really care. Worse, though, twoseparate entities probably are confusing to most players (and especially to begin-ners), who can’t make sense of different terminologies, methods and defini-tions—and can’t figure out which is “better.”

From a manufacturers’ and organizations’ point of view, there are a lot ofadvantages to dealing with and supporting one, rather than two, teaching progroups. In fact, here’s a direct comparison: In 2003, manufacturers were support-ing two industry magazines: Racquet Tech (the publication of the USRSA) andTennis Industry. At the urging of the major manufacturers and others in theindustry, we merged to form Racquet Sports Industry. Manufacturers continuedtheir reach into the industry audience, but with greatly reduced costs; we bene-fited from pooling our resources. It was the right thing to do and formed astronger publication all around.

The USTA has shown great restraint in not stepping in years ago and—likeevery other country in the world—certifying pros on their own and running ateaching pro organization. I’m sure from a USTA viewpoint, they’re thinkingabout how much further along important initiatives would be if there weren’t theconfusion, entanglements and duplicate efforts of different organizations lookingfor their slices of the pie.

Muir said the goal of the Task Force is to have recommendations for nextsteps by the end of this year, adding, “This is a great opportunity for us to initiatesomething that can be very positive for the industry and strengthen the deliverysystem.” It’s time now for healthy, constructive, politics-free conversations.

Peter FrancesconiEditorial Director

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSI N F O R M A T I O N T O H E L P Y O U R U N Y O U R B U S I N E S S

Task Force to LookInto Single TeachingPro GroupTIA President Jon Muir said theTIA will work with the USPTAand PTR to form a task forcethat will look into the possibilityof creating a single, unified ten-nis teaching professional organi-zation.

Muir made the announcement tomore than 300 tennis providers,teaching pros, coaches, facilitymanagers, retailers, media andindustry supporters at the TIATennis Forum in New York justbefore the US Open, which waspart of The Tennis Show (seepage 20).

“The goal with a single organi-zation would be to strengthenthe position, economic growthand industry impact overall forcoaches and tennis pros,” Muirsaid. “It’s a great opportunity forus to initiate something that canbe very positive for the industryand strengthen the delivery system.”

Muir acknowledged that talk ofa unified tennis teaching progroup tends to be “politicallycharged,” but he said, “There’sno secret agenda here. It’s abouthaving a stronger teaching prosegment. It’s a critical deliverysystem for our sport and con-sumers.”

Initial talks took place during theUS Open. By the end of 2012,Muir said, he hopes a task forcecan “deliver a clear recommen-dation for next steps. We reallywant to lay out a simple processof engagement with both organ-izations. It’s purely exploratory tosay, let’s sit and talk.”

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Industry Veteran John Embree NamedAs New CEO/Executive Director for USPTA

Industry veteran John Embree is the new CEO/Executive Director of the U.S. Professional Ten-nis Association. Embree will take the administrative reigns from Tim Heckler, who will retireat the end of the year, after 30 years in the position (see page 30).After interviewing several candidates in conjunction with the search firm

GSI Executive Search Inc., the USPTA Search Committee offered the posi-tion to Embree. The contract was ratified by the USPTA Executive Commit-tee in late August.“I began my tennis odyssey during college as a teaching professional in

Virginia. After more than three decades of working in the sport that I beganplaying at 6 years old, my career has come full circle, back to my foundationas a grassroots advocate. I am thrilled to have been chosen to help lead theUSPTA in the years to come,” said Embree.“We are pleased to welcome John into the USPTA family. His vast tennis

industry expertise, contacts, and company management skills will serve theUSPTA well,” said USPTA President Tom Daglis.Embree has held a variety of tennis industry roles, including serving as

president of Prince Sports, The Americas; president of Balle de Match; and vice president/generalmanager, Racquet Sports Division for Wilson Sporting Goods. Most recently, he launched a tennisconsulting practice. His client list included the USTA, Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Peter Bur-wash International, Off the Grid Technologies, and Donnay USA.Embree has served on many national USTA Committees, including the USTA Nominating Com-

mittee in 2005-2006 and currently as the vice chair of USTA Professional Circuits Committee. Inaddition, he recently served as presidential appointee of the Board of Directors of USTA MiddleStates section, is a past member of TIA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, member ofthe Board of Directors of American College of Sports Medicine Foundation, and past president ofthe Chicago Tennis Patrons Foundation. He says one of his proudest achievements in tennis was the creation of the USTA Adult League

Tennis program in 1980, when he served as the first USTA Adult League Tennis Administrator fortwo years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA, andwas inducted into the W&L Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

November/December 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7www.racquetsportsindustry.com

USTA Announces Slate for 2013-2014 Board of Directors

The USTA nominating committee announced the following slate of officers andboard members for the 2013-2014 term.Officers—President: David A. Haggerty, USTA Middle States; First Vice Presi-

dent: Katrina M. Adams, USTA Eastern; Vice President: Thomas S. Ho, USTA Texas;Vice President: Donald L. Tisdel, USTA Pacific Northwest; Secretary-Treasurer: PatrickJ. Galbraith, USTA Pacific Northwest.

Directors at Large: Alexander Boyd Andrews IV, USTA Southern; Joan E. Baker, USTA Northern;Raymond Benton, USTA Mid Atlantic; Mark D. Ein, USTA Mid-Atlantic; Andrew A. Valdez, USTAIntermountain; Jeff Williams, USTA Eastern; Todd Martin, Elite Athlete, USTA Florida; Chanda R.Rubin, Elite Athlete, USTA Southern; Brian Vahaly, Elite Athlete, USTA Mid-Atlantic

ASBA Technical Meeting Nov. 30-Dec.4

The American Sports Builders Association Technical Meetingand Trade Show will be in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 30-Dec. 4, atthe Doubletree Hotel at Universal Orlando.The agenda includes presentations that relate to tennis,

track, field and indoor construction. Tennis topics include fencing and custom fencedesign, asphalt installation practices, acrylic cushion systems, dealing with club com-mittees, and a tennis roundtable. There also will be a preparation course for the Certi-fied Tennis Court Builder exam. The keynote speaker will be Steve Gilliland.For more information, visit www.sportsbuilders.org.

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Hingis, Stich Among Nominees for Hall of Fame

Martina Hingis, a former world No. 1 and the winner of five Grand Slam tournament sin-gles titles; the 1991 Wimbledon champion and former world No. 2 Michael Stich; and

the great Czech doubles player Helena Sukova, winner of 14 Grand Slam titles in doublesand mixed doubles, are among the Recent Player nominees for induction into the Inter-national Tennis Hall of Fame. In the Master Player Category, Thelma Coyne Long of Australia, who captured 19 Grand

Slam titles between the 1930s and 1950s, has been nominated. Additionally, three indi-viduals have been nominated in the Contributor Category: ESPN's longtime tennis broad-caster Cliff Drysdale, tennis promoter and industry leader Charlie Pasarell, and Ion Tiriac,the Romanian tennis player turned influential player manager and tournament promoter.Voting for the 2013 ballot will take place over the next several months. The Induction

Ceremony will be July 13, 2013, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

Novacrylic Ultracushion Selected for Fed Cup Final

The Novacrylic Ultracushion system manufactured by Nova Sports USA of Milford, Mass.,has been selected for November’s 2012 Fed Cup final between the Czech Republic andSerbia. The Fed Cup defending champions Czech Republic will host the event at Prague’s17,000-seat O2 Arena. The championship match will be played on an ITF classified category 4 cushion system

consisting of five blended EPDM/acrylic rubber coats followed by two coats of the Combi-nation Surface color coating system. Prague’s O2 Arena is the third Davis/Fed Cup venuein 2012 to be played on a Novacrylic brand surfacing system. For more information, con-tact [email protected].

USPTA to Offer PlayDev Workshop

The USPTA will hold its PlayerDevelopment Conference inNaples, Fla., Dec. 7-9, with thetheme, “The Spanish Way to Devel-op Players.” Featured speakers atthe event will include Emilio Sanch-es Vicario, Luis Mediero and DerekTouchette.Visit www.uspta.com to view the

complete course schedule. Formore details and to regiser, visitwww.sanchez-casal.com, call 239-641-0010 or email [email protected].

High School Tennis Still aTop 10 Sport, Says NFHS

Tennis has long been popular amonghigh school students, and this yearlooks to be no exception. According toa survey conducted by the NationalFederation of State High School Asso-ciations (NFHS), which tracks sportsparticipation at the high school level,tennis remains in the top 10 for bothboys and girls.Each year for more than two

decades, the survey (which reflects theprevious school year; in this case, the2011-2012 academic period) hasshown more kids overall playingsports than the previous year. Thisyear is no different, with another all-time high of 7,692,520.Tennis is the eighth most popular

boys' sport in terms of player num-bers, with 159,800 players. Amonggirls, it is the seventh most popularsport, with 180,870 players.Overall, tennis showed a decline

over some previous years (in 2009-2010, for example, there were162,755 boys playing, and 182,395girls). Team tennis, however, grew; in2011-2012, there were 36,160 boys,and 37,223 girls, as compared to the2009-2010 totals of 28,904 boys and30,818 girls.The full survey, including interac-

tive participation results, is availablefree of charge at www.nfhs.org (clickon "Participation Data").

Dynamite String ‘Family’ Allows Customized Play

Ashaway Racket Strings says the range of characteristics available in its Dynamite fam-ily of Zyex-based tennis strings allows players to customize the response of their rac-

quets to maximize performance. The multifilament Zyex cores balance toughness,touch and tension holding, says the company, while the various core packages andgauges allow players to fine-tune power and durability.At 1.15 mm (18-gauge), Dynamite 18 Soft is one of the thinnest strings on the mar-

ket, and is designed to provide a softer feel yet still generate power and an optimumability to spin the ball. Utilizing a special multi-stranded monofilament construction thatincreases power and toughness, the 16-gauge (1.30 mm) Dynamite 16 Tough isdesigned to provide power and ball control for players who hit the ball hard and tendto break strings. The middle member of the fam-ily, 1.25 mm (17-gauge) Dynamite 17 Natural,has been engineered to optimize power andresilience, while providing a softer, more naturalgut-like string bed with a crisper feel and thepower to hit deep fast shots. Visit www.ashaway.com.


I N D U S T R Y N E W S

USPTA Provides Logo Program for Members

The USPTA has a logo program for all professional-levelmembers in good standing, which will provide accessto the USPTA certified professional logo. The goal is to helpmembers promote themselves as a USPTA professional, promotetheir events and build the USPTA brand. Once the logo agreement is signed, members have access to

the logo in various formats and sizes to use in many ways.Members are encouraged to use the logos on email signatures, promotional fliers fortheir club/facility, to promote their tennis programs, on social media platforms, suchas their Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages, etc.To access the logo program for USPTA members, go to http://documents.uspta

.com or the member login page, sign in and click on the My Membership tab and thenon membership documents. The link to the certified member logos is at the bottomof the page. If a member is current on dues and is also a Master Professional or Tester,he/she will gain access to those logos as well.

PTR, Norwegian Federation Sign Partnership

During Wimbledon, representatives of PTR and the Norwegian Tennis Federation(NTF) signed a two-year partnership agreement in which PTR will provide educa-

tional services and all full-time tenniscoaches in Norway will become mem-bers of PTR. “At the Norwegian TennisFederation, we see our partnership withPTR as another indication of our resolveto improving tennis in Norway,” saidErik Solberg, NTF Vice President. A goalof PTR President Jorge Andrew is toexpand PTR’s role internationally. Inphoto are, from left, Solberg; OivindSorvald, NTF Director of Sports;Andrew; and Dan Santorum, PTR CEO.

Gamma Introduces NewRZR Bubba Frame

Gamma Sports has introduced thenew RZR Bubba super-oversize rac-

quet, with a 137-square-inch head andfeaturing “RZR AdvancedAerodynamics.”

The company says thenew frame has thelargest sweetspot of anylegal racquet in the game,providing outstandingpower and fewer mis-hits.

Gamma says RZR AdvancedAerodynamics is the set ofunique design characteristicsthat allow the Bubba racquet tochannel and displace air, allowingmore acceleration and speed inthe natural swing, minimizingdrag, making the racquet easy toswing on any shot from any angle.

The RZR Bubba weighs 9.6 ouncesunstrung and is 29 inches long. Sug-gested retail price is $219.99. Visitwww.GammaSports.com.

USTA Honors 7 Facilities With ‘Outstanding’ Awards

The USTA announced seven winners of its 31st annual USTA Facility Awards Pro-gram, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennisfacilities. Each facility was honored at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting in New YorkCity on Sept. 2. The 2012 winners are:w Public Courts: Large Tennis Centers (11 or more courts): The Courts at Gabe NesbittCommunity Park – McKinney, Texas

w Educational Institution: Wake Forest Tennis Complex – Winston-Salem, N.C.w Private Facilities: Charlotte Country Club – Charlotte, N.C.; Ellis Tennis Center – ElPaso, Texas; Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort – Tucson, Ariz.;Sea Colony Resort – Bethany Beach, Del.; The Haig Point Club – Daufuskie Island,S.C.To be considered for an award, facilities must be under the jurisdiction of a parks

and recreation department, an educational institution, a non-profit corporation, orprivate or commercially-owned and operated facilities that offer both USTA and pub-lic programming designed to grow tennis.Facilities were judged on the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to

site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodationsfor players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics (including the use ofsigns and landscaping); amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food servicesand social areas; and the facilities’ participation in USTA programs.

US Open Reaches Millionsof Fans Worldwide

Despite rain moving both the men’sand women’s US Open finals back a

day, television viewership of the three-set women’s singles final featuring Ser-ena Williams defeating VictoriaAzarenka on CBS Sports was the high-est since 2002, with 17.7 million view-ers watching all or part of the match,says the USTA.The men’s five-set match in which

Andy Murray captured his first GrandSlam victory by defeating NovakDjokovic was seen by 16.2 millionviewers on CBS Sports, the most view-ers to watch a men’s singles final since2007. The tournament was broadcastin 180 countries.Also, total attendance at the Open

was 710,803, the fifth time it’s beenabove 700,000 for the two weeks of thetournament. The official website,USOpen.org, generated more than 325million page views and was accessedby more than 11.7 million visitorsworldwide.


