Tennis Industry Magazine

Retailing
Construction
CLOSE the DEAL! Award-winning

Tracking your
SOFT COURT
store close rate
tennis facilities
Apparel
New textiles and

products promote
ACTIVE COOLING
APRIL 2014 / VOLUME 42/ NUMBER 4 / $5.00
The Dead Zone

Help Your Players
Determine When
To Restring
Our Exclusive Racquet

Selection Map
Catching Up With Our
Original 40 Under 40
g
tin
a
r
o
orp
Inc
TennisIndustry
APRIL 2014
DEPARTMENTS
4
Our Serve
Industry News
14 Letters to the Editor
p.24
16 TIA news
FEATURES
18 Retailing Tip
40 Ask the Experts
20 Where Are They Now?
42 Grip Playtest: Tourna

Mega Tac Overgrip
Fourteen years ago, TI named its 40 Under

40. You may be surprised to learn that many
are still influencing the tennis business.
60 Your Serve
INDUSTRY NEWS
7
Todd Martin named

Hall of Fame CEO
Bollettieri to be inducted
into Hall of Fame
USTA sets record for

largest tennis lesson
Prince Global Sports

to relocate to Atlanta
Coach Youth Tennis

curriculum launches
Cardio Tennis ads more

training sessions
TIA quarterly retail

market data
24 A Cooling Trend Approaches
p.26
New textiles and products are promoting

active cooling, making it easier for players to
stay comfortable in warm weather.
26 The Dead Zone

What happens to strings with time and use?
How can you help your customers determine
when its time to restring?
p.30
30 Frames of Reference
10 People Watch
11 USPTA seeks nominations
for annual awards
Our exclusive Racquet Selection Map will help

you guide customers to their perfect frame.
11 Nominate for USTA outstanding facility honors

11 USTA SoCal section
acquires TGA franchise
36 Soft Focus
p.36
These six award-winning facilities are excellent

examples of soft-court construction.
12 Short Sets
PLUS
p.44
49 USPTA, Fromuth Extend

Partnership to 2021
51 Access Great Content
Anywhere, Anytime with
USPTA TV
2 TennisIndustry
April 2014
53 New Testing and Education

Requirements, Opportunities for
USPTA Pros
55 Q & A with ThanksUSA
Founders Rachel and Kelsi Okun
46 CEOs Message
47 Vice
Presidents
Message
49 USPTA Benefits
53 Beyond the Court
57 Career
Development
59 Member News
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Our Serve
Publishers
David Bone Jeff Williams

Editorial Director
Peter Francesconi
peter@racquettech.com
Associate Editor
Greg Raven
Why They Stay
f youre like me, or probably

like most people in the tennis
industry, you have days when
you wonder why youre in this business at all.
You may be a retailer, struggling
to maintain margin on the products
you sell. Or a facility owner or manager, dealing with court repairs
again. Or a teaching pro, worried
about your clinic numbers this season. Or a league captain, constantly
trying to keep the peace between
players. Sometimes, you just have
to wonder why you do any of this at
all. And not only that, but why you
keep coming back for more.
Well, we may have stumbled on
some answers.
'There may be bad

days in this business,
but there's a whole
lot of good in this
industry too.'
Fourteen years ago, in our July
2000 issue, we did a story on 40
Under 40. Our headline for the
story back then proclaimed, These
men and women are examples of
exceptional talent that will bring
tennis into the new century. So
this past fall, we thought, lets check
up on the 40 people we chose for
that feature story and see what
theyre doing now. Did they, as
we said they would, stick it out in
tennis?
Surprisingly, many did, and are
still at it, in all areas of this industry.
When I dug that July 2000 issue
out of my files and started paging
through the story, I was surprised
to see that we were pretty darn

accurate back then with our picks.
And many of those who didnt stay
in the tennis industry specifically
went on to roles that often still have
a tennis component.
Industry veteran Denny Schackter helped us make contact with
the original 40 (it ended up that,
despite our best efforts, one person
seemed to have dropped off the
grid), and Denny sent out a short
series of questions for them to
answer that included what their
current job is, what working in
tennis means to them, what they
found most satisfying about tennis
and the industry, and, if theyve left
the industry, whether they still play,
coach or volunteer.
The answers, even from those
who have since left the tennis
industry, were eye-opening, and
made me realize that, yeah, there
may be bad days in this business,
but theres just a whole lot of good
in this industry, too, and there are a
whole lot of dedicated and passionate people who love this sport
and consider working in tennis to
not be work at all. Our update on
what the original 40 are doing now
is on page 20, and weve devoted the
Your Serve on page 60 to some of
their answers about how they feel
about this sport and industry.
One of my favorite comments
came from Pam Shriver: At the
end of my days, if I have given more
back to tennis than I received,
then I will consider myself a better
person.
Its inspiring, and an honor, to be
in such company.
Peter Francesconi, Editorial Director

peter@racquettech.com
4 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Design/Art Director
Kristine Thom
Special Projects Manager
Bob Patterson
Contributing Editors
Robin Bateman
Cynthia Cantrell
Kent Oswald
Cynthia Sherman
Mary Helen Sprecher
Tim Strawn
Contributing Photographers
Bob Kenas
David Kenas
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Email: TI@racquetTECH.com
Website: www.TennisIndustryMag.com
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Advertising Director
John Hanna
770-650-1102, x.125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
Apparel Advertising
Cynthia Sherman
203-263-5243
cstennisindustry@earthlink.net
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly January through August and combined
issues in September/October and November/
December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, PO
Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096. Periodcal postage
paid at Duluth, GA and at additional mailing
offices (USPS #004-354). April 2014, Volume 42,
Number 4 2014 by USRSA and Tennis Industry.
All rights reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo
are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A.
Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tennis
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Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/
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versions back to 2004.
IndustryNews
Information to help you run your business
Todd Martin Named

CEO of Hall of Fame
406 Kids Set Record for

Largest Tennis Lesson
C R E D I T: J E N P O T T H E I S E R / U S TA
he USTA set the official Guinness World Record for the Largest
Tennis Lesson in celebration of World Tennis Day and the thousands of USTA Tennis Play Events in March. The historic occasion
was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing
Meadows on March 3 and
featured 406 children from
local youth organizations in
the New York area.
In addition, the USTA
hosted special guest Judy
Murray (right), mother of
Andy Murray and the British
Fed Cup captain, to inspire
kids and families. !
April 2014
TennisIndustry 7
C O U RT E S Y U S TA /J E N P O T T H E I S E R
C O U RT E S Y A E LT C/ T O M L O V E L O C K
odd Martin, who was ranked world No. 4 on the ATP World Tour in
the 1990s, has been named CEO-designate of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in Newport, R.I. He will succeed Mark L.
Stenning, who is stepping down in September after 35 years with the organization and 14 years as CEO.
Martin will begin working at the Hall of Fame as
CEO-designate on April 1, with Stenning remaining as
CEO through Sept. 5. Stenning will then work on special
projects for the Hall of Fame, namely, the completion of
significant expansion and renovation to the facility.
"We are very pleased to welcome Todd Martin, said
ITHF Chairman of the Board Christopher E. Clouser.
When we began our search, Todd was one of the people
we went to for suggestions on candidates. Through discussions with him it became apparent that he, in fact, should
be on the short list.
Stenning, Clouser said, has been the heart and soul of the Hall of Fame for
35 years, during which time he has elevated the organization to outstanding
levels within the tennis industry and the local community. We are indebted
to him for his leadership and service.
Martin, who retired from the pro tour in 2004, will assume the helm as
the Hall of Fame in the midst of a $15.7 million capital campaign. In spring
2014, the organization is scheduled to break ground on a major construction
project that will add three indoor/outdoor hard courts and a significant new
building for locker rooms, fitness facilities, and office and retail space. Also on
the schedule is a complete renovation of the museum.!
Among the five people who this summer

will receive the highest honor in the sport of
tennisinduction into the International Tennis
Hall of Fameare two key industry contributors from the U.S.: legendary coach Nick Bollettieri
and industry leader Jane
Brown Grimes. They join
former world No. 1 player
Lindsay Davenport, Paralympic champion Chantal
Vandierendonck and British
tennis broadcaster and
author John Barrett.
Bollettieri, widely
regarded as one of the
most influential people in
the world of tennis, has
coached 10 world No. 1
players including Andre
Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica
Seles and Boris Becker. He
was inducted into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame in
2012 and the USPTA Hall of
Fame in 2013.
Brown Grimes has had a
major impact on the International Tennis Hall of Fame
& Museum, the Women's
Tennis Association, and the
USTA, having held leadership roles with all three,
including USTA chairman
and president from 2007
to 2008. She has been the
longtime chairman of the
Rodney Street Tennis & Tutoring Association,
an inner-city program in Wilmington, Del.
Davenport, who won three Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal, retired
in 2010 and is a commentator for Tennis Channel. Vandierendonck, of the Netherlands, was
an early star of wheelchair tennis. Barrett has
been a tennis broadcaster for the BBC, former
tournament director, and author and tennis
historian. Hes married to Hall-of-Famer Angela
Mortimer Barrett, and his induction will mark
the second husband-wife team in the HoF, after
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. The enshrinement
will be July 12. Visit tennisfame.com.
C O U RT E S Y I M G A C A D E M Y
Bollettieri, Brown Grimes Among

2014 Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees
IndustryNews
Coach Youth Tennis
Curriculum Launches
The USTA, along with the PTR, USPTA and
USOC, officially launched the educational
curriculum program Coach Youth Tennis, to improve the quality and standards
of teaching tennis to kids and enhance the
long-term development of children in the
sport. The program consists of a series of
online courses and a hands-on workshop
introducing participants to the fundamentals
required for success in working with children
ages 10 and under.
The USTA worked in collaboration with the
PTR, USPTA and U.S. Olympic Committee to
develop the curriculum, which serves as a
pathway to Tennis Professional Certification
through the PTR and USPTA certification
programs. Beginning this year, all individuals who want to become a certified teaching professional will need to complete the
Coach Youth Tennis curriculum.

This partnership is part of the USTAs
continuing effort to bring more children into
the sport, said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief
Executive, Community Tennis. These educational resources will impact tennis teachers
and coaches throughout the country, with
information on how to best deliver the sport
to kids, as well as on maximizing their business. The educational curriculum establishes a set of standards for tennis teachers
and coaches, ensuring that children will be
taught the proper essentials of the game.
Visit coachyouthtennis.com.
Bollettieris New
Autobiography Available
Nick Bollettieris new autobiography,
Bollettieri: Changing the Game, will be
published April 2. Written with Bob Davis,
with an introduction by Jim Courier, the
Prince Global Sports

to Relocate to Atlanta
rince Global Sports is relocating its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, from

its longtime location in Bordentown, N.J. At press time, Prince announced
it was finalizing a lease agreement to move into commercial property in the
Buckhead area north of downtown Atlanta.
CEO Mike Ballardie said Prince has been an iconic brand in the tennis industry
more than 40 years and feels Atlanta is a natural location for Prince Tennis headquarters. As we continue our growth as a global company, we see Atlanta and its
vast resources as a perfect fit for our management, sales and marketing teams, he
said.
Atlanta has a thriving tennis community with more men, women and children
playing tennis than any other U.S. city, making it a great home base for Prince. As
a global brand, we are involved at all
levels of the sport from juniors to supporting key professionals in tennis and
squash tournaments all over the world.
Leveraging our assets with Atlantas
location, talented workforce and the
travel options offered by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be a
tremendous benefit to the company.
Atlanta is a natural home for Prince given the citys love of tennis and our position as a leading distribution and logistics hub, said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
Atlantas ALTA tennis league, established in 1934, has more than 80,000 members,
and the city also is home to the BB&T Atlanta Open pro event in July.
Ballardie said the company is relocating its product research, development and
player servicing activities to the IMG Academy in Florida, alongside the recently
opened Prince Innovation Center. Prince is owned by Waitt Company of Omaha. !
8 TennisIndustry
April 2014
hardcover is $26.95. The

promotional material for
the book says: Mincing no
words, he discusses his 10
world champions, 9 lives,
8 wives, 7 children, and
all the successes and
failures in between. His
advice based on five decades of
dominance in sports training is inspirational,
motivational and reaches far beyond the
tennis court. To order, including signed and
personalized copies, visit bollettierithebook.
com or contact tim.westervelt@img.com or
call (941) 752-2515.
Wristpect Sport! Introduces

Wristbands Unleashed!
Sport accessory company Wristpect Sport! of
Plano, Texas, infuses wristbands with fashion,
color and function
with its Wristbands
Unleashed! Company founders Janelle
Sideris and Aleece
Schwalenberg develop individual patterns
for each wristband. All
products come packaged in their signature
retro paper envelope.
Visit wristpectsport.com.
Cardio Tennis Adds More

Training Sessions
Interest in delivering Cardio Tennis to
consumers continues to run high, as training
sessions for Cardio Tennis and TRX Cardio
Tennis have been added to the 2014 schedule. As of late February, the following training sessions have been scheduled, but check
CardioTennis.com as the schedule is updated
regularly. (CT means Cardio Tennis Training
Course; TRX CT is the TRX CT course.)
Austin, TexasMay 17 (CT) & 18 (TRX CT)
Birmingham, Ala.April 19 (CT)
ClevelandApril 27 (CT)
ClevelandMay 18 (TRX CT)
Darien, CTApril 17 (CT)
DenverMay 16 (CT) & 17 (TRX CT)
Fayetteville, N.C.Oct. 9 (CT)
New York, N.Y.June 14 (CT)
New York, N.Y.Nov. 8 (CT) & 9 (TRX CT)
PhiladelphiaMay 5 (CT)
Wexford, Pa.March 22 (CT)
IndustryNews
TIA Quarterly Report
on the Tennis Retail Market
Tennis Racquet Performance
Specialty Stores
January-December, 2013 vs. 2012
Units
2013
690,171
2012
731,346
% change vs. 12 -6%
Dollars
2013
$100,709,000
2012
$102,432,000
% change vs. 12 -2%
Price
2013
$145.92
2012
$140.06
% change vs. 12 4%
Top-Selling Racquets at Specialty Stores

By year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Dec. 2013
Best Sellers
1. Babolat Aero Pro Drive 2013 (MP)
2. Babolat Pure Drive GT 2012 (MP)
3. Wilson BLX Juice (MP)
4. Wilson Steam 99S (MP)
5. Babolat Aero Pro Team 2013 (MP)
Hot New Racquets
(introduced in the past 12 months)
1 . Wilson Steam 99S (MP)
2. Wilson Steam 105S (OS)
3. Head Graphene Speed MP (MP)
4. Head Graphene Instinct MP (MP)
5. Head Graphene Speed Pro (MP)
Top-Selling Tennis Shoes at Specialty
Stores
By year-to-date dollars, Jan.-Dec. 2013
1. Prince T22
2. Asics Gel Resolution 5
3. Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour
4. Nike Air Max Cage 2013
5. Adidas AdiPower Barricade 7
Top-Selling Tennis Strings at Specialty
Stores
By year-to-date units, Jan.-Dec. 2013
1. Babolat RPM Blast
2. Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex
3. Wilson NXT
4. Wilson Sensation
5. Luxilon Alu Power
(Source: TIA/Sports Marketing Surveys)
April 2014
TennisIndustry 9
IndustryNews
People
Watch
The Intercollegiate
Tennis Association recently announced the
2014 inductees for the
ITA Men's Collegiate
Tennis Hall of Fame:
coaches Billy Chadwick
(Mississippi), Timon
Corwin (Kalamazoo)
and James Wadley
(Oklahoma State);
players Matt Anger
(USC), Juan Farrow
(Southern Illinois U.
- Edwardsville) and
Alex Kim (Stanford);
and contributor, Doug
Conant (Northwestern). The seven will
be honored at the
Enshrinement Banquet
on May 21 during the
NCAA Division I Men's
& Women's Tennis
Championships at the
University of Georgia in
Athens, Ga.
The Junior Tennis
Foundation will honor
four Eastern tennis
leaders on April 25,
at the 27th annual
Eastern Tennis Hall of
Fame celebration in
Mamaroneck, NY. The
2014 inductees into the
Eastern Hall of Fame
are: Tim Mayotte, Mike
Silverman, Richard
Lights Out for WTT Vegas Team

Las Vegas was all set to be the new home
of the Mylan World TeamTennis franchise
relocated from Sacramento, but the league
pulled the plug on the team after the owner,
Deepal Wannakuwatte, was arrested for
fraud charges and had the assets of his
Sacramento-based medical supply company
frozen by a federal judge.
The team, previously operating as the
Sacramento Capitals, had moved to Las
Vegas in February, signed Sam Querrey as
its marquee player and was renamed the Las
Vegas Neon. But with assets from the parent
company frozen, it was unable to meet its
financial obligations to the league. The WTT
season, which takes place July 6 to 24, will
consist of seven teams instead of eight this
year.
USPTA Seeks Nominations

for Annual Awards
The USPTA is accepting nominations
for its 2014 National Awards Program,
honoring members who are committed to
excellence as tennis teachers and as ambassadors using tennis to impact people
and communities.
The deadline for nominations is June
17. All Professional-level members are eligible. Recipients will be recognized during the Tennis Teachers Conference Aug.
10 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Walther and Marilyn

