CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT RETAILING EQUIPMENT

Why teaching pros A group helps save Tennis vendors on Create a diverse
should become struggling facilities how to strengthen inventory with USRSA’s
equipment experts and grow the game relations with retailers Racquet Selector

LEARNING
May 2021 / Volume 49 / Number 5 / $5.00

AND LEADING
Professional Tennis Management programs
at colleges across the country continue
to produce this industry’s future leaders.

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Contents May 2021

TENNIS EDUCATION
DEPARTMENTS
4 Our Serve
School Ties
7 Industry News
With its partners, the USTA looks to grow the industry through
14 Racquet Tech Professional Tennis Management programs. P. 34
16 Grassroots Tennis
18 Facility Management
20 Retailers & Vendors
26 Racquet Selector 2021
34 Tennis Education
38 Tips & Techniques
40 Your Serve, by Betsy
Heidenberger

INDUSTRY NEWS
7 USTA, ITA enter into
new strategic alliance
7 Midwest Sports acquired
by Signa Sports United
8 Babolat launches first
Rafa signature frame
9 Number of active Americans
increases in 2020
9 PPR forms inaugural
advisory board of directors
10 USPTA, U of Fla. offer director
of racquet sports certification
10 New book follows Federer's
life through Switzerland
11 CourtTech USA joins

C OV E R P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y F E R R I S S TAT E , U N I V. F L O R I DA / T H I S PA G E C O U RT E S Y F E R R I S S TAT E
with Anderson Courts
11 Short Sets RACQUET TECH MANAGEMENT RETAILING EQUIPMENT
12 Slinger Bag, Wilson enter Professional Community Getting Racquet
new strategic partnership Advice Property A Grip Inventory
12 PeopleWatch
12 Matt Perry joins Acrytech Teaching pros The USTA Florida Vendors discuss how Getting customers
as national sales director and coaches can section is saving the business climate in the right racquet
benefit by becoming tennis venues while is affecting retailer begins with having
12 USRSA names new MRTs, CSs
all-around providing a template relationships, and variety. Our exclusive
12 Troon names Selkirk Sport its equipment for other facilities to what can be done Racquet Selector
'Preferred Pickleball Partner' experts. find success. to improve them. makes it easy.
P. 14 P. 18 P. 20 P. 25

PLUS
p.41 43 From the CEO

46 Master Professional Corner

43 46 53 57 49 Master Professional Corner

USPTA World Inverting the There is The Evolution 53 Member Feature
Conference: Pyramid and No "I" in of USPTA
55 Diversity & Inclusion
Are We Goin'? the Benefits it Coach Testing
Brings 57 NetWork USPTA

59 Raising Awareness
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 60 Membership Update

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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 OurServe
PUBLISHER
EDITOR'S NOTE JEFF WILLIAMS

An Attitude of Gratitude EDITOR

PETER FRANCESCONI

Thankfulness for what we have and MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING

what we bring to this industry plays a CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES

key role in success for all of us. SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN

ART DIRECTOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

O
 
PRODUCTION EDITOR
ANDREA WOO

ver the past year, we’ve all “Be thankful for what you have and SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
been focused on staying what you are able to do,” Kirk says. BOB PATTERSON

healthy, being with family
and keeping our jobs or
our businesses afloat—all,
obviously, important aspects of our lives
and livelihoods.
But as we power through this pandemic
“Coaches with an attitude of gratitude are
more positive … [they] consider coaching
as a calling, not a job.”
Kirk goes on to point out that for coach-
es, there is a positive correlation between
effectiveness, success and satisfaction for
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
DAVID LASOTA, JUDY LEAND, KENT OSWALD,
CYNTHIA SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS

and try to keep things together, one thing
that seems to be more and more impor-
tant to me—and something I feel many in
the tennis industry may take for granted—
is the idea of gratitude.
I have to admit, I never gave this much
thought in the past. Yes, I’ve always felt
thankful that I was involved in an industry
that helped to positively influence people’s
lives, and I’ve felt grateful for all the
friends and colleagues I’ve made over the
years through tennis. But I never really
considered the key role gratitude can and
should play in this industry.
Two coaches, in particular, have
helped me to realize the importance of
gratitude in this business. Angelo Ros-
setti, a tennis director and former presi-
dent of USTA Connecticut, is one of the
most positive people I’ve ever met. He
never hesitates to tell others how grate-
ful he is to be able to improve people’s
lives through tennis. He recently pub-
lished the book Tennacity: The Tenacious
Mindset On & Off the Court, in which he
writes, “If you replace expectations with
gratitude, then you will not sweat the
small stuff and [will] think about others
before yourself.”
Longtime coach and educator Kirk
Anderson, a former USTA national and
PNW sectional staffer who is working on
an upcoming coaching book for youth
those who practice gratitude.
“Positive and grateful people are the
‘pied pipers’ in the coaching world, and
young people are attracted to these indi-
viduals,” he says. “The best coaches don’t
coach from the head, but from the heart.
Being grateful will help you perform at
your best.”
We see people rotating in and out of our
industry all the time. But it seems that
the ones who stay, who truly seem to have
an impact on this sport and the people
involved in it, are the ones who love what
they do and understand why they do it.
“People quit a job,” says Kirk, “they don’t
quit a calling.”
Whether as a tennis teaching pro/coach,
facility owner/manager/staff, park and rec
person, tennis manufacturer sales rep or
manager, media member or other industry
volunteer or professional, practice grati-
tude. Practice being thankful for what we
have and for what we bring to this sport—
and especially, what we bring to others.
“The struggle ends when the gratitude
begins,” says author Neale Donald Walsch.
That’s a sentiment I think we all can
embrace during these challenging times.
Peter Francesconi
Editor
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TIM McARTHUR
EDITORIAL DIRECTION
10TEN MEDIA
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Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times per
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issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Channel, Inc., 250 Park Avenue,
Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Periodical postage paid
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#004-354). May 2021, Volume 49, Number 5 © 2021
by Tennis Channel, Inc. All rights reserved. Racquet
Sports Industry, RSI and logo are trademarks of Tennis
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at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.

tennis, considers gratitude one of the top

characteristics of a great coach.

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com


IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
COLLEGE TENNIS
New USTA, ITA Strategic
Alliance Aims To Elevate
College Tennis, Overall Sport
T
he USTA and the
Intercollegiate Tennis
Association (ITA) have
entered into a strategic
alliance to strengthen
and elevate collegiate tennis, bringing
greater focus and resources to both
new and existing initiatives designed to
benefit not only the college game, but the
entire tennis ecosystem.
A key to the agreement is a new local
and regional competition model con-
necting American juniors, college and
entry-level professional players. These
new tournaments will allow regular play
C O U RT E S Y U S TA
between collegiate players and top ju-
niors across the country, reducing exten-
sive tournament travel. The new events
are designed to provide college players
www.tennisindustrymag.com
and programs with consistent, high-level
competition in a more cost-effective way,
while exposing juniors to more college
coaches across all divisions.
Another emphasis will be working
to open varsity tennis facilities to the
public, turning these competition spaces
into “community hubs” that can host
private and group instruction, tourna-
ments, USTA League play, coach educa-
tion workshops, community service
offerings and more. This can create a
new revenue stream for the school while
also fostering a connection between the
tennis program and the school’s student
body, faculty and staff, as well as the local
community. The USTA will assist these
community hubs by integrating pro-
grams and initiatives to ensure tennis
IndustryNews
is reaching new audiences and being
delivered at a high level.
The ITA and USTA are also commit-
ted to raising coaching standards, with
initiatives that include an emphasis on
certification for college coaches as well
as current college players, who often
transition into the coaching and teach-
ing ranks. There will also be an exten-
sion of a number of existing coaching
education and mentorship programs,
with an emphasis on growing the num-
ber of women and minority coaches.
“This alliance will build on the great
work the USTA and the ITA have
already been doing to solidify a bright
future for all of those who go on to play
at the collegiate level,” says USTA CEO
and Executive Director Mike Dowse, who
will join the ITA’s Board of Directors.
“College tennis—with 1,250 colleges
and universities, 1,700 programs,
3,000 coaches, nearly 20,000 student-
athletes, and 1,400 officials—is viewed
as a leader in the world of intercol-
legiate athletics, and this new alliance
between the USTA and the ITA, as the
national governing body of college ten-
nis, will only strengthen this important
role,” adds ITA President and CEO
Timothy Russell.
Additional components of the strate-
gic alliance are technology integration,
match data sharing, and the cross-
promotion of key college tennis events
and programs throughout the year. For
more information, go to USTA.com.
Midwest Sports Acquired
By Berlin’s Signa Sports United
Berlin-based Signa Sports United has
acquired a majority stake in Midwest
Sports, the Ohio-based online tennis
retailer. The deal, which is still subject
to closing conditions, represents Signa
Sports United’s first substantial business
operation in the U.S. and strengthens its
subsidiary, Tennis-Point.
Signa’s technology platform operates
e-commerce brands in the bike, tennis,
May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7
IndustryNews
EQUIPMENT
Babolat Launches First
Rafa Signature Frame
Babolat says it developed
the Pure Aero Rafa in
collaboration with Nadal.
8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
T
he Babolat Pure Aero
Rafa is Rafael Nadal’s
first signature racquet
and was developed in
collaboration with the
20-time Grand Slam champion, who
has been playing with Babolat since
the start of his tennis career.
The company says Nadal chose the
color combination of yellow, purple
and orange. “I like powerful, bright
colors, and I like this racquet, it’s defi-
nitely me,” Nadal says. “We worked
with Babolat to make it happen. It’s
important to feel good on court. I re-
ally hope players enjoy it.”
The specs of the Pure Aero Rafa are
the same as the regular Pure Aero:
100-square-inch head size and 10.6
ounces. Retail price is $239. The Pure
Aero Rafa Jr 26 is also 100 square
inches and weighs 8.8 ounces, with a
price of $114. A matching bag that can
hold up to 12 frames is $140.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 IndustryNews