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• Rob Scott is the new executive director of the USTA Intermountain Sec-tion.

• At the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting held during the US Open, BarbaraLawrence of Toledo, Ohio, was honored with the USTA Service Bowl Award,and Andre Agassi of Las Vegas received the USTA President’s Award.

• Head has reorganized responsibilities within the company and will mergethe Customer Service and Communications areas. Allison Barnett willbecome Customer Service and Communications Manager and will overseethe daily operations of both areas.

• Ray Moore has been named CEO of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden andthe BNP Paribas Open. Moore has been involved with the event for 25 yearsas a former owner and managing partner. He’ll report to owner Larry Ellison.

• Ralph Shaw is the new Dunlop territory manager for the Southwest. He’llhandle racquet sports accounts throughout Arizona, New Mexico, West Texasand Southern Nevada. Also, Kit Rohm and Vicky Franz are new Dunlop terri-tory managers for Southern California.

• Former USTA President Mervin A. Heller Jr. died Aug. 22, following a pro-longed illness. He was 65.

• U.S. Navy Capt. Steve Kappes (ret.) of San Diego, a member of the USTA’sCommunity Tennis Association Committee, received the Navy Region South-west Fleet, Fighter, Family Champion Award in a ceremony aboard the USSMidway on Oct. 13. The award recognizes individuals and organizations thatare providing outstanding support to the fleet, sailors and their families.Kappes has been instrumental in the USTA’s tennis-related military outreachefforts.

• Andy Murray became the first British man since FredPerry in 1936 to win a Grand Slam singles title, beat-ing fellow Head player Novak Djokovic in the 4-hour,54-minute US Open final in five sets. Murray playswith the YouTek IG Radical Pro, and Djokovic uses theYouTek IG Speed MP.

• Serena Williams beat fellow Wilson player and world no. 1 VictoriaAzarenka in the US Open women’s singles final in three sets. Williams, whohas 15 Grand Slam titles, uses the Blade Team racquet, and Azarenka theJuice 100.

• American Samantha Crawford of Atlanta captured the 2012 US OpenGirls’ Junior Championship with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over No. 12 seed AnettKontaveit of Estonia. Crawford, who currently trains at the USTA NationalTraining Center in Boca Raton, Fla., is the second consecutive American towin the US Open Junior Girls’ title, and the third in the past five years.

• Head Penn Racquet Sports signed a long-term sponsorship contract withNick Montalbano, an up and coming star on the men’s professional racquet-ball circuit. A New York native currently attending college at Colorado StateUniversity–Pueblo, Montalbano finished the 2011-2012 season on the Inter-national Racquetball Tour (IRT) ranked No. 33.

• Leo Alonso of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been appointed to the PTR’sBoard of Directors.�Alonso, a PTR Master Professional, has been a member ofthe organization for more than 30 years, and has served as the Official Rep-resentative for PTR in Argentina since 1995.

• General Ann E. Dunwoody, alumna of the State University of New York atCortland Class of 1975, received the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s high-est honor—the 2012 ITA Achievement Award. The award honors past partic-ipants in the world of varsity tennis who have achieved excellence in theirchosen careers.

• Kaitlin Flaherty is the new assistant director of the PTM program atMethodist University, working for director Tom Daglis. Flaherty is completingher MBA degree at Methodist, was a former student associationpresident for PTM and played No. 1 on the women’s team.

• South African native Steve Host, PTR, and a USTA HighPerformance Coach, is the new director of competitive tennisat the Midland Community Tennis Center in Midland, Mich.

• Former University of Tennessee Head Women’s BasketballCoach Pat Summitt received the Billie Jean King Legacy Award, which hon-ors individuals whose outstanding courage and contributions have helped tochange the global cultural landscape. At its 2012 USTA ICON Awards, theassociation posthumously honored 2012 International Tennis Hall of Fameinductee and wheelchair tennis pioneer Randy Snow and former USTA CEOand pioneer of the Diversity and Inclusion Department at the USTA, the lateLee Hamilton.

• Bob and Mike Bryan and Samantha Stosur have received the first-ever USOpen Sportsmanship Awards, presented to the male and female professionaltennis players who best demonstrate excellence in sportsmanship through-out the Emirates Airline US Open Series and the US Open.

• Dorothy Watman Levine Kohl of Palm Beach, Fla., (formerly of Chicagoand Milwaukee), one of the top U.S. women players in the 1950s, will beinducted into the 2012 USTA Midwest Section Hall of Fame on Dec. 1 inIndianapolis.

• Dennis Rossi, owner of American Tennis Courts in Baltimore and a formerASBA board member, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 30.

• Dennis Novikov, of San Jose, Calif., swept the USTA Boys’ 18s NationalChampionships singles and doubles titles, and Victoria Duval, of Bradenton,Fla., won the singles title at the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships inAugust, earning wild card entries into the main draws of the 2012 US Open.

• Oren Motevassel of Sunnyvale, Calif., won the men’s open title at theUSPTA International Championships in September in Monterey, Calif. He alsowon the Men’s 40 singles title.

• Players for the sixth annual BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison SquareGarden, on March 4, will be World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, Wimbledon cham-pion and Olympic gold medalist Serena Williams, Olympic bronze medalistJuan Martin del Potro, and 11-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

PEOPLEWATCH

November/Decemberr 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11



Antigua Tennis Announces 2013 Apparel Line

The Antigua Group Inc., known in the golf apparel, sports licensingand casual wear business for over 30 years, has launched its 2013line of men’s and women's tennis apparel, in three collections: Per-formance, Essentials and Outerwear. Contemporary styling andhigh-tech performance feature prominently, with Antigua's Desert

Dry and Desert Dry Xtra Lite (D2XL) technical fabrics, thecompany says.

“Choosing stylish colors and designing contemporarypieces that match well is important with any women'stennis line,” says Ron McPherson, president and CEOof Antigua Group. “But the apparel must also stand upto competitive use. Our new women's line not onlydoes that, but our proprietary fabrics can help yourtennis game by keeping players dry and cool.”The Performance collection for women consists of

seven items, ranging from polos to skorts to jackets.Most come in at least five color options. The Essentialscollection is made up of eight different tops, some avail-able in as many as 22 colors. The Outerwear collectionhas four tops, including hoodies, half-zip fleeces andlong-sleeve full-zip jackets. Some are available in asmany as 26 colors.Antigua, which was the official apparel of the 2012

Family Circle Cup, also offers a custom embroideredlogo program. Visit www.antigua.com for more information.

Hall of Fame Names New Board and Officers

Corporate leaders, a tennis industry veteran, and a former WTA star areamong the eight individuals who have been elected to the Board of

Directors of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. The newboard members were announced at the Hall of Fame's Annual Meeting inNew York City in early September. The newly elected board members are Jim Citrin, senior partner at the

global executive search firm of Spencer Stuart; Marianne Gaige, president& CEO of Cathedral Corporation; Jim Goldman, president & CEO of GodivaChocolatier; David A. Haggerty, current first vice president of the USTA,incoming president of the USTA, and former chairman of Head USA; BobJeffrey, chairman and CEO of JWT Worldwide; Stephen Lewinstein, ownerof the real estate investment and development firm of Stephen R. Lewin-stein Associates and part owner of the Boston Celtics; Betsy Nagelsen-McCormack, a former top-25 player on the WTA Tour, and wife of the lateMark McCormack; and Mark J. Panarese, managing director of RockefellerFinancial."Our new board members bring a variety of expertise and talents to the

organization and their active participation will be very helpful in our effortsto preserve the history of tennis and to provide a premier landmark for ten-nis fans, while honoring the game's greatest champions and most influen-tial contributors to the game of tennis," said Christopher E. Clouser,chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.In addition to the new members of the Board of Directors, the following

officers were elected for two-year terms: Christopher E. Clouser as chair-man, Mark L. Stenning as chief executive officer, Stan Smith as president,Donald L. Dell as vice chairman, Barbara A. Georgescu as vice chairman,Nancy von Auersperg as treasurer, and Peggy H. Woolard as secretary.

Racquet Art to Distribute Ardor Sports Strings in the U.S.

Racquet Art, which manufactures custom racquet stencilsas well as premium stencil inks in both solvent- and

water-based formulas, will be the exclusive distributor ofArdor Sports (ardorsports.com) products in the U.S. ArdorSports makes tennis strings.“We are excited to now be in a position to provide the

tennis industry in the U.S.with an exceptional product ata fair price,” says MichaelWaroff, owner of Racquet Art.Ardor Sports offers stringsranging from synthetic gut infour colors to its “Twisted 5”co-poly. Racquet Art will mar-ket the strings to retailers, pro-shops, coaches and stringers.In related news, Klip

Europe will be the exclusive European distributor of RacquetArt products, which allow players to customize their rac-quets with creative stencils, ranging from their initials to var-ious designs, and include 10 ink colors.For more information, visit racquetart.com or email

[email protected].

Collegiate All-Star Team Members Picked

The 29th ITA Collegiate All-Star Team includes thenation's top-ranked men's and women's playersfrom the year-end Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rank-ings, as well as winners of the 2011 USTA/ITA NationalIndoor Intercollegiate Championships and 2012NCAA Division I Championships.w NCAA Div. I Singles—Men: Steve Johnson - University ofSouthern California, Mitchell Frank - University of Virginia,Eric Quigley - University of Kentucky; Women: NicoleGibbs - Stanford University, Marta Lesniak - SouthernMethodist University, Beatrice Capra - Duke University

w NCAA Div. I Doubles—Men: Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola -Ohio State, Steve Johnson/Roberto Quiroz - University ofSouthern California, Raony Carvalho/Gonzalo Escobar -Texas Tech University; Women: Nicole Gibbs/Mallory Bur-dette - Stanford University, Kaitlyn Christian/Sabrina San-tamaria - University of Southern California, SofieOyen/Allie Will - University of Florida

w NCAA Div. II—Men: Georgi Rumenov - Armstrong AtlanticState University; Women: Annie Hwang - Brigham YoungUniversity-Hawaii

w NCAA Div. III—Men: Dillon Pottish - Emory University;Women: Gabrielle Clark - Emory University

w NAIA—Men: Bruno Tiberti - Oklahoma Christian Universi-ty; Women: Ana Veselinovic- University of Auburn-Mont-gomery

w NJCAA—Men: Memford Owusu - Georgia Perimeter Col-lege; Women: Kerrie Cartwright -Tyler Junior College

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12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/Deember 2012 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

> USTA Player Development has released 10and Under Tennis Competency videos to pro-vide coaches, players and parents with asource on fundamental guidelines and skillproficiencies that young players should learnprior to progressing from one play format tothe next. The videos can be found in the“about USTA,” “player development” area ofUSTA.com.

> Spain knocked the U.S. out of the 2012Davis Cup with a 3-1 semifinal win in mid-September on a red clay court in Gijon, Spain.Spain will face the Czech Republic in Novem-ber in the Davis Cup final. The U.S. will hostBrazil in the first round of the 2013 Davis Cup,to be held Feb. 1-3 at a location to be deter-mined.

> Prince has renewed a partnership withrecord-breaking American doubles team and2012 US Open Men’s Doubles ChampionsMike and Bob Bryan. The Bryan Brothers willcontinue to use Prince’s EXO3 Rebel 95 rac-quet and Beast XP string. The Bryans havewon 12 Grand Slam titles, more than anyother team in the Open era. Prince alsorenewed its deal with top American playerJohn Isner, who uses the EXO3 Warrior 100frame.

> The Courts at Gabe Nesbitt CommunityPark in McKinney, Texas, received the USTAFeatured Facility Award, which was presentedat the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting held duringthe US Open.

> The U.S. Quad Doubles wheelchair tennisteam of David Wagner and Nick Taylor wererecently selected by the U.S. Olympic Commit-tee as the 2011-2012 Paralympic Team of theYear. Wagner and Taylor are the first Quadwheelchair tennis players to be recognized bythe USOC for this honor. The duo won the dou-bles gold medal at the recent Paralympics inLondon, and in singles, Wagner won the silverand Taylor the bronze.

> The USPTA raised $7,582 from its silentauction held at the Tennis Buying Show duringthe USPTA’s World Conference on Tennis inSeptember in Monterey, Calif. The auctionbenefits the USPTA foundation, which sup-ports various programs in the community thathelp to grow tennis and bring the game to

SHORT SETSthose who might not otherwise have thechance to play.

> Venus Williams led the Washington Kas-tles to their second consecutive WorldTeamTennis title in September with a 20-19victory over the Sacramento Capitals at theFamily Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, S.C.Williams was also named the Finals MVP,winning her sets in women's doubles, mixeddoubles and the decisive final set ofwomen's singles.

> IMG has partnered with Sergio Tacchinito bring back the tennis and sportswearbrand in major markets around the world.

> TennisHub (www.TennisHub.com),designed to help tennis players find moreplaying opportunities by arranging play andbooking court time, is now live. “Players cancreate games, publish their desire to play andshare games with both their social networkand tennis community, and it’s fully integrat-ed with Facebook,” says founder Eddie Ross.

> The credential lanyards used during the2012 US Open were made from recycled ten-nis ball cans and lids. Insignia PromotionsPresident J.T. Marburger collected more than600 pounds of tennis ball containers and lidsfrom the USTA from the 2011 US Open andworked with a recycling center to turn thematerial into recycled polyester that wasthen weaved into the lanyards. Visitinsigniapromo.com.

> For the second consecutive year, the U.S.has won seven cups at the ITF Super-SeniorsWorld Team Championships. The 2012 event,the 32nd edition of the championships, washeld in Umag, Croatia, and consisted of 186teams from 35 countries competing in 10age categories from 60 and over to 80 andover.

> The American Sports Builders Association(ASBA), the national organization forbuilders, designers and suppliers of materialsfor running tracks, tennis courts, sports fieldsand indoor and outdoor synthetic sports sur-faces, has announced the publication of theseventh edition of “Running Tracks: A Con-struction and Maintenance Manual.” Visitwww.sportsbuilders.org.