Aschner.
a sponsorship deal
with Subaruhis first
major endorsement
deal.
HEAD Penn racquetballer Rocky Carson

captured the U.S.
National Championship
in the National Team
Qualifying
Division.
Its his
eighth
career
National
Doubles
Title.
Tennis Hall of
Famer Louise Brough
Clapp, a former world
No. 1 player and
the winner of 35
major titles,
died Feb. 3 at
her home in
Vista, Calif.
She was 90
years old.
Swiss player, and Aussie Open champ, Stan

Wawrinka has signed
Tennis Channel and

Mary Carillo have
agreed to a three-
22-25 at the Grand Hyatt New York. Visit

uspta.com for more information and to
nominate.
T.O.M. Conference to
Feature Facility Experts
The inaugural Tennis Owners & Managers Conference, to be held in Charleston,
S.C., April 3-4 (during the Family Circle
Cup womens pro tournament) will feature
some of the industrys leading experts in
club and facility management and programming.
Hall-of-Famer and ESPN tennis commentator Cliff Drysdale, who owns a tennis
facility management company, will be the
keynote speaker. Hell be joined by experts
such as Doug Cash of CashFlow Tennis,
Kurt Kamperman and Virgil Christian of
the USTA, Thomas Deere of Five Seasons
Family Sports Club, Simon Gale of Yonkers
T.C., Jeff Goecke of Fairfield Indoor Tennis,
Greg Lappin of Life Time Fitness, Michael
Mahoney of Midtown T.C., Ajay Pant of
Tennis Center at College Park, John Embree
of the USPTA, Dan Santorum of the PTR,
and facility designer and consultant David
Lasota, among others.
The conference agenda includes sessions on topics such as how to grow your
membership base; making money through
programming, including Cardio Tennis;
year broadcast extension that expands her

role with the network
and keeps her on
air through 2016.
In addition to her
current French Open,
Wimbledon and US
Open assignments,
Carillo will cover the
Sony Open and other
events.
Billie Jean King will
deliver the Simmons
College 109th Commencement address
on May 9 at the Bank
of America Pavilion in
Boston.
dealing with employees and compensation;

court design and renovation; teaching pro
issues; the youth tennis market; retailing and
a club pro shop; technology; research; and
more. Visit TheTOMConference.com or call
843-473-4504.
Nominate Your
Outstanding Facility
Do you know an outstanding tennis
facility in your local areaone with great
courts, a great design, impressive construction and excellent tennis programs?
Nominate it for a USTA Outstanding Facility Award, which is a great way for a facility to receive local and national recognition, and to help in fund-raising goals.
The deadline to nominate is May 30.
Winners will receive their award at the
USTA SemiAnnual Meeting in September
in New York. Last year, 19 facilities from
around the country were honored as
outstanding by the USTA, and one was
chosen as a featured facility. Nomination forms for 2014 are available at USTA.
com/facilityawards.
Ashaway Introduces
Crossfire Hybrid
Ashaway Racket Strings has introduced
the latest addition to its Crossfire line of
tennis hybrids, Crossfire ZX. Combining
IndustryNews
Norways Sorvald Named

PTR Pro of the Year
ivind Sorvald of Lieskogen, Norway, was

named PTR Professional of the Year at
the PTR International Tennis Symposium, held in February in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
A PTR member since 1980, Sorvald has been a
PTR Tester since 1992. Currently, he is the Director of High Performance and Coach Education for
the Norwegian Tennis Association (NTF), where
he has conducted coach education courses for more than 20
years.
Dr. Jim Loehr and Jim
Verdieck were inducted into
the PTR Hall of Fame, joining
Dennis Van der Meer. Loehr, a
world-renowned performance
psychologist, has been a PTR
member since 1976 and is the co-founder of the Human
Performance Institute. Verdieck, who passed away in 2001,
coached the University of Redlands mens tennis team for 38
years and was a charter member of the PTR.
The TIA/PTR Commitment to the Industry Award went to
Butch Staples, co-owner of the TennisClub of the Low Country
at Rose Hill in Bluffton, S.C. Staples is a PTR Master Professional and holds a B.A., a B.P.E. and an M.S. in Physical Education. Other PTR members honored during the Symposium
include:
International Master Professional: Marc Blouin (right, top)
Community Service Award: Nigel Pugh (middle)
Jim Verdieck H. S. Coach of the Year: Jaime Kaplan (bottom)
Humanitarian of the Year: Michael Paul PTR Volunteer of
the Year: Maggie Collins
Clinician of the Year: Daniel Breag
Tester of the Year: Sandor Papp
Touring Coach of the Year: Mike Sell
College Coach of the Year: Sujay Lama
Wheelchair Professional of the Year: Rich Berman
Public Facility of the Year: Central Oahu Regional Park
Male Player of the Year: Fernando Velasco
Female Player of the Year: Elizabeth Kobak !
Ashaway's 17 gauge
(1.25 mm) braided
Aramid/PTFE Kevlar
+Plus main strings with
its 1.22 mm MonoGut
ZX Pro cross strings,
Crossfire ZX is designed for players looking
for a hybrid combination of soft power with
excellent durability and superior spin, says
the company. Visit ashawayusa.com.
SoCal Acquires TGA Franchise

The USTA Southern California (SCTA)
has acquired a TGA Premier Youth Tennis

franchise and will implement TGAs schoolbased model in the San Fernando Valley.
SCTA, the first USTA section to invest in a
TGA franchise, will use it to create jobs to
oversee day-to-day operations, handle
staff training and teach the programs.
Revenue generated will help develop other
youth initiatives.
Power Courts Partners

with CourtTech
Atlanta-based squash court construction
April 2014
TennisIndustry 11
IndustryNews
Short
Sets
The U.S. will host
France in the Fed Cup
World Group Playoffs
April 19-20 at a site to
be determined by the
U.S. The winner of the
playoff will re-enter
the World Group to
compete for the Fed
Cup title in 2015,
while the loser drops
down to the World
Group II. The U.S. is
11-1 all-time against
France. In February,
the U.S. lost its quarterfinal to Italy, 3-1, in
Cleveland.
Great Britain defeated the U.S., 3-1,
in the Davis Cup in
February on red clay
in Petco Park in San
Diego. It was Great
Britains first win over
the U.S. since 1935
and the first win on
American soil since
1903. Great Britain
will play Italy in the
quarterfinals in April;
the U.S. will play in
Septembers World
Group Playoff against
an opponent to be
determined, and the
winner will remain in
the World Group for
2015.
Access Fixtures says

its LED tennis court
lighting systems can
achieve recreational play
lighting levels over the
entire court area with
an LED system rated for
100,000 hours, for under
$16,000. The company
says its newest LED lights
produce an average of
23.8 foot-candles over
the entire court area
while using substantially
less energy. Lighting
systems include 25-foot
poles, mounting hardware and high-performance LED luminaires.
Visit AccessFixtures.com.
The 1973 Battle of the
Sexes match between
Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs will reportedly
be the focus of a biopic
of BJK by Slumdog Millionaire director Danny
Boyle. News reports say
Boyle is prepping the biopic with Oscar-winning
writer Simon Beaufoy
and producer Christian
Colson.
Ashaway Racket
Strings has a new string
for professional level racquetball players plagued
by chronic string break-
company Power Courts is the exclusive

North American partner of squash court
maker CourtTech in Germany, and is dedicated to growing the sport and making it
more accessible in the U.S. and Canada.
Co-founded by former World No. 1 squash
player Jonathon Power, Power Courts by
CourtTech offers system courts that
have been accredited by the World Squash
Federation. The sand-filled panels are joined
with a special tongue-and-groove connection. Power Court by CourtTech provides a
5-year warranty on wall construction.
12 TennisIndustry
April 2014
age. New PowerKill

Pro is a tough, 16
gauge (1.30 mm)
string designed
with Power Filament Technology (PFT), a
proprietary
new wear
layer, or
"jacket," which uses
Zyex fibers to enhance
durability and power,
and help maintain
string tension, says
the company. Visit
ashawayusa.com.
The eBook "The
Tennis Parent's Bible"
from Frank Giampaolo is now available
in paperback. The
book, with topics
such as "Navigating Tournaments,"
Maintaining Positive
Communication,"
"On-Court Strategies
& Tactics, is designed
to assist parents and
coaches through the
mental and emotional
complexities of raising
a world-class young
adult through the
game of tennis. The
paperback is available
through Barnes &
Noble and Amazon.
BoardRoom magazine recently honored

the USPTA with the
2013 Excellence in
Achievement
Award for
Association
of the Year, for
its dedication to
enhancing the relationship between
clubs and tennis
professionals.
Bridgeport (Conn.)
Community Tennis
Inc. is receiving a
$35,000 contribution from the USTA to
grow the sport. The
money will help in refurbishing six school
courts and adding
blended lines.
The Washington
University-St. Louis
Bears beat Johns
Hopkins 6-3 and win
their first ever ITA
Division III National
Men's Team Indoor
Championship in
February. The ITA
Division III National
Womens Team Indoor title was won by
Johns Hopkins, which
beat Carnegie Mellon
for the second year in
Company President Andrew Bailey says

Power Courts has already been asked to
quote more than $3 million in business,
and the company is looking to expand
its team of advisors and builders. Call
1-844-4SQUASH, email info@powercourts.
com, or visit powercourts.com.
Correction
Our playtest report of Victory Acelon
Seven string in our March 2014 issue
included erroneous information regarding
the price and gauges. The correct prices
a row in the final.

Former Wall Street
trader Sean Rivera
has acquired a TGA
Premier Youth Tennis
(TGA) franchise in
southern Westchester
County in New York
stateone of seven
TGA tennis franchises
in the Northeast
region and the 24th
developed nationwide in just over 18
months. TGA of South
Westchester is already
impacting youth
through tennis in elementary and middle
schools.
The Ohio State
Buckeyes beat USC
on Feb. 17 to capture
their first title at the
2014 ITA Division I
National Men's Team
Indoor Championship.
ThinkLite recently
replaced the fluorescent lights at two
Boston-area tennis
clubsNatick Racquet
Club and the Waltham
Athletic Clubwith its
new high-output LED
tube lighting. Visit
ThinkLite.com.
are $16.99 per 40-foot set and $379.99 for

Victory's exclusive 600-meter mega-spool.
Victory Acelon Seven is available in 17 (1.24
mm), 16L (1.27 mm), and 16 (1.31 mm).
We apologize for any confusion. Read the
corrected playtest report here. http://www.
tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2014/03/
playtest_victory_acelon_seven.html
USRSA Announces
New MRTs/CSs
MRT - Eric Adams - Chicago, IL
CS - Robert Myers - Lexington, KY !
March 2014
TennisIndustry 13
IndustryNews
Letters
Dropping the Ball?
I noticed the blurb in Industry News
in the November/December issue
about the New York City Department
of Parks and Recreation doubling the
cost of seasonal permits. I have always
been shocked by how little attention
was paid to this when it happened.
This major occurrence in the largest
market in the country would obviously
have a serious negative impact on
participation overall, and be incredibly damaging to our sport.
I, and many of my tennis colleagues/friends, made a major effort
to contact the USTA and open a discussion. We thought they would care,
and might want to address the Parks
Department to see if anything could
be done. We contacted every relevant
department of the USTA via phone,
mail, and email, and they all ignored
the situation.
I did receive a single form response
from a department at USTA Eastern,
saying, "Please be advised that the USTA

Eastern section will be taking NO position on the issue at this time.
For an organization that claims its
mission is to grow the game and encourage minority participation, the lack of
action, rude tone, and willingness to
let participation be cut in half without
lifting a finger is abhorrent. Several of us
discontinued our USTA memberships
because of it, and told them so, but this
also produced no response.
Its a crushing disappointment to
find that, after being a USTA member for
over 30 years, the association seems to
care about very little except in milking
the US Open for money. It has certainly
dropped the ball on its mission.
Laurence Shanet, New York, NY
National High School

Coaches Association?
I really enjoyed Denny Schackters Your
Serve (Influence Peddlers) in the
February issue. I am proud to be a high
school tennis coach and have been
coaching since 1997, and I have the
same passion and love for it to this day. I
have plenty of students/former players
that still keep in touch with me. There
are thousands of us high school coaches
who have made a positive impact on our
players.
Some tennis professionals don't take
high school tennis players seriously.
Regardless of the level, we as tennis professionals have a responsibility to coach
these high school players as if they are
on the ATP or WTA tour. And as coaches,
we have a responsibility to prepare them
for being productive young adults.
We're all concerned about the aging
of tennis teachers in this countrybut
think about the fresh, young teaching
talent we could have if we had a mechanism, through a high school coaches
association, to influence passionate high
school players to join the ranks of our
professional teaching groups.
Jeff Bernales
Midtown Athletic Club, Bannockburn, Ill.
I am currently a high school coach at
New Hanover High School in Wilmington, N.C., as well as a director at several
tennis clubs. I just read Denny Schack-
14 TennisIndustry
April 2014
ters article about the need for a high

school tennis coaches association, and
he could not be more right.
Jeff Kohl
Director of Tennis, Figure Eight Island Yacht
Club, Wilmington, N.C.
I read Denny Schackters "Influence
Peddlers" and could not agree more. Not
only do we need to get young coaches
involved, but we need to support them
with all resources we have.
I coached at the high school level for
25 years in Arkansas and retired two
years ago. I'm still very close to the
program. I have been working with the
Arkansas Tennis Association and the
Arkansas Activities Association (our governing body for high school sports) to
get a coaches association off the ground
in Arkansas. This is an exciting time in
Arkansas for high school tennis coaches.
We can make things even bigger with a
national organization.
Paul Pautsch
Kingsdale Tennis Complex, Bella Vita, Ark.
I greatly enjoyed Denny Schackter's
Your Serve. In 1996, as head tennis
coach for Shawnee Mission Northwest
H.S. in suburban Kansas City, I started
the National High School Tennis Coaches
Association (now on Facebook). My
goals included:
Building relationships with tennis
academy coaches (some of whom were
telling players not to play H.S. tennis).
We wanted to endorse their academies
while they endorsed H.S. tennis.
Building an organization that could
help H.S. coaches with knowledge of
the game, turning an individual sport
into a team one and how to manage
practices with large groups and varied
abilities.
Recognizing top H.S. teams across the
nation through a national ranking.
Developing national/regional clinics
for coaching camaraderie and development, and to recognize H.S. coaches
through a Hall of Fame.
Scott Enge
President, ACT Sport Services, Olathe, Kan.
We welcome your comments. Please
email them to TI@RacquetTech.com.
THE T.O.M. CONFERENCE APRIL 3-4, CHARLESTON, SC
Tennis Owners & Managers Conference

Empowering Tennis Businesses and Leaders for a Stronger Industry!
For the inaugural Tennis Owners & Managers (T.O.M.) Conference, April 3-4,
IN#HARLESTONWEVELINEDUPSOMEOFTHISINDUSTRYSLEADINGEXPERTSINCLUB
and facility management and programming to provide practical information
ANDKEYhTAKEAWAYSvTHATOWNERSANDMANAGERSCANIMPLEMENTTOBECOME
MORECOMPETITIVEANDPROlTABLEINTHISEVOLVINGTENNISMARKETPLACE
&ROM IDEAS TO HELP YOU MARKET YOUR FACILITY AND PROGRAMS TO BEST
practices for managing and compensating staff, to navigating legal issues,
discovering the latest in technology tools, and important research you need
TOKNOWABOUTANDMUCHMORETHEINFORMATIONATTHE4/-#ONFERENCE
WILLHELPYOURBUSINESSANDIMPROVEYOUROPERATIONSANDBOTTOMLINE
The T.O.M. Conference will:
s0ROVIDEIMPORTANTBUSINESShTAKEAWAYSv
for attendees.
s%NHANCETHEDIALOGUEBETWEENOWNERS
managers and key industry segments.
s)DENTIFYNEWWAYSTOSHOWTENNISASAN
attractive activity for recreational players.
s)NTRODUCETHELATESTTECHNOLOGYTODRIVE
consumer engagement and retention.
s0ROVIDENETWORKINGOPPORTUNITIES
REGISTRATION INCLUDES:
s7ELCOME2ECEPTIONIN,EGENDS3KY3UITEATTHE&AMILY#IRCLE#UPFOR
evening matches on April 3.
s+EYNOTESPEAKERBREAKFASTANDLUNCHBOTHDAYS
s4)!,EVEL"USINESS!SSESSMENTFORFACILITIESANDRETAILERS
s7ELCOMEPACKETWITHPROGRAMBOOKLET
IMPORTANT & DYNAMIC TOPICS
s4HELATESTRESEARCHINCLUDINGPARTICIPATIONCONSUMERAND

manufacturing trends.
s'ROWINGYOURMEMBERSHIPBASE
s3TAFFCOMPENSATIONMANAGINGYOURBIGGESTEXPENSE
s(OW#ARDIO4ENNISWILLMAKEMONEYFORYOURCLUB
s&ACILITYANDCOURTDESIGNANDRENOVATION
s534!PLANSTOBRINGMOREPLAYERSTOTHEGAME
s%DUCATIONALPATHWAYSFROM0425304!534!
s4EACHINGPROISSUESAFFECTINGCLUBSANDFACILITIES
s,EGALISSUESOFRUNNINGATENNISCLUBORFACILITY
s-AKINGBIGMONEYINTHEYOUTHTENNISMARKET
s%VALUATINGANDMAINTAININGTHElNANCIALSTABILITYOFYOURCLUB
s-AKINGYOURPROSHOPAPROlTCENTER
s4HELATESTTECHNOLOGYFORTODAYSFACILITIES
s-OVINGTHENEEDLEONADULTFREQUENTPLAY
s4HETOPTHINGSYOUNEEDTOKNOWTORUNAGREATCLUB
KNOWLEDGEABLE SPEAKERS
& PANELISTS
s +IRK!NDERSONUSTA
s -IKE"ARRELLevolve 9
s *IM"ATESIntelligent Creativity
s $OUG#ASHCashFlow Tennis
s 6IRGIL#HRISTIANUSTA
s *OLYNDE"OERTIA
s 4HOMAS$EEREFive Seasons
Family Sports Club
s #LIFF$RYSDALEIntl.
Tennis Hall-of-Famer,
ESPN commentator
s *OHN%MBREEUSPTA
s 3IMON'ALEYonkers
Tennis Center
s *EFF'OEKEFairfield
Indoor Tennis
s +URT+AMPERMANUSTA
s 'REG,APPINLife Time Fitness
s $AVID,A3OTAFacility Designer/
Cliff Drysdale
Technical Consultant
s -ICHAEL-AHONEYMidtown Athletic Clubs

s !JAY0ANTTennis Center at College Park
s $AN3ANTORUMPTR
s +EITH3TOREYSports Marketing Surveys
s *AY4OWNLEYGluskin Townley Group
The T.O.M. Conference will take place in historic Charleston,