outdoor, and team sports segments active than they were last year—which is chair), Lee Whitwell (secretary), Dan
across Europe, running more than 80 the first time that has happened across all Regan (director at large) and Justin
webshops in 17 countries, with over income groups. Maloof (USA Pickleball representative).
4 million active customers a year and The PPR—dedicated to inspiring, edu-
300 million visitors annually. The PPR Forms Inaugural cating, certifying and serving pickleball
acquisition of Midwest Sports will be Advisory Board of Directors coaches/professionals in order to grow
the entry point into the U.S. market for The Professional Pickleball Registry has the game—was founded in 2018 and has
Tennis-Point, which Signa says plays formed an inaugural PPR Advisory Board more than 2,500 members. It is the offi-
a central role in the global tennis com- of Directors. Serving three-year terms are cial education and certification partner of
munity, connecting federations, clubs, Hemel Cosme (chair), Jarrett Chirico (vice USA Pickleball.
brands and consumers.
Midwest Sports President Greg Wolf
co-founded Midwest Sports with his
brother more than 20 years ago. The
company is the official retail spon-
sor of the Western & Southern Open.
Tennis-Point is the exclusive global
online retail partner of the Interna-
tional Tennis Federation.

230 Million Americans Active

In 2020, an Increase of 8 Million
The number of Americans taking part in
at least one sporting activity has taken a
step in the right direction for the second
year in a row.
The 2021 Sports, Fitness and Leisure
Activities Topline Participation Report,
compiled by Sports Marketing Surveys
and the Sports and Fitness Industry Asso-
ciation, shows that last year, 229.7 mil-
lion Americans were active in at least one
of 120 sports/activities, which is 8 million
more than in 2019 and slightly more
than three-quarters of all Americans. The
figures come from research conducted
among 18,000 nationally representative
households.
The only age groups in which inactivity
rose are 18-24 and 25-34. Economic and
work pressures affected this group dis-
proportionately, according to SMS, as did
the closure of college campuses, which
ended the seasons for many who might
otherwise have taken part in sports.
On the other hand, children were more
likely to be active than at any point in the
last five years. The research also under-
lines the importance of physical educa-
tion in schools. Adults who had phys ed
in school as children are more likely to be
active in adulthood, according to SMS.
C O U RT E S Y B A B O L AT

Overall, the biggest predictor of activ-

ity level remains income, with those who
have higher household incomes more
likely to exercise.
The good news, though, is those from
every income band are more likely to be

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 9

IndustryNews

USPTA, U. of Fla. Offer Director
Of Racquet Sports Certification
The USPTA will partner with the University
of Florida (UF) School of Health and Human
Performance to deliver its new Director
of Racquet Sports curriculum. Students
completing the curriculum and passing the
final exam will be eligible to receive the new
designation of USPTA-certified Director of
Racquet Sports.
UF is delivering the curriculum in two
ways, through a continuing education
option and as a part of the Sport Manage-
ment Master’s degree program. Both
programs are 100 percent online.
Students interested in a full, 36-hour
Master’s degree receive the curriculum
through a specialization program within
the degree. The Sport Management
Master’s is rated by bestcolleges.com as
the leading Sport Management master’s
program in the country, and it is enrolling
now (visit sm.hhp.ufl.edu).
Students interested in the non-credit,
continuing-education track can apply and
begin on June 1 and complete the self-paced
curriculum in as few as three months. The
continuing education option’s initial cost will
be $1,995.
New Book Follows Federer’s
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tennis fan and player Dave Seminara,
whose work has appeared in The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Wash-
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The book is a humorous, novella-length
account of Seminara’s travels across
seven Swiss cantons in search of insights
into Federer’s character, which is inex-
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10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com


tennis clubs where Federer has lived and
trained at over the years. The book is
available for purchase on amazon.com.
CourtTech USA Joins
With Anderson Courts
CourtTech USA has acquired the Ander-
son Courts brand, a leader in squash court
construction that has completed more than
2,700 court construction projects at leading
colleges, universities, clubs, prep schools
and private residences.
“Gordon Anderson is a legend in our
industry,” says CourtTech USA President
Steve Hall. “I am excited he’ll be staying on
with us to help represent our new combined
business.”
Together, Hall and Anderson have over 75
years of court building, playing, coaching
and club and squash camp management
experience.
“I’ve known and respected Steve Hall for
decades,” says Anderson. “As a player and
now business owner, he’s had a positive
impact on the game overall.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Short
Sets
The USPTA is looking for great ideas for
its inaugural Innovation Competition.
Ideas can be submitted in three catego-
ries—Technology, Facility Operations and
Growing the Game—and category winners
will be recognized at the USPTA World
Conference in September. Deadline for
submissions is Aug. 8. Visit USPTA.com.
Stringfellow Management Group,
which manages the American Sports
Builders Association, has named Tricia
Clarke to the new position of Director
of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She’ll
work with SMG leadership to implement
integrated DE&I best practice solutions;
spearhead the DE&I Task Force, created
to serve as an advocate and resource for
IndustryNews
SMG employees; and focus on assisting
SMG clients in their DE&I efforts.
Three-time Paralympic medalist and
former ITF World Champion Kai Schra-
meyer of Germany is the recipient of the
ITF's Brad Parks Award for 2021. The
award, named after the founding father
of wheelchair tennis, is presented to an
individual or organization that has made
a significant contribution to wheelchair
tennis on an international basis.
The Grand Slam Board has appointed
Ugo Valensi as its new executive direc-
tor. The Grand Slam Board is the repre-
sentative body of the four Grand Slam
tournaments.
May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11
IndustryNews
COURT EQUIPMENT
Slinger Bag,
Wilson Enter
New Strategic
Collaboration
S
linger Bag will collaborate
with Wilson Sporting
Goods on co-branded
products and promo-
tional initiatives. Under
the new deal, Slinger will design
Wilson-branded tennis ball launch-
ers for use at Wilson Demo Events.
The brands will also design Wilson/
Slinger-branded Triniti tennis balls,
available for purchase on Slingerbag.
com. Consumers also will be able to
purchase a Slinger Launcher through
Wilson.com.
From November 2020 to January
2021, Slinger Bag reports that it gener-
ated $4.1 million in total revenues, an
increase of 24.2 percent from sales of
$3.3 million a year during the same
period a year earlier. The brand’s
total revenues for its financial year-
People
Watch
Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss will join
Dr. Dale Caldwell and Dr. Emily Moore as
2021 inductees into the USTA Eastern
Tennis Hall of Fame.
Selkirk Sport has signed 11-time USA
Pickleball National Champion Wesley
Gabrielson of McMinnville, Ore., to an
endorsement deal. Gabrielson, who joins
the company's brand ambassadors, will
compete on the pro pickleball circuit with
Selkirk Sport’s AMPED Epic paddle.
Eric Davidson is newest tennis coach
at the Junior Tennis Champions Center
in College Park, Md. A USPTA and PTR
12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
to-date are $7.3 million. Slinger Bag
was founded in 2015 and has shipped
approximately 15,000 units to date
through its direct-to-consumer chan-
nel and global distribution partners.
“All signs point to continued growth
for Slinger Bag as we open new
distribution markets for our Tennis
Launcher and begin to market new
launchers to pickleball, padel and soft
tennis consumers,” says Slinger Bag
CEO Mike Ballardie.
member, he has been the Junior Team
Tennis Manager for USTA Mid-Atlantic
and an instructor in the Washington,
D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. Prior to
coaching, Davidson served as a lieuten-
ant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Former USTA President J. Howard
“Bumpy” Frazer passed away earlier this
year at age 96. He led the organization
from 1993 through 1994.
Smart tennis wristband company
NeuroTennis Inc. has signed American
WTA player Lauren Davis to an official
sponsorship deal.
Matt Perry Joins Acrytech
as National Sales Director
Acrytech by Stegas, Inc., a leading
manufacturer of sports court coatings,
has hired Matt Perry as national direc-
tor of sales. Perry brings with him more
than 18 years of public relations and
general construction experience.
Perry will focus on establishing
new partnerships with sports court
installers across the nation, as well as
cultivate existing relationships with
installers who are using Acrytech
products. He’ll work closely with Brad
Carroll, V.P. of business development,
to acquire new installer partners and
grow the Acrytech brand.
Acrytech is the official surface of the
Professional Pickleball Association and
is the presenting sponsor of the Atlanta
Open tournament, held May 20-23.
USRSA Names New MRTs, CSs
Master Racquet Technicians
• Matt McConnon, Middlebury, Conn.
• Bruno Rojas, Plano, Texas
Certified Stringers
• Julio Castillo, Coachella, Calif.
• Andrew Scorteanu, La Quinta, Calif.
Troon Names Selkirk Sport
‘Preferred Pickleball Partner’
As the popularity of pickleball con-
tinues to surge, Troon, the world’s
largest club management company,
and Selkirk Sport, a leading pickleball
equipment brand, have announced a
C O U RT E S Y S L I N G E R B A G , A C RY T E C H
multi-year partnership. Through the
partnership, Selkirk Sport becomes the
first “Preferred Pickleball Partner” of
Troon and an official partner of the com-
pany’s Cliff Drysdale Tennis division.
As the Preferred Pickleball Partner,
Selkirk’s made-in-the-U.S. paddles will
be available at retail shops at Troon and
Drysdale-managed facilities nation-
wide that offer pickleball.
Private residence Denver, Colorado - Post-tension concrete base