Congratulations To the Following For Achieving MRT Status

New MRTsRandy Houston Palm Desert, CAChristopher Kuehn Champaign, ILDan Swanson St. Paul, MNNathan Frank Bryn Mawr, PAStockton Morris Bryn Mawr, PADaniel Schank Chesapeake, VARicardo Rodrigues Dipold BRAZIL

Ashaway Calls New Tennis Strings ‘Manmade Natural Gut’

In a recent column on his company'swebsite, Ashaway Vice PresidentSteve Crandall says newly developedtennis strings made from a polymermaterial called Polyketone, or PEEK,play more like natural gut than anyother synthetic string yet devised. According to Crandall, the key to the

gut-like playability of these strings,which Ashaway markets under thebrand names Dynamite and MonoGutZX, is their "dynamic stiffness."Crandall's tennis stringing tips

columns, including "Ashaway's Zyex-Based Tennis Strings: the New 'Man-made Natural Gut,'" can be found atwww.ashawayusa.com/TennisTips.php.

MEMBER CLASSIFIEDSFOR SALE: Babolat Sensor Expertwith Cabinet: $2500 or best offer,Babolat Star 4 without stand: $1500or best offer, Babolat Star 5: $2000or best offer, Babolat RDC, new ver-sion with Blue Case: $2000 or bestoffer. For additional details, email:[email protected]



SGMA Launches New StrategicPlan and Rebranding

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Associa-tion (SGMA) unveiled its new rebrandingeffort that will change its name to the Sports &Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). The movewill also include a new website, national advo-cacy campaign, research initiative, supplierdirectory and thought leadership programsThe decision followed a two-year strategic

review and planning process that led theorganization to refine its mission statement,core services and communications platform tofocus on promoting sports and fitness partici-pation and industry vitality.“Traditional concepts of ‘sporting goods’

and ‘manufacturers’ have evolved while ourterminology has not,” says Tom Cove, SGMApresident and CEO. “Thus, the change from‘Sporting Goods’ to ‘Sports & Fitness’ is moredefinitive about our inclusion of brands con-nected to fitness and active lifestyle products.The change from ‘Manufacturers to ‘Industry’embraces a broader community including sup-pliers, brands, major sports and fitness retail-ers and partners—a much clearer reflection ofour current and future membership.“This is not a change in philosophy for our

organization as we already have many mem-bers in these categories. It is simply a moreaccurate and transparent indication of theindustry segments that we serve,” Cove adds.The rebranding process includes a new mis-

sion statement developed by the Board ofDirectors: To Promote Sports and Fitness Par-ticipation and Industry Vitality. This translatesto focusing the new SFIA on four core productareas: Thought Leadership & Events, Public &Industry Affairs, Member Services andResearch Insights.Several new initiatives are planned includ-

ing:• Innovative Thought Leadership programsled by the 2013 SFIA Industry Leaders Sum-mit, scheduled for September 25-26, 2013.

• A national campaign to grow sport and fit-ness participation: PHIT America

• A new “member friendly’” website:www.SFIA.org

• A comprehensive SFIA Supplier Directory• A new “Grassroots Sports Participation inAmerica” research report

• Content enhancements and design updatesto our weekly e-newsletter, InBrief

• Major upgrades to the Product Testing mem-ber benefit

5 Teams Win Inaugural National Family Tennis Championships Tournament in Florida

The National Family Tennis Championships celebrated its pilot year of playas 18 husband/wife and parent/child teams from seven states competed inthe national championship tournament at the Waldorf Astoria in Naples, Fla.,in September.After three days of fun and competitive tennis, teams in five divisions left

Naples with the title “2012National Family TennisChampion.” These include: w Father/Son: Brad & Ben-jamin Goodman (age 15) ofBirmingham, Ala., and theHoover Country Club

w Mother/Son: Kathy & Chris-tian Smith (age 14) ofAustin, Texas, and the Cir-cle C Tennis Club

w Mother/Daughter: Marcy &Samantha Hirschberg (age14) of Alpharetta, Ga., andthe South Fulton TennisCenter

w Father/Daughter: Andrew& Evan Lake (age 14) ofDavie, Fla., and the Laud-erdale Tennis Club

w Husband/Wife: David King and Kimberly Cashman (above) of Clearwater,Fla., and the Harvey L. McMullen Tennis Complex.“This was a phenomenal event,” said Brad Goodman, who teamed with his

son Benjamin to capture the Father/Son title. “It was great to play tennis withmy family and meet other families with a similar passion for tennis.”The 18 teams earned an invitation to the national championships after

participating in local competitions. For more information, visit www.Fami-lyTennis.com.

ITA Names Leadership & Sportsmanship Winners

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association recognized recipients of the 2012Arthur Ashe Jr. National Leadership and Sportsmanship Awards at the ITAAwards Luncheon hosted by the USTA before the US Open. The award takesinto account a player's tennis accomplishments, scholastic achievements andextracurricular endeavors. The recipients are: w NCAA Div. I—Men: Ryan Thacher - Stanford University; Women: CarolineNewman - College of Charleston

w NCAA Div. II—Men: Tyler McCullough - West Liberty University; Women:Kara Murphy - Bentley University

w NCAA Div. III—Men: Will Petrie - Williams College; Women: Cze-Ja Tam -Carnegie Mellon University

w NAIA—Men: David Spennare - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University;Women: Jordan Kimura - Concordia University-Irvine

w Junior/Community College—Men: Simon Bardell - Meridian CommunityCollege; Women: Gienna Gonnella - Santa Rosa Junior College


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Dunlop has brought out six new racquet models for 2013, including four entirely new frames. Theracquets also feature three new Biomimetic technologies. Each new racquet starts with either an “F,” “M,” or “S,” signifying a players’ swing speed and style.

F stands for Fast/Full, M stands for Medium/Moderate, and S stands for Short/Slow. The numbers havebeen changed from hundreds to a decimal system to signify the new molds.The new frames are the 3.0 racquets—F3.0 Tour (right), M3.0, S3.0 Lite—which Dunlop says

enhances spin and power; the 6.0 frames—M.6.0 and S6.0—which build on the inaugural 600 Bio-mimetic racquets played by tour players Dominika Cibulkova and Tommy Robredo; and the S8.0 Lite,designed for players with shorter or slower swings.The new Biomimetic technologies are Aeroskin, which Dunlop says reduces drag; BioFibres, which

are plant stem fibers woven in the throat and handle that the company says are stronger than steel andlighter than carbon and help to minimize shock; and Molybdenite (MoS2), in the new grommet system,which reduces string friction. Visit www.dunlopsports.comfor more information.

Hinding Refurbishes Highland Park in Brooklyn

Just before the start of the USOpen, newly refurbished ten-nis courts were unveiled inBrooklyn, N.Y.'s Highland Park,as part of the Fresh Courts pro-gram, which is a partnershipbetween American Express andthe USTA to support local tennisin communities across the U.S.Hinding Tennis of West Haven,Conn., renovated the 18 courts,which included eight courts forYouth Tennis. For information,visit www.HindingTennis.com.

Community Tennis

to help out, whether it’s volunteering toman a tournament desk for 12 hours orhelping to sweep the courts after anevent. For municipalities, the CTA dedica-tion to volunteerism helps out an over-worked Parks Department staff.

Programming and eventsNationwide, CTAs are paramount to suc-cessful tennis programming. As USTAmembers, they coordinate, run, andorganize leagues, tournaments, roundrobins, 10 and Under Tennis, classes forSpecial Olympics and wheelchair play-ers. They can provide tennis for kids asyoung as 3 to seniors in their 90s.

Stay current with a national tie-inWith a CTA on board, your programmingwill stay current with USTA nationaltrends and initiatives. "The USTA's com-mitment to support our parks delivertennis is unwavering,” says David Slade,the USTA’s National Manager for CTAsand Tennis in the Parks.

Scholarships to conferencesand workshopsYour staff can qualify for USTA confer-ence and workshop scholarships, such asRecreational Coach Workshops, Recre-ational QuickStart Tennis Workshops,and the USTA Community Tennis Devel-opment Workshop.

Grants, Awards and Facility AssistanceCTAs mean money. "Registered CTAshave access to resources from theUSTA's national, section and districtoffices," says Kurt Kamperman, theUSTA’s chief executive of CommunityTennis. "Partnering with a CTA can open up some important grant andscholarship opportunities for park & recagencies."

educed budgets. Smaller, over-worked staffs. Shortened hours ofoperation. All these factors press

Parks & Recreation Departments intoexploring various methods to make endsmeet. When it comes to tennis, though,developing relationships with local Com-munity Tennis Associations can help arec department save money, increaseprogramming, fill their tennis courts, andopen the doors for grants and scholar-ships.According to the USTA, 70 percent of

all tennis is played on public-park courts.In addition, CTAs are charged with devel-oping and promoting tennis at the grass-roots level. When a Park & RecDepartment and a CTA team up to offertennis, the entire community benefits. If you are with a Park & Rec Depart-

ment, here are some specific reasonsthat you’ll want to get together with yourlocal CTA.

AdvocacyTennis courts and facilities needimprovements, upgrades, refurbishingand equipment replacement. Askingelected officials for large sums of moneycan prove daunting. No one sings thepraises of the game louder than tennisplayers themselves. CTA members cangrab the ears of city council membersand other community members for“yes” votes when allocating funds fortennis.

NetworkingNot only do tennis players form close-knit relationships, they represent thepulse of many communities. CTAs, with aquick email blast, can spread whateverword tops your current agenda.

VolunteersCTA members are passionate about theirsport and often jump at the opportunity

R

9 Reasons Park & RecsShould Team Up with CTAsB Y R O B I N B AT E M A N

Teaming up with CTAs gives Parkstennis facilities eligibility to fund proj-ects for equipment, resurfacing, 36- and60-foot blended lines, major centerimprovements, fencing, and blueprintsfor new tennis centers. In addition, aCTA hook-up means free marketingmaterials and program resources.

Economic ImpactWith successful programming, yourentire community stands to benefit.After matches and lessons, players eatat local restaurants, shop at nearbystores and, if you've organized a week-end tennis event, may book hotelrooms in your area. In other words, athriving tennis calendar brings an eco-nomic impact your entire city willappreciate.

CommunityMore than money, CTAs care about theirneighborhoods. In New Haven Conn.,for instance, the Parks Department andNew Haven Youth Tennis & Educationpaired up to help kids on and off thetennis courts. "This program is successful because

it is a true community partnershipbetween the parks, the schools, the CTAand the New Haven Open at Yale (a pro-fessional tournament)," says NHYTEExecutive Director John Pirtel. Throughthe partnership, kids not only learn andplay tennis and benefit from a healthy,lifetime sport, but also they develop keyeducation and life skills. Remember, both Parks agencies and

CTAs have rules and regulations theymust abide by. Communication is a keyfactor in obtaining a successful partner-ship. In the words of Scott Hanover, ten-nis director for Plaza Tennis Center, apark & rec facility in Kansas City, Mo.:"Parks plus CTAs equals tennis for every-one." w

November/December 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY www.racquetsportsindustry.com 15


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USPTA Recognizes Leaders in Tennis at World Conference The USPTA honored tennis coaches, players and volunteers during its annual national awards breakfast at the USPTA WorldConference on Tennis, held Sept. 16-21 in Monterey, Calif.

w Doris Hart of Coral Gables, Fla., andPancho Segura of Carlsbad, Califbecame part of an elite group asgrand inductees into the USPTA’s Hallof Fame. Hart, who won 35 GrandSlam titles during her career, has beena tennis-teaching professional and aUSPTA member since she retired fromthe tour in 1955. Segura, who was aformer leading player of the 1940sand 1950s, joined the USPTA in 1946.He was widely credited with helpingdevelop the young Jimmy Connors.

w David Porter of Laie, Hawaii, receivedthe association’s top annual memberaward, the Alex Gordon Award for theUSPTA Professional of the Year.

w Geoff Griffin of San Diego, Calif., isthe recipient of the USTA/USPTA Com-munity Service Award.

w Ken Sumrow of Plano, Texas, is therecipient of the USPTA Industry Excel-lence Award, which is sponsored bythe TIA and supported by Tennis Tutorball machines.

w Catherine Thomas, of Mason, Ohio,received the USPTA Star, recognizing

teaching professionals who make anindelible mark on their communities.

w Kyle Kaneshiro of Honolulu, Hawaii,received the Lessons for Life IndividualAward.

w Dave Neuhart of Madison, Ga., alsoreceived the Lessons for Life IndividualAward.

w Jackie Roe of Greenville, Del., receivedthe Tennis Across America IndividualAward.

w Angel Lopez of San Diego, Calif.,received the USPTA Diversity Award.

w Dee Henry of Norwalk, Calif., receivedthe Manager of the Year Award – SmallFacility. Henry is the tennis director atBiola University in La Mirada, Calif.

w Trent Schiek of Tyler, Texas, receivedthe Manager of the Year Award – LargeFacility. Schiek is the former generalmanager of Hollytree Country Club inTyler, Texas.

Other honorees are:w Jonas Lundblad, Austin, Texas – Tour-ing Coach of the Year

w Ron Albers, Vincennes, Ind. – College

Coach of the Yearw William Wickenheisser, Whippany, N.J.– High School Coach of the Year

w Feisal Hassan, Midlothian, Va. –George Bacso Tester of the Year

The following have been named Playerof the Year in their respective divisions:w James Daly, Tyler, Texas – Men’s Openw Jonas Lundblad, Austin, Texas – Men’s35-and-over

w Jeff Cohen, Boca Raton, Fla. – Men’s45-and-over

w Kimm Ketelsen, Tyler, Texas – Men’s55-and-over

w Agata Cioroch, Atlanta, Ga. – Women’sOpen

w Robin Keener, Melbourne, Fla. –Women’s 35-and-over

w Kathy Vick, Lubbock, Texas – Women’s45-and-over

USPTA divisions receiving awards are:w Texas Division – Large Division of theYear

w Southwest Division – Small Division ofthe Year

w Southern Division – Most ImprovedDivision of the Year

w Southern Division – Newsletter of theYear

Two Earn USPTA Master Professional Honor

Mark Centrella of Wilmington, Del., and Gary Trost of Nichols Hills, Okla., wererecognized for achieving USPTA Master Professional status, the highest USPTA

professional rating. Only about 1 percent of USPTA’s more than 15,000 membersworldwide have achieved the Master Professional designation.Centrella is the director of racquet sports at Greenville Country Club in Wilming-

ton, Del. He has been a certified USPTA professional for 18 years. Trost is the direc-tor of tennis at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, in Nichols Hills, Okla. He hasbeen a certified USPTA professional for 25 years.