S.C., named the No. 1 U.S. city for the third straight year in
Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards.
For more information on the T.O.M. Conference and to
register, including rates at the Charleston Marriott, visit
TheTOMConference.com or call 843-473-4504.
Restring for Spring: Use the Tennis

Tune-Up Campaign to Boost Business
Now is the time to get more players
into your store, pro shop or facility
TO lND OUT HOW YOUR EXPERTISE WITH
RACQUETS STRING AND EQUIPMENT CAN
HELPTHEIRGAMES'ETYOURPLAYERSTO
h2ESTRINGFOR3PRINGv
4HE4)!CANHELPINTHISEFFORTWITH
free marketing materials that you
can easily download and customize
so players know where to go to get
THE BEST SERVICE AND ADVICE FOR THEIR
GEAR "UT lRST MAKE SURE CONSUMERS
CAN lND OUT ABOUT YOUR RETAIL SHOP
FACILITY AND STRINGING SERVICES BY
LISTINGYOURBUSINESSFORFREEINTHE
0LAY4ENNISCOM SEARCHABLE DATABASE
'O TO 0LAY4ENNISCOM AND CLICK h-Y
!CCOUNTv )F YOU DONT HAVE A LOG IN
YOULLlNDALINKTOSIGNUPANDCREATE
AN ACCOUNT WHICH IS FREE AND FAST )F
you do have a log-in, check to make
SUREYOURBUSINESSLISTINGISUPTODATE
Together with the U.S.

2ACQUET 3TRINGERS !SSOCIATION
the worlds largest organization
for stringers, the listings on
0LAY4ENNISCOM NOW INCLUDE WHETHER
THE BUSINESS HAS A 5323! #ERTIlED
3TRINGER ANDOR -ASTER 2ACQUET
Technician on hand, so consumers
ARE ASSURED THEYRE GETTING THE BEST
RACQUETSERVICEAVAILABLE
4O HELP BRING CONSUMERS TO YOUR
BUSINESSTOh2ESTRINGFOR3PRINGvAND
players to your facility to tune up their
game with lessons and clinics, simply
DOWNLOAD THE FREE CUSTOMIZABLE
MARKETING MATERIAL FROM 0LAY4ENNIS
COMTENNIS TUNEUP 'O TO THE h&OR
2ETAILERS AND 3TRINGERSv PAGE AND
youll see a list of Tennis Tune-Up
collateral material including fliers,
WEB BANNER ADS POSTERS BUSINESS
cards and logos.
Make
your customers
aware of the services you
offer and how it can help their games,
and theyll rely on you for all their
tennis needs.
On page 26 of this issue, youll find
a story on how you can help your
customers determine when its time to
restring (The Dead Zone), with tips
and advice that can not only help keep
your players playing their best, but
also bring them in regularlyand more
frequentlyfor your expert services.
Take Advantage of Try Tennis for Free

*OINyour industry
IN.9#ON!UG
4HE 4ENNIS 3HOW WILL BE A
COLLABORATIVEONE DAYCELEBRATIONOF
TENNIS THAT WILL FEATURE AN %XHIBITOR
3HOW THE 4)! 4ENNIS &ORUM AND
MORE (ELD ON 3UNDAY !UG AT
THE 'RAND (YATT .9# IN CONJUNCTION
with the Tennis Teachers Conference,
the Tennis Show will include an
EXHIBITOR AREA WITH NEARLY TENNIS
manufacturers, organizations and
BUSINESSES &OR MORE INFORMATION
AND TO REQUEST AN EXHIBITOR PACKET
visit TheTennisShow.com.
&ACILITIES AND CERTIlED TEACHING PROS ARE BEING ENCOURAGED TO GET BEHIND THE
h4RY4ENNISFOR&REEvPROMOTION"EGINNINGIN-AYTENNISFACILITIESANDPROSWILL
OFFERBEGINNINGANDRETURNINGPLAYERSTHECHANCETOTRYTENNISFORFREESOTHEY
GETAFOOTINTHEDOORANDONTOTHECOURTSANDGETHOOKEDONTHESPORT
4HE DETAILS OF THE 4RY 4ENNIS FOR &REE OFFER ARE mEXIBLE AND LEFT UP TO THE
individual facility or pro themselves, meaning you set the rules, such as whether
participants need to register in advance or can walk in, whether it applies to
SPECIlCTIMESORDAYSHOWMANYFREESESSIONSAREOFFEREDPERPERSONETC
"UTTOGETMAXIMUMREACHTENNISPROVIDERSSHOULD
REGISTER AT 0LAY4ENNISCOMTRY TENNIS FOR FREE 9OULL
GET A FREE LISTING IN THE 0LAY4ENNISCOM DATABASE SO
CONSUMERS CAN EASILY CONTACT YOU TO lND OUT ABOUT
programs and sessions.
5304!TEACHINGPROSSUPPORTINGTHE4ENNIS!CROSS
!MERICAFREELESSONPROGRAMDURINGTHEMONTHOF-AYWILLALSOBESEARCHABLE
THROUGH0LAY4ENNISCOMFORCONSUMERSTOlNDTHEM4HE042ALSOWILLENCOURAGE
pros to offer free clinics or intro lessons during the month of May.
&ORDETAILSVISIT0LAY4ENNISCOMTRY TENNIS FOR FREE
TIA State of the Industry Slated for Spring Release

4HISSPRINGTHE4)!WILLRELEASETHEFOURTHEDITIONOFITS3TATEOFTHE)NDUSTRYREPORTWHICH
ANALYZESDATAFROMTHEPASTYEARCOLLECTEDTHROUGHTHENEARLY4)!SURVEYSANDRESEARCH
studies into one easy-to-read report.
One important change from previous reports is a new methodology for determining
TENNIS PARTICIPATION IN THE 53 &OR PARTICIPATION A NEW ONLINE ONLY SAMPLE WILL BE
used, compared to previous years that surveyed consumers through a traditional land-line
PHONE BASEDSURVEY4HE3TATEOFTHE)NDUSTRYREPORTWILLANALYZETHETENNISINDUSTRYVIA
THEMOSTRECENTRESEARCHANDDATAINFOURSEGMENTS4HE%CONOMYAND4ENNIS$EMAND
Supply, and Competitive Tennis.
4HE 4)!S 3TATE OF THE )NDUSTRY REPORT IS AVAILABLE TO )NDUSTRY ,EVEL MEMBERS OF THE
4)!ANDABOVE&ORMOREINFORMATIONONHOWTOOBTAINACOPYOFTHEREPORTWHENITIS
RELEASEDCONTACTTHE4)!ATRESEARCH TENNISINDUSTRYORGOR
Join the TIA . . . Increase Your Profits . . . Grow the Game . . . www.TennisIndustry.org
TIA S
TATE
K e y
T e n
n i s
April 2014
OF TH
E IND
US
I n d u
s t r y
TRY
I n d i
c a t o
r s
2014
E D I
T I O
N
TennisIndustry 17
Retailing 129
Close the Deal!
You may think tracking close rates is old school,

but they are effective at boosting your sales.
mall to medium retailers, including specialty tennis retailers,

seem to have forgotten about the
importance of closing a sale. For many,
the process of closing and tracking
close rates has become a lost art that is
costing sales and revenue!
In a market where every sale counts,
we see smaller retailers forgetting to
trial close or actually close sales, allowing prospects to walk out without
buying. Yes, shoppers have gotten
smarter and understand they are
in charge, and you cant sell them
something they dont want. But they
still expect you to do your job as a
retailer and ask for the sale! If you
dont, theyll leave and possibly end up
buying from another retailer who did
ask for their business.
There are basics involved in providing a satisfying retail shopping experience, including greeting a shopper
within minutes of him or her entering
your storewith a smile and a welcoming hello, followed by, How can
we be of service? Then, either direct
the shopper to the tennis products
they are interested in, or ask questions
to determine their wants and needs.
Remember, good sales techniques
and accordingly good close techniques
always focus on the buyer. Asking politely, in the flow of your presentation,
is not only all right, it is expected. Not
asking doesnt help anyone.
Ask For The Sale
At the point where you have qualified, demonstrated and narrowed the
possible product selection, you need
to ask for the sale. Start with a trial or
soft close by asking something like,
what do you think? Depending on
the response, you can continue with
the sales process or move to close the
primary sale.
18 TennisIndustry
April 2014
If the shopper wants to hear more,

continue until you feel it is time for
either another trial close or a direct
close: Would you like to go ahead and
purchase this? or What do you think,
is this the one you want?
In the case of racquets, you have the
demo program your store offers as an
interim step that can bridge between
your initial product presentation and
your close. But remember, youll still
need to ask for the sale at the end of the
demo period.
This leads to add-on sales, and making sure after you close the primary
sale you suggest accessories and any
specials you are running that you feel
might be of interest. Remember, it is
always easier to sell an add-on after
you have closed an initial sale.
Tracking Your Close Rate
In turn, this leads to tracking close

ratesor making sure you know how
many shoppers who came in your store
actually purchased something.
There are technically sophisticated
methods for tracking close rates, but
we suggest you start with the simple
poker-chip method. Start with
two colors of poker chips, say red
and white, and a fish bowl or similar
container. Explain to your staff that
for every shopper they greet, they put
a white chip in the bowl. They can do
this as they greet and move to engage.

When a sale is closed they put a red
chip in the bowl. At the end of the day
you count the white poker chips to
determine how many shoppers came
into your store that day, and count
the red chips to determine how many
sales your store closed that day, and
record both numbers.
For example, if you had 40 white
chips and 20 red chips, your close rate
is 50 percent. You can determine if
every shopper and every transaction
is tracked on a daily basis, or if only
merchandise transactions will be
tracked.
The objective is simple: Determine
what your close rate is, then set goals
and improve it.
Remember, there are only three
ways you will be able to grow your
tennis retail business:
Increase the number of customers
who visit your store.
Increase the value of each transaction.
Increase the number of transactionsthat is increase your close
rate. !
This is part of a series of retail tips
presented by the Tennis Industry Association and written by the Gluskin
Townley Group (www.gluskintownleygroup.com).
Tennis People
Where Are
They Now?
Fourteen years ago, Tennis Industry
named its 40 Under 40. You may be
surprised to learn that many are still
influencing the tennis business.
ack in our July/August 2000 issue, Tennis Industry magazine named its
40 Under 40men and women we felt would help lead the tennis industry into the then new century and have a strong influence in the sport and
the business of tennis.
After we named our recent 30 Under 30 in the November/December issue
this past fall, we thought it would be interesting to go back to the original 40 from
14 years before, to see what theyre doing now and whether theyre still involved in
tennis. And were happy to report that most of our 40 still are very involved in this
sport in some way, and others who may have left full-time work in tennis still have
a connection to the sport. (Note: We couldnt locate one of the original 40, who left
the industry shortly after our story appeared in 2000.)
As responses poured in from our original 40, we also noticed how thankful they
all were for getting involved in tennis. Many noted how wonderful it is to work in a
field that they also truly love. Tennis, it seems, is more than just a job for these men
and women.
Many thanks to Denny Schackter for coordinating our coverage and reaching
out and tracking down our original 40 Under 40.
D.A. Abrams
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer,
USTA
In 2000, Abrams was the director
of USA Tennis NJTL, charged with
expanding that program. He has been
in the tennis
industry for the
last 24 years
and now, as
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for
the USTA, is
responsible for
ensuring that all segments of the U.S.
population are actively encouraged
and recruited to participate in tennis
as players and spectators.
20 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Casey Angle
Corporate Concierge, SEI
After 11 years with the Intercollegiate

Tennis Association, Angle left his position of director of communications in
2008 to join SEI. In his current role, he
plans and manages over 100 events and
meetings a year for the giant financial
services company near Philadelphia
and helps bring other services to the
2,500 employees.
Jennifer (Kenas) Arianas

Executive DirectorTennis Industry
Relations, Tennis Channel
Arianas, in the industry for 21 years,
was a promotions manager for Head/
Penn in 2000. A longtime USTA committee volunteer, her role with Tennis
Channel involves
working with
production, marketing and sales
as the networks
liaison to the
industry, in addition to managing
interviews with players and others for
programming and live broadcasts.
Steve Bellamy
CEO & Chairman, The Ski Channel/
The Surf Channel
In 2000, Bellamy was CEO of Atonal
Tennis. But that was before the entrepreneur launched the Tennis Channel
in 2003, which he
left after seven
years as president.
He still heads
Atonal, which
owns and operates three tennis
centers in Southern California, and he remains actively
involved in tennis, but he also founded
The Ski Channel (2007) and The Surf
Channel (2012) television networks.
Tim Cass
COO, University of New Mexico
Athletics
Casss current position, which he began

in 2006, includes overseeing UNM athletic facilities; game
operations; football,
basketball and tennis teams; fundraising; personnel; and
much more. Fourteen years ago, he
was the head mens
tennis coach at
Texas A&M, and he continues to serve on
the NCAA Tennis Committee and USTA
Collegiate Athletic Directors Committee.
Andrew Coe
Chief Executive,
International Motor Sports
Based in England, Coe was head of

product development and technical
director for the International Tennis
Federation back in 2000, where he was
the first manager of the ITFs Technical
Centre. He left that position shortly after
and became an executive in the world of
motor sports.
Sam Cook
President, Tecnica USA
& Blizzard Sport America
A former Dartmouth player, Cook

started his professional career in the
tennis industry in 1993 at Volkl Sport
America, left the industry for a time,
then came back as an executive at
Prince, which he left in 2012. Currently he is responsible for U.S. brand
management for Tecnica and Blizzard
for the Tecnica Group USA.
Jim Courier
TV Tennis Analyst, Davis Cup
Captain, Former World No. 1
In 2000, Courier had just retired as a

touring pro, after winning four Grand
Slam singles crowns, 23 ATP singles titles and reaching the No. 1 world ranking. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005
and, among other
things, is an analyst
on the broadcasts
of the four majors
for various networks and serves as
captain of the U.S.
Davis Cup team.
Lindsay Davenport
TV Tennis Commentator,
Former World No. 1
Davenport retired in 2010 with three

Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in singles. Ranked No.
1 on eight different occasions, she was
a member of the WTA Tour Players
Council during her Tour days and married tennis player Jonathan Leach in
2003. Today, she is a TV tennis
commentator.
Larry Dillon
Manager10 and Under Tennis,
USTA Eastern
Fourteen years ago, Dillon was the

founder and president of The Sports,
For Life! Foundation Inc., working
to use tennis to
enhance lives. He
is still using the
sport to bring out
the best in adults
and children, now
as a manager with
the USTA Eastern
Section.
Johan Eliasch
Chairman & CEO, Head N.V.
Eliasch, who has been in this industry for 18 years, held the same role in
2000, when Head had just completed
acquiring Penn Racquet Sports. From
2007 to 2010, he served in the British
Government as the Special Representative of the Prime Minister on
Deforestation and Clean Energy.
Joe Favorito
Self-Employed, and Director of
Industry Relations, Columbia
University Graduate Program in
Sports Management
Favorito handles marketing, communications and business development

for a host of different clients in sports
and entertainment, including the
John McEnroe Tennis Academy and
recent work with the WTT New York
Sportimes and Washington Kastles.
In 2000, he worked for the USTA as
director of publicity and media relations.
Tony Godsick
President, TEAM8
Godsick is founder and president

of Team8 Sports & Entertainment,
whose clients include Roger Federer,
Juan Martin del Potro and Grigor
Dimitrov. In the industry for 22 years
(and married to former pro player
Mary Joe Fernandez), Godsick was
the vice president for Racquet Sports
at IMG.
John Hanna
Publisher-ALTA Net News,
Ad DirectorTennis Industry,
Sales ManagerTennis
Hannas role in tennis publishing

spans decades and includes key
titles in this industry. He remains
publisher of
Net News,
as
he was in
2000, but is
also the ad
director for
Tennis Industry magazine and the
endemic sales manager for Tennis
magazine. He also is president and
owner of the Baseline Network digital tennis business.
Rodney Harmon
Head Coach, Womens Tennis
Team at Georgia Tech
Since 2000, Harmon, who was the