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Professional Advice
Teaching pros and coaches can benefit
by being all-around equipment experts.
By Bob Patterson
Executive Director, USRSA
T
eaching profession-
als wear many hats. In
some cases, they not only
provide on-court instruc-
tion, but they also must
organize activities, keep the facility and
courts maintained, and provide racquet
service. To be successful, a pro needs
to be an expert in all areas—the phrase
“jack of all trades, master of none”
simply cannot apply. Even if you have a
large staff, ultimately you need to have
the knowledge and expertise in the
various areas to ensure that each task is
being done correctly and efficiently.
I recently talked with USRSA Master
Racquet Technician Rex Cuajunco
about this topic, after he had attended a
USPTA Continuing Education webinar
on the subject of proper string selec-
tion. Rex, a USPTA and PTR member,
is the director of operations at the
14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
Racquet Tech
Southern Methodist University Tennis
Complex in Dallas.
“The webinar was informative and
reinforced my thought that there seems
to be an industry-wide gap between what
teaching pros and stringers think, and
how they act and communicate with
players and members,” Rex told me.
Then he asked, “Is there a better way for
the tennis industry to communicate with
consumers so they are better informed
on strings and stringing services?”
It is a great question. The problem
is that not all racquet technicians are
teaching professionals, and not all pros
are technicians—and those who do
perform both tasks may not be as in-
formed and educated on the subject of
equipment as they should be.
A few years ago, the USRSA created
the Professional Racquet Advisor (PRA)
certification to fill this gap. The PRA
program is designed to give teaching
pros and others in the industry who are
not stringers or technicians a platform
to qualify their expertise in racquet and
string technologies. A teaching profes-
sional has some knowledge and familiar-
ity with racquets and strings—but that’s
where things can go sideways. If their
knowledge is limited or not well-ground-
ed, they could be giving bad advice.
“Teaching professionals that are also
certified as MRTs, Certified Stringers
or PRAs can speak multiple languages
[from a player’s, teaching pro’s and
stringer’s perspective] to relate to rec-
reational players, but I feel that all too
often the communication misses the
mark in one of two ways,” Rex says.
“First, many teaching pros have
limited knowledge and only speak of
strings and racquets from their own
playing experiences. For example, they
recommend a 16-gauge polyester-based
string at higher tensions without con-
sideration of the player’s ability or true
needs. Second, many stringers try to
‘wow’ the recreational player with their
expertise and end up confusing them.”
I agree. Providing recommendations
and advice outside our range of exper-
tise is ultimately detrimental. Racquet
technicians need to read their cus-
tomer. Asking the right questions—and,
more importantly, listening—can tell
you if the information you are providing
is helpful or just confusing the player.
For teaching pros, it is important to
stay with what you know, and if your
knowledge of racquets and string is lim-
ited, learn more about them. While you
may be on court full time and not have
any responsibilities in the shop selling
racquets or stringing, you need to have
a solid knowledge of racquet and string
technology to be the best coach you can
be. You may get your client hitting a
forehand with proper preparation and
follow through, but it will never be per-
fect if they are using the wrong racquet
or have the wrong string set-up.
Whether you are a teaching pro,
stringer, or both, we as tennis providers
have a responsibility to help our clients
SHUTTERSTOCK
be the best player they can be, and that
includes making sure their equipment
is properly fitted to give them optimum
performance. •
www.tennisindustrymag.com
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 GrassrootsTennis
BUILDING COMMUNITY
Play It Forward!
NJTLs, CTAs, public parks and
schools are on the front lines when it
comes to growing our sport.
MIDWEST
AdvantageCLE Sparks Achievement in Cleveland
A
key to living in the new nor-
mal is making life as produc-
tive as possible, especially for
children. This is a particular
strength of Advantage Cleveland Tennis
and Education (advantagecle.org), an
NJTL launched in 2010 with assistance
from the city and the Cleveland Clinic—
and with a mission to support youth de-
velopment and spark lifetime achieve-
ment among underserved populations.
Last year’s pivot due to the pandemic
had AdvantageCLE take its eight-
week summer camp virtual. Children
participated in tennis, fitness, literacy,
STEM and wellness exercises at home,
with a little bit of poetry as well. As the
16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
world finds its balance in re-opening,
this spring’s programming included
protocol-appropriate indoor ten-
nis clinics, and a virtual after-school
program staffed by Case Western and
Baldwin Wallace College volunteers—
heavy on building academic skills and
general wellness development.
Plans for the summer include both
an in-person camp and hybrid model
for students from 6 to 16. The virtual
component will help those at home stay
active, avoid the summer learning slide,
and support mental well-being with
activities like Friday webinars, creative
writing and coding workshops, and en-
trepreneurship camps. —Kent Oswald
MIDDLE STATES
N.J. CTA Reaches Into
Community ‘Family’
S
tart local, dream global
should be the motto for the
Burlington County Tennis
Association (burlingtoncoun-
tytennisassoc.com), headed up by Ike
and Debbie Johnson and serving New
Jersey’s largest county. The program
was fortunate enough to get in its long-
into-the-evening 20th anniversary
celebration before lockdown. The good
fortune and family focus are symbolic
of the multicultural institution, which
reaches out to schools and community
organizations throughout the county
and in 2018 was recognized as USTA
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y A DVA N TA G E C L E , B U R L I N G T O N C O U N T Y T E N N I S A S S O C.
Middle States CTA of the Year.
Programs include tennis for home-
schooled children, after-school programs
for multiple local schools and, when the
health situation permits their reintro-
duction, work with gym teachers during
class to introduce tennis into schools.
“It’s a family,” says Ike Johnson.
“Without a family, nothing would
improve.”
As proof, many of the volunteer staff
grew up in the program and returned to
help give back.
While the BCTA has no permanent
home, negotiations regarding space and
funding are taking place. The vision is
that in a few years, there will be a facil-
ity offering courts for tennis and other
racquet sports, a swimming pool and, of
course, a picnic area for further family-
style celebrations. —Kent Oswald
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 Facility Management
GRASSROOTS TENNIS
Community Property
The USTA Florida section is saving
tennis venues while providing a template
for other facilities to find success.
By Rick Vach
R
unning a tennis facil-
ity is difficult. Operat-
ing a city-run tennis
facility at a profit?
Even more so.
But the USTA Flor-
ida Section is now entering its fourth
year of running tennis facilities in the
state, following other USTA sections
that have ventured into saving facili-
ties that would have otherwise gone
under, or helping cities or municipali-
ties struggling with their public tennis
venues. Now, as tennis facilities hope
to resume business closer to normal in
the second half of 2021, after large-
scale COVID-19 vaccinations, USTA
Florida is rolling out a plan to help all
of the state’s tennis facilities with the
lessons they have learned.
“It’s very rewarding to see tennis
growing in those communities and
to work with our terrific municipal
partners and city management,”
says Frank Swope, director of tennis
management for USTA Florida and
the tennis centers in three cities it
now manages. “There have been some
hiccups along the way, but all three lo-
cations have grown in participation.”
Catering to Communities
USTA Florida staff realized that a tem-
plate could not be applied to each site,
so it was a learning process to see what
worked where for each individual
customer base.
“One thing that stands out is the
18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
diversity of each location and remem-
bering that while there are certainly
operational similarities, each facil-
ity has its own successes and chal-
lenges,” Swope says. “We fit the pieces
together to provide quality service,
programs and facilities, and we have
adjusted our business model to per-
sonalize each facility to best suit each
community's needs.”
The original mission for the USTA
Florida Tennis Management Division
was saving tennis sites that would
otherwise disappear due to difficult
economic conditions or management
challenges, or to simply help cities
that were asking for assistance with
their city-run tennis facilities. There
was initial skepticism among the
Florida tennis community, despite the
USTA Florida Section’s assurances
that they were not “getting into the
tennis facility business,” and were in-
vesting any profits back into the facili-
ties, rather than competing with other
local facilities, and when possible were
hiring local pros and staff.
“It’s about growing the game,"
Swope says about their ability to not
only roll out the latest USTA pro-
grams and league offerings, but also
to experiment with programs to bring
new players to tennis. “Municipal
tennis varies widely by region and
facility even within Florida, much less
nationally. Success for USTA Florida
is growing participation and bringing
and retaining new players into the
USTA Florida's Tennis Management
Division has been helping
underperforming venues rebound,
and now offers its lessons and best
practices to all facilities.
game, raising the bar for facility and
customer service quality and com-
munity awareness, all while striving to
remain financially neutral within the
tennis management scope.”
Tennis Management Resources
The section backed this up in 2020
during the most difficult time of the
pandemic, creating “Quality Assur-
ance and Training” resources avail-
able to the public.
“When we were closed down in
March through May, we took the op-
portunity to spend time with our team
to put together a lot of best practices,
COVID-19 practices, how to best work
with our municipal partners and city
governments,” Swope says. “We’ve put
together a catalog of documents to
offer through our website and phone
app for people who need assistance
at their facilities—better marketing
pieces or accounting, or better human
resources management.”
These resources allow tennis
facilities throughout the state to
benefit from the expertise and lessons
learned that USTA Florida and its
partners have put in place for facilities
to find success.
“We’ve established operating
documents with a number of spe-
cific files regarding COVID safety
and awareness,” Swope says. “One of
the major changes we’ve adopted at
our managed facilities since COVID,
in addition to implementing safety
guidelines, is that we now obtain 85
to 90 percent of our revenues prepaid
online by credit card, minimizing hu-
man contact.
“We’ve also been on the forefront of
providing virtual tennis events during
lockdowns, and developing and using
virtual systems to run leagues, tourna-
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 Tennis in many areas of Florida is experiencing growth during COVID,
as more people find the benefits of natural social distancing and exercising in an
outdoor, family-friendly environment.