Phillip Receives Top Education Credit Honors

The USPTA honored WilliamPhillips from Lafayette, La., asthe top credit earner in USPTA’sCareer Development Program.Phillips, a USPTA-certified P-1and member since 1986, earned88 continuing education credits,the most in the 2011 program.Other top education partici-

pants for 2011 include: Jeff Roth-stein, Feisal Hassan, Ken DeHart,Alan Cutler, Craig Wells, BillMecca, Andrew Minnelli, AndreaBarnes, Zwelo Khupe, Kevin Jack-son.


Tennis Retailers ---------------------------

TIA Forming Retail Division The TIA is working with retailers

to create a TIA Retail Division with a mission that aims

··w promote the economic vitality of tennis retailers and the sport" through a unified effort involving all segments of the induSLry.

"Our industry has never had a recailer division or association. and we think this effort will help bring a unified. strong voice co tennis retail that ca n help us grow the game at all levels ... says TIA President j on Muir. ··when tennis retailers grow and prosper. it helps to lift the whole industry."

According to the TIA, the goals of the new Retail Division include:

Increasing the awareness of the value and needs of tennis retailers. Improving the sustainability and economic vitality of tennis rerailers in the industry. Providing an educational pathway and mentoring system to enhance business and career opportunities. Promoting a passion for tennis and promoting tennis participation and involvement with industry in itiatives.

"As the TIA Retail Division takes shape. we expect it will provide greater representation in the industry for ten nis retailers. and will help identify areas where the TIA can focus its efforts to help the retail segment grow ... says TIA Executive Director jolyn de Boer.

The initial task force for the division will include members from the TIA Retail Advisory Panel: Ken Arnold of Swetka's Tennis Shop. Mountain View. CA: Brad Blume of Tennis Express. Houston, TX: Dan Kester of I Play Tennis. Atlanta. GA;

Bruce Levine of Courtside Racquet Club, Lebanon. NJ; Woody Schneider of New York City Racquet Sports; Steve Vorhaus of Rocky Mountain Racquet Specialists, Boulder. CO.; j ay Townley, retail consultant with the Gluskin Townley Group; and Marty Mohar, the TIA's Retail Development Manager.

"As a voting member of the TJA Retail Division, you'll be involved in a unified effort to help boost tennis retail in the U.S., determine key focus areas of the tennis industry. and promote the growrh of rennis," says Jolyn de Boer. "Plus. you'll receive many direct benefirs and cools rhat can move your business forward." (For a list of benefits, see page 1 9 .)

Voting membership in the TIA Retail Division, which includes access

to more than S 1.000 worth of benefits and services. is S 150. For more information, visit TennisRecailers.org.

RSI will be following the formation of the TIA Retail Division as it takes shape and reaches out to retailers.

THE TIA RETAIL DIVISION MEMBERSHIP ADVANTAGE

Shipping Discounts

As a voting member of the TIA Reta il Division, you' ll be part of a unified effort to help boost tennis reta il in the U.S., help determine key focus areas of the tennis industry, and help promote the growth of tennis. A standard TIA Retail Division voting membership, which includes TIA membership at the Industry level, is $150-an investment you'l l get back many times over with all the great benefits and services you'll receive (see below). As a member of the TIA Retail Div ision, not on ly will you help move your own business forward, you' ll be involved in moving this industry forward, too. To get involved, contact Marty Mohar, TIA Retail Development Manager, at [email protected] or 843-473-4505.

rJTennislnsure

..--Careers •w••:•:u1

Downloadable "Retail Manager's Manual," including free access to future updates to the manual. (value: $35)

Retail "tips" articles and newsletters, providing key, current information. (value: $50)

Discounted access to a " retaiJ assessment program" to evaluate and help improve your current operation. (value: $50)

Tennis Participation Study: Topline report shows important trends in play frequency and participation overall to help in forecasting for your business. (value: $500)

State of the Tennis Industry: Highlights consumer demand, helps you to target your markets and w ill help in planning inventory levels. (value: $250)

Subscription to RSI magazine (value: $50), along with discounted advertising rates.

Preferred placement on the industry's "Retail Locator," which appears on sites such as playtennis.com and 10andUnderTennis.com, so consumers can easy find your business and the products/services you offer.

"PartnerShip" shipping discount program on select FedEx services that could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars a year. Take advantage of savings on inbound and outbound shipments. including up to 70% off select programs.

10 and Under Tennis Retail Tool Kit that includes a Growth Chart wall poster, copies of the " Parents' Guide to Youth Tennis," an "Authorized Dealer" door sticker, web banners, logos. postcards and more.

Member Card Services, including reduced credit-card processing rates that could save you hundreds each year.

Tennislnsure custom insurance programs, created for business, health, liability, property, auto, umbrella and Workman's Comp requirements .

Prime placement in the TIA's weekly Careers In Tennis Job Alerts and unlimited use of the job posting service.

Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . .. Grow the Game . . . www.Tennislndustry.org November/December 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19

Hundreds Gather for The Tennis Show 2012 in NYC The tennis industry came together in New York City, just days before the US Open began, for The Tennis Show 2012, a one-day celebration of the sport that included hundreds of tennis providers, teaching pros, coaches, facility managers, retailers, media and industry supporters. Held at the Grand Hyatt New York, it was the first industry-sponsored tennis show since 2000.

"The activity at the show and the excitement for tennis and the industry that the event generated is something we plan on continuing-and growing-at The Tennis Show in 2013, and beyond," said TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer.

Presented by the TIA, in conjunction with the USTA's annual Tennis Teachers Conference, The Tennis Show 2012 featured an exhibitor show, demo court, and the TIA Tennis Forum, along with the induction ceremony of legendary coach Nick Bollettieri into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.

The TIA Tennis Forum included a welcome by USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen, a

"State of the Tennis Industry" report by TIA President Jon Muir, and an update on Youth Tennis and other key initiatives to grow the game by USTA Community Tennis Chief Executive Ku rt Kamperman. Then former pro and current TV tennis analyst Brad Gi lbert introduced his former coach, Bollettieri, who accepted a plaque as the newest inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.

Plans are in the works for The Tennis Show 2013, including possibly increasing the number of exhibitors and creating other related events. "We were very pleased by the response we received this year for The Tennis Show," said de Boer. "To see how positive the attendees and exhibitors were was t ruly gratifying. We have a lot to celebrate in this sport, and we're pleased that The Tennis Show is helping to bring out that excitement."

For more information about this year's show (including short videos from lnTennis on each of the exhibitors and a short video from Tennis Channel) and to find out more about next year's show, visit TennisShowcom or the TIA's website, Tennislndustry.org.

A Big Thank You ... actiVIIJNETWDRK" # sabalaT BOLT_, o;~v,q~p ~ clubAI:.IIDII1l!IIDII l'lc.-1' ,.,...._. ,_.... ~ . ...

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Join the TIA ... Increase Your Profits ... Grow the Game ... www.Tennislndustry.org

Retailing 115

throughout the holiday selling season.

Preparation is KeyPrepare your store, your staff and yourstaffing schedule. Preparing your storeinvolves planning the in-store displays,including holiday decorations and mer-chandising, in advance and laying it outon your planning calendar. Know whereyou are going to obtain materials, whatdisplays you will change and set-up, andwhen and who will do the display work.

Preparing your staff, no matter howbig or small, for the 60-day holidayshopping season can make the differ-ence between being worn out and har-ried and being satisfyingly tired andfeeling you’re in control. Sit down witheveryone who will be involved andreview your planning calendar and GiftGuide, marketing plan and store opera-tions planning, including the hours yourstore will be open, to make sure every-one is familiar with and prepared for thecustomers and their questions, the rolethey are going to perform, and thehours they are going to work.

And don’t forget the seasonal shop-per who may not be a tennis player, butis shopping for a gift for a relative orloved one who is a tennis player. Yourstore’s job is to make buying a tennisgift as simple and easy as possible, byproviding an extraordinary tennis shop-ping experience! w

For upcoming TIA retail webinars, and toview previous webinars, visit tennisindus-try.org/webinars.

endar filled out, and have your GiftGuide on your website in early Novem-ber. In-store displays can wait untilafter Thanksgiving, but have themready to go up as soon as you open forBack Friday—which is the next day.

Multi-Channel MarketingYou probably know this, but let’sreview the key dates for planning yourmulti-channel marketing for the holi-days: Nov. 22–Thanksgiving; Nov. 23–Black Friday; Dec. 9-16–Chanukah;Dec. 24–Christmas Eve; Dec. 25–Christmas Day; Dec. 26–Kwanzaa;Dec. 31–News Year’s Eve.

The 60 days from Nov. 1 throughDec. 31 and the four gift-giving occa-sions from Dec. 9 to 31 are the criticaltime frame and focal points of yourdirect response mailing and advertis-ing, your website, your special holidayevents, both in-store and with partnersin the community, and your in-storemerchandising.

Coordinate your holiday merchan-dising and marketing with your GiftGuide. If you haven’t already done so,sit down with your suppliers’ sales repsand coordinate the merchandise youhave selected for your Gift Guide withthe items you advertise, feature onyour website and display in your store.Sounds simple, but the important stepsof making sure you get the most bangor sales out of the time and money youinvest in advertising, promotion, in-store displays, your Gift Guide and yourwebsite by making sure the same mer-chandise is featured, and available, istoo often overlooked.

The last point to coordination ismaking sure your suppliers can get youwhat you need, when you need it,

ou’ve worked with your sup-pliers and created your GiftGuide, and now it’s time to

get your store and staff ready for theholiday selling season.

According to Deloitte, a leadingconsulting firm in the retail and dis-tribution industry, holiday sales areexpected to increase 3.5 to 4 percentthis year. Significantly, Deloitte alsoforecasts a 15 to 17 percent increasein non-store sales this holiday sea-son, primarily attributable to e-com-merce.

Alison Paul, vice chairman ofDeloitte, says, “Non-store sales con-tinue to outpace overall growth, butincreasingly influence consumers’experience with the retail store—from trip planning, to in-store prod-uct research, and post-purchasereviews and sharing.” In otherwords, many holiday shoppers andgift-givers are going to research andplan their shopping trips and pur-chases online, so specialty tennisretailers need to make maximumuse of their websites as a part of theoverall shopping experience theyprovide, including showcasing theirGift Guides, providing driving direc-tions to their stores and explainingthe tennis products and services theysell.

Many holiday shoppers and gift-givers start their research beforeThanksgiving in order to be preparedbefore Black Friday and the actualstart of the holiday shopping season.This means there are 60 days of offi-cial holiday shopping from Nov. 1through Dec. 31. With this in mind,make sure you’ve planned your holi-day merchandise selection with yoursuppliers, have your scheduling cal-

Y

Having a Happy Holiday Coordination and preparation are keys to asuccessful holiday selling season.


This is part of a seriesof retail tips presentedby the Tennis IndustryAssociation and written

by the Gluskin Townley Group (www.gluskin-townleygroup.com).


Tennis & Health

the USTA’s Youth Tennis program.Larry Soler, president and CEO of Part-

nership for a Healthier America,expressed the need to reintegrate physicalactivity into the everyday lives of childrenand families, while inspiring and enablingkids to choose active play and sports. Healso cited the USTA’s commitment ofbuilding thousands of kid-sized courtsacross the country and funding an addi-tional $150,000 for new tennis equipmentto support schools and programs that areproviding 10 and Under Tennis programsfor kidsWhite House Assistant Chef and Senior

Policy Advisor for Healthy Food InitiativesSam Kass highlighted the fact that theU.S. is spending 20% of total healthcarecosts just on obesity, adding that the cur-

rent group of young people is the mostsedentary generation of kids. “We justhave to inspire kids to move more,” hesaid. “It’s a way of life that we have toteach our children—it’s not a choice.”The U.S. has an “inactivity epidemic,”

said Mike Bergeron, the chairman of theNational Youth Sports Health and SafetyInstitute. He noted that kids who are fitperform better in school and on standard-ized tests. He also stressed that sportshave to be accessible and more inclusive,citing the importance of 10 and UnderTennis.

tanding before a panel of notablesand the press at the USTA BillieJean King National Tennis Center,

USTA Chief Executive for CommunityTennis Kurt Kamperman’s openingremarks regarding the obesity epidemicengulfing the country and particularlyAmerica’s youth could not have beenmore timely. Statistics show that in thelast 30 years, childhood obesity hastripled, resulting in 1 in 3 children beingoverweight or obese.The USTA’s Youth Tennis initiative is

the single largest initiative in the historyof the organization, Kamperman said,adding that the USTA is determined tocombat obesity and inactivity in kids ina big way. The USTA initiative also fits inwith First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’sMove!,” a program that promotesregular physical activity andhealthy eating for kids.The press event, held on Sept.

1 during the US Open, helped tokick off National Childhood Obe-sity Awareness Month. As part ofthe activities, from Sept. 1through Oct. 6, families could logonto YouthTennis.com, which list-ed more than a thousand eventsaround the country where kidsand their parents could experi-ence tennis.A superstar panel of experts from the

fitness, sports and entertainment worldsspoke about the importance of the col-laboration of the USTA with the Partner-ship of a Healthier America and the“Let’s Move!” program. Olympic swim-ming medalists Dara Torres and CullenJones, fitness expert Bob Harper andactress Christine Taylor were among thedignitaries to lend their voices to this ini-tiative. Following the presentation, thepanelists joined in a mini tennis clinicwith local kids who were participants in

S

USTA Partners to HelpCombat Childhood ObesityB Y C Y N T H I A S H E R M A N


Gold medalist swimmer Cullen Jones,who helped launch “Make a Splash,” a pro-gram that educates families, children andcommunities about the importance oflearning to swim, added, “You have to findways to keep kids active and healthy in asocial setting. The biggest thing is to beactive and most importantly to have a goodtime doing it.” Bob Harper added that par-ents need to get involved with their chil-dren and become more active—they mustbe the role models; to be part of the solu-tion, they must do what they want theirkids to do.