USTAs director of multicultural
development at the time, has been
the mens head tennis coach for the
2008 Beijing Olympics, and he was
inducted into the ITA Mens Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.
As tennis director at Deerwood CC in
Jacksonville, he was named Competitive Coach of the Year by the USTA
Florida Section in 2012.
Feisal Hassan
General Manager/Tennis
Director, Midlothian Tennis Club
Hassan has been in the tennis
industry for 26 years, and currently
oversees and manages the operation at the Midlothian Tennis Club
in Virginia. Hes coached nationally
ranked juniors, collegiate players,
and touring pros, receiving many
honors along the way.
David Higdon
Managing DirectorIntegrated
Marketing Communications,
NASCAR
Higdons start in the tennis industry

came in 1982 with a story about his
Kalamazoo College team that ran in
Tennis magazine. He worked as a senior editor for Tennis, then was VP
Corporate Communications for the
ATP Tour. He currently develops and
implements NASCARs integrated
marketing communications strategy.
Liza Horan
Head of Brand Strategy &
Engagement, Hop-a-Razzi
Horan first started working in tennis

22 years ago as an
assistant editor of
USTA Magazine,
then became the
longtime director of the Tennis.
com website and
served for many
years as president
of the U.S. Tennis Writers Association. She leads the digital, marketing,
advertising and public relations efforts for the Hop-a-Razzi ball basket
brand.
April 2014
TennisIndustry 21
Tennis People
Jerome Jones
District Sales Manager,
Head/Penn Racquet Sports
the Sport Management program at

Nichols College in Dudley, Mass.
In 2000, Jones was a USA Tennis

National Administrator, growing
the game in any
and all capacities. That still is
a focus of his, as
his current job,
in the Southern
California territory, involves sales and promotions
for Head/Penn products and distribution to all retail channels.
Todd Martin
CEO-Designate, International
Tennis Hall of Fame; President,
Todd Martin Tennis LLC
Jeff Karp
Executive VPSocial and Mobile
Leslie McCormack-Gathy
Deputy Chairman,
Right To Play UK
Karp left Wilson Sporting Goods

at the end of 2000 after nine years,
where he was Vice President of Interactive Marketing, and joined video
game giant Electronic Arts, where his
responsibilities included field sales,
planning, retail marketing supply
chain management and more. He
currently works for Social and Mobile
in San Francisco, a leading international social games business.
Rick Kerpsack
VP/Managing Director,
Tennis Warehouse/TWEurope
Kerpsack manages all purchasing for

retail giant Tennis Warehouse,
and in 2008 established Tennis
WarehouseEurope. Hes been
in the tennis
industry for 32
years, joining
Wilson in 1991, where he took over
the shoe category as business director
for performance footwear.
Timothy Liptrap
Associate Professor & Chair,
Sport Management,
Nichols College
Involved in tennis in various forms

for 25 years, Liptrap starting as a
high school coach in 1989, director of
marketing for USTA New England,
section marketing manager for USTA
National, and VP of World TeamTennis. Since 2002, hes been building
22 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Martin was recently named CEO of

the ITHF, taking over full time this
September. The former pro player,
who has been active on the ATP Tour
Player Council, currently is on the
USTA Board of Directors and has a
passion for giving back to the sport
from coaching youth tennis through
elite juniors and professionals.
McCormack-Gathy, who lives in

London, left her vice president position at IMG in 2004. In addition to
raising her three children, she joined
the board of Right to Play UK in 2005,
which uses sport and play to educate
and empower children and helps girls
become active in sports in countries
where this traditionally has not been
allowed.
Patrick McEnroe
General ManagerUSTA Player
Development; TV Commentator
Former tour pro McEnroe has held

many roles in the industry, including
as a member of the USTA Board of Directors, former Davis Cup captain, and
president of USTA Serves. In 2008, he
assumed his current position, overseeing all USTA player development programs. A respected TV commentator,
hes worked for ESPN and CBS, among
other media outlets.
Drew Munster
CEO, Tennis Warehouse
Munster continues to run tennis

internet retail giant
Tennis Warehouse,
where he still does
a fair amount of
programming on
the system that
runs TWs businesses. The companys innovative
approach over the last two decades has
helped shape tennis retailing.
Tracy Nickerson Schaefer

Administrative Assistant to
Athletics & Wellness,
North Cross School, Roanoke, Va.
Although Nickerson left her position as

director of marketing for the Georgia
Tennis Association in 2002, she remains
involved in the sport as an avid player
(plus, her husband is a USPTA-certified
pro). After taking eight years off to raise
a family, she wanted to get back into a
sports career and started her current
position in February 2013.
Kevin OConnor
Senior Advisor, Arnaud Lagardere
OConnor was the VP of Saddlebrook

Sports in Tampa in 2000, working with
tennis stars such as Pete Sampras, Jim
Courier, Martina Hingis and Jennifer
Capriati. He became COO of Lagardere
Unlimiteds sports representation and
marketing business in the Americas in
2010, but left that position in 2013 to be
senior advisor to the agencys namesake.
Chris Renner
President, Helios Europe & China
In 2000, Renner was managing director

at ISL Tennis, securing broadcast rights
for the Tennis Masters Series and Fed
Cup. He has since moved to Helios Partners, which is an international sports
marketing consultancy.
Jeff Schwartz
President & Founder,
Excel Sports Management
Excel Sports Management, which

Schwartz started in 2002, represents
some of the top athletes in pro sports, including NBA, MLB and PGA standouts.
Schwartz started in sports management
in 1992 at IMG, managing the careers
of Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis and
Marcelo Rios. He later joined Artists
Management Group (AMG), building up
the athlete division.
Larry Scott
Commissioner, Pac-12 Conference
Scott currently oversees all intercollegiate athletics (including tennis) and

related businesses for the Pac-12 Conference, which he joined in 2009. The
former tour player and Harvard grad
served six years as chairman and CEO of
the WTA, and prior to that was COO of
the ATP Tour.
Pat Shields
Owner & CEO, Fromuth Tennis
Shields bought wholesale distributor

Fromuth Tennis in 1992 and he continues to move the
business forward,
while working with
tennis retailers to
help them get the
products they need
and boost their own
businesses.
Pam Shriver
Tennis Broadcaster; Board Member, USTA Serves; Former Pro
Player
Including her time playing professional events (she won 22 Grand Slam
doubles titles), Shriver has been in
the tennis industry for 36 years. And
shes worn a multitude of hats in that
time, from helping to grow the game at
the grassroots to serving on the USTA
Board of Directors and as a VP of the
Hall of Fame.
David Sparrow
Senior Editor, Parents Magazine
Sparrow left Tennis magazine, where

he was deputy editor, in 2001, but he
continued to write freelance pieces for
USTA Magazine until 2008. In his role
at Parents, he heads up the magazines
education and personal finance coverage. He still plays tennis regularly, and
last year watched his 15-year-old son as
a second-generation ball person at the
US Open.
Kathleen Stroia
Senior VPSport Sciences &
Medicine and Transitions, WTA
Stroia, in the industry for 25 years,

currently is responsible for, among
other things, setting standards for
tournament physicians, identifying and
participating in research projects for
tennis, injury prevention, womens
health issues, and
new high performance/sports
medicine products.
She also developed
the Transitions
program, which
focuses on professional development
for current and retired players.
Fred Viancos
Director of Professional
Development, USPTA
A former professional player, Viancos has spent

the last 25 years
as an administrator in tennis,
including as an
ATP Tour manager. A longtime
employee of the
USPTA, he currently, oversees the membership,
certification/testing, education
and multimedia departments.
Scott Warner
Warner Investments; Coach
In 2000, Warner was the racquet

sports buyer for retail chain Sports
Authority, which he left in 2008.
A former pro circuit player, he
started his own company, Warner
Investments, and buys real estate
for rental income. But he still is
involved in tennis, coaching several
juniors in Denver and coaching
high school tennis last year.
Ann Worcester
Tournament Director,
New Haven Open at Yale
Worcester started her career in

this sport 30 years ago, working for
IMG. She is a former CEO of the
WTA Tour, and became tournament director in
New Haven 17
years ago, where
she continues to
emphasize tennis at all levels
from the pros
right down to
the grassroots.
She also serves as chief marketing officer for Market New Haven,
reporting to the mayors office.
Ben Yun
Senior Footwear Designer,
Nike
Yun, who has remained with Nike

since our original 40 Under 40
list in 2000, has had a hand in shoe
designs not only worn by millions
of consumers, but also by Nikes
top tennis stars, too. !
April 2014
TennisIndustry 23
Apparel
A Cooling Trend
Approaches
New textiles and products are promoting active
cooling, to make it easier for players to stay
comfortable during warm-weather workouts.
By Emily Walzer
hile watching the 2014 Australian

Open, I couldnt help but think how
the latest innovations in textile science are tailor-made for athletes
dealing with extreme heat. As the
tournament progressed and players struggled, yet continued
to compete, with temperatures rising to record highs, I stifled
an urge to yell at the TV, If you guys would simply change
your clothes, youll feel a whole lot cooler!
Soon enough tennis players will get the messagewithout me hollering from the sidelinesthat there are new and
improved ways to stay comfortable when exercising in hot
weather. This Spring, a range of products are entering the
market engineered to promote what is being called active
cooling.
Without getting into the nitty-gritty of thermodynamics,
these new fabric technologies work by changing density with
the absorption of water. Or as we were taught in high school
science class, when something changes size without changing
mass, it must change temperature.
Wicking properties (the ability to pull water away from the
skin, promote evaporation and quickly dry a fabric) are still
important, but these new offerings go beyond conventional
moisture-management to actually work with sweat to lower
body heat. The cooling comes from conductionin other
words the technology touching and directly cooling the skin.
There have been forays into cooling textiles in recent years,
but this next generation of technology brings a fresh blast of
innovation. Veteran activewear brands as well as material
tech newcomers are advancing the trend. For example, Columbia Sportswear will offer a wide assortment of garments
featuring its proprietary Omni-Freeze Zero technology and
Adidas is launching Climachill, its new cooling fabric science. Performance textile company Coolcore has introduced
cooling-specific products, and Swiss fabric supplier Schoeller
24 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Textil has just announced a new temperature-regulating

development available for garments in the future.
Air-Conditioning For the Skin

Columbias fabric tech is based on tiny yet distinctive blue
rings laminated on polyester that contain a cooling polymer
to suck up sweat and then react to the moisture as an individual exercises. When exposed to sweat or moisture, these
rings swell (similar to goose bumps) creating an instant and
prolonged cooling sensation.
The little blue rings are like ice packs in your freezer, says
Scott Trepanier, promotions manager. When describing
the product, it is important to make the point that this is not
wicking, this is active cooling.
Executives at Columbia Sportswear believe cooling technologies will only grow in importance as the temperatures
across the globe continue to rise. The extreme 105 degrees in
Melbourne this January would bear this out.
Adidas material innovation also relies on thermodynamic
textile science with its Climachill product. The fabric uses
titanium cooling fibers and aluminum silver dots that cool the
body. With Climachill, athletes can train harder, run longer,
retain their focus and compete better, explains Greg Thomsen, managing director, Adidas Outdoor North America. This
technology helps users utilize sweats core cooling function to
their advantage.
Thomsen continues, The aluminum is super-lightweight
and a really good conductor even when used in such small
amounts. Because the dots are raised, they push the heat
away from the skin and create cooling. You can think of it as
enhanced thermo regulation.
Coolcore does not have a branded apparel linethough that
may be coming soon. However, Coolcore is now marketing
Dr. Cool recovery wraps. According to the company, this is
the first product to combine cold and compression

in one flexible fabric for recovery on the go. Dr.
Cool wraps can be used dry as a compression wrap,
or frozen. To use as a cold compress, you need to
wet the wrap, roll it and freeze it; Coolcore says its
material will keep the fabric colder, longer.
The companys fiber technology is incorporated
in other products useful for tennis players. For
example, Coolcore has an exclusive partnership
with Mission Athletecare that offers EnduraCool
products powered by Coolcore. The items, including a cooling towel, arm sleeve, headbands and
hoodie, rely on a three-step activation process that
consists of soaking the fabric, wringing it out and
then snapping it in place. This procedure activates
the technology and serves to cool body temps.
(Serena Williams is one of Mission Athletecares
sponsored athletes.)
While todays new cooling materials are often
promoted as ideal for long bike rides and highmileage treks, some see even greater potential in
shorter duration exercisea few sets of tennis, for
instance.
ADIDAS
The Climachill fabric used in

this Terrex Climacool shirt
enables twice the flow of air
though the fabric as normal
ventilated apparel and the
loose fabric construction allows
moisture to evaporate away
from the skin for enhanced
comfort.
COLUMBIA
SPORTSWEAR
Trends in Warm-Weather Comfort

While active cooling is certainly a buzzword
in textile tech these days, there are other trends
worth mentioning. Cotton, for example, continues
to advance as a performance product. Increasingly
cotton is being treated to offer wicking capabilities as well as odor-control properties. The fabric
market is also seeing more action in cotton blends
that provide durability as well as softness. Once
sidelined to synthetics in the activewear category,
cotton is now making a big comeback.
Lightweight is another important trend. Most
fabric specialists will tell you that textiles these
days are close to half the weight compared to just
a few years ago. The innovation comes from fabric
developers now being able to trim the bulk of a
textile without losing any of the functionality.
Lastly, many in the textile community believe
smart fabrics for everyday wear are on the
horizon. Right now most of these textiles are being
developed for military purposes (for example, garments engineered with fabrics that have the ability
to administer wound-healing medicine so soldiers
in the field can receive immediate medical attention) or elite sports training. A new study involves
clothing items with computer networks woven
into the fabric that can sense motions of
the wearer, classify the persons activity and monitor physiological measurements related to the
activity.
If textile science can help you adjust to the
heat, why not a shirt that can monitor your fitness
levels? !
This season, Columbia is

expanding the Omni-Freeze
ZERO line to be available in
all mens and womens categories including shirts. Shown
here are the mens Zero Rules
short sleeve shirt and the
womens Freeze Degree Tank
top.
COOLCORE
Dr. Cool Wraps serve dual-purpose for compression and cooling.
April 2014
TennisIndustry 25
Stringing
The Dead
Zone
What happens to tennis
strings with time and
use? And how can you
help your customers
determine when it is
time to restring?
By Bob Patterson
ennis strings go dead. Or do they?

According to Rod Cross and Crawford
Lindsey in the book Technical Tennis (Racquet
Tech Publishing, 2005), strings do not go dead
in the racquet.
When a string loses tension, it becomes softer, they write.
That is all that changes in a string. It does not lose power,
resiliency or go dead in any quantitative way. It simply becomes less stiff, and thus feels different to the player.
But players describe that difference in many different, and
often conflicting, ways. Some describe balls flying off the racquet with a loss of control, while others describe a soft, dead
feeling that lacks power.
So, what happens to strings with time and use? If strings
dont go dead, what is it that changes, and why do players have
a hard time agreeing on just what that difference feels like?
We set out to find an answer and were led right back to
our old friend and string expert Crawford Lindsey. It seems
that Lindsey was curious also, and in his usual way set out to
conduct tests to find the answer. His results can be found in a
two-part article on the Tennis Warehouse University website
(http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/).
What Actually Happens
Basically, Lindsey found two significant changes that occur.