ments and events, all to minimize to maintain a fiscal balance, tennis in “I think everyone in the tennis
close physical contact and congregat- many areas of Florida is experiencing industry will tell you, tennis has had
ing in groups.” growth during COVID, as more people sort of a rebirth,” Swope says. “It’s
PHOTOS COURTESY USTA FLORIDA

Growing During Tough Times
Non-profits across the country have
been hit hard by the COVID-19
economic downturn, and tennis is no
exception.
“There are a few USTA sections
that either manage or are consider-
ing managing facilities, however
COVID may impact those activities,”
Swope says. “While it is challenging
find the benefits of natural social dis-
tancing and exercising in an outdoor,
family-friendly environment.”
During a trying 2020, tennis didn’t
just survive, it flourished. Tennis par-
ticipation increased 22 percent last
year, according to the Physical Activ-
ity Council’s Participation Report pro-
duced by Sports Marketing Surveys,
and racquet sales in the entry-level
category grew nearly 40 percent.
family-oriented, it's played outside
and we’ve seen some hotbeds of activ-
ity in Florida. People are understand-
ing that you can play tennis and be
relatively safe.” •
To learn more about USTA Florida’s
Tennis Management program or to
view the section's Quality Assurance
and Training resources, go to www.
ustaflorida.com.

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 19

 RETAILERS &
VENDORS
2021

SPECIALTY RETAILERS of growth. In 2021, Technavio expects

Getting
a global uptick of 5.43 percent. The
firm notes that the market is driven
by the increasing awareness about the
benefits of sports, but threats associ-

A Grip
ated with counterfeit tennis apparel
and footwear might challenge growth.
Additionally, Technavio says funding
for building new tennis facilities will be
a key driver of the U.S. tennis market
during the next few years.
But the pandemic is still wreaking
Vendors discuss how a high-pressure havoc on the global supply chain, which
is exerting pressure on the racquet
business climate is affecting retailer sports industry and is ratcheting up
tension between vendors and their
relationships, and what can be done retail partners. Moreover, the acceler-
ated consumer shift to online shopping
to improve these vital ties. during the pandemic—a trend that is
here to stay—is also disrupting the mar-
By Judy Leand ket, and is upending traditional ways
of conducting business by going from a
largely wholesale-driven to a direct-to-
When it comes to the fortunes of the racquet sports industry, the news has im- consumer-led business model.
proved considerably from a year ago, when the coronavirus pandemic first hit. In fact, some companies, such as Adi-
SHUTTERSTOCK

According to global technology research firm Technavio, the tennis apparel, das and Nike, are betting their futures
footwear and accessories market is poised to grow by $173.10 million from 2021 on DTC, which doesn’t bode well for
to 2025, progressing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 6 retailers. Adidas recently announced a
percent during the forecast period, with North America accounting for 37 percent four-year plan, dubbed Own the Game,

20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 As the entire sporting goods landscape continues to change, vendors must now
grapple with a new business paradigm that is increasingly pitting the necessity of growth
and profits against the need for a strong specialty retail network.
that calls for DTC to comprise 50 per-
cent of net sales by 2025. The initiative
calls for paring down wholesale part-
ners to focus on strategic partnerships.
As the entire sporting goods land-
scape, and by extension the racquet
sports industry, continues to change,
vendors must now grapple with a new
business paradigm that is increasingly
pitting the necessity of growth and
profits—and in some cases, survival—
against the need for a strong specialty
retail network.
Here, we present the second of a two-
part series that focuses on the some-
times turbulent relationships between
vendors and retailers. While Part I
examined the retailers’ perspective (see
RSI’s April 2021 issue), Part II focuses
on the vendors’ views.
The vendor panel:
• Bryan Ogle, U.S. National Sales
Director, Babolat
• Kimberly Pettit, Marketing Man-
ager, Dunlop Sports
• Jackie Scarnici, U.S. Marketing
Manager, K-Swiss Tennis
• Alyssa Yoneyama, Senior Marketing
Manager, Yonex USA
RSI: How would you characterize
the relationship between specialty
retailers and vendors across the
racquet sports industry?
Ogle: I feel like the relationship be-
tween vendor and specialty retailer is
becoming tighter and more in balance.
The trilogy of brand-consumer-retailer
is only as strong as any one leg of the
triangle. Each party is required to do
their part for the relationship to work.
The pandemic and ongoing logistics/
supply chain obstacles have made it
so brands need to identify the very
best retail network for their brand and
objectives. Correspondingly, the retail
network has to identify which brands
fit best into their own offering. Most
importantly, both parties need to re-
member that ultimately, the consumer
is deciding with their dollars.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
Pettit: Relationships between vendors
and specialty retailers are generally
very good. We all have the same com-
mon goal to grow the categories and
the sports that we are in, and having a
great relationship between vendors and
retailers is essential to grow the game.
Scarnici: Retailers are the first prod-
uct touchpoint with the consumer. At
K-Swiss our primary focus is tennis, so
having an experienced tennis specialty
rep force that continues to make in-
person calls and builds great relation-
ships with our retail partners is one of
the major reasons for our success.
Yoneyama: As racquet sports have a
wide range of customers with differ-
ent interests and experience levels, the
strong relationship between retailers
and vendors is important in providing
customers with the best equipment
that suits their game.
RSI: How are your current relation-
ships with your own retail partners?
Ogle: Generally, the relationship is
pretty positive. Babolat has done a
very good job at being out in front of
problems and communicating with our
dealer base. The resulting communica-
tion is not always what partners want
to hear, but it is the truth and the best
we can do. Most importantly, we strive
to be fair in our approach to the dealer
network. There are multiple channels
of distribution and each has its own
peculiar circumstances. Some positives
have been that those best-suited to op-
erate in this environment have risen to
the top quickly. Our outside sales team
members are rock stars and on the front
lines making sure we are well aware of
who is best positioned for success.
Some negatives are very difficult. We
are forced to say “no” more now than at
any other time in recent history due to
COVID issues. There are too many times
we just can’t make exceptions as we
used to. It is not five years ago, and what
happened then has no bearing on today.
Pettit: At Dunlop, we pride ourselves
on giving our retailers the best experi-
ences possible by being hands-on and
keeping the line of communication
open, especially right now during the
pandemic and not being able to see
them as much as we would like. We do
our best to listen to the challenges our
retail partners have and to act as soon
as possible.
Scarnici: Having the best-selling
specialty tennis shoe [the Hypercourt
Express 2] and pickleball shoe [the
Express Light], our relationships with
our retail partners have become stron-
ger as their success in selling K-Swiss
footwear grows. The positive is that
our accounts know we are 100 percent
focused on only tennis and pickleball
footwear. The negative is our retail
partners have very high expectations
that we will always have at-once inven-
tory. We are working hard to stay in
stock, but [global] shipping challenges
are making this much harder.
Yoneyama: Relationships with our part-
ners are important and we strive to offer
tailored, timely support. The growth
we are seeing with our retailers is very
positive, and at the same time, one of the
challenges is working with each retailer
to plan for continued growth.
RSI: Has the pandemic improved or
strained retailer relationships?
Ogle: Both. There has definitely been
improvement in how, how much and
why we communicate. This holds true
both for national and local relation-
ships. Managing credit, managing
inventory and managing expectations
have been difficult at best. Everyone
in our organization is being required
to make hard decisions that are often
not well received by partners. A prime
example is scarcity of an item, which
means that we would look to maximize
our opportunity with a partner that
can buy deeper and broader compared
to someone who just wants to buy one.
May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 21
 We believe these times have improved our relationships, as we’ve had closer communication
with retailers through frequent check-ins on topics like local COVID regulations, how we can
support customers returning to the courts, and updates on product shipments.