Dara Torres noted that it needs to befun for kids so they’ll stick with it. “That’swhy this USTA program is good for kids,because they can experience success rightaway,” Torres said.

Actress Christine Taylor smiledand said, “My kids were born intoa funny family and none of thiscame naturally to us or my hus-band’s (Ben Stiller) family. To makeit fun is what it’s all about in myhousehold. To be a part of theUSTA 10 and Under initiative wasjust a gift because of my love forthe game.”Kamperman urged everyone to

get involved in addressing the inac-tive lifestyle and “repairing youth

sports. The rule changes that we’ve put inplace allow more kids into the game, theycan have fun right away, and part of fun ishaving success right away. Tennis will raisethe bar with other sports.”At the Youth Tennis clinic afterward, the

kids themselves picked up on the samethemes the grownups mentioned. “I get toplay with my friends,” said 8-year-old Asan-tewa when asked what she liked about ten-nis. “And I like that you have to warm upbefore you play, and when I don’t play withmy friends, I play with my Dad—he makesme run!” wPh

otos

by

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man

• TENNIS BALL AND STRINGER OF THE FRENCH OPEN

P R O G R A M M I N G

With 1.3 million participants after just seven years, Cardio Tennis continues to improve and grow—benefiting consumers and providers.

TIA Cardio Tennis Manager Michele Krause just finished run-ning an afternoon of Cardio Tennis sessions at the grandopening celebration of the Montgomery TennisPlex in

Boyds, Md., outside of Washington, D.C. She finally has a momentto relax before heading to California for the USPTA World Confer-ence, where she and some of the National Cardio Tennis SpeakersTeam members will put on morning clinics for the attendees andoffer a presentation to USPTA pros.

“Yesterday, we did a great training session for about 20 tennisteachers at the new Montgomery County facility,” she says. “Andtoday at the grand opening, we had a lot of people on the courts.”Then she talks about one middle-aged woman who had neverplayed tennis before.

“She came for the first session, but was very unsure about Car-dio Tennis and worried that she would look foolish, or not be ableto keep up, or just not enjoy it,” Krause says. “But she loved it somuch, she ended up being the first one in line for the second ses-sion. We just created another customer for Montgomery Tennis-Plex’s new Cardio Tennis program.

“Many people think they either need to get in shape to do Car-dio Tennis, or they can’t do it because they don’t play tennis,”Krause continues. “That’s just not true. It’s a very safe and healthyworkout for any age, any ability level and any fitness level.

“I always refer to ‘The Biggest Loser.’ Two years ago on thatreality TV show, Anna Kournikova [now a Cardio Tennisspokesperson] put the 15 contestants through a Cardio Tennisworkout. They weren’t tennis players, yet they were smiling andlaughing throughout the workout. If those people, weighing 300 to

400 pounds, can do Cardio Tennis, anyone can.”According to the Physical Activity Council, more than 1.3

million people are doing Cardio Tennis—a remarkable figurewhen you consider that Cardio Tennis was only created in2005. (And in fact, participation has been above a million forthe last three years.)

“I don’t know of any tennis program that, in seven years,has had that kind of phenomenal growth rate,” says Jolyn deBoer, executive director of the Tennis Industry Association,which manages Cardio Tennis. “Clearly, Cardio Tennis isspeaking to consumers and addressing what they’re lookingfor in a fitness activity.”

Tennis and FitnessThe idea behind Cardio Tennis—emphasizing the fitnessattributes of hitting tennis balls in a fast-paced environment—is not new. But the Cardio Tennis program, which got off theground with support from the USTA, standardized the curricu-lum purpose and components, gave it a great name, andpackaged it for consumers. “From there,” says Krause, “it’sevolved tremendously, and we continue to improve the prod-uct. In fact, if you were trained to deliver Cardio Tennis fiveor six years ago, you need to go through training again, to beable to deliver the proper product, because so much has beenimproved and enhanced.”

The driving force behind Cardio Tennis was Jim Baugh, aformer TIA president, USTA board member and industrymanufacturing executive who now is a consultant in the

HEALTHY TENNISHEALTHY TENNIS


sports industry and heavily involved in the health initiative PHITAmerica.

“In 2004, Jim was looking at participation numbers and sawthat fitness activities were making huge inroads over traditionalsports, and he thought about how tennis could compete with thefitness industry,” de Boer says.

“Tennis needs to have a piece of the fitness market,” Baughsays. “Cardio Tennis is all about getting a good cardio workout byhitting tons of balls. The pro-gram’s foundation was basedon bringing a whole othergroup of people into tennis, aswell as getting players fit andhealthy. It’s amazing the suc-cess Cardio Tennis has had,with limited resources, and itcould be so much bigger ifeveryone in the industry gotbehind it. Right now, there’s aninactivity and sedentary crisis,but Americans are starting toget the message that they needto get active and fit.”

“Jim covered a lot of basesto make sure Cardio Tenniswould be well-positioned withconsumers and providers,”adds Kurt Kamperman, chiefexecutive of Community Tennis for the USTA. “After the initialtwo- to three-year startup, we’ve continued to fund Cardio Tennisthrough the TIA, and it’s grown organically. We wanted the healthbenefits of tennis out there, and to tap into the ever-growing fit-ness market. It’s definitely succeeded on both fronts.”

A Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA—formerlySGMA) report says consumers want “group exercise” because it’smotivating and has social appeal, plus it is economically attractive.Krause also points to a number of other reasons why Cardio Ten-nis continues to grow:w It provides great health benefits: CT is total body and mindengagement, so participants are easily able to achieve their effec-tive heart rate zones; interval training such as CT is the mosteffective way to achieve heart health and fitness; CT allows play-ers to burn more calories than singles, doubles, and many otherfitness activities; it’s a group activity where players of all abilitylevels enjoy working together; it fights obesity and offers a betterfitness option for those not motivated to go to a gym.

w Cardio Tennis will improve a player’s tennis: While CT’s primarygoal is health and fitness, the continuous movement, repetitionand realistic playing conditions also will improve tennis skills.Cardio Tennis is the way to train for tennis.

w It attracts new consumers to the game: Cardio Tennis appeals tolapsed players, non-players, the fitness market and to active con-sumers, so it brings in new players looking for fun and a greatworkout. It’s also for every level of player, including advancedand beginners, as well as any ages from 12 to seniors.

Revenue GeneratingFor facilities and pros, Cardio Tennis is a money-maker, Krause

says. “Some clubs are making $20,000 a month with Cardio Ten-nis. Most, though, are offering four or five classes a week andbringing in about $3,000 to $4,000 a month—which is a very rea-sonable goal.”

Midtown Tennis in Chicago brings in $250,000 a year with Car-dio Tennis, averaging about 900 participants a month, says AlanSchwartz, who founded the club. “Interestingly, many of the non-tennis players end up being converted to regular tennis players”

through Cardio Tennis, he adds.To deliver Cardio Tennis

properly, so participants are get-ting the full benefit of the pro-gram, pros need to go throughCT training where they learnhow to work with all ability lev-els, the importance of playingmusic during CT sessions; usingheart-rate monitors to make sureparticipants are in their idealzones; “cardio blasts” to keepparticipants moving; and usingthe right Cardio Tennis balls—the red ball is used in the warm-up and cool down, and theorange ball is used for games,which keeps players moving andhitting more

“Using the orange ball is agreat equalizer,” Krause says. “For lower skilled players, it makesit easier, and for advanced players, it’s difficult to hit a clean win-ner, so the ball stays in play longer. The more touches an individ-ual has on a ball, the better they get and the better the workout.”

About 70 percent of a Cardio session is game-based, and 30percent is drill-based, notes Krause. “Ball-feeding skills are stillimportant, but not to the extent they used to be. You’re doing drillsto get participants’ strokes warmed up so they can play games.”

Latest Enhancements“The TIA recognized the importance of placing Cardio Tennis on atechnology platform that would allow providers to connect withplayers online, fill their classes and effectively manage and growCardio Tennis at their facility,” de Boer says. The result was theCardio Tennis Invitation System—the same successful invitationsystem powered by TenCap Tennis is now powering Cardio Ten-nis.

“We also recognized the need to make sure those providersoffering Cardio Tennis stayed current with the program, which hasevolved since its inception,” she adds. Starting last year, CardioTennis introduced Authorized Providers, which are locations, facil-ities or individual pros authorized/licensed to offer CT classes (visitCardioTennis.com). “Our goal is to maintain quality control so theconsumer always has a safe, healthy workout and an enjoyableexperience.”

One of the major benefits of becoming an Authorized Provideris gaining access to the Cardio Tennis Invitation System. “I wish Ihad this technology 20 years ago,” says Krause. “This automatedsystem takes so much of the administrative workload off of thetennis professional.” Also available to Authorized Providers is a

Cardio Tennis By the Numbersw There are about 1,800 Cardio Tennis sites in the U.S.w 75 percent of facilities with an established Cardio Tennis pro-gram have been offering it for at least three years

w 79 percent of facilities say CT has benefited them financially,mainly through increased program revenue (72 percent) andincreased lesson revenue (65 percent). But CT has also increasedrevenue for courts booked, membership sales, pro shop sales,and food/beverage sales, too.

w Facilities offering Cardio Tennis average 4 sessions per week.w The average number of participants per class is 7.4w Cardio Tennis brings players to facilities: on average (over thelast two years) 24 new players and 23 returning players are com-ing to facilities for CT, and 22 players are playing more frequent-ly because of CT.

November/December 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 25 www.racquetsportsindustry.com

new Cardio Tennis Marketing Support Siteoffering direct mail pieces, posters, fliers,brochures and more.

Cardio Tennis has also partnered withTotal Health Interactive for “Cardio TennisInteractive,” a tennis wellness programthat has been in trial markets across thecountry. CTI allows participants to tracktheir exercise, nutrition, goals and results;participate in Cardio Tennis fitness chal-lenges; receive customized programsdesigned to enhance CT enjoyment,weight loss and more; and gain rewardpoints that can be used to purchasehealth-and-fitness products.

Earlier this year, TRX Cardio Tennisdebuted, combining CT with TRX Suspen-sion Training to provide a calorie-burning,ball-striking, aerobic workout that incor-porates strength, muscle endurance, bal-ance and flexibility.

And Cardio Tennis has expanded into30 countries around the world, mostnotably Tennis Australia, Tennis Canadaand the LTA in Great Britain, each ofwhich started national Cardio Tennis pro-grams. In fact, in Australia and the UK,Cardio Tennis is being used as one of twoprograms in a major drive to increase ten-nis participation.

“We think Cardio Tennis is going to bea staple for tennis teaching professionals,”says Dan Santorum, CEO of the PTR. “It’sa good money-maker, and it’s a good wayto diversify your lessons—you can getanother group of people who are moreinterested in fitness. It’s definitely here tostay.”

“When you look at all that Cardio Ten-nis has to offer consumers and every seg-ment of this industry, it’s really ano-brainer,” says Krause (right). “It willmake money for you, it will help createmore tennis players and more frequentplayers, and it will grow our industry. Andyes, it will get you fit, healthy and makeyou a better tennis player.”w

To find out more about Cardio Tennis,visit CardioTennis.com. The websitehas information on how to become anAuthorized Provider, including all thebenefits available; training courses;provider tools such as music andheart-rate monitors; TRX Cardio Ten-nis; Cardio Tennis Interactive and “GetFit” Challenges; and more.


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28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY November/December 2012 www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

NEWFASHIONS

SPRING TO THE NET!

NEWFASHIONS

SPRING TOTHE NET!Fall Fashion week in New York previews the colors, styles and

patterns to come for spring, and tennis is no exception whenit comes to taking cues from the runway. Pink, aqua, vibrant

blue, flashes of orange, bright green, black and white combinations,neutrals, and color-blocking make their marks in playable soft fabri-cations that are tough on the court and kind on the body.

—Cynthia Sherman

FILAThe sentimental nature of current fashion harkening back to the Art Deco’20s style shows up this spring in Fila tenniswear. The Heritage collec-tion—in particular this racer-back “carwash” Essenza jersey dress in apoly/spandex blend—takes its cue from the pleated vintage style skirt. Aninternal bra tank tops the flirty skirt in blue night Calypso Coral and whitecombination. Retail is $90. www.Fila.com/410-773-3000

TAILAnimal prints are just as hot for spring as theywere for fall. Tail capitalizes on this trend byfeaturing an alluring zebra print dress withbuilt-in bra in soft bloom pink with black. Strik-ing complementary color-blocked classic fittedseparates add to Tail’s Animal Instinct line.Price ranges from $49 to $85. www.Tailactivewear.com/305-638-2650

November/December 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 29www.racquetsportsindustry.com www.racquetsportsindustry.com

ELEVENVenus Williams’ launch of her EleVen linepromises to be a reflection of high fashion andperformance wear that can transition frombaseline play to off-court easy living. The popu-lar spring color palette for the Color Blocpoly/spandex line is emphasized in a trio ofaqua, white and beige dress. The dress, whichretails for $88, comes with a built-in bra. www.elevenbyvenus.com/800-803-6612 w

PURE LIMEPretty in pink and yes, pink is going strong in thisyummy raspberry sorbet and white racer-backtank/skirt outfit from Pure Lime that screams feminin-ity, function and style in a poly/elastine blend. Skirtand top retail for $64 and $68 respectively.www.Purelime.com/516-468-1722

BOLLEGreen is back and better than ever in this sleek cut-and-sewone-shoulder citrus color-blocked tank with built-in bra.Paired with a citrus skirt, all in a deliciously soft poly/spandexblend, the outfit also comes in graphite and both piecestogether retail for about $120.www.Bolletenniswear.com/301-362-0360

ELIZA AUDLEYBlack and white is always in style andcolor-blocking continues its momentumwith crisp separates from Eliza Audley.The Over-The-Moon tank is a micro-poly-spandex blend in an opticaldesign. Paired with the staple white A-line skirt available with or without short-ies, the ‘e’ logo is emboldened withSwarovski crystals. Made in the U.S.,the top retails for $92; the skirt for $64. www.ElizaAudley.com/262-691-4770

P I O N E E R S I N T E N N I S

After 30 years at the helm ofthe USPTA, Tim Heckler’sdeparture leaves someimpressive tennis shoes to fill.B Y P E T E R F R A N C E S C O N I

When Tim Heckler leaves the U.S. Professional Ten-nis Association at the end of December, it will bringto a close 30 years as chief executive officer of one

of the world’s largest teaching pro organizations—an era thathas seen impressive growth for the association. In 1982, when Heckler was offered the CEO spot, the orga-

nization had four employees and was located in about 1,000square feet of space at the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort inSarasota. “All the USPTA was in those days was a magazine,which was outsourced, a yearly directory, and, its biggest claimto fame, three shoeboxes with about 1,800 three-by-five mem-bership cards in them,” he says. “That was it. That was theUSPTA.”Over the next three decades the USPTA says membership

grew to more than 15,000 members in 66 countries, operatingon an annual budget of $6.5 million. The association’s equitygrew from $60,000 in 1982 to more than $4.2 million today,including owning the income-producing 80,000-square-footHouston building that now houses its nearly 30 employees. “Our total income in 1982 was below half a million dollars,”

Heckler says, “and it eventually exceeded $7 million. We wentfrom a negative cash flow to a good cash flow now with a verysubstantial set of assets, so the organization is safe and cansustain any ups and downs that may happen. That is more ofa legacy than anything. But it was greatly helped by many ofour presidents.”But there are other things Heckler could well point to as

part of his legacy, starting with the membership records in thethree shoeboxes. “In 1981, [board member] Mike Eikenberrycame to a meeting in Sarasota and said he had just been read-ing about computers on the plane,” Heckler says. “He suggest-ed they be applied to the USPTA, to help teaching pros withtheir business, and said, ‘Let’s get Heckler to do it.’ So we gotin early computerizing our records.” That led to continued expansion into using technology, the

internet and email-based communications and education forUSPTA teaching pros. “I credit our computer technology andgrowth in that area for being our biggest asset,” Heckler notes.The USPTA started to expand its mailing list, which led tosecuring endorsements. (Heckler has presided at negotiations


After 30 years at the helm ofthe USPTA, Tim Heckler’sdeparture leaves someimpressive tennis shoes to fill.