First, the strings relax internally and lose tension. This
involves relaxation at a molecular level and does not show up
26 TennisIndustry
April 2014
as a string stretching and getting longer over time. (I have

several racquets in my collection that date back to the 1920s,
and many were last strung 80 years ago or more, yet the
string beds are relatively firm. They may disintegrate if they
were to hit a ball, but they are not sagging in the racquet.)
But what does happen is the strings become less stiff.
When this happens, at impact the ball imbeds deeper into
the string bed and stays there a fraction of a second longer,
before being sent off at a higher trajectory than usual. The
ball then travels farther and is usually perceived by the
player as having more power and a loss of control.
Second, as strings wear, they get roughed up and no
longer slide against each other as easily. With gut and
multifilaments, the outer fibers break and wear, making the
coating rougher and less likely to slide. Monofilaments and
single-wrap nylons will actually notch and are difficult to
move at all.
With a fresh string job, if you move the main strings with
your fingers, they will more or less snap back into position
when released. But after being in the racquet for a while
and especially with some hours of play on them, the strings
will stay where they are moved. With the current designs of
racquets and strings emphasizing spin, you will see a lot of
information about how string snap back plays a significant
role in generating spin. So when this snap back is hampered,
it will have a negative impact on performance.
Both of these changes that occurtension loss and friction
Stringing
increasehappen to every string regardless of the strings
composition or the tension at which it is installed. Each string
and situation is unique and the changes will occur at differing rates depending on the string and the playing style of the
player. One string may lose tension quickly but maintain its
ability to slide, which will make it feel like it gains power and
loses control. Another string may hold tension better but
begin to stick to itself more, resulting in less spin and power,
and making the strings feel dead.
Lindsey sums things up: The strings are simultaneously
gaining and losing in power behaviors or in stiffness and softness characteristics. It is the net effect that determines the
players perception of string performance.
Player Sensitivity
When to restring, then, really depends on the perception of

the player and his or her sensitivity to the changes that occur.
Many top pros go to a fresh string job with every ball change
(every nine games) in a match. Obviously, they are very sensitive to change. As the balls get fluffed up and their strings lose
tension, they can feel the difference, no matter how slight.
So, does your level of expertise on the court determine your
perception to change in the string? Not necessarily. Although
many of the top pros change to fresh racquets often during a
match, others prefer to stick with one as long as possible.
During his professional career, James Blake rarely had
more than two racquets strung before a match and often
played the entire match without ever changing racquets, so
it really depends on the player and their perception of the
change to determine when a restring is called for.
But, regardless of sensitivity, the strings will need to be
replaced at some point. For some it may be once a season; for
others, much more often. It is up to us as racquet technicians
to help players determine what their comfort zone is and
when it is time to restring. While this is mostly determined
by the player, you can certainly help them by being able to
quantify what they are feeling.
I often will have a player tell me they really liked the

racquet after it had a few hours of play. This tells me that
dropping their tension just a bit will give them that same feel
from the start.
An essential tool in helping your clients determine their
comfort zone is by tracking the string-bed stiffness or dynamic tension. This will make your job easier because it can
quantify the difference the player is feeling, which will most
likely translate into the player restringing more frequently.
Using A Diagnostic Tool
If you want to see a dramatic jump in your business, incorporating free string-bed testing will do the trick. Once your
customers understand what you are doing, their frequency of
restringing will increaseand youll see new customers coming through your door.
String diagnostics tools come in many forms, from large
multi-tasking units like the Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center (RDC) to small hand-held units. They also use a variety
of methods to read the string bed. The RDC and some others
actually depress the center of the string bed and provide a
reading. Others use harmonics by vibrating the string, while
others twist and measure the stiffness of one string at a time.
When servicing your players, whats importantno matter
String Composition
Weve determined that the change in a players strings is very

subtle and happens in small increments with every impact
of the ball and over time, which makes it difficult for most of
us to determine when it is time to restring. The old adage of
restring as often in a year as you play each week is no longer
valid, if it ever was. One player may hit 100 balls in a session
while another may hit 1,000 during the same time frame.
An even bigger factor in the equation is the string itself.
Todays strings vary so much in their composition, stiffness,
thickness, coating and ability to retain tension, there is really
no way to assign an expiration date to a string job. It is really
dependent on the racquet, string and the players sensitivity to determine how often to restring. But, as professional
racquet stringers, we should be educating and advising our
players. So how do we do this?
You need to know your clients. Ask questions and listen to
them to find out as much as you can about how they play and
what they feel is important. This holds true for helping them
determine not only when to restring, but also in selecting the
right racquet, string and tension.
28 TennisIndustry
April 2014
what diagnostic tool you may use, and whatever type of number that tool generatesis the percentage drop over time.
Also, whatever diagnostic tool you use, you will need to be
consistent as to how it is used, when measurements are made,
and where it is placed on the racquetto make sure you are
comparing apples to apples.
The best thing is to test the string job right after you take it
off of the machine. This will be your baseline. When you test
later on, the number will drop.
It is up to your client to determine their magic number
as to when they feel they want to restring. For some players,
a 15 percent drop is noticeable enough to affect their game,
while others may be fine waiting until that number drops 35
percent or more. This takes the pressure off of you; the client
will determine their number and will

come by often for a check up.
Once the number dips below that
predetermined plateau, you have
another string jobmost likely much
sooner than you would have without the
diagnostics. And importantly, youll also
build more foot traffic in your store.
fessionalism and shows them that we are not making

things up when we suggest a restring.
Encouraging your customers to get in the habit of
checking the status of their strings frequently is vital.
When they do, they will restring when they need to,
instead of waiting until the due date or later.
Matt Steverson, MRT and owner of Matts Tennis in
Altamonte Springs, Fla., uses the ERT 300 for string
tests because of its portability, even though he has a
Babolat RDC. I keep an ERT in my tennis bag and
my customers know this, he says. Theyll come up to
me on court when I am teaching or playing and ask to
have their racquet checked, and its not unusual to get
a couple of string jobs on the court.
Steverson records the dynamic tension on every
racquet he strings and also puts it on the label he
places on each racquet. Even if he is not at his shop,
the original dynamic tension is on the label so he can
help the player determine if a restring is in order on
the spot.
Restringing can beand should bean even bigger
part of our business. Its a matter of educating consumers and players when it is time to get rid of their
old strings. !
Contributing Editor Kent Oswald contributed to this
story.
To help boost the stringing and restringing business, the Tennis Industry
Association has created
a Tennis Tune-Up campaign that stringers and
retailers can tie into to
make your players more
aware of the importance
of playing with fresh
strings. The Tune-Up is
on the PlayTennis.com
website. If you go to the
Tennis Tune-Up tab at
the top of the page and
click on for stringers
and retailers, you can
download all sorts of
free collateral material to help you market
your stringing services,
including customizable
posters and fliers, web
banners, logos, and
more.
More Frequent
Restringing
We have customers coming in frequently asking, Hows my strings?

says Randy Stephenson, MRT and
owner of Rackets N Strings in Plano,
Texas. Hes been using the Babolat RDC
since his shop opened a little over a year
ago. He tests the string-bed deflection
(SBD) after each restringing and records it in the customers file and on the
sticker he places on each racquet. Its
really simple. When a customer comes
in, I dont even have to pull their record.
The original SBD is on the sticker so
I can just test and compare. Now that
customers know I can track loss, they
are restringing more frequently.
Philip Van Asselt, MRT and owner of
Tennis Junction in Bryn Mawr, Pa., says
they used to put a restring by date on
the frameuntil they added the RDC
machine to their arsenal in early 2012.
Polys would get three months and
synthetics a six-month restring date,
he says. But now, with the RDC, players
rely on the RDC number to help them
decide when to restringand often it is
before it is really dead. We use the RDC
to show the customer the power level of
the string. I think it adds a level of pro-
April 2014
TennisIndustry 29
Racquets
Frames of
Reference
Our exclusive Racquet
Selection Map will help
you guide customers to
their perfect frame.
By Bob Patterson
ith all the choices available, selecting

a new racquet can be a daunting task
in todays market. Basic Psychology
101 shows that when consumers are
overloaded with too many choices,
they often dont make a decision, which means you dont
make a sale.
It is up to you to narrow the focus of your customer to help
them choose a racquet that is going to fit their needs and
elevate their performance on the court. If you are successful,
not only will you make the sale, but also that customer will tell
their friends about their experience. Word of mouth advertising is always the best promotion.
So how can you help narrow their focus? First, if you are not
familiar with their style of play, youll have to ask some questions and listen carefully to their answers. While they may not
know exactly what they want or need, with a brief conversation you will be able to get some good information to get them
started.
Second, you need to know your inventory. Using our exclusive Racquet Selection Map on the following pages enables
you to help your customer choose the perfect racquet for
them quickly and easily, with the features and performance
they want. You can also use the map to make sure your racquet wall has a good selection and variety across the map. If
you find some gaps, fill in some models so that you dont miss
sales.
30 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Our Racquet Selection Map presents the entire performance racquet universe on one grid that instantly locates
each frame compared to every other in terms of power,
control and maneuverability. Simply locate the specs of your
customers current racquet on the map, then move outward
in large or small increments in the direction of the customers primary preferencerelatively more or less power,
control or maneuverability. Once youve zoomed in to an
approximate location on the grid, you can narrow down the
racquets feel attributes by choosing from length, size, and
flex specs coded into the racquet number.
Next, look up the racquet(s) by number in the accompanying table. Note, though, that the table on these pages only
lists the performance racquets introduced in the last 12
months. If the racquet you find on the grid is not in one of
these charts, youll find it online at tennisindustrymag.com,
where we have the complete list of every racquet that is currently on the market.
Your customer will now have a handful of frames to try,
and all you have to do is give them a couple of demos in their
target area. Once theyve given the frames a test drive, get
feedback from them. Did your demo selection meet their
needs? Do they need more power? Larger head? Something
else?
From here it should be easy to hone in on that perfect racquet with a couple of additional demo sessionsand youll
have a satisfied customer.
Racquets
Trends & Technologies

Smart frames, more spin and customization are some of the trends in racquets today.
very year we see new technologies introduced as racquet manufacturers strive to improve their racquets.
Their ultimate goal is to improve the consumers game,
so if their newest technology can improve a players performance, theres a good chance they will buy. And after all, just
like you, the manufacturers are in business to sell racquets.
As a racquet retailer, it is up to you to not only make your
customers aware of the new technology, but you must also be
able to show your customer how that technology can elevate
their performance on the court.
Some technology is easier to explain than others. What is
generally referred to as visible technology is usually simple
to explain and show, while a new material or handle system
may be more difficult since the new racquet looks pretty much
the same as the previous model. The bottom line is that you
need to learn about new technologies as they are introduced
and be able to explain what the technology is and what it can
mean to a customers game.
Some of the trends we are seeing today include data technology, spin and customization.
Smart Racquets: Babolat introduced the Pure Play model earlier this year. The racquet talks to your smartphone
or computer, providing stats about your performance during
a match or training session. Other products are in development, such as Shot-Stats, which tracks similar information
and attaches to the strings of any racquet much like a dampener. Sony unveiled another device at this years Consumer
Electronics Show that attaches to the butt cap of a racquet. As
this technology evolves, were sure to see more products being
developed.
Spin Is In: Almost every company is touting spin in their
marketing these days. Both Prince and Wilson introduced

racquets late last year with open patterns to produce more
spin and they are expanding their lines in 2014.
For Prince, frames with Extreme String Pattern (ESP)
have fewer mains and crosses and claim to provide up to
30 percent more spin. Prince offers ESP racquets across
the spectrum, from a game-improvement super oversize to
tour-level mid-plus models. Wilsons Spin Effect Technology features racquets with fewer cross strings (15 or 16 in
most models). The company claims this enhances spin with
3.3 times more string movement, 69 percent faster string
snapback and 10 percent more spin.
Customized Options: More companies are offering
customized options in many models. For the most part this
means offering the same racquets with variations in length,
weight or string pattern. For example Head has three versions of its popular Speed model: The Speed, Speed Pro and
Speed REV. Now the company takes customization to a new
level, giving consumers the opportunity of options usually
reserved for top touring pros by offering a Custom Racquet
Program on their Graphene Speed model.
On the website custommade.head.com, Head customers
can choose cosmetics, weight, length, balance, handle shape,
grip type, string pattern and strings. Roger Petersman of
Head USA explains, This is not for everyone. We do these
types of custom builds for our touring pros and thought,
why not make them available to everyone. All the racquets
come from our Pro Room in Austria. The service is $400
per racquet plus shipping. Because Head feels the market for
this service is limited, it doesnt plan to do a lot of advertising.
Bob Patterson !
Racquet Selection Map Key

1. Power/Control (columns). (formula =
length index x headsize x flex x swingweight) 1000. Length index calculation:
27" = 1.0, 27.5" = 1.05; 28" = 1.1, etc.
2. Maneuverability (rows). RDC (Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center) swingweight units.
3. Racquet ID. The number in the grid
correlates to the accompanying racquet
list.
4. Headsize. Midsize and midplus (104
sq. in.) have no indicator.
Oversize (105-117 sq. in.) = . Superoversize ( 118 sq. in.) = :.
5. Length. x = extended length. Standard
length (27") racquets have no indicator.
6. Flex (RDC). a = < 60; b = 60-64; c =
65-69; d = 70-74; e = > 74. The higher the
number, the stiffer the racquet.
7. Company. Coded by number and
color. See accompanying racquet list on
the following pages.
32 TennisIndustry
April 2014
8. Racquet Quadrants and the Center of the

Racquet Universe. The center of the racquet
universe is located at the intersection of the
two red lines. Approximately half the racquets
lie to the right and left, and half above and
below these lines. The lines divide the racquet
universe into four color-coded quadrants
clockwise from top left: (1) quick power, (2)
quick control, (3) stable control, (4) stable
power. These characterizations provide a general vocabulary for comparing racquets.
9. Racquet Finder List. The racquet list
accompanying the map identifies all the new
racquets and gives additional information.
For a complete list of all current frames on the
map, go to TennisIndustryMag.com. The map
provides specific (very narrow ranges, anyway) swingweight, flex and power statistics,
and general size and length characteristics.
The racquet list specifies the length and size
and further specifies weight, balance, and
price.
How To Use It
1. Ask questions. What are you looking
for that your current racquet does not
provide? What do you like most and least
about your current racquet? What are the
strengths and weaknesses of your game?
2. Locate current racquet on map. If
the racquet is not in the list, take measurements.
3. Locating potential racquets. Depending on the answers to the above
questions, draw an imaginary arrow (a
wide or skinny one) from your present racquet in the desired direction for
power and maneuverability.
4. Narrowing the field. Shrink the
choices using the length, headsize, and
flex codes to match customer preferences.
5. Selecting racquet demos. Once the
choices are narrowed, locate the racquets by number in the racquet list.
211x:b
3000
3x:d
2900
Maneuverability (Swingweight)
April 2014
2800
234xd
189xd
124e
185xd
2700
30d
7xd
265xc
190xc
208xc
214x:b
2600
22e
21xd
123e
58xc
136d
223xd
91xc
135d
1xd
85xd
2xd
2500
Number corresponds to racquet list

No indicator = Mid and MP (104); =oversize (105-117); =super-oversize (118)
x = extended ( *Length index: 27' = 1; 27.5 = 1.05; 28 = 1.1; etc.)
a = Soft (,60); b = Medium (60-64); c = Medium Stiff (65-69); d = Stiff (70-74); e = Super Stiff (75)
70x:b
(405/4261)
Racquet:
Headsize:
Length:
Flex:
>360
Slow
S TA B L E P O W E R
355
350
345
340
335
330
325
212x:b
3100
320
210x:b
3200
139x:d
209x:c
3300
156d
26c
237d
240xd
222d
18xd
66xc
195xd
200xc
111x:c
213:b
2400
83d
131c
56xd
12xc
2200
72xc
20d
68c
90c
129xb
119c
168c
TennisIndustry 33
144a
202a
235xa
(721)
255xa
183a
181a
(1387)
182a
(23/108)
40b
244b
1500
Control
1600
Center of the Racquet Universe: half to each side and half above and below
Stable Control
116b
141a
270b
Stable Power
226c
249b
140a
184a
188a
145a
146a
172a
203b
69b
121a
147a
171b
233b
67b
86a
245b
268a
1700
Quick Control
246c
28b
97c
247c
215b
218c
248c
75b
148b
250b
76b
73b
243c
4b 17b 142a
143b 219xa
252c 253b
260b
24b 101b
107b 220b
269xa
14b 59b 80a
108c
92b
109c
128b 227c
52c
27xb
193c
242xb
276c
54c
167c
254c
204c
1800
Quick Power
155c
99c
272c
5c
125c
32c 37c 61a

70b 81c 82c
95c
187c
216c
229xc
62b
64c
205c
231d
180xc
103c
100c
1900
43b
16b
117c 152b
186b
217b 271c
74b
34c 42c 47c 23b
78c
51c
102c
89c
138c 173c 174c 259b
6a
25b
13b
35c 98b
79b
251c
266c
31xc
44c
94c
96c
93c
115c 122c 133xb
120c
160c
150c
163d 170c
159c
201c
45d 48c 50c