One big improvement has been a deeper
understanding of one another’s role
in the business and how important we
are to one another. One does not win
without the other. Monthly turns, aging
and breadth/depth of products are way
more important than before. Another
win has been the interest in tennis from
non-tennis folks, which means retail-
ers have to look to us for other types of
products [such as] entry-level racquets.
Pettit: The pandemic has definitely
changed the way we communicate
with retailers. Before the pandemic, we
made it a top priority to have someone
from the home office visit every sales
territory in person. With COVID-19
and the travel restrictions, we have had
a lot of meetings with these retail-
ers via Microsoft Teams or Zoom in
THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO PLAY.
order to keep it personal and to have
a continual line of communication. I
send out monthly newsletters with any
new marketing assets retailers may
need, sales specials, a spotlight on our
Employee of the Month, and a special
note from me to make them feel more
connected to the brand.
Scarnici: When this all started a
year ago, K-Swiss Tennis decided in
early April to commit to inventory for
the second half of 2020. Making this
commitment to not only bring in new
colorways, but also to invest in fill-in
inventory, allowed our accounts to
continue to reorder when tennis began
to increase throughout 2020. This
strengthened our relationships with our
retailers, leading to our best TIA market
share ever, and a great start to 2021.
Yoneyama: We believe these times
have improved our relationships, as
we’ve had closer communication with
retailers through more frequent check-
ins on topics like local COVID-19 regu-
lations, how we can support customers
returning safely to the courts, and most
recently, updates on product shipment
arrivals. We understand product delays
impacted by COVID-19 have been a
strain to many, so we have increased
our air shipments directly from our fac-
tories in Japan for racquets and string.
RSI: What is your strategy regard-
ing direct-to-consumer sales online,
and how do you balance this with
the needs of your retail partners?
Ogle: I believe it is incumbent on every
brand to recognize the importance

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22 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com

When it comes to direct-to-
consumer sales online, Dunlop
focuses more on doing their
best to educate the consumer
about products.
of DTC and the role it plays in their
distribution strategy. A brand website
is the only place we are really able to
showcase the entire brand and deploy
our storytelling to its fullest extent. We
can never expect our retail partners to
carry our entire brand, but we do want
the consumer to see the whole brand.
We are highly cognizant and respect-
ful of the role that our retail partners
have played in helping build our brand
with the consumer. We also understand
where our strengths lie and tend to
have our partners do the heavy lifting
when it comes to selling.
Pettit: When it comes to DTC sales on-
line, we focus more on doing our best to
educate the consumer on our products.
We spend more time and effort on our
technology pages to tell the story of our
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products and we do not offer sales or
discounts on our website. Our goal is
that consumers will spend the time on
our site to learn about our products, but
then seek out purchasing through their
local pro and specialty retailers. While
we do offer our products for sale online,
it’s more as a convenience for consum-
ers that are seeking out our brand and
do not have the access to purchase at a
local pro and specialty store.
Scarnici: K-Swiss does not put inline
tennis shoes on sale on our website. We
strive to be a partner with our accounts,
not a competitor.
Yoneyama: We currently do not have a
direct-to-consumer sales channel and
our priority is sending customers to our
retailer partners.
LED SportS Lighting Manufacturing
RSI: Are you taking any specific ac-
tions to help your retail partners?
Ogle: Yes. During the pandemic we
[worked] closely with partners on dat-
ing invoices, doing some rebates and
creating some buy-in programs to help
net down costs. We share all the prod-
uct assets we create with our entire
network, [but] it is disappointing to see
how ill-equipped many are to utilize
those assets to help sell our products.
Just having a door is no longer enough.
We rigorously protect our brand with
policies that enable our partners to rely
on margins they can run their business
on. Those who violate those policies are
quick to find out we do not have a prob-
lem not doing business with them.
Pettit: Because of the pandemic, we
May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 23
 The retailer has to understand that brands cannot always be a just-in-time inventory
resource, and brands have to recognize partners who can connect brands with
consumers. Everyone needs a better sense of what their business is and what is possible.

invested in a new marketing platform

that makes advertising our products
for consumers very easy. This platform
has made it a simple one-stop shop for
our retail partners to get any marketing
assets they may need, but also makes it
convenient for us as a brand to invest in
our retailers by giving them some mar-
keting dollars. Along with this platform,
we've also run special programs for facili-
ties to reopen in both tennis and squash,
and have worked with retail partners to
offer extended terms during the pan-
demic to alleviate some of the financial
burdens that many have encountered.
Ultimately, the best way that we have
found to improve our relationship with
our retail partners is through service.

Scarnici: Absolutely! We are focused

on listening to our retail partners and
working together to drive sell-through.
This year we invested in new in-store
displays as well as additional ATP and
WTA athletes. We will continue to uti-
lize our MAP policy to provide at least
five months on seasonal colors, and be
sure our core products are competitive-
ly priced for their lifecycle. We look to
drive the consumer in-store or online
by adding freshness quarterly as well as
creating some limited editions and col-
laborations, like with Lucky in Love.
Yoneyama: Our team is constantly
looking for ways to work with our retail
partners through new programs and
campaigns. Ultimately, we want to
provide the tools for our partners to
effectively sell to their customers. We
work across departments to propose
new initiatives.
RSI: How can racquet sports ven-
dors and retailers work together
more harmoniously for the better-
ment of each other’s businesses?
ber of times a week that I hear from re-
tailers, "Well, brand X will do this on a
string deal. Are you going to match it?"
That is not partnership, and eventually
results in margins being compressed
to the point where something does not
make sense. We do not play that game;
we want to be true partners with retail-
ers to benefit both parties.
Everyone involved has to understand
there is a critical mass of [consumers
that will] purchase. While that mass
has seemed to expand over the last
20 months, it may also shrink again.
The retailer has to understand that
brands cannot always be a just-in-time
inventory resource, and brands have
to recognize partners who can con-
nect brands with consumers. Everyone
needs a better sense of what their busi-
ness is and what is possible.
Pettit: Communication is key. We need
to keep the lines of communication
we work to capture returning and new
players, the entire industry is facing
production and shipping limitations
that will lead to delays, product short-
ages and increased pricing to the deal-
ers and consumers in future seasons.
Yoneyama: Each retailer has their own
approach on how to service their cus-
tomers, and each retailer knows their
customer base the best. We believe it
is important we work closely with our
partners to tailor the products, infor-
mation and service to meet their cus-
tomers’ needs. The one common thread
that all successful retailers have is the
passion for racquet sports and how they
transfer that love to more customers.
As the industry is experiencing growth
in participation, it is important for us
to collectively work toward sustaining
this by providing products and services
to meet new and existing customers. In
some cases, this means expanding the
SHUTTERSTOCK

Ogle: Quit talking about the old days
and quit relying on the old days. Con-
necting with the consumer is job No. 1.
Vendors and retailers also have to quit
working against one another. The num-
open and actually listen to each other
in order to grow the game.
Scarnici: I am very proud of how
tennis has thrived in the last year. As
product line-up to meet these demands.
We understand it may be overwhelming
for some, but our sales team is always
happy to work with retailers to propose
what’s best for their customer base. •