A DRIVINGFORCE

A DRIVINGFORCE

that have led to more than $40 million in endorsements.) As theorganization grew, it also started to expand its conventions inscope and attendance. “Membership started to grow by leaps and bounds. The tennis

boom had something to do with that, as did the way our boardran the USPTA,” he says.

Raising the LevelHeckler’s leadership of the USPTA also helped to change the ten-nis teaching industry. “Tim has singlehandedly raised the level of the teaching pro

in the U.S. with his work ethic, passion and dedication to thegame,” says RonWoods, a past USPTApresident and a long-time friend of Heck-ler’s. “He has reallybeen a force in bring-ing the tennis pro intothe realm of being rec-ognized as a true pro-fessional in thecommunity.“Tim modernized

the teaching pro,”Woods continues. “Hebrought us from justbeing a ‘glorified ballboy’ who feeds tennisballs, to being lookedat as a professional.The business aspect ofit—technology, sharingideas, the divisions, theworld conference—a lot of that was through the efforts and imag-ination of Tim, through his vision and determination.”Current USPTA President Tom Daglis also praised Heckler’s

role in advancing the USPTA. “As CEO, he raised the USPTA fromchildhood to adulthood,”Daglis says. At the recentUSPTA World Conference onTennis, held in Monterey,Calif., Daglis and the USPTABoard of Directors presentedHeckler with an award for hisservice, and the retiring CEOalso was honored by the pastpresidents.“Tim was a true pioneer in

a lot of areas, and he definitely elevated and expanded the role ofthe teaching professional in this country,” says Kurt Kamperman,the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis, and a past pres-ident of the USPTA.“Our job,” Heckler says, when asked if he had any words of

advice for incoming CEO John Embree, “is to try to find a betterway of life, a better income, a better working environment fortennis teaching pros. We’re a trade association, and a lot of peo-ple think we’re a delivery force. But the delivery aspect can’t be

more important than our pros making a living. You need to havegreat empathy for the pros.”

Playing on the TourHeckler started playing tennis at age 3, in his native South Africa;his mother and father were avid club players. Before age 16, hewas winning tournaments for 18-year-olds, then at age 17, hewent to England and Europe and played on the tour. He had winsover top 50 players, including the No. 10 player in the world, andwas able to enter Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships (latercalled the US Open) without needing to qualify.Soon, though, Heckler decided to go to the U.S. for college. He

ended up at Lamar Uni-versity in Beaumont,Texas, on a team that,in 1960, “beat UCLA,Stanford, USC and allthe big powers,” Heck-ler says.Heckler eventually

received a degree inbiology, with plans togo to medical school,but he took a job at MDAnderson, a top cancerresearch center inHouston. “I startedworking in the animallab and became asenior lab technician,and for seven years didsurgery on animals. Ienjoyed it, and keptputting off medical

school. Then, I was invited by Dr. Jonas Salk [who discovered thefirst polio vaccine] to come to San Diego to work in his institute.I had established a very powerful research lab at MD Anderson,and Salk had gotten a grant and needed to establish a medical lab

in San Diego. I went there forthree years and established thelab.”In 1971, Heckler ended up

back in Houston, and learned ofa tennis pro job at WestwoodCountry Club. “I got the job,and fortunately for me, the ten-nis boom started. What I hadpredicted I would earn at West-wood quadrupled overnight.”

Heckler became well known in Houston, and as the area grew, hebegan working as a tennis consultant, traveling the country andhelping to establish facilities. In 1973, he was the consultant andtennis director for the Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King “Match ofthe Century” in the Houston Astrodome. One project in the Hous-ton area eventually hired Heckler as general manager. He stayedthere for eight years and was a part owner.During that time, he became involved in the Texas Profes-

sional Tennis Association, a division of the USPTA. He worked on


Tim Heckler with his wife, Renee, and USTA First Vice President Dave Haggerty at therecent USPTA World Conference on Tennis in Monterey, Calif.

‘As passionate as he was for theUSPTA, Tim has an overriding passion for the game of tennis,’says Schwartz.

several committees, joined the national USPTA board, and movedthrough secretary-treasurer, vice president then president in 1980-’81. He applied for, and received, the CEO job in 1982.

Passionate About USPTAThere’s little doubt of Heckler’s passion for improvingthe lot of teaching professionals and hisdevotion to the USPTA. “Tim was the No. 1ambassador in protecting the interests ofthe USPTA,” says Jim Baugh, former tennisindustry executive, TIA president and USTAboard member who now runs a sports consult-ing business. “He was a great business part-ner,” Baugh adds, referring to when he washead of Wilson tennis and worked with Hecklerand the USPTA.“Tim was very passionate about USPTA,” adds

Dan Santorum, CEO of the Professional Tennis Reg-istry. “I’m sure he’ll look back on his accomplish-ments and take great pride in the fact that theorganization came a long way under his leadership.”When talking about Heckler, many industry executives choose

their words carefully. While lauded for his devotion to the USPTAand the teaching profession, he’s often been criticized for thatsame characteristic, which some cite—off the record—as possiblyhaving a stifling effect within the industry.“Tim is one of the best ‘wartime generals’ I know, and when

he was at war with the USTA, he really waged war all-out and effec-

tively,” says Alan Schwartz, former USTA boardmember and president.

Kamperman echoes the “wartime general” ref-erence, citing Heckler’s “analytical approach andthe time and effort he put into preparing for allpossibilities.”

“Tim is so well respected in the industry,although he may get at odds with others at

times,” says Woods. “But it’s because he speaks out for ourindustry and teaching pros. When you’re wearing that hat andstand tall in the crowd, that’s when people start throwing snow-balls at the hat.”But, “as passionate as he was for the USPTA,” Schwartz adds,

“he has an overriding passion for the game of tennis.” “Tim has always been a solid rock that we could count on to

share his opinions and provide input for industry efforts,” says Jolynde Boer, executive director of the Tennis Industry Association, of

‘Tim modernized the teaching pro.He brought us from just being a‘glorified ball boy’ who feeds tennis

balls, to being looked at as aprofessional,’ says Woods.


which Heckler has been a longtimeboard member. “He recognized earlythe importance of getting kids playingtennis, which led to his passion andpromotion of USPTA Little Tennis sincethe 1980s.”Heckler, a USPTA Master Profes-

sional, was honored in 2000 as agrand inductee in the association’sHall of Fame. He also received theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame’sTennis Educational Merit Award in2002 and was inducted into the TexasTennis Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008he received the highest honor award-ed by the USPTA, the George BacsoLifetime Achievement Award.“My future still lies in tennis; I’m

not sure how much I’ll actually retire,”Heckler says. While his agreementwith the USPTA includes a non-com-pete provision for a year, “I do havesome things I’m considering, but I’lldefinitely be in tennis.”“Tim thinks differently, and he

always thinks big,” says Woods. “Somany tennis teaching professionals,whether members of the USPTA ornot, have benefited from what Timhas done.”w

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F A C I L I T Y M A N A G E M E N T

A tennis Hall-of-Famer brings her talents to bear on a newstate-of-the-art facility in Connecticut.B Y K E N T O S W A L D

Incredible touch, thinking quickly enough to handle every-thing smacked her way at net or baseline, determination andbelief in herself. Those assets were key to Gigi Fernandez’s

Hall of Fame tennis career. And now, not completely coincidentally, those characteris-

tics provide the perfect foundationas Fernandez takes on the role ofdirector of tennis at a new,400,000-square-foot multi-sportfacility in Connecticut. The newChelsea Piers Connecticut (CPC)opened recently in the city of Stam-ford, a suburb of New York City,and is a brand expansion of thehighly successful Chelsea Piersmulti-sport facility in Manhattan.For Fernandez, the touch

comes into play as she works with kids whirling around hersummer camp, to the Cardio Tennis fans and league-playingadults filling up the facility’s seven DecoTurf courts, to areahopefuls brought to her for evaluation. The flexibility of mind istested every few minutes as challenges present themselves ingetting a world-class program up and running from its Julydebut. The belief in herself—in the ability to have it all—comes

through when she talks about how she handles the role ofmom, entrepreneur and team member.Fernandez was in Florida after retirement from tennis,

having returned to school to complete first her BA and then anMBA. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame with

the class of 2010, she had coachingin her background at the collegeand pro level, the former includingRollins where she had studied andthe latter with Sam Stosur and LisaRaymond when they captured the2005 US Open doubles title. Inaddition to other business experi-ence and inspired by newborntwins Karson and Madison, shehad recently produced the videoBaby Goes Pro to introduce tod-

dlers to sport basics. All was settled. But plans change.First, her partner, former LPGA golfer and then senior vice

president Jane Geddess, took on a new role as director of tal-ent for the Stamford-based WWE. Fernandez figured shewould spend a few years as a suburban New York City mom—a mom who happened to have the ability to play some fairlyhigh-level tennis, as she did in June at Roland Garros when she

PROACTIONSPROACTIONS


‘We’re all very accomplishedand everyone is happy to begiving back,’ Fernandez saysof the other Chelsea Pierssports directors.

and longtime partner Natalie Zvereva stirred memories of theirnon-calendar year doubles Grand Slam while participating in thePerrier-Legends Trophy competition. “I always planned to get backto work when the kids (currently only age 3) went to kindergarten,”she said recently while overseeing the third day of the just openedtennis day camp.Concurrently, Chelsea Piers was expanding from its NYC base

and looking to establish themselves in tennis. The newcomers toaffluent Fairfield County were set up and, “I liked everybody that Imet with,” Fernandez remembers. “I could create a program fromscratch and I wasn’t going into a situation that wasn’t alreadyestablished. I am an entrepreneur at heart, started a lot of compa-nies [and] I love the start-up mode and the excitement of start-ups.I just thought it would be a good opportunity.” She talks admiringly about the facility’s other directors, how

they are at the top of their sports as well and the mutual dedicationto making CPC succeed. “We’re all very accomplished and every-one is happy to be giving back,” she says. That there is an onsitepre-school program for her kids was also a selling point. “I can justgo down there and see them when I miss them.”So, on the one hand, Fernandez is just one more mom re-enter-

ing the workforce. On the other, she has a business and coachingbackground, as well as being a former No. 1 and dominant tennisforce during her 14-year career, with Olympic doubles gold from1992 and 1996, 17 doubles titles at Majors, and a singles rankingthat reached as high as No. 17. She seems well-paired with the CPCfacility and her new 65,000-square-foot tennis club.The facility has signed sponsors Sheraton and Harrow, with a

search on for sport-specific partners. Within a week of openingthere were already 1,700 camperssigned up for various programsthrough the summer and family mem-bership goals with a fall horizon hadalready been met. Not only were therekids with racquets working on basics,but also the facility echoed with thesounds of peers pursuing figure skating, gymnastics, ice hockey,lacrosse, soccer, squash, swimmingand volleyball.While it is too early to seriously

contemplate any of her young chargesplaying at the highest level, Fernandezis not shy in promising that there willbe Division 1 players to emerge fromthe program and possibly some whocan play at an even higher level. For most students, the aspirationsare not as high. “I hope that we draw all the best kids in the areaand I hope to introduce lots and lots of kids to tennis. It’s a greatsport, a sport for a lifetime that teaches life lessons” including goal-setting, perseverance, dedication, overcoming obstacles and gra-ciousness in defeat and victory. Focus shifts in the fall to adults (whose membership programs

begin at $65 a month). Fernandez, who earned her USPTA Profes-sional 1 certification in April, will expand the offerings of morningand evening adult clinics, build a full schedule of intra- and inter-club matches and USTA League play as well as social activities fea-turing the rooftop patio overlooking downtown. It’s all in addition

to the private and group lessons and Cardio Tennis classes avail-able from a well-qualified staff.“I want this to be the best program in the Northeast,” says Fer-

nandez. “I think the facility itself is probably the best overall sportsfacility in the country. I’ve never seen anything like it.”w


‘I hope that wedraw all the bestkids in the areaand I hope tointroduce lotsand lots of kidsto tennis.’