65xc
84c
158d
178c
206xc
239c 267d
46d
149c
257c
127b
230c
38c
39b
106c 154c
198c
273c 277xc
2000
41c
33c
192xc
55c
165d
258xb
261c
262c
19c
87d 105c 110c 166c
130c
114c 176d 169c 196c
225xc 232c 199b
177d 224d
241xb
274d
10d 15d 21d
53c
77b
49c
104c 126xb
161c 118b 134b
175d
112c
191xc 197d
151c
275c
179xc
11c
2100
36xb
153d
Racquet
Quadrants
164xc
157xd
8d
29d
194d
221d
57xc
9d
137xd
71d
256xc
264d 236d
162d
63e
113c
263d
132xd
207xc
228xd
238d
88xd
2300
Power Rating (headsize x length index* x flex x swingweight : 1000) *
315
310
305
300
295
290
285
280
275
3400
Power
USRSA Racquet Map Selection Guide: 2014 Performance Racquets (as of 3/2/2014)
Quick
270
QUICK POWER
KEY
QUICK CONTROL
S TA B L E C O N T R O L
For a complete list of all current frames on

the map, go to TennisIndustryMag.com.
Newest Racquets on the Market

Racquet
Babolat
13 E Sense Comp
Swing
Head
size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(gm)
(oz)
(in) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
(cm)
(in2) (in)
cm2)
100 27.00 286 10.09 34.50
13.58
61
320
1952
$129
(Full Graphite)
14 E Sense Lite
100 27.00 277
9.77
35.80
14.09
61
300
1830
$109
15 Play Pure Drive
100 27.00 313 11.04
33.00
12.99
72
303
2182
$399
16 Pure Control
98
33.30
13.11
64
311
1951
$179
(Full Graphite)
27.00 313 11.04
Racquet
Swing
Head
size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(gm)
(oz)
(in) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
(cm)
(in2) (in)
cm2)
148 Tour Pro 98
98
27.00 320 11.29
33.20
13.07
60
320
1882
149 Warrior 100
100 27.00 319 11.25
33.30
13.11
66
319
2105
$200
$200
150 Warrior 100 ESP
100 27.00 305 10.76
33.70
13.27
66
310
2046
$210
151 Warrior 100L ESP
100 27.00 268
9.45
36.70
14.45
66
301
1987
$210
152 Warrior Pro 100
100 27.00 318 11.22
32.90
12.95
63
313
1972
$190
153 White LS 100
100 27.00 320 11.29
33.20
13.07
70
316
2212
$130
Solinco
(with GT & Flex Carbon)

98
27.00 332 11.71
31.60
12.44
62
304
1847
$179
160 Protocol 285
100 27.00 306 10.79
32.40
12.76
67
311
2084
$180
23 Pure Strike (18x20)
98
27.00 318 11.22
32.80
12.91
64
317
1988
$189
161 Protocol 300
100 27.00 313 11.04
31.40
12.36
66
303
2000
$180
24 Pure Strike 100
100 27.00 299 10.55 33.00
12.99
63
295
1859
$185
162 Protocol 325
100 27.00 335 11.82
31.10
12.24
72
310
2232
$180
25 Pure Strike Tour
98
32.30
12.72
64
320
2007
$195
Tecnifibre
9.42
34.40
13.54
61
272
1659
$99
44 Biomimetic F 4.0 Tour 100 27.00 323 11.39
17
Pure Control Tour
27.00 340 11.99
Dunlop
40 Apex Tour
100 27.00 267
175 T Flash 300 ATP
100 27.00 313 11.04
32.70
12.87
70
301
2107
$199
176 T Flash 315 ATP
100 27.00 327 11.53
31.80
12.52
73
296
2161
$209
$199
32.60
12.83
68
312
2122
$210
Vantage
48 Biomimetic M 4.0
100 27.00 309 10.90 33.40
13.15
69
305
2105
$210
181 BC20
95
27.00 328 11.57
31.10
12.24
50
292
1387
52 Biomimetic S 2.0 Lite
95
33.50
13.19
67
294
1871
$210
182 BC30
100 27.00 326 11.50
33.30
13.11
47
23
108
$209
100 27.00 284 10.02 33.30
13.11
65
281
1827
$210
183 BC40
105 27.00 320 11.29
33.20
13.07
49
306
1574
$219
110 27.25 280
Volkl
27.00 306 10.79

9.88
35.30
13.90
67
305
2304
$210
191 Organix 4 Super G
105 27.60 286 10.09
34.70
13.66
65
301
2178
$250
64 RZR 100 M
100 27.00 314 11.08
32.90
12.95
69
320
2208
$200
100 27.00 282
9.95
34.50
13.58
65
290
1885
$230
69 RZR 98 M
98
27.00 322 11.36
31.70
12.48
60
300
1764
$180
100 27.00 306 10.79
33.00
12.99
67
299
2003
$230
71 Intrepid
100 27.00 329 11.61
32.90
12.95
72
309
2225
$170
100 27.00 321 11.32
32.50
12.80
71
302
2144
$230
98
27.00 326 11.50
32.00
12.60
62
311
1890
$225
98
27.00 328 11.57
32.50
12.80
67
305
2003
$240
98
27.00 326 11.50
32.50
12.80
64
318
1994
$225
99.5 27.00 311 10.97
33.40
13.15
67
311
2073
$250
58
314
1694
$230
Gamma
Head
73 Prestige MP
Prestige PRO
215 Blade 98 S (ninety eight)98
27.00 317 11.18
34.00
13.39
64
329
2063
$240
100 27.00 289 10.19 34.80
13.70
60
299
1794
$130
60
324
1808
$225
Wilson
98
27.00 319 11.25
33.30
13.11
60
319
1876
$225
233 Envy 100 L
98
27.00 303 10.69 32.30
12.72
64
303
1900
$210
98
27.00 317 11.18
12.72
66
316
2044
$210
32.30
98
27.00 272
9.59
36.60
14.41
61
322
1925
$210
102 27.00 294 10.37
33.20
13.07
59
304
1829
$210
(Graphene in throat)
80 Radical S
12.48
12.99
79 Radical Rev
31.70
33.00
78 Radical Pro
27.00 339 11.96
27.00 313 11.04
77 Radical MP
93
93
76 Prestige S
201 Organix V1 Pro

202 PB 10 mid
75 Prestige REV PRO
(315g)
74
(300g)
Prince
126 Blue LS 110
110 27.50 279
9.84
34.50
127 Graphite 107
107 27.00 343 12.10 32.40
13.58
63
300
2183
$150
234 Envy 110 UL
110 27.50 267
9.42
38.80
15.28
73
325
2740
$130
235 Five BLX
103 27.13 277
9.77
36.80
14.49
22
314
721
$260
236 Juice 100
100 27.00 316 11.15
32.60
12.83
72
308
2218
$220
237 Juice 100 L
100 27.00 292 10.30 35.90
14.13
73
330
2409
$220
238 Juice 100 S
100 27.00 315 11.11
33.20
13.07
72
314
2261
$230
239 Juice 100 UL
100 27.00 274
9.67
35.50
13.98
69
307
2118
$210
240 Juice 108
108 27.13 297 10.48
34.70
13.66
70
325
2489
$220
241 Pro Staff 100 L
100 27.25 301 10.62 33.80
13.31
64
297
1948
$240
242 Pro Staff 100 LS
100 27.25 297 10.48 33.40
13.15
63
287
1853
$250
243 Pro Staff 90
90
27.00 345 12.17
31.70
12.48
66
310
1841
$240
244 Pro Staff 95
95
27.00 327 11.53
32.00
12.60
60
293
1670
$240
12.76
64
327
2239
$170
245 Pro Staff 95 S
95
27.00 325 11.46
32.30
12.72
62
293
1726
$250
128 Graphite Midplus 100 100 27.00 331 11.68
32.10
12.64
60
308
1848
$170
246 Six One 95 (16x18)
95
27.00 350 12.35 32.00
12.60
65
338
2087
$190
129 Graphite Midplus
33.20
13.07
60
338
2231
$170
247 Six One 95 (18x20)
95
27.00 349 12.31 32.00
12.60
65
330
2038
$190
248 Six One 95 16x18 (BLX) 95
26.93 347 12.24 31.80
12.52
65
327
2005
$190
100 28.00 329 11.61
LB 100 (68 Holes)

130 Hornet ES 100
100 27.00 285 10.05
34.70
13.66
65
299
1944
$110
249 Six One 95 18x20 (BLX) 95
26.90 346 12.20
31.70
12.48
64
325
1956
$190
131 Hornet ES 110
110 27.00 290 10.23 35.30
13.90
67
303
2233
$110
250 Six One 95 L
95
27.00 306 10.79
34.20
13.46
62
320
1885
$180
132 Pink LS 105
105 27.25 294 10.37
34.20
13.46
71
310
2369
$130
251 Six One 95 L 16x18
95
26.97 305 10.76
34.10
13.43
65
322
1982
$190
133 Premier 105 ESP
105 27.25 296 10.44 34.30
13.50
61
310
2035
$230
(BLX)
134 Premier 105L ESP
105 27.00 287 10.12 34.80
13.70
61
302
1934
$230
252 Six One 95 S
95
27.00 324 11.43
32.60
12.83
65
305
1883
$200
135 Premier 115 ESP
115 27.00 282
9.95
36.50
14.37
72
310
2567
$230
253 Six One 95 S (BLX)
95
26.97 323 11.39
32.70
12.87
63
308
1838
$200
136 Premier 115L ESP
115 27.00 277
9.77
37.50
14.76
70
319
2568
$230
254 Steam 99 LS
99
26.90 287 10.12 33.50
13.19
65
284
1809
$230
137 Red LS 105
105 27.25 291 10.26 34.00
13.39
71
305
2331
$130
Yonex
138 Response 97
97
139 Silver LS 118
118 27.75 274
32.50
12.80
68
317
2091
$170
257 Ezone Ai 100
100 27.00 311 10.97
33.20
13.07
68
316
2149
$250
9.67
37.10
14.61
73
317
2935
$150
258 Ezone Ai 108
108 27.25 271
9.56
34.80
13.70
64
291
2062
$250
27.00 338 11.92
140 Tour 100 (16x18)
100 27.00 327 11.53
32.00
12.60
54
321
1733
$200
259 Ezone Ai 98
98
27.00 325 11.46
32.50
12.80
63
317
1957
$250
141 Tour 100 (18x20)
100 27.00 328 11.57
32.40
12.76
55
328
1804
$200
260 Ezone Ai 98 (Lite)
98
27.00 286 10.09 34.00
13.39
63
305
1883
$250
142 Tour 100T
100 27.00 300 10.58 34.00
13.39
59
306
1805
$200
261 EZone Ai Feel
102 27.00 264
36.00
14.17
67
294
2009
$190
143 Tour 100T ESP
100 27.00 317 11.18
32.80
12.91
60
307
1842
$210
262 Ezone Ai Lite
100 27.00 290 10.23 33.40
13.15
66
293
1934
$250
144 Tour 95
95
27.00 337 11.89
31.70
12.48
56
316
1681
$200
268 EZone Xi Team
102 27.00 274
9.67
34.60
13.62
59
290
1745
$190
145 Tour 98
98
27.00 312 11.01
33.50
13.19
58
312
1773
$200
269 EZone Xi Team +
102 27.40 283
9.98
33.20
13.07
58
295
1815
$190
146 Tour 98 ESP
98
27.00 327 11.53
31.90
12.56
58
306
1739
$210
271 V Core Tour 97
97
27.00 326 11.50
32.20
12.68
66
310
1985
$240
147 Tour Pro 100
100 27.00 313 11.04
32.50
12.80
56
304
1702
$190
34 TennisIndustry
April 2014
9.31
(310 Grams)
Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards
Soft Focus
These outdoor facility winners are
excellent examples of soft-court
construction.
Players Club & Spa at Lely Resort

Naples, Fla.
(Nominated by Fast-Dry Courts Inc., Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Architect/Engineer/Contractor: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.
No. of Courts: 13
Surface: Har-Tru Sports HydroBlend
Lights: LSI Courtsider
Court Accessories: Fast-Dry Courts Inc. and 10-S Tennis Supply
For details on the 2014 Outstanding Facility-of-the-Year Awards, contact the ASBA
at 866-501-ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.org, or visit www.sportsbuilders.org.
36 TennisIndustry
April 2014
here were 14 outdoor tennis facilities

that took honors in the Tennis Industry/
American Sports Builders Association Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year
Awards for 2013, and six of those are softcourt projects. Unlike in previous years, which have been
dominated by soft-court facilities located in Florida, this
year, only two of the six are in the Sunshine Statethe
mix includes projects in Virginia, New Hampshire, North
Carolina and Tennessee.
The Belmont Recreation Center in Henrico County,
Va., involved tearing out six clay courts and two asphalt
courts, reconfiguring the layout, then installing six new
Hydrocourts and two new Decoturf cushioned courts.
The contractor had to stabilize bad soil with fabric and
additional stone, then adjust a stone retaining wall to
a higher elevation to allow proper drainage around the
project.
The four-court project at the European Tennis Academy at Parkland (Fla.) Golf & Country Club included
building two new HydroGrid sub-irrigated courts and one
asphalt court, and installation of lighting and fencing on
all courts, along with the construction of two 10-foot by
20-foot shade shelters.
The Executive Health and Sports Center in Manchester, N.H., has four new, sub-irrigated, lighted courts.
Half of the area was an old parking lot, which was pulverized and used as fill in deep areas; the rest of the excavation included tree and organic soil removal.
Lake Jeanette Swim and Tennis Club in Greensboro, N.C., converted two existing clay courts to Hydrocourts and added two new Hydrocourts. Because of the
minimal amount of space available, the contractor had to
move the two existing courts, add upper and lower retaining walls, remove a parking lot and some trees, add dirt to
fill, and reshape a grass swale.
The eight courts at the Memphis (Tenn.) Country
Club were upgraded to HydroGrid sub-irrigated courts,
and arranged as two three-court batteries and one twocourt battery, all with new fencing. Flooding conditions
required temporary drainage during construction.
The largest project of this group is the 13-court Players Club & Spa at Lely Resort in Naples, Fla. After the
owner completed the site work, the contractor had to
adjust for the very rocky sub-base by bringing in additional fill and grading to allow for proper installation of
the subsurface irrigation system. The new construction,
which included lighting, was part of a major renovation
at the club designed to build more courts for the growing
membership. A custom-designed fence system for the
stadium court can be retracted to open up the court for
spectator events.
Peter Francesconi
April 2014
TennisIndustry 37
Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards

Belmont Recreation Center
Henrico County, Va.
(Nominated by Tennis Courts Inc., Aylett, Va.)
General Contractor: Tennis Courts Inc.
No. of Courts: 8 (6 Hydrocourt & 2 Decoturf)
Surface: Tennis Courts Inc.
Nets: Har-Tru Sports
Posts: Edwards
European Tennis Academy at Parkland Golf & Country Club

Parkland, Fla.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)
Contractor: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
No. of Courts: 4
Surface: Har-Tru Sports
Subsurface Irrigation: Welch Tennis Courts HydroGrid
Nets, Posts, Windscreens: Welch Tennis Courts Inc.
Executive Health and Sports Center

Manchester, N.H.
(Nominated by Boston Tennis Court Construction Co.,
Hanover, Mass.)
No. of Courts: 4
Surface: Har-Tru Sports Hydrocourt
Lights: Har-Tru Sports
Nets, Posts, Anchors, Line Tapes: J.A. Cissel
Lake Jeanette Swim and Tennis Club

Greensboro, N.C.
(Nominated by Court One, Youngsville, N.C.)
No. of Courts: 8
Memphis Country Club

Memphis, Tenn.
(Nominated by Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.)
No. of Courts: 8
38 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Ask the Experts

Your Equipment Hotline
Testing Dynamic Tension
What is your opinion of

the Gamma ATS ERT 300 as
a tool for providing dynamic tension?
Do you believe this to be a useful
tool in assessing the condition of a
player's strings?
Yes, the ERT 300 is a useful

tool. In fact, a few players on
the pro tour use the ERT 300
to check the work of tour stringers!
In informal testing, the ERT 300 returns results similar to those obtained
by its bigger siblings, the ERT 700 and
ERT 1000.
As with most tension testers, the
ERT 300 is
most useful
when monitoring tension and
tension loss
when you are
familiar with
40 TennisIndustry
April 2014
both the racquet and the string being

used. That is, taking any two random
racquets and checking the tension is not
going to be as accurate as checking your
own racquets that are each equipped
with the same string.
One nice advantage to the ERT
300/700/1000 is that they can be used
in noisy environments, unlike tension
testing techniques that listen to the
racquet ping using a microphone, even
though both methods work on basically
the same principle.
Source For Pro Racquets
I have started collecting pro

racquets. I haven't found too
many good sources on professional
players actual racquets.
There is no good source for pro

racquets, unless you know the
pros, or happen to be in the
right place at the right time. Some pro

racquetssuch as those used by Roger
Federerare sometimes auctioned off,
but prices can be quite high.
One irony about pro racquets is
that there are actually many more in
existence than ever become available.
This is because companies who modify
racquets for the pros often have stockpiles of racquets to cover future needs.
If the model or even the graphics change
on the racquet used by a pro, all of those
stockpiled racquets are destroyed after
the new racquets arrive.
Pro Racquets vs. Retail