24 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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 2021
RACQUET
2021 SELECTOR
Create a
SELLING FRAMES
Diverse
Racquet
Inventory
Getting your customers in the right racquet
begins with having variety. Our exclusive
Racquet Selector makes it easy to achieve.
By Bob Patterson, USRSA Executive Director
Tennis players come in all shapes and
sizes, and matching a frame to their
particular needs means they’ll end up
with a racquet that will draw out their
best results on the court.
With hundreds of tennis racquets
currently on the market, if you’re a re-
tailer, it can seem a daunting task to find
what will work best for each of your cus-
tomers. You simply cannot stock them
all. But you do need to have something
to offer for a wide variety of players. So,
how do you choose what to stock?
A good place to start is with the
USRSA Racquet Selector Tool, available
to USRSA members on RacquetTech.
com. Even if you are not a technically
26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
driven shop, you can choose a diverse
racquet inventory whether you stock
just a few frames, or a few hundred.
Start simple—look at the “Power
Formula” spec. This number is gener-
ated with an algorithm by our database
and it takes into account all the various
specs that affect power. Even if you
don’t fully understand racquet technol-
ogy, you can see that larger numbers
for Power Formula will generate more
power with the same swing. Some cus-
tomers can be overwhelmed with too
much information, so keeping it simple
will help them understand the concepts.
If they demo a racquet and find they
are having to work too hard to hit deep
shots, then they will need to look for a
frame with a higher Power Formula. If
all their shots are going long, then they
will need a lower Power Formula.
Having a diverse inventory, no matter
the actual number of different racquets
you have on hand, will ensure that you
have a frame for nearly every player who
comes into your shop. Taking the time
to understand the customer’s needs and
fitting that player with a proper racquet
will keep that customer loyal, and he or
she will tell others about your service.
The chart on the following pages
shows the racquets currently on the
market, along with their specs and
other details.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Go Above and
Beyond With
a Key Online Tool
One of the most popular online tools for
USRSA members is the Racquet Selector,
available on RacquetTech.com, which
takes the chart on the following pages to
new levels of customer service by quickly
and easily sorting through the hundreds
of racquets on the market to find exactly
what your customer needs to play his or
her best.
SHUTTERSTOCK
To use the Racquet Selector, you can
begin with either the customer’s current
racquet or, if you’re working with a new
player, choose their favorite demo. For
instance, if your customer’s current frame
www.tennisindustrymag.com
is the Babolat Aero Storm Tour, you’d
choose “Babolat” as the manufacturer.
Next, find the racquet model in the pull-
down menu, arranged in alphabetical
order.
Once chosen, the tool will populate the
chosen racquet’s specs in the left column.
In the middle column, simply answer the
questions about each spec: More, Less
or About the Same. In the right column,
prioritize your choices. Then, click “Find
my new racquets.”
The Racquet Selector will then list cur-
rent racquets on the market that fit these
Understanding
The Specs
1. Headsize: Square-inch measure-
ment of the hitting surface (strung
area).
2. Length: Length of the frame from
the butt of the handle to the top of
the hoop.
3. Weight: Overall weight of the
strung racquet, listed in both ounces
and grams.
4. Balance: Measurement from
the butt end of the racquet to the
“Balance Point,” measured in
centimeters.
5. Flex: Measurement of the strung
racquet’s stiffness using the Babolat
Racquet Diagnostic Center (RDC).
6. Swing Weight: The dynamic iner-
tia of the strung racquet measuring
the distribution of mass along the
length in kg x cm2.
7. Power Formula: Determined by an
algorithm in the USRSA Database
using key specs that contribute to
power of the strung racquet: Length,
Head Size, Flex and Swing Weight.
specs. Some searches may result in just
a couple of racquets, while others may
return a long list of frames. You can then
compare the specs to those of the original
racquet to make your best selections.
Along the way, you can sort the order,
alter the priorities, or go back and start
over to tweak your search.
The online Racquet Selector tool will
take the guesswork out finding the right
frame for your customer’s game.
May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 27

R A C Q U E T S C U R R E N T LY O N T H E M A R K E T
Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2)
Babolat Penta 99 99 27 321 11.32 32.9 58 301 1728 $199.00
Aero G (2019) 102 27 287 10.12 33.4 62 298 1885 $159.00
Boost A (2019) 102 27 266 9.38 35.5 64 276 1802 $99.00
Boost Drive (2021) 105 27 266 9.38 35.3 58 282 1717 $99.00
Boost S (Full Graphite at 3 & 9 o'clock) 102 27 289 10.19 32.7 63 281 1806 $99.00
Evo Drive (2021) 104 26.875 287 10.12 33.1 65 298 1989 $169.00
Evo Drive 115 (2021) 115 27.5 258 9.10 34.8 57 284 1955 $169.00
Evo Drive Lite (2021) 104 26.875 270 9.52 32.9 63 277 1792 $149.00
Pure Aero (2019) 100 27 322 11.36 33.3 67 329 2204 $229.00
Pure Aero + (2019) 100 27.5 317 11.18 33.3 67 325 2286 $229.00
Pure Aero Lite (2019) 100 27 288 10.16 34.3 66 304 2006 $199.00
Pure Aero Rafa (2021) 100 26.875 322 11.36 33.2 64 322 2035 $239.00
Pure Aero Team (2019) 100 27 300 10.58 33.3 69 302 2084 $209.00
Pure Aero Tour (2019) 100 27 333 11.75 32.6 67 331 2218 $229.00
Pure Aero VS (2020) 98 26.875 324 11.43 32.6 67 314 2036 $259.00
Pure Drive(HTR, FSI, SWX & Elliptic at 3 & 9 o'clock) 100 27 326 11.50 32.5 67 311 2084 $229.00
Pure Drive + (2021) 100 27.5 316 11.15 33.6 67 314 2209 $229.00
Pure Drive 107 (2021) 107 27 300 10.58 32.8 66 294 2076 $209.00
Pure Drive 110 (2021) 110 27.5 278 9.81 34.4 67 292 2260 $209.00
Pure Drive Lite (2021) 100 26.875 289 10.19 33.8 65 292 1874 $199.00
Pure Drive Team (2021) 100 26.875 309 10.90 33.2 68 306 2055 $209.00
Pure Drive Tour (2021) 100 26.875 337 11.89 32.1 69 321 2187 $229.00
Pure Drive VS 98 27 310 10.93 32.5 67 297 1950 $249.00
Pure Strike 100 (C2PureFeel at 3 & 9 o'clock) 100 27 313 11.04 33 69 310 2139 $219.00
Pure Strike 16x19 (C2PureFeel at 3 & 9 o'clock) 98 27 329 11.61 33.3 67 334 2193 $219.00
Pure Strike 18x20 (C2PureFeel at 3 & 9 o'clock) 98 26.875 324 11.43 33.4 67 330 2140 $219.00
Pure Strike Team (C2PureFeel at 3 & 9 o'clock) 100 26.875 299 10.55 33.6 68 298 2001 $209.00
Pure Strike Tour (C2PureFeel at 3 & 9 o'clock) 98 26.875 332 11.71 32 66 325 2076 $219.00
Pure Strike VS (2017) 98 27 307 10.83 33.5 63 313 1932 $209.00
Pure Strike VS Tour (2017) 98 27 331 11.68 32.3 63 319 1970 $209.00
Strike Evo 102 27 295 10.41 32.9 63 297 1909 $159.00
Battistone
Diamond 105 27.5 331 11.68 31.5 -- -- -- $220.00
Freestyle 105
27.5 -- -- -- -- -- -- $220.00
Bolt
Bolt 100 v2 100 26.875 319 11.25 33.5 67 325 2150 $224.00
Bolt 100L v2 100 26.875 312 11.01 33.6 65 321 2060 $224.00
Bolt 98 v2 98 27 328 11.57 32.8 65 331 2108 $224.00
Bolt 98L v2 98 27 319 11.25 33.1 64 328 2057 $224.00
Diadem
Elevate FS 98 27 319 11.25 32.6 59 310 1792 $219.95
Elevate Tour FS 98 27 327 11.53 32.5 60 317 1864 $219.95
Nova + FS 100 27.375 314 11.08 34 67 328 2280 $219.95
Nova FS 100 27 309 10.90 32.7 66 300 1980 $219.95
Nova Lite FS 100 27 298 10.51 33.6 66 304 2006 $219.95
Donnay
Allwood (285 grams) 102 27 306 10.79 33.1 53 293 1584 $199.00
Allwood (300 grams) 102 27 320 11.29 32.5 54 300 1652 $199.00
Formula Hexacore (275 grams) 100 27 293 10.34 34.2 61 295 1800 $199.00
Formula Hexacore (300 grams) 100 27 320 11.29 33.3 63 315 1985 $199.00
28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
New to USRSA database
since last year's chart
Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2)
Pro One Hexacore (16x19) 97 27 329 11.61 33.2 61 324 1917 $199.00
Pro One Hexacore (18x20) 97 27 327 11.53 32.8 61 317 1876 $199.00
TriCore 114 114 27 284 10.02 35.8 68 296 2295 $199.00
Dunlop
CX 200 (Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 98 27 324 11.43 32.4 63 313 1932 $219.99
CX 200 + 98 27.5 326 11.50 33.8 63 340 2204 $219.00
CX 200 LS (Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 98 27 308 10.86 33.2 63 303 1871 $199.00
CX 200 OS (Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 105 27 310 10.93 33.3 60 302 1903 $199.99
CX 200 Tour (Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 95 27 334 11.78 32.3 62 320 1885 $219.99
CX 200 Tour 18x20 95
(Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 27 332 11.71 31.7 62 308 1814 $219.99
CX 400 (Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 100 27 303 10.69 33.7 69 304 2098 $199.99
CX 400 Tour (Flexbooster at 5 or 7 o'clock) 100 27 318 11.22 32.6 64 311 1990 $199.99
FX 500 98 27 318 11.22 33.3 71 323 2247 $199.99
FX 500 Lite 100 27 283 9.98 33.3 69 291 2008 $179.99
FX 500 LS 100 27 295 10.41 33 71 297 2109 $179.99
FX 500 Tour 100 27 319 11.25 32.4 67 308 2064 $199.99
FX 700 107 27.5 280 9.88 35 66 316 2343 $179.99
Revo CS 10.0 115 27.625 279 9.84 37.5 78 318 3031 $229.99
Revo CS 8.0 110 27.75 274 9.67 36.8 78 313 2887 $229.99
SX 300 100 27 318 11.22 32.9 63 321 2022 $199.99
SX 300 Lite 100 27 287 10.12 33.8 65 296 1924 $179.99
SX 300 LS 100 27 303 10.69 33.6 67 309 2070 $179.99
SX 300 Tour 100 27 326 11.50 32.5 61 328 2001 $199.99
SX 600 105 27.375 286 10.09 34.7 64 313 2182 $179.99
Fox
Dynamite (Bosworth at Throat) 95 27 357 12.59 31.4 74 337 2369 $150.00
Dynamite (HST 95) 95 27 281 9.91 36 64 312 1897 $100.00
Dynamite Plus (HST 105) 105 27 271 9.56 36.8 62 314 2044 $150.00
Evolution 2.2 100 27 327 11.53 31 60 302 1812 $150.00
Pro Class 1.9 110 27 347 12.24 32 60 323 2132 $140.00
SAR Plus 112 27 316 11.15 33.5 59 324 2141 $150.00
Target (HST 97) 97 27 278 9.81 35.9 67 314 2041 $170.00
Target 210 (Bosworth at Throat) 90 27 350 12.35 31.8 73 323 2122 $120.00
Target Plus (HST 110) 110 27 293 10.34 35.2 64 321 2260 $170.00
Gamma
RZR Bubba 117 117 27.25 262 9.24 36.4 60 310 2231 $214.95
RZR Bubba 137 137 29 297 10.48 38.9 64 405 4261 $219.99
Head
Graphene 360+ Extreme LITE 105 27 275 9.70 35.1 65 296 2020 $210.00
Graphene 360+ Extreme MP 100 27 315 11.11 33.5 65 319 2074 $225.00
Graphene 360+ Extreme PWR 115 27.5 252 8.89 37.4 68 302 2480 $200.00
Graphene 360+ Extreme S 105 27 290 10.23 34.8 66 310 2148 $210.00
Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour 98 26.875 318 11.22 32.5 64 312 1932 $235.00
Graphene 360+ Gravity Lite 104 27 287 10.12 34.1 60 287 1791 $210.00
Graphene 360+ Gravity MP 100 27 316 11.15 33.8 62 316 1959 $250.00
Graphene 360+ Gravity Pro 100 27 332 11.71 32.7 63 325 2048 $260.00
Graphene 360+ Gravity S 104 27 296 10.44 33.5 62 292 1883 $225.00
Graphene 360+ Instinct Lite 107 27.25 285 10.05 34.1 61 288 1927 $200.00
Graphene 360+ Instinct MP 100 27 311 10.97 32.3 63 297 1871 $200.00
 WE PLAY
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United States: 150 Dascomb Rd., Andover, MA 01810 • Phone 978.623.9980
Australia: 30 – 32 Assembly Drive, Tullamarine, Victoria, 3043 • Phone (Toll Free) 1800 786 617 • +61 3 9338 9851
www.californiasportssurfaces.com ©2021 ICP Building Solutions Group