Photos by Kent Oswald

R E T A I L I N G

Tennis facility pro shops are having to change with the times,and it’s the consumer who is determining the direction.B Y M A R Y H E L E N S P R E C H E R

The last time every tennis facility out there could saytheir pro shop was doing a booming business, salesincluded cotton alligator shirts and ankle socks with col-

ored pom-poms on the back. "The pro shop used to be the only game in town," says

Mike Lissner, senior tennis pro with the Columbia Associationin Maryland. "When I started in tennis, it was the mid-1970s,and there really weren't all the stores where you could get thethings you needed."

These days, an internet-savvy public can use online mech-anisms like TennisConnect to book courts, and can buy shoes,racquets and apparel online. In addition, just about every cityhas specialty tennis retail stores as well as large sporting goodschains and big-box department stores whose sports depart-ments include tennis equipment.

So where does that leave the tennis facility pro shop intoday's industry?

"It's still around," says Lissner, "but I think it's the shoppinghabits of the buyer that are more the issue."

In much the same way the tennis industry itself haschanged through the years, the pro shop has morphed. RSIpolled industry members to find out what types of businesstheir facility shops do, and how they are adapting to an evolv-ing industry.

Four different business models emerged. There is, howev-er, one common denominator necessary for any establish-ment to survive: a manager who can take stock of what facilityusers want, need and use.

"The reality is this, the direction of any pro shop is deter-mined by the consumer, not the pro or the manager," saysRod Heckelman, general manager at Mt. Tam Racquet Club in

Larkspur, Calif. "The consumer will determine what you needto carry in accordance with the facility you provide."

Business model #1: The tennis service centerSome shops have stripped down their inventory and concen-trate instead on services to players, such as stringing, andsome carry racquets, or will order them for customers. Forthese stores, information and advice are the hot commodities.

"We have a pro shop, but we don't carry clothes," notesDr. Sophie Woorons-Johnston of Performance Meadows atBrookstone Tennis in Anderson, N.C. "I carry what I know:racquets, grips, string—the things in my area of expertise."

According to Tim Jachymowski, owner of www.PublicIn-doorTennis.com in Spring Park Lake, Minn., apparel is a stick-ing point for many pro shops. They lack the space to carry avariety of colors, styles and sizes, and like any other smallretail establishment, are unable to order the quantities neces-sary to offer competitive pricing.

Jachymowski found stocking and selling racquets unprof-itable. But, he notes, "People always want advice on what rac-quet to buy, and they'll get it strung here."

Business model #2: The variety storeSome stores, in responding to their customers' needs, havefound themselves going far outside the lines of the traditionalpro shop.

"We changed and altered our pro shop," notes Heckelman."We now call it the Gift Shop and we include anything andeverything a member might like: high-end facial products,

SHOPPINGCENTERSSHOPPINGCENTERS


Tennis facility pro shops are having to change with the times,and it’s the consumer who is determining the direction.


wine club, tennis equipment and shoes. For us, what has gonethe way of the dodo bird is theapparel."

Mt. Tam has a variety offacilities, and Heckelman saysthe key is to consider whatusers need. "We have twopools, indoor and outdoor,with a wading pool, so whatelse do we sell?" he asks."Swimming diapers and sun-screen for small children."

Business model #3:The pro shop as souvenir storeFor facilities located in resortsor in tennis destinations, saysLissner, pro shops play by a dif-ferent set of rules. "Those stores areserving the vacation trade," he notes."People are freer with their moneywhen they're on vacation and they'llmake impulse purchases like a shirt withthe logo of the place they're visiting."

According to Fernando Velasco ofCircle C Tennis Club in Austin, Texas,logo clothing can sell outside the resortsetting, if it is marketed correctly. "If youhave, for example, shirts for league play-ers, those can be very successfulbecause people feel like it's a uniformand they want to wear it. The moresophisticated your club is, the more thelogo will sell."

Business model #4: The traditional pro shopYes, it still exists, and yes, it can stillflourish. For six years, Lynda Reis hasbeen the pro shop manager at MidtownTennis Club in Chicago, and has theadditional responsibility of beingnational retail manager for Tennis Cor-poration of America. In addition tooverseeing her own 800-square-footshop, she supervises other club shopsin TCA's chain.

In Chicago, she says, she has enjoyedher greatest success, with strong salesand an ever-expanding service business.Part of that is attributable to Midtown'sfocus: It is an all-tennis club, "So I havea captive audience."

The pro shop is centrally located, andis the first thing people see upon enter-ing the club. It provides apparel, shoesand accessories, as well as racquet sales

and stringing services, and Reis offers price-matching on mostitems.

She is careful in her lay-out and purchasing choices.Men's clothing is near thefront of the store "since mendon't want to go looking"and the clothing for women("who are much more dis-criminating when theyshop") reflects Midtown'splayer demographic, ratherthan what an edgy 20-some-thing touring pro is wearing.

Many pros, includingWoorons-Johnston, Velasco,Heckelman and Reis, offerdemo racquets (see “TipsFrom the Front Lines” at

left), and can sell or order the racquetif a player likes it.

The Pro PresenceMost of the stores surveyed followone of the above business models, butsome are hybrids, combining variouselements. All, however, say the adviceof a pro is their best weapon and theirstock in trade.

"There is no doubt that we areoperating our pro shop differently thanwe have in the past," says MikeWoody, executive director of MidlandCommunity Tennis Center in Midland,Mich. "We are very strategic in our pur-chases and have chosen to keep ourinventory lower and do more directordering while providing stellar serviceto our customers. Our tactics havebeen our pros who do much face-to-face recommending, monthly demodays, and weekly/monthly promo-tions."

Choosing a business model for anew store is a challenge. Jorge Andrew,director of tennis operations in Lexing-ton County, S.C., decided what thenew Cayce Tennis and Fitness Centershould do with the space set aside forits pro shop. Ultimately, he says, it's aquestion of remembering customersare players first, and buyers second.

"We always have their best inter-ests in mind. We don't want to just sellthem a racquet; we want to provideexcellent service and the correct equip-ment so they continue coming backtime after time."w

Tips From the Front LinesHave a good location: “If a pro shopisn't doing well, we ask ourselves why,”says Lynda Reis. “I was just on thephone with one club where sales aren'tgood. It turns out there is constructiongoing on, so right now the shop is off byitself in this little out-of-the-way placewhere people can't see it.”

Encourage internet use: “We tell ourpeople to use the internet to find theracquet they are looking for,” says RodHeckelman. “Once they find it, we pro-vide that same racquet and add a freehalf-hour of court time with the tennispro to ensure it is what will work bestfor them. We charge only slightly morethan the internet and kick back a littleto the pro, who often picks up lessonsfrom this. As they buy more products atour shop, people collect points toward afree string job. This also creates loyaltyand traffic. Pro shops need to under-stand, like other stores, that people usethe internet a great deal for conve-nience and not just for savings. It does-n't have to be the enemy.”

Business tools: Take advantage of edu-cational opportunities offered by thePTR, USPTA and Tennis Industry Associ-ation. Courses, webinars and presenta-tions from these organizations covereverything from marketing and advertis-ing your shop, to dealing directly withcustomers and manufacturers, andmore.

F A C I L I T I E S

Thanks in large part to the vision of former USTA Pres-ident Alan Schwartz, the NTC’s Indoor Training Centerhas proven to be a year-round boon for tennis.

B Y M A R K P R E S T O N

For two late-summer weeks each year, as the world’s sport-ing spotlight shines on the US Open, the center of the ten-nis universe is Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean

King National Tennis Center. But if Ashe Stadium, which openedin 1997, is the centerpiece of the NTC, there is another structurejust a short stroll away that has had an equally large impact on theUS Open and the sport of tennis.Since it opened its doors in late 2008, the NTC’s Indoor Train-

ing Center (ITC) has proven to be a versatile, valuable asset to theOpen, the community, the sport, and the USTA. From producingincreased sponsorship and hospitality opportunities during theOpen to providing unprecedented access and myriad opportuni-ties for players of all ages and ability levels to play and enjoy thesport year-round, the ITC plays a significant role in helping togrow the game.Situated just inside the East Gate of the NTC, the 12-court,

245,000-square-foot ITC is three times the size of the originalindoor structure that had previously occupied the space. The oldnine-court building had already become an anachronism whenformer USTA President Alan Schwartz first was called in to visitthe site and provide his opinion on what the USTA might do toimprove the facility. That was years before Schwartz was a mem-ber of the USTA Board, but the association called him in based onhis expertise as the owner and operator of the successful Mid-town Group of tennis clubs.“I remember writing the USTA a report,” recalls Schwartz with

a laugh. “I know I had some ideas in there for improvements, butI think my best suggestion was that they tear it down and startfrom scratch.”

Years later, first as a USTA Board member and then asUSTA President, Schwartz was instrumental in accomplishingjust that. He spearheaded the USTA’s effort to secure theneeded financing for construction of a new building thatwould provide the association with more than just a place tohouse courts.“The idea,” says Schwartz, “was that the funds would be

designated for building an indoor facility in which indoor ten-nis would be just one component of an extremely versatilestructure that would also include areas for high-performancetraining, corporate entertaining, an indoor commissary forfood concessions, retail concessions and more. I know theBoard recognized the inadequacies of the existing building—it just wasn’t producing the revenues or attracting the numberof people it should and that we needed in order to grow thesport.”

From Dream to RealityOver the course of the administrations of USTA PresidentsSchwartz, Franklin Johnson, and Jane Brown Grimes, plansbegan to take shape, and the dream of a new facility eventu-ally became a reality. Schwartz is quick to mention that therewere many volunteers and staff who had a hand in shapingthat reality, but he singles out the commitment of DannyZausner, the NTC’s Managing Director of Facility Operations,for meeting with various city and parks commissions andneighborhood groups to work through issues. Schwartz alsopoints to the dedication of the NTC’s Director of Capital Pro-jects and Engineering, Chuck Jettmar, whose work on Arthur

THE INSIDESTORYTHE INSIDESTORY


Thanks in large part to the vision of former USTAPresident Alan Schwartz, the NTC’s Indoor TrainingCenter has proven to be a year-round boon for tennis.

B Y M A R K P R E S T O N

Ashe Stadium had familiarized him with the many engineeringissues that would go along with a project of this magnitude.Today, the facility is a world-class structure that has gone a long

way toward increasing participa-tion in tennis and improving theUSTA’s bottom line. During theUS Open, it is an epicenter ofactivity, housing the USTA’s cor-porate hospitality program onsix of the indoor courts. Numer-ous US Open sponsors, includingHeineken, Chase and AmericanExpress, also have taken advan-tage of the increased andimproved space the ITC providesduring the Open. During thetournament, the ITC also ishome to the USTA Bookstore,International Tennis Hall ofFame Gallery and USTA Mem-bership Center, and it also hous-es the staff and equipment forthe USOpen.org website.Players can utilize the ITC’s

indoor courts for practice duringinclement weather, and juniortournament competitors can usethe ITC’s locker rooms and train-ing facilities. Retailer FMI’s $16million merchandise program ishoused in the ITC, and its10,000-square-foot food com-missary has allowed the USTA tosignificantly upgrade the presen-tation of the food served in theFood Village and to serve morefans per hour.But for all of its many uses

during the Open, the ITC’s mostimportant use—and its greatestsuccess—is in providing a world-class tennis facility for players ofall ages and abilities. From 6a.m. until midnight, 11 monthsout of the year, the 12 courts arehotbeds of tennis activity. Addto that the classroom space,world-class fitness facilities andlocker rooms, and it’s easy tosee why the number of peopleplaying tennis there hasincreased significantly in theyears since it opened.The numbers tell an impres-

sive story: During the old building’s last year of operation in 2008,it brought in $1.9 million in revenue. In 2011, the new buildingaccounted for $3.6 million—an 88 percent increase. Adult pro-

gramming at the ITC is up 97 percent over that same period, andjunior programming has risen by 23 percent. Private lessons havemore than doubled over the last three years, and attendance

at summer camps is up 51 percent.“The building has provided

us with an opportunity to servemore existing players and to getmore new players into thegame,” says Zausner. “Its sizeand versatility have openeddoors to new opportunities thatwe never could have realizedwith the old facility.”The old building never

would have been able toaccommodate the number ofprograms offered now—for chil-dren (all 12 courts are lined for10 and Under Tennis), juniors,adults, seniors, wheelchair andcollege players. There is tourna-ment play, USTA League play,special events and charitablefundraisers. Several local col-leges and universities call thesecourts home. USTA PlayerDevelopment also utilizes theITC and its many world-classamenities.“We were the first Grand

Slam tournament to develop asignificant indoor presence withthe same playing surface quali-ties as the outside courts,” notesUSTA Executive Director Gor-don Smith. “With the ITC, wenow have a building that hasexceeded our expectations inevery way 365 days a year andthat is aesthetically spectacu-lar.”In a ceremony on Sept. 6,

during the 2012 US Open, USTAChairman of the Board andPresident Jon Vegosen dedicat-ed a plaque to Schwartz just out-side the main entrance to theITC. “His vision, leadership andexpertise made this facility areality,” the plaque reads.“This building has allowed us

to be a hub for tennis activity allyear round,” says Vegosen. “It

has been an invaluable addition and an incredible asset—both forthe US Open and for us to be able to make tennis more accessibleto more people.”w


? Ask the Experts

PLAYTESTER COMMENTSWHEN READING THE commentsin your playtest reports, the for-mat always confuses me. For

example, here are a couple of typicalcomments:

“This string’s remarkable comfort ismatched only by its controlled power.” 4.5male all-court player using Babolat AeroProDrive strung at 61 pounds CP (Gamma Pro-fessional 17)

“This is a solid feeling control sting withimpressive durability. Very crisp responseon groundstrokes and volleys. The bite ispronounced.” 4.5 male all-court playerusing Wilson BLX Pro Team FX strung at64 pounds CP (Babolat RPM Blast 64)

I don’t understand the string refer-ences in parentheses at the end of eachcomment. Is this the string the playtesternormally uses?

YES, THE STRING REFERENCE INparentheses shows what each

playtester has been using, and the gauge.We do this to help you interpret theresults. For example, you can compare thecomments against the type of string in theplaytest, to see if only those playersalready using that type of string had some-thing positive to say, or if players usingother types of string also reacted favorably.