Racquets
I have recently seen pro

racquets that are supposed to be better than retail versions and wondered
how to get more information.
The pro racquets aren't better;

they're just different in some
cases. This is typically due to
modifications made by the sponsoring company or by a private firm, to
match the racquets characteristics to
the players style. Usually, this involves
adding more weight to the racquet, especially swing weight.
In many cases you could take a com-
parable retail racquet and modify it to

be like the pro racquet, if you knew what
modifications to make. This isnt done
very often for the recreational or club
player because they would not be able to
play with the result.
There are a few sources on the Internet that purport to show the measured
weight, balance, and swing weight for
racquets used by professionals, but
while interesting, these measurements
are really most useful if youre building
a shrine to a player, because modifying
a racquet to be just like a pros racquet
wont make the owner play like the pro:
Each player has to figure out what works
for him or her.
Website Issues
Im having problems with

some of the forms on the
USRSA website. For example, I tried
to look up the string directions for a
racquet using the Digest online, but
that page shows three blank fields. I
had to guess what to type into each of
the fields. Ive found some other pages
on the site that are like this, too.
We have recently
made some changes
to the code underlying the USRSA website to make
the site more accessible to
members with mobile devices.
Now, the site presents pages
to mobile devices much more elegantly
than before, but one of the trade-offs
was that we lost some compatibility with
older browsers.
This situation seems especially acute
with older Internet Explorer, such as
those running under Windows XT. We
have added code on a few pages to mitigate problems with Internet Explorer,
but unfortunately this patch isnt appropriate on every affected page.
Fortunately, there is an easy workaround, and that is to download a more
standards-compliant browser such as
Firefox.
Greg Raven !
We welcome your questions. Please

send them to Tennis Industry, PO Box
3392, Duluth, GA 30096; fax: 760-5361171; email: greg@racquettech.com.
April 2014
TennisIndustry 41
Grip Playtest
By Greg Raven
Mega Tac stretches nicely to avoid

puckering in the transition from the butt
cap to the grip, and we didnt notice any
narrowing as we pulled it into place. The
length was sufficient for a normal-length
grip in 4-5/8 inches, although five playtesters reported that they needed more.
The finishing tape adhered well and we
had no problems with overgrips unraveling at the top.
Five playtesters reported problems
wrapping Mega Tac.
Finally, even as tacky as it is, Mega Tac
separated from itself and the replacement grip with no drama or residue
during removal after the test.
On the Court
Tourna Mega Tac

Overgrip
According to Tourna, Mega Tac is the tackiest overgrip ever made,
period. An exclusive polyurethane coating creates an ultra tacky
surface that literally clings to your hand. Tourna also promises a
very long tack time, with Tourna reporting tackiness for up to 14
hours.
Tourna designed Mega Tac for players who prefer a durable,
tacky grip, that works even in cold weather.
Mega Tac is available in Tournas trademarked light blue color,
white, and black. The length is listed as XL (100 cm x 2.9 cm). The
grips come in packs that include finishing tape. The 3-pack retails
for $6.25, and the 10-pack retails for $17.95. For more information
or to order, contact Tourna at 800-554-3707, or visit uniquesports.
com. Read the conclusion for Tournas special offer on Mega Tac.
The Testers
Tested by 30 USRSA playtesters (28 men, two women), with NTRP
ratings from 3.5 to 6.0. Average number of hours playtested was
22.3. Prior to testing, we asked about grip preferences: 28 said they
preferred a tacky grip; two said they preferred a dry grip. Testers
were sent unmarked grips, so they were not aware of the brand or
model of the overgrip.
Installation
Installing Mega Tac is straightforward. Neither end is tapered, so
if you go for that look, you need to trim it yourself. There is also no
adhesive starter tab, but if you start with a square end, its easy to
hold the grip in place for the first wrap.
Compared against some of the iconic

overgrips on the market, Mega Tac really
impressed our playtest team. They rated
Mega Tac first overall in the Durability,
Proper Tackiness, Retains Tackiness, and
Tacky and Absorbent categories. Mega
Tac also gained a second-place rating in
the Absorption category, and third-place
Playtester Ratings
Tackiness
(compared to other grips)
Too Tacky
About Right
Not Tacky Enough
9
20
1
Length
0
25
5
Too Long
About Right
Not Long Enough
Width
0
30
0
Too Wide
About Right
Too Narrow
Compression
0
29
1
Too Much Compression

About Right
Not Enough Compression
Stretch
0
24
6
Too Stretchy
About Right
Not Stretchy Enough
Absorbency
0
26
4
Too Absorbent
About Right
Not Absorbent Enough
Thickness
5
23
2
Too Thick
About Right
Not Thick Enough
Rating Averages
Durability (1st overall)
Initial Feel (3rd tie)
Feel Over Time (3rd overall)
Proper Tackiness (1st overall)
Absorption (2nd overall)
Retains Tackiness (1st overall)
Tacky and Absorbent (1st overall)
4.0
3.8
3.6
4.0
3.5
3.7
3.9
KEY: Respondents ranked overgrip from a possible low of

1 to a high of 5. Values represent rating averages.
42 TennisIndustry
April 2014
Playtester
Comments
Felt great immediately and never lost

that feel. If you want
a tacky grip, this is
the one. Superb!
4.5 male all-court
player using Prince Tour
100T ESP (Prince Resi
Pro)
This is a wonderful overgrip. I dont
know what the price
is and would love to

test it on a lot of my
players.
3.5 female all-court
player using Prince
Scream (Wilson Pro
Tour Overgrip)
I definitely prefer
a more tacky grip.
I think this will be
a good summer
product.
5.0 male all-court
player using Wilson
Juice 100 (Wilson Pro

Overgrip)
I have never had a
grip or overgrip with
this extreme degree
of tackiness. I normally like tacky, but this
is too much of a good
thing.
4.0 male baseliner
with moderate spin using Wilson BLX Steam
(Prince Pro +)
Super tackiness that
lasts. Really grips

your hand without
being sticky. Would
like a tapered/adhesive starting end. A
winner!
4.5 male all-court
player using Prince
Premier ESP (Babolat
Pro Tour Traction)
Felt great and
looked good. I would
definitely stock for
sale and possibly
switch for personal

use depending on
price point.
4.5 male touch player
using Head MicroGel
Extreme S 2.0 (Genesis
Supra 50)
(Grips normally used
by testers are indicated
in parentheses. For
the rest of the tester
comments, visit www.
tennisindustrymag.
com.)
ratings in both the Initial Feel and Feel

Over Time categories. As a result, Tourna
Mega Tac is the highest-rated overgrip
weve tested, by a large margin.
When you first start playing with
Mega Tac, you may have to focus more
on changing your grip position; its that
tacky. After a few hours, though, Mega
Tac seems to settle in to an easily manageable (but still high) level of tackiness,
and remains that way for hours. Compared to a conventional white grip, Mega
Tac seemed cleaner, less worn, and much
tackier after many hours of play. Despite
its tackiness, you dont feel as if any of the
grip has transferred to your hand during
play.
Not surprisingly, nine playtesters told
us Mega Tac was too tacky. Eighteen
reported that overall they prefer the
overgrip they currently use. Otherwise, a
clear majority reported satisfaction with
Mega Tacs length, width, compression,
stretch, absorbency, and thickness.
Conclusion
When we say Tourna Mega Tac is a really

tacky grip, we mean that as a compliment. Tourna acknowledges that a
product this extreme can be polarizing
to players, and we saw some of that in the
playtest results, but the amazing characteristics of Mega Tac obviously impressed
the members of our playtest team.
Tourna says Mega Tac grips you back,
but really, you have to try it to believe it.
If you think Mega Tac may be for you,
Tourna is making USRSA members a
special offer: Buy one three-pack of Mega
Tac, and get one free.
Greg Raven
Specifications
Length 40 inches (102 cm)

Width - 1.125 inches (2.85 cm)
Weight - 6 grams
Thickness - Added 3/32 inches (.09375
inches) to a 4-inch grip
April 2014
TennisIndustry 43
FEEL
You asked, we listened.

Traditional grommet frames for
classic feel and control.
Find the perfect frame for your game

iam.princetennis.com
Official Racquet, String

and Ball of the USPTA
TM
Making the Most of Your Career:
Navigating Your USPTA Membership!

Page 47
Departments
53 Beyond the Court
46 CEOs Message
47 Vice Presidents Message 57 Career Development
59 Member news
49 USPTA Benefits
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
On the cover: Good presenters who can share valuable information with
the rest of the membership are always in demand at division conferences.
USPTA Professional Ikaika Jobe was a featured speaker at the Hawaii
Division Convention in February.
CEOs Message
A Terrific Partner ...
by John Embree
ne of the many positive unintended consequences of

being in the industry as long
as I have are the relationships that been developed and nurtured over the past 35-plus years. We
all talk about how small our sport really is. Those of us who have been around
for so long like I have often comment
that its the people that make this
great game so special.
Clearly, there is no more shining
example of how our tennis world goes
round than the relationship that I
have had with the wonderful team at
Fromuth Tennis. I have had the good
fortune of dealing with the folks in
Reading, Pa., throughout my professional life in a variety of professional
capacities. To be working with them
now as our provider for Nike footwear
and apparel is indeed a treat.
I dont know of another company so
committed to servicing the grassroots
than Fromuth. Since the Fromuth family founded the company decades ago,
the overarching priority has always
been to take care of the small pro shop
with exceptional customer service,
same-day shipping, expansive product
selection and quality merchandise.
And, they manage their ever-growing
business with a smile on their faces, an
appreciation for their customers and a
genuine willingness to do whatever it
takes to get the job done.
Thus, the endorsement agreement
between the USPTA and Fromuth Tennis that began several years ago was
born out of a sincere desire to help our
USPTA members have access to the No.
1 brand in apparel and footwear (Nike)
that would not be available to them
46 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
otherwise. Over the course of the last

They also know that USPTA Profesfive-plus years, USPTA Professionals
sionals will alter their purchasing decihave come to trust Fromuth Tennis for
sions based on which companies are
their own personal product needs and
supporting their long-term financial
also that of their pro shops.
health. Why wouldnt you want to back
Thus, it gives me great pleasure to
these companies?
announce an extension of our existThe momentum for the Retireing agreement for an additional five
ment Gold+ program continues to
years once the current term expires in
build. My commitment going forward
2016. To ensure that our association
to the membership at large is to create
will be affiliated with the clear market
endorsement agreements with those
leader in footwear and apparel for the
enterprises that share the same desire
foreseeable future, this agreement soto provide security to our professionlidifies a benefit that our membership
als. Not only do we want an affiliation
fully appreciates.
with products that our
My commitment going
But, the better
membership desires,
forward to the membership but every brand that
news about extendat large is to create endorse- joins our endorsement
ing this partnership
ment agreements with those portfolio in the years
at this point in time is
enterprises that share the
the commitment that
to come has to make
Fromuth Tennis is go- same desire to provide
the commitment to
ing to make to support security to our professionals. helping our pros and
the Retirement Gold+
their families.
program starting April 1. They will now
I extend my sincerest thanks to
be the fourth company in our family of
Owner and President Pat Shields and
endorsees that will be making a conthe entire crew at Fromuth Tennis for
tribution to the long-term security of
their vigorous support of the USPTA.
USPTA members who have ownership
They have been outstanding partners
or financial/management responsibilin the past and have stepped up big time
ity of their pro shops on site at their
with this new aspect to our endorsefacility. The deal is simple: for any
ment. I look forward to growing our
USPTA Professional who purchases
Nike business with them in the years to
from Fromuth Tennis more than $750
come. And, our members should show
per year of Nike footwear and apparel
their appreciation by making Fromuth/
for their pro shop (not personal prodNike their first choice when considering
uct for personal use), Fromuth Tennis
what apparel and footwear to buy. This
will contribute 5 percent of those puragreement is a win-win for both Frochases to that professionals Retiremuth and USPTA.
ment Gold+ plan.
Stay tuned as we develop other rePrince, Hop-a-Razzi, NetKnacks
lationships with companies who value
and now Fromuth recognize the imwhat the USPTA Pro can bring to the
portance that the Retirement Gold+
table. Thanks, Fromuth, for all that you
program is to participating members.
do on behalf of USPTA members. h
Vice Presidents Message
Make the Most of Your Career:

Navigating Your USPTA Membership!
by Jack Michalko
now your association

As a member of the USPTA,
you should become familiar
with the association. The best
tool to use is our brand new USPTA.
com website! Its very user friendly
and there is a smorgasbord of information at your fingertips.
Get involved
We all know that you get out of your
membership what you are prepared to
put into it. However, we all have significant time constraints that can make
getting involved challenging. To tailorsuit your involvement, Ive listed some
ideas on how you can get involved:
Attend a workshop/division conference/World Conference These are
some of the most important tools
available to you as a member. They
are great ways to meet new pros
and collect education credits while
youre learning new teaching techniques, drills and business skills.
Volunteer/Make a difference
Volunteering is the best way to
discover the rewards of getting involved. Divisions are always looking
for professionals to help with their
conventions. This could be something as simple as helping with registration, introducing speakers, or
handing out name badges. Call your
divisions president and volunteer
to serve on one of the many committees that may be of interest.
Speak at an event If you are an
engaging speaker with an interesting
story to tell, let your division know.
Good presenters who can share valuable information with the rest of the
membership are always in demand.
Recruit new members You can

make a powerful difference by sharing your experience and encouraging others to join.
Recognize a colleague The
USPTA Awards Program recognizes
teaching professionals on a national
and a divisional level. If you know
a colleague who has made a significant contribution to tennis, take
the time to submit his/her name for
consideration.
Your professional development
Write an article This is a great
way to raise your profile, particularly if youve been involved with a
successful project or activity that
you can showcase. The USPTA and
your division are always interested
in articles, court studies, drills and
commentary for publication on the
website and in their publications.
Connect to us on social media
Connect to USPTA via:
Send USPTA/Division news If

you have news about yourself, your
club, or if you hear of any news
that you would like to ensure other
teaching professionals are aware of
please let the USPTA and/or your
division know. They really will appreciate the heads up!
Networking
USPTA Professionals should start networking as soon as possible. Networking
can help raise a professionals level of
awareness within the association. It can

open many doors both in and outside the
tennis profession. It also goes a long way
toward building many meaningful relationships throughout the country that
will benefit you in the future. Build your
networking platform now so that when
you need help finding that new job, etc.,
you will have a strong networking base
in place. All too often professionals wait
until they need to change jobs or need to
relocate before they begin networking
and by then it is way too late. Dont let
this happen to you. Start planning your
networking strategy immediately.
Increase your visibility As mentioned before you can attend your
division conference, the World Conference, serve on a committee, or
attend your divisions area meetings
and workshops.
Communicate Communication
is so much easier today than it ever
has been before with emailing,
texting and the entire social media
scene. Take advantage of all of it.
Promote yourself USPTA offers
you so many ways to market yourself. For instance, USPTAplayer.
com, newsletters, personal USPTA
websites, personalized USPTA logo,
conferences, ADDvantage magazine
and the list goes on and on.
Join or start a special interest
group If you have a special interest (e.g., under 30 initiative) and
would like to form a group in your
area, let your division president
know so he or she can help.
USPTA is glad to have you as a member, and we hope you find your membership both enjoyable and valuable! h
www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 47
NIKE PREMIER
RF POLO
Move More. Move Better.
h t t p : / / u s p t a. fr omut ht ennis . com
The official distributor of Nike footwear and apparel to the USPTA.
USPTA Benefits
USPTA, Fromuth Extend

Partnership to 2021
Fromuth Tennis becomes fourth endorsee to participate
in USPTAs Retirement Gold+ Program
he United States Professional

Tennis Association extended
its partnership with Fromuth
Tennis an additional five years
through August 2021 to be the exclusive provider of Nike footwear and
apparel. The agreement links the No.
1 global athletic brand with the most
influential group of teaching professionals in the world.
In addition to the extended agreement, Fromuth Tennis will participate
in the USPTAs Retirement Gold+ program beginning April 1, 2014. For any
USPTA Professionals who purchase
more than $750 per year of Nike footwear and apparel for their pro shops
(not for personal use), Fromuth will
contribute 5 percent into those particiFromuth is now the fourth compating professionals Retirement Gold+ pany to participate in USPTAs Retireaccounts.
ment Gold+ program along with Prince
I dont know of another company
Global Sports, Hop-a-Razzi, and Netso committed to
Knacks. The program
servicing the grass- I dont know of another company provides a vendorso committed to servicing the
roots than Frosupported retirement
muth, USPTA CEO grassroots than Fromuth.
plan that allows for
John Embree said.
~ USPTA CEO John Embree tax-deferred growth
Along with ensuruntil funds are withing that our association will be affiliatdrawn at retirement.
ed with the clear market leader in footSince 2006, Fromuth has been
wear and apparel in Nike, Fromuths
the official distributor of Nike footcommitment to the tennis-teaching
wear and apparel to the USPTA,
professional by contributing to the
providing USPTA members a 30
Retirement Gold+ program solidifies
percent discount off retail prices
a benefit that our membership fully
when purchasing Nike goods
appreciates.
through Fromuth. h
USPTA Benefits
Access Great Content Anywhere,