R A C Q U E T S C U R R E N T LY O N T H E M A R K E T
Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2)
Graphene 360+ Instinct PWR 115 27.625 251 8.85 37.7 67 301 2464 $200.00
GrapheneXT Instinct S 102 27 291 10.26 35.3 71 309 2238 $210.00
GrapheneXT Radical S 102 27 299 10.55 33.3 61 306 1904 $210.00
GrapheneXT Speed S 100 27 325 11.46 31.8 66 311 2053 $210.00
Prestige Mid (Graphene 360+) 93 26.875 334 11.78 32 63 320 1851 $260.00
Prestige MP (Graphene 360+) 98 26.875 328 11.57 31.8 58 309 1734 $260.00
Prestige Pro (Graphene 360+) 95 27 334 11.78 32.7 65 331 2044 $260.00
Prestige Tour (Graphene 360+) 99 26.875 319 11.25 33.1 64 318 1990 $260.00
Radical MP (Graphene 360+) 98 26.875 318 11.22 33.1 65 317 1994 $260.00
Radical Pro (Graphene 360+) 98 26.875 334 11.78 32.9 64 322 1994 $275.00
Radical S (Graphene 360+) 102 26.875 297 10.48 32.9 63 296 1878 $225.00
Speed Lite (Graphene 360+) 100 27 275 9.70 35.2 64 296 1894 $210.00
Speed MP (Graphene 360+) 100 27 315 11.11 33.2 62 321 1990 $260.00
Speed MP Lite (Graphene 360+) 100 27 291 10.26 34.3 63 309 1947 $250.00
Speed Pro (Graphene 360+) 100 27 329 11.61 33 64 333 2131 $275.00
Speed PWR (Graphene 360+) 115 27.375 269 9.49 35.5 67 305 2438 $200.00
Speed S (Graphene 360+) 100 27 292 10.30 32.8 67 291 1950 $225.00
Lacoste
L20 100 27 311 10.97 32.3 71 298 2116 $309.95
L20L 100 26.875 301 10.62 33.5 70 304 2101 $309.95
Pacific
BXT Nexus 102 102 27.5 272 9.59 35 63 295 1990 $280.00
BXT Nexus 118 118 27.5 245 8.64 37.8 66 300 2453 $239.95
BXT Raptor 102 102 27 303 10.69 33.8 69 302 2125 $179.95
BXT Speed 107 107 27.5 290 10.23 35.8 63 325 2300 $179.95
BXT X FORCE PRO 295 98 27 310 10.93 33 65 307 1956 $179.95
BXT X FORCE PRO 320 98 27 335 11.82 32.2 65 314 2000 $179.95
BXT X Force PRO No.1 98 27 317 11.18 32.8 63 301 1858 $179.95
BXT X Tour Pro 97 97 27 327 11.53 32.8 66 301 1927 $229.00
PowerAngle
Ace of Diamonds 98 27 345 12.17 32.9 65 313 1994 $199.00
Centric 102 27 291 10.26 36 75 333 2547 $199.00
Grand 115 27 258 9.10 37.3 78 301 2700 $199.00
Pro 98 27 327 11.53 33.5 69 325 2198 $199.00
Prince
O3 Legacy 105 (Textreme & ATS) 105 27.25 294 10.37 34.6 63 319 2163 $189.00
O3 Legacy 110 (Textreme & ATS) 110 27.25 287 10.12 35.5 69 322 2505 $189.00
O3 Legacy 120 (Textreme & ATS) 120 27.125 284 10.02 36 70 323 2747 $189.00
O3 Phantom 100X (Textreme & ATS) 100 27 320 11.29 32.2 59 316 1864 $199.00
Phantom 100G 100 27 330 11.64 32 58 309 1792 $199.00
Phantom 100G LB 100 28 323 11.39 33 60 322 2125 $199.00
Phantom 100P (Textreme & ATS) 100 27 320 11.29 32.6 59 321 1894 $199.00
Phantom 100X 18x20 (Textreme & ATS) 100 27 332 11.71 31.2 56 316 1770 $199.00
Phantom 100X 290 (Textreme & ATS) 100 27 303 10.69 32.9 57 313 1784 $199.00
Phantom 100X 305 (Textreme & ATS) 100 27 320 11.29 32.3 57 319 1818 $199.00
Phantom 107G 107 27 325 11.46 32.3 64 309 2116 $199.00
Phantom 93P 14x18 (Textreme & ATS) 93 27 333 11.75 32.1 58 323 1742 $199.00
Phantom 93P 18x20 (Textreme & ATS) 93 27 346 12.20 31.4 56 329 1713 $199.00
Phantom 97P (Textreme & ATS) 97 27.125 333 11.75 31.7 61 318 1905 $199.00
Ripstick 280g (Textreme in Throat) 100 27 295 10.41 34.5 62 314 1947 $199.00
30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
New to USRSA database
since last year's chart
Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2)
Ripstick 300g (Textreme in Throat) 100 27 317 11.18 33 64 318 2035 $199.00
Synergy (Textreme in Throat) 98 27 331 11.68 32.8 60 332 1952 $199.00
Tour 100 (290) Textreme 100 27 304 10.72 33.9 63 318 2003 $189.00
Tour 100 (310) Textreme 100 27 317 11.18 32.2 63 306 1928 $189.00
Tour 100P Textreme 100 27 319 11.25 32.3 66 308 2033 $189.00
Tour Graphite OS 107 27 345 12.17 32.25 66 327 2309 $139.00
Twistpower X 100 100 27 311 10.97 33.3 65 304 1976 $249.00
Twistpower X 97 Tour 97 27 335 11.82 32.3 65 323 2037 $249.00
Snauwaert
Grinta 100 (285) 100 27 305 10.76 34.6 65 322 2093 $195.00
Grinta 100 (305) 100 27 332 11.71 32.5 64 325 2080 $195.00
Grinta 100 Jr 100 26 272 9.59 32.8 61 256 1405 $109.00
Grinta 98 (290) 98 27 312 11.01 34.1 61 324 1937 $195.00
Grinta 98 (315) 98 27 336 11.85 31.5 60 315 1852 $195.00
Grinta 98 Tour (290) 98 27 308 10.86 34.2 59 325 1879 $195.00
Grinta 98 Tour (310) 98 27 325 11.46 32.7 59 316 1827 $195.00
Vitas 100 (280) 100 27 295 10.41 35 70 315 2205 $195.00
Vitas 100 (300) 100 27 318 11.22 32.9 68 315 2142 $195.00
Vitas 100 Jr 100 26 268 9.45 33.6 62 263 1468 $109.00
Vitas 105 (267) 105 27.25 284 10.02 33.1 63 306 2075 $195.00
Vitas 105 (285) 105 27.25 309 10.90 33.5 60 324 2092 $195.00
Vitas 110 (270g) 110 26.875 277 9.77 34.2 64 294 2044 $195.00
Vitas 115 (260g) 115 26.875 269 9.49 36.6 66 304 2279 $195.00
Solinco
Pro 10 98 27 344 12.13 33 72 353 2491 $179.99
Pro 10 Xtend 98 27.25 343 12.10 33.1 70 334 2349 $179.99