Also, keep in mind that we only publisheight or nine playtester comments in themagazine because of space constraints: Allplaytester comments are available in the

on-line version of the playtest that appearson our website.

Until February 2007 we included a lineat the bottom of the comments that read,“Strings normally used by testers are indi-cated in parentheses.” In March 2007 wechanged this line to refer readers to the fullon-line version.

YTEX PROTOUR BLUE STRING GAUGES

YOU JUST PUBLISHED THE resultsfrom the Ytex Pro Tour Blue 1.25playtest. But in the USRSA string

specifications tool, the gauges given are1.23 and 1.27. Each has a different stiff-ness and tension loss, although notmarkedly so. Since neither stiffness nortension loss was mentioned in the article,which of the two Ytex Pro Tour stringslisted on the string selector tools menudid you guys test? Or is this yet a thirdversion?

YTEX PROTOUR COMES IN BLUEand orange. At the time we did the

playtest report, we did not have lab resultson Protour Blue. We did, however, havelab measurements on Protour Orange,which comes in two (different) gauges thandoes Protour Blue. Sorry for the confusion.

WHAT THE DEVIL IS A DIABLO?

WHAT IS A "DIABLO" attachmenton a stringing machine and whatdoes it do?

THE DIABLO — AKA NOSECONE— is the roughly cylindrical part onthe tension head assembly just for-

ward of the tension jaws. You wrap thestring around the diablo / nosecone beforeputting it through the tension jaws prior totensioning. Because the string does a full

wrap around the diablo / nosecone beforeentering the tension jaws, there is lessstress on the string (and therefore, lesscrushing or other damage), and less stresson the tension jaws (and therefore, theylast longer and/or don't fly apart underhigh tensions).

USRSA CLASSIFIED ADSI HAD MY EYE ON A CERTAINstringing machine, but the manu-facturer is back-ordered on them

so I thought I'd check out used machinesfor sale. I can't seem to find that area(classifieds?) on the USRSA site. Am Imissing something?

WE DON’T POST THE CLASSIFIEDads on-line except in the PDF ver-

sions of the full magazine. Published classi-fieds depend, of course, on membersubmissions. For up-to-date ads for usedstringing machines for sale, you’re oftenbetter off consulting other sources such asCraigslist, Ebay, and TennisMachines.com.

SPAGHETTI STRINGINGI HAVE A FEW OLD RACQUETSsitting around and tons of string. Iwonder if you could direct me to

someone that could spaghetti-string a rac-quet for me. I'd like to try a racquetstrung that way mostly out of curiosity.

WE DON’T KNOW OF ANYONEoff-hand, but you’re missing more

than just a person to do the stringing: Youalso need all the little tubes that feature ina true spaghetti string job. You’ll also needsome heavy duty trebling to tie the mainstogether, but you should be able to findsome braided cord that will suffice.Spaghetti stringing is no longer legalbecause the ITF changed the Rules of Ten-nis to specify, “the hitting surface of theracket shall be flat and consist of a patternof crossed strings connected to a frameand alternately interlaced or bonded wherethey cross.” On a spaghetti-strung frame,the mains are neither interlaced nor bond-ed to the crosses.As spaghetti stringing evolved, the

mains are tubed to reduce friction as they


Your Equipment HotlineQ

A

Q

A

QA

Q

A

Q

A


a stringbed that creates exaggerated spin.The photo shows what is perhaps the

ultimate expression of the spaghetti string-ing technique, the Fischer system. Notethe dabs of glue on the mains to preventthe tubing from moving out of position,and the special tie-off knots that do notneed an anchor string.

—Greg Raven w

We welcome your questions. Please send them to Rac-quet Sports Industry, PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096;

fax: 760-536-1171; email: [email protected].

slid relative to the crosses, and to mini-mize string breakage. Each main is actu-ally two parallel strings (the grommetsmust be enlarged to accommodatethem), and there are only five or six crossstrings. Anytime the ball hits thestringbed at an angle, all of the mainsdeflect as a unit due to the trebling. Thismeans that all the mains try to snap backinto position at the same time. Combinedwith the virtual absence of frictionbetween the mains and crosses becauseof the parallel, tubed mains, the result is


String Playtest

EASE OF STRINGING (compared to other strings) Number of testers who said it was:much easier 1somewhat easier 1about as easy 17not quite as easy 12not nearly as easy 2

OVERALL PLAYABILITY (compared to string played most often)Number of testers who said it was:much better 1somewhat better 5about as playable 8not quite as playable 16not nearly as playable 3

OVERALL DURABILITY (compared to other strings of similar gauge)Number of testers who said it was:much better 5somewhat better 15about as durable 12not quite as durable 1not nearly as durable 0

RATING AVERAGESFrom 1 to 5 (best)Playability 3.2Durability (13th overall) 4.4Power 3.5Control 3.7Comfort 2.9Touch/Feel 2.8Spin Potential 3.5Holding Tension 3.4Resistance to Movement (8th overall) 4.2

Gamma Zo Dart looks to be amonofilament string, but infact is really comprised of a

soft co-polyester base string intowhich are embedded six stiffermonofilaments.

The Zo high-energy polyester coreis softer for greater feel and comfort.The six embedded monofilaments areultra high molecular weight polyester,which are stiffer than the core poly forgreater control and durability.

Zo Dart is designed for poly userswho want something that is softer andeasier on the arm and offers more feelbut still provides plenty of spin andcontrol.

Zo Dart is available in 16 and 17 inblack or white. It is priced from$13.50 for sets of 40 feet, $121.50 for360-foot reels. For more informationor to order, contact Gamma at 800-333-0337, or visit gammasports.com.Be sure to read the conclusion formore information about getting a freeset to try for yourself.

IN THE LABWe tested the 17-gauge Zo Dart. Thecoil measured 40 feet. The diametermeasured 1.25-1.26 mm prior tostringing, and 1.20-1.22 mm afterstringing. We recorded a stringbedstiffness of 75 RDC units immediatelyafter stringing at 60 pounds in a Wil-son Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x 18 pattern)on a constant-pull machine.

After 24 hours (no playing),stringbed stiffness measured 69 RDCunits, representing an 8 percent ten-sion loss. Our control string, PrinceSynthetic Gut Original Gold 16, mea-sured 78 RDC units immediately afterstringing and 71 RDC units after 24hours, representing a 9 percent ten-sion loss. Zo Dart added 16 grams tothe weight of our unstrung frame.

The string was tested for fiveweeks by 33 USRSA playtesters, withNTRP ratings from 3.5 to 6.0. These

are blind tests, with playtestersreceiving unmarked strings inunmarked packages. Averagenumber of hours playtestedwas 27.

The sample felt thickerthan a 17-gauge string out ofthe package, but we had noproblems installing it.

No playtester broke hissample during stringing,one reported problemswith coil memory, nonereported problems tying


knots, and none reported fric-tion burn.

ON THE COURTGamma Zo Dart scored well with ourplaytesters, claiming the eighth-bestranking for Resistance to Movementand the 13th-best ranking for Durabil-ity of the 167 strings we’ve playtestedfor publication. Our playtest teamalso adjudged Zo Dart excellent inControl and Spin Potential, and wellabove average in Power. Overall,Gamma Zo Dart’s ranking is wellabove average.

Two testers broke the sample dur-ing play, one at five hours and one at17 hours.

CONCLUSIONDon’t be mislead into thinking thissofter offering by Gamma isn’t wor-thy of consideration by those seekingtraditional poly experience. Zo Dartscored highest in Resistance to Move-ment, Durability, Control, and Spin,four of the main characteristics play-ers seek in a polyester string. Add tothis Zo Dart’s high score in the Powercategory, and you’ve got yourself onepotent poly.

If you think that Gamma Zo Dartmight be for you, fill out the couponto get a free set to try.

Gamma Zo Dart 17

—Greg Raven◗

November/December 2012 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43

FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM

Gamma will send a free set of Zo Dart to USRSA

members who cut out (or copy) this coupon and send it to:

Offer expires 15 November 2012 • Offer only available to USRSA members in the US.

Name:

USRSA Member number:

Phone:

Email:

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


USRSA, Attn: Gamma String Offer

PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096

or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the info below to [email protected]

(Strings normally used by testers are indicated in paren-theses.) For the rest of the tester comments, visitwww.racquetsportsindustry.com.

prefer more touch and comfort..” 4.5 femaleall-court player using Head Six Star strung at 58pounds CP (Head Sonic Pro 17)

“ Not enough feel, power, touch, or spin. Thisstring doesn’t distinguish itself from the ever-

growing crop of polys.” 4.0 male baselinerwith moderate spin using Prince OZone TourMP strung at 56 pounds CP (Polyester 17)

TESTERS TALK

“ This is a very soft poly. Players whowant the feel of a hybrid will love this. ”5.0 male serve-and-volley player usingVolkl Organix 8 strung at 60 pounds CP(Tecnifibre Black Code 18)

“ This is a very good poly. Great bite.The comfort is quite high. ” 4.5 maleall-court player using Wilson K Bladestrung at 57 pounds LO (Wilson EnduroPro 17)

“ Nice combination of power, spin andcontrol. Excellent touch for a poly. ” 4.0male baseliner with heavy spin usingBabolat Pure Drive Roddick strung at 60pounds LO (Solinco Tour Bite 16)

“ Excellent playability, spin, control andfeel in the beginning. After the tensiondrops, so too do the playability and con-trol. ” 6.0 male all-court player usingWilson BLX Juice strung at 55 pounds CP(Luxilon Alu Power 16)

“ Great tension maintenance. Very mini-mal string movement. This would add nicespin and control to a hybrid. ”4.0 male baseliner with moderate spinusing Prince O3 Speedport Black (holeinserts) strung at 48 pounds CP (MSVFocus Hex 17L)

“ This is a comfortable poly with a nicebalance between control and power. Thereis a little pinging, even with a dampener.Excellent spin..” 4.0 male all-court play-er using Wilson BLX Pro Open strung at 45pounds CP (WeissCannon Black 5 Edge16L)

“ Quite firm. For non-poly players, this isprobably best used in a hybrid or at thelow end of the tension range. Control isgood.” 4.0 male serve-and-volley playerusing Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 strung at 54pounds LO (Wilson NXT 16)

“ While this has all the standard polyattributes of control, spin, and durability, I

There’s no other sport quite liketennis. It sharpens the mind as itshapes the body. Every time a

ball is hit, you need to respond quickly.All the while, you have to be thinking,calculating and planning, as you mapout a strategy to be successful againstyour opponent. The interaction of thesemental processes helps keep your mindagile and alert—which is precisely whytennis and education make such fittingpartners.

In recent years, the USTA has beentaking this synergy to the next level, rea-soning that by being the sport that pro-motes not only fitness and fun but alsoeducation, we can attract many morepeople to tennis. By being the sport ofopportunity—and spreading the wordabout the opportunities we offer—wenot only can fulfill our mission to pro-mote and develop the growth of tennis,but also we can do our part to enhancethe lives of those who get involved inour great game.

In championing one of the truemind-body sports, the USTA now has inplace a tremendous infrastructure thatcan support and promote higher educa-tion among America’s youth. It has arich array of delivery systems, programsand allied partners that reaches kids ofall ages and is committed to diversityand inclusion, including USTA Serves,USTA National Junior Tennis and Learn-ing (NJTL), USTA School Tennis, USTA Jr.Team Tennis, USTA Tennis On Campus,USTA Player Development and Tennisin the Parks.

NJTL provides a wide range of freetennis and education programmingacross the country that helps better pre-pare kids for college and beyond. Schol-arship and assistance opportunities


encourage parents to choose tennis fortheir kids, based on the tremendousopportunities—especially in education—that tennis can provide. Chaired by DavidBenjamin, Executive Director of the Inter-collegiate Tennis Association, and withformer NYC Mayor David Dinkins servingas the Honorary Chair, the task force hasbeen determining how the USTA can bestpromote the importance and value ofevery American youngster obtaining acollege education—and to convey themessage that tennis is the sport of oppor-tunity for achieving this goal.

The USTA’s commitment to support-ing and promoting higher education is inlockstep with the nation’s priority toexpand the promise of education. Oncethe world’s leader in the percentage ofyoung people with college degrees, theU.S. has fallen to 12th among the 36nations tracked by the Organization forEconomic Co-operation and Develop-ment. With more than a million kidsdropping out of high school every year,America’s ability to compete in a globaleconomy has been severely tested.Restoring America’s leadership in highereducation clearly requires a myriad ofstrategies and solutions.

Serving up tennis as the sport ofopportunity is among them. By helping toopen the doors of higher education tomore of America’s students, the USTA isworking to make a difference in commu-nities across the country—not only bygrowing the game but also by enhancingthe lives of those who play it.w

Your Serve


Scan this QR code, or visitUSTA.com/education.

The Sport of OpportunityThe USTA’s president says tennis is ideally suitedto promote higher education among youth.

We welcome your opinions. Please email comments to [email protected].

B Y J O N V E G O S E NU S T A C H A I R M A N O F T H E B O A R D A N D P R E S I D E N T

Jon Vegosen has been USTAChairman of the Board andPresident for the 2011-2012term. He leaves office Dec. 31,2012.

made possible through USTA Serves helpmake college accessible to youngsters ofall abilities. And once they’re on campus,students not only can be on a varsity teamor play club tennis (through USTA TennisOn Campus), they also can get involvedwith bringing tennis to other kids throughsuch initiatives as Kids’ Tennis Clubs, PlayDays, Campus Kids Days, Campus Show-downs and Campus QuickStart.

This year alone, USTA Serves will helpto enhance health and educational oppor-tunities for approximately 300,000 young

people and individuals with disabilities.90% of high school seniors in USTA Servesafter-school funded programs are graduat-ing from high school, and 91% of scholar-ship recipients are attending college forfour years. These are numbers of whichwe are particularly proud.

Indeed, through these innovative pro-grams, we have made some real inroadsin growing our sport and enhancing peo-ple’s lives. But there still is work to bedone. That’s why I made it a priority lastyear to assemble a Tennis and Higher Edu-cation Task Force to look into ways to

‘In championing one ofthe true mind-bodysports, the USTA nowhas in place a tremendous infrastruc-ture that can supportand promote highereducation amongAmerica’s youth.’

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