Anytime with USPTA TV
SPTA and Dartfish are

very proud to announce the
launch of the USPTA TV
app for both iOS and Android devices. This free app, available
in Apples App Store and Google Play,
is a direct portal to educational content and teaching resources posted to
the USPTAs channel on Dartfish.tv.
Members can subscribe to content by
logging onto www.dartfish.tv/USPTA,
and thereafter access directly from
the app.
In addition to educational content, the channel will also feature
new reference clip libraries that are a
fantastic resource for use out on the
court. Age-appropriate stroke reference clips with key positions, drawing
tools and comments are available for
Red Ball, Orange Ball and Green Dot
strokes, with more to follow. Strokes
include serves, groundstrokes (all
stances), volleys and overheads for
both boys and girls.
Besides being able to view this

content directly from the USPTA TV,
members who have Dartfish Express
video teaching app (available for iOS,
$4.99 at App Store) are able to down-
load reference clips directly to their

device. This enables a full teaching
solution: show players great reference clips, film and annotate players
strokes, and then share online! h
Get started now by subscribing at
www.dartfish.tv/USPTA
Download Dartfish Express:

n bit.ly/RDwICl
n or use the QR code above
Download USPTA TV app:
n iOS bit.ly/1mt9lL0,
n Android bit.ly/1mt6XDY
Video analysis solutions from simple analysis using apps to advanced match tagging and cloud sharing are available for all
budgets. For more information or to arrange a private online demonstration, contact Warren.Pretorius@dartfish.com.
GAME, SET,
NEVER MATCHED!
10-S.com 800-247-3907
Official Court Equipment Supplier of the
Beyond the Court

New Testing and Education Requirements,
Opportunities for USPTA Pros
he year has gotten off to a fast

start and there are lots of new
initiatives for 2014. We have
finally caught our breaths from
the furious pace we set in testing and
certification at the end of 2013. With
the new category structure beginning
in January, we conducted more tests
in November and December than ever
before, and now were busy implementing the changes involved with the new
member categories along with the new
education requirement.
The new measures, which stem from
the combined efforts of the Education,
Membership, and Testing and Certification committees with the approval from
the National Board and Executive Committee, were put in place to streamline
our membership categories and enhance
the knowledge of both applicants and
certified tennis professionals. Streamlining the categories makes them easier to
understand and, more importantly, promote. By adding education on 10 and Under Tennis to an applicants curriculum
and a continuing education requirement
to certified professionals, we are elevating the standards of teaching professionals. These last two efforts are part of our
collaboration with the PTR.
So what does this all mean?
All new applicants will be tested at the
new Professional Level. This level incorporates the following requirements:
Written Exam
Grip Exam
Feeding Exam
Stroke Production
Private Lesson
Group Lesson
Coach Youth Tennis Program
Online education (6 courses)
and a face-to-face workshop
USPTA Professionals who are interested in upgrading to the new Elite Professional category will need to successfully complete the following requirements:
Written Elite exam (online) based
on four subject areas (Business,
Programming, Sport Science and
Tennis Operations). There

are specialty courses available that are associated with
each topic.
Feeding Exam (Elite level)
Stroke Analysis Exam (online) The preparation
course is completed; the
exam is pending
Education Component
Upgrade requires earning 16
specialty course credits and
24 APC credits (once this has
been met, it doesnt have to
be repeated)
Pay $100 upgrade fee (includes specialty courses for
written exam)
Professionals will also need to have

scored Elite Professional (or previous
Professional 1 level) on stroke production, private and group lessons. To assist
members in preparing for the new Elite
Professional written exam and fulfill the
specialty course requirement, USPTA
will provide pros the specialty course
videos within the upgrade package. The
specialty course DVDs that will be included are listed below.
Questions for the Elite written exam
are taken from the content in the courses.
At the end of each DVD, members can submit the codes to earn education credits.
Each specialty course is worth 2 credits.
The Education Requirement
Beginning this year, all certified members are required to earn six (6) credits
within a three-year period. This can be
accomplished in a vast number of ways.
Attending a division conference will earn

you the credits you need. You can also
earn credits from many of our industry
partners. Attending USTA conferences,
the USPTA World Conference, watching
specialty courses on DVDs, webinars,
workshops and trainings is a great way
to earn the credits. Also, you can earn
three credits by completing the six online courses for Coach Youth Tennis. The
online courses are free to all members
and each are approximately 40 minutes
in length. For more information, register
for courses at coach youthtennis.com.
Remember that any education or training you do will count for credits. You will
need to submit the date and duration of
the training to get your credits. You can
email the information to education@
uspta.org. Check the website or ADDvantage magazine for upcoming division
conference dates. To register for the Elite
Professional upgrade, contact the Membership Department at 800-877-8248. h
Specialty course DVDs:

Tennis business management Mark McMahon
Using your coaching skills in a managers role Jill Fonte
Managing a tennis complex Drew Sunderlin
A system for supervision Barbara Fackel
Making your pro shop a profitable venture Drew Sunderlin
Management: A learned skill A.J. Pant
Sports physiology/nutrition Mike Bergeron, Ph.D.
Biomechanics/sports medicine Scott Riewald, Ph.D., and Todd Ellenbecker
Sports psychology/motor learning Dan Gould, Ph.D., and Michael Kernodle, Ph.D.
Beyond the Court
Q & A with ThanksUSA Founders

Rachel and Kelsi Okun
By Mandy Johnson, ThanksUSA
wo teenage girls from McLean,

Va., have vowed never to forget
our Armed Forces and their
families by saying thank you
through one of lifes most precious gifts
education.
Nine years ago, at ages 8 and
10, Rachel and Kelsi Okun launched
ThanksUSA, a non-profit organization that provides need-based postsecondary educational scholarships to
the children and spouses of U.S. military
personnel. Since its launch, ThanksUSA has awarded more than 3,000
scholarships totaling nearly $10 million.
In 2012, the USPTA partnered with
ThanksUSA to form Tennis Thanks the
Troops (TTTT), a national fundraising
campaign that encourages tennis professionals to thank our troops by raising funds for the ThanksUSA scholarship program.
Who inspired you to found ThanksUSA? We are not a military family,
but Army Lt. Col. Lanier Ward and his
family lived next to us when we were
in elementary school. Col. Ward was
injured badly in Iraq and we saw the
hardships he and his family faced during his recovery at home. Seeing the
Wards overcome so many obstacles
inspired us to find a way to say thanks
to them and other military families
for their service and sacrifices, thus,
ThanksUSA was born.
At ages 8 and 10 Kelsi and Rachel Okun started ThanksUSA with the help of their teacher Carolyn Ferek.
Why did you decide the best way to give

back was through education? Education is very important to our family and
we wanted to help the spouses and children of our military reach their full potential through educational scholarships.
How did you start ThanksUSA?
When we first hatched the idea, we
rushed over to one of our former teachers who helped us begin to mobilize family and friends to start the legal process,
fundraise through lemonade stands and
pitching foundations, and helped by supporting the idea. ThanksUSA originated
as a virtual natural history treasure hunt
that would raise money for the scholarship program. The treasure hunt is going on its ninth year now!
How did tennis come into the picture? Our dad has been a competitive
tennis player since he was a kid and
during family visits to the Tennis Hall
The inspiration for ThanksUSA, Lt. Col. Lanier

Ward and his family attend the ThanksUSA 2013
Treasure Our Troops Gala with Kelsi and Rachel.
of Fame and US Open we saw that tennis has had a long association with the
military. Once we heard of a successful
fundraiser that golf pros were able to
mobilize to raise money for military
scholarships, we thought, why cant
tennis pros do the same? This is how
Tennis Thanks the Troops was formed
and we are so grateful to the USPTA,
the Bryan Brothers, Lisa Raymond and
so many others who have embraced
this idea.
Youve met nearly 100 families
through ThanksUSA. What do they
mean to you? The thousands of students helped by ThanksUSA scholarships each have an incredible story of
sacrifice and gratitude. Without exception, each one repays their community
by doing well.
To read more of the Q&A, visit www.
ADDvantageUSPTA.com. h
To learn more about Tennis Thanks the Troops please email TTTT@ThanksUSA.org, call
703-641-2407 or visit ThanksUSA.org.
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and Ball of the USPTA
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(Division conventions, 5 credits; World Conference 8 credits; dates subject to change)

May 15-17
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June 6-7
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Pacific Northwest Division
Johns Creek, Ga.

Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Seattle
(4 credits for PTCA I segment)

Hilton Head Island, S.C.
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application fee is forfeited. Certified members: late
cancellation fee $25; failure to cancel $25 plus the
upgrade fee is forfeited. Registration for another exam
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to business manager
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North Little Rock, Ark.
Palmetto Bay, Fla.
McKinney, Texas
Charlottesville, Va.
Fort Collins, Colo.
Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Sussex, Wis.
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Register at www.coachyouthtennis.com
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Please visit www.cardiotennis.com to register online.
Accredited Professional Coach

Register your Accredited
Professional Coach (APC)
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earned with
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attendance to all seminars and
specialty courses earning APC.
To use the system at a seminar,
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www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com
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Member News
Riverhill Tennis Director Garry Nadebaum,
USPTA, returned to
Australia to play the
Australian National
Tennis Championships. This year
was a very strong
tournament with
four of the top 20
players entered from
not only Australia but also
Finland and the Netherlands.
Nadebaum teamed up with Dubler Cup
teammate Chris OMara (Qld, Aus) to win
the doubles title. Nadebaum and OMara
won the doubles final defeating D. Evans
(Qld, Aus) and G. Schouteten (Qld, Aus),
6-0, 5-7, 6-3. In singles, Nadebaum was
the No. 3 seed and won two rounds before
losing in the semifinals to Geoff Rafter, 5-7,
4-6. Nadebaums ITF world singles ranking
stays at No.17 and his ITF World doubles
ranking climbs to No. 6. Pictured: Garry
Nadebaum with parents Ruth and Brian
Nadebaum.
Celebrated tennis coach Nick Bollettieri,
USPTA Master Professional, has led life with
the intensity of a fifth-set tiebreaker. In his
autobiography, Bollettieri: Changing the
Game, he tells all, from
his humble beginnings
in a New York City
suburb to his triumphs
on the center courts at
Wimbledon, the French
Open, the Australian
Open and the US Open.
Mincing no words, he
discusses his 10 world
champions, nine lives, eight wives, seven
children, and all the successes and failures
between. His advice based on five decades
of dominance in sports training is inspirational, motivational and reaches far beyond
the tennis court. Bollettieri is offering a
special discount along with autographing
the book for USPTA members. To order copies go to www.bollettierithebook.com and
enter promo code USPTA25.
ADDvantage magazine editorial offices
USPTA World Headquarters
3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One
Houston, TX 77042
Phone 713-978-7782 / 800-USPTA-4U
Fax 713-358-7794
email magazine@uspta.org
Umang Chadda, USPTA, took over

as the director of tennis operations
at Renaissance Family Fitness in
Houma, La. He has big plans to
grow local tennis while recruiting new players to the facility.
He coaches both kids (as young
as 6) and adults, and is anxious
to bring his skills to his new
community. I go into [health]
clubs and help revive the [tennis
program],
Umang says. I look
for a place that wants
to build a program,
then I look at the
demographics and
set up a structure. I
saw that there was
potential in Houma.
As director of tennis
operations at Renaissance, Chadda plans to
offer his student athletes what most health
clubs dontprogress reports. This is especially helpful for those parents interested in
keeping up with a childs development. I
plan to provide a report every eight weeks,
he said. Parents tend to drop off their
kids and go home. This way, they can see
progress. I want the kids to progress and like
the game and want to continue playing.
Chadda hosted his first tennis tournament
at Renaissance in December. Through his involvement with the USTA, nine tournaments
have already been sanctioned for the club
in 2014. Before coming to Houma, the India
native worked as director of tennis operations at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland,
Ky. At 35, he has already traveled the globe
to train and compete with athletes like Pete
Sampras, Jennifer Capriati, Andrew
Kratzmann and Anastasia Myskina.
The Boston Lobsters announced
that USPTA Elite Professional Robert
Greene will be the teams new head
coach for the 2014 Mylan World Team
Tennis season. Greene has coached
several highly ranked players over a
37-year career and held a career-high No. 3
national ranking in USPTA mens doubles. As
Managing editor
Circulation
Kimberly Forrester
Kathy Buchanan
Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time

ADDvantage is published monthly by the
United States Professional Tennis Association.
the former Chairman of

USTA Olympic Tennis,
he took Team USA to
Beijing in 2008 and the
Pan-Am games in Brazil
in 2007. Greene is a past
President of USTA New
England and is a 35-year
USTA volunteer having
served on 20 sectional
and national committees. He was instrumental in producing three Fed Cup events in New
England and in 2009, Greene was honored as
the USPTA National Pro of the Year. In 2003,
Greene received the prestigious International
Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award.
Greene is currently the General Manager
and Head Professional at the Historic 1907
Worcester Tennis Club in Massachusetts.
The USTA presented the Centercourt
Athletic Club in Chatham, N.J., with the USTA
Organization Member of the Year Award.
The award is given annually to an organization that provides outstanding service to
its members and to the local community.
The Centercourt Athletic Club is run by
its founder and managing partner, Clay
Bibbee, USPTA. The clubs mission is to
help every student-athlete we train realize
his or her full potential athletically and
academically, Bibbee said. We believe that
their tennis experiences will help our young
athletes become leaders on and off the
court. Our players respect the game, their
peers, parents, environment, and coaches.
Enrolled players are coached to not only
become great players, but hard-working,
self-sufficient individuals. The Centercourt
Athletic Club epitomizes Tennis Everyone as they offer
ample play opportunities for players of all
ages and abilities,
said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive,
Community Tennis,
USTA. Its a model tennis facility that epitomizes
community engagement
through grassroots programming.
The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the
authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the
USPTA.
Copyright United States Professional Tennis
Association, Inc. 2014. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not
permitted without written permission from USPTA.
Your Serve
Why Do You Love This Game?
Our original 40 Under 40 from 14 years ago explain

what they (still) find appealing about the tennis business.
.A. Abrams, Chief Diversity &

Inclusion Officer, USTA: Making a living doing something
you love is incredible. I am charged with
making tennis look like America. This is
the ultimate give-back to the sport that
has given so much to me.
Jennifer (Kenas) Arianas, Executive DirectorTennis Industry Relations, Tennis Channel: Ive always had a passion
for our sport. Our industry is a group of
unusually passionate and interesting
people.
Steve Bellamy, Founder and former
President, Tennis Channel: The reason
that I love tennis is really because of the
benefits associated with the sport. It's
fitness for life. It's gender neutral. It is
so reasonably priced. Tennis is the best
sport and an incredibly easy product to
sell.
Larry Dillon, Manager10 and Under
Tennis, USTA Eastern: Tennis is like
a lifestyle and not a job. I can positively
impact the lives of others. I can work in
a field that is inherently healthy physically, mentally and emotionally.
Rodney Harmon, Head Coach, Womens
Tennis Team at Georgia Tech: I love
working with my team and seeing the
players develop as people and as players.
David Higdon, former Senior Editor at Tennis magazine and former
VPCorporate Communications at
ATP: Whether playing it or promoting
it, tennis has helped define who I am
as a professional, father, competitor,
teacher you name it.
Liza Horan, Head of Brand Strategy
& Engagement, Hop-a-Razzi: People
60 TennisIndustry
April 2014
are working in tennis because they are

passionate about it. Tennis is unique
because its a global industry that feels
local. Its a small community with little
churn that affords us the institutional
knowledge and earned trust necessary
to work together to move the sport
forward.
Timothy Liptrap, formerly with USTA
New England, USTA National and WTT:
Tennis has created lifelong friends. I
have appreciated the health benefits,
along with the sportsmanship and camaraderie which the game teaches.
Todd Martin, CEO-Designate, International Tennis Hall of Fame: To be
able to work in the sport that I have
loved since childhood is a true privilege.
Helping kids with aspirations in tennis
is gratifying.
Drew Munster, CEO, Tennis Warehouse: The most satisfying thing to me
is that tennis is still fun to play and fun
to watch.
Tracy Nickerson Schaefer, formerly
with the Georgia Tennis Association:
My family has moved several times
and I am always delighted by how many
people I meet who have a passion for the
sport; it instantly connects us.
Larry Scott, Commissioner, Pac-12
Conference: [It was most satisfying]
working with great people who are very
passionate, creative and collaborative.
Pat Shields, Owner & CEO, Fromuth
Tennis: I am lucky that my business
helps coaches and clubs. The best part
of being in tennis are the tournaments
and conferences. I know its for work,
but it sure feels like a party.
Pam Shriver, Tennis Broadcaster,

former pro: Working in tennis means
I try to promote the greatest lifetime
family sport on the planet! I love the
great workout and fun you can have
on the court. At the end of my days, if I
have given more back to tennis than I
received, I will consider myself a better
person.
David Sparrow, former Deputy Editor,
Tennis magazine: Getting to watch
and play tennis (two things I'd be doing anyway), and to call that my job,
was a remarkable experience.
Kathleen Stroia, Senior VPSport
Sciences & Medicine and Transitions,
WTA: It has been inspirational to
watch the world unite through common passion and love for the game,
providing great entertainment, exciting competition, and creating lifelong
friendships.
Fred Viancos, Director of Professional
Development, USPTA: It's a small
community of people and companies,
so you can establish long-term relationships. This means companies work
as a group much better than in other
industries. It seems we push in the
same direction more often than not.
Anne Worcester, Tournament Director, New Haven Open at Yale: Tennis
embodies so many great attributes
hard work, creativity, competitiveness,
sportsmanship, kindness, friendship
and loyaltythat I have seen impact
my life. [Most satisfying is] the chance
to make a difference in the lives of
inner-city youth. !
We welcome your opinions. Please email
comments to TI@racquetTECH.com.

Tennis Industry Magazine

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