Pro 7 98 27 300 10.58 34.15 70 307 2106 $179.99
Pro 8 98 27 317 11.18 32.7 69 311 2103 $179.99
Shadow 100 (245) 100 26 258 9.10 32.7 47 246 1041 $189.99
Shadow 100 (260) 100 27 266 9.38 34.1 55 278 1529 $189.99
Shadow 100 (285) 100 27 294 10.37 33.6 61 296 1806 $189.99
Shadow 100 (305) 100 27 327 11.53 32 61 321 1958 $189.99
Shadow 98 (285) 98 27 300 10.58 33.2 58 303 1722 $189.99
Shadow 98 (305) 98 27 323 11.39 32.9 56 325 1784 $189.99
Tour 10 98 27 342 12.06 31.6 72 310 2187 $179.99
Tour 10 xtend 98 27.5 338 11.92 32 66 340 2309 $179.99
Tour 7 98 27 300 10.58 32.2 70 290 1989 $179.99
Tour 8 98 27 327 11.53 31 67 297 1950 $179.99
Tecnifibre
T Fight 280 rsL 100 27 297 10.48 34 67 309 2070 $229.95
T Fight 295 rsL 100 27 310 10.93 33.4 70 312 2184 $229.95
T Fight 300 rs 100 27 315 11.11 32.8 64 311 1990 $239.95
T Fight 305 rs 98 27 318 11.22 33.6 65 324 2064 $249.95
T Fight 315 rs 98 27 336 11.85 32 69 317 2144 $249.95
T Flash 270 (CES Section) 100 27 291 10.26 34.5 71 298 2116 $229.95
T Flash 285 (CES Section) 100 27 308 10.86 34 72 304 2189 $229.95
T Flash 300 (CES Section) 100 27 325 11.46 33 72 312 2246 $239.95
T Rebound 260 (TempoSystem at Throat) 105 26.625 275 9.70 33.8 65 277 1820 $199.95
T Rebound 270 (TempoSystem at Throat) 100 26.625 283 9.98 34 68 286 1872 $199.95
T Rebound 285 (TempoSystem at Throat) 100 26.5 301 10.62 33.2 67 294 1871 $199.95
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R A C Q U E T S C U R R E N T LY O N T H E M A R K E T
Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Flex weight Power Retail
(in2) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2)
TF 40 305 (18x20) 98 27 326 11.50 33 63 308 1902 $249.95
TF 40 315 (18x20) 98 27 343 12.10 31.9 65 314 2000 $249.95
Vantage
BC20 95 27 328 11.57 31.1 50 292 1387 $199.00
BC30 100 27 326 11.50 33.3 47 235 1105 $209.00
BC40 105 27 320 11.29 33.2 49 306 1574 $219.00
Volkl
C10 Pro (Yellow/Black) 98 27 352 12.42 31.4 64 329 2063 $240.00
Team Speed 102 27 275 9.70 33.5 64 278 1815 $140.00
V Cell 4 105 27.5 288 10.16 33.7 68 299 2242 $280.00
V Cell 6 100 27 289 10.19 33.8 69 297 2049 $260.00
V Cell 8 (285g) 100 27 297 10.48 33.2 70 298 2086 $270.00
V Cell 8 (300g) 100 27 311 10.97 32.8 64 306 1958 $270.00
V Cell 8 (315g) 100 27 322 11.36 32.1 66 303 2000 $270.00
V Cell 9 100 27 323 11.39 32.5 70 304 2128 $270.00
V Feel 1 115 27.8 272 9.59 36.2 71 309 2725 $330.00
V Feel 3 110 27.75 288 10.16 35.2 69 318 2595 $280.00
V Feel 5 100 27 269 9.49 34.2 68 281 1911 $200.00
V Feel 7 104 27.375 312 11.01 34.2 73 316 2489 $240.00
V Feel V1 MP 102 27 302 10.65 33.1 68 296 2053 $280.00
V Feel V1 OS 110 27.6 302 10.65 34 68 314 2490 $280.00
V Feel V1 Pro 99.5 27 313 11.04 33.3 70 309 2152 $280.00
V1 Classic (2019) 102 27 300 10.58 34.2 70 317 2263 $230.00
V8 Pro 100 27 321 11.32 32.5 67 304 2037 $260.00
Weed
125 EX 125 27.5 269 9.49 36.25 69 311 2816 $250.00
EXT 125 Tour 125 28.5 265 9.35 36 64 331 3045 $250.00
EXT 135 Blue 135 28.25 280 9.88 37 64 338 3285 $250.00
EXT 135 Tour 135 28.25 263 9.28 37 60 322 2934 $250.00
Open 135 Tour 135 27.75 265 9.35 36.2 60 305 2656 $250.00
Wilson
Blade 100L (version 7.0) 100 27.125 306 10.79 34.5 69 321 2243 $199.00
Blade 104 (version 7.0) 104 27.5 306 10.79 33 55 302 1814 $219.00
Blade 98 16x19 (version 7.0) 98 27 323 11.39 33.5 61 322 1925 $219.00
Blade 98 18x20 (version 7.0) 98 27 323 11.39 32.8 57 315 1760 $219.00
Blade SW 102 (version 7.0) 102 28 327 11.53 34 67 343 2578 $249.00
Blade Team (version 7.0) 99 27 296 10.44 33.7 72 299 2131 $120.00
Burn 100 (version 4.0) 100 27 316 11.15 33 68 304 2067 $149.00
Burn 100 LS (version 4.0) 100 27 297 10.48 33.9 67 301 2017 $149.00
Burn 100 S (version 4.0) 100 27 314 11.08 33 67 297 1990 $139.00
Burn 100 ULS (version 4.0) 100 27 277 9.77 34 62 278 1724 $129.00
Clash 100 (version 1.0) 100 27 306 10.79 32.8 53 315 1670 $250.00
Clash 100 Pro (version 1.0) 100 27 328 11.57 32 53 326 1728 $250.00
Clash 100L (version 1.0) 100 27.125 299 10.55 32.5 53 294 1578 $219.00
Clash 100UL (version 1.0) 100 27 283 9.98 33.6 58 286 1659 $199.00
Clash 108 (version 1.0) 108 27.25 299 10.55 34.9 58 316 2029 $219.00
Clash 26 (version 1.0) 100 26.1 261 9.21 32.7 56 245 1249 $100.00
Clash 98 (version 1.0) 98 27 326 11.50 31.7 55 308 1660 $249.00
Pro Staff 97 (version 13.0) 97 27 332 11.71 32.4 66 318 2036 $220.00
32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
New to USRSA database
since last year's chart
Head Swing
Racquet size Length Weight Weight Balance Balance Flex weight Power Retail
2
(in ) (in) (gm) (oz) (cm) (in) (RDC) (kg x Formula Price
cm2)
Pro Staff 97 L (version 13.0) 97 26.875 308 10.86 32.8 66 296 1871 $220.00
Pro Staff RF97 (version 13.0) 97 27 358 12.63 31.3 67 320 2080 $250.00
Pro Staff Six One 95 (version 13.0) 95 27 356 12.56 31.9 67 334 2126 --
Triad Five 103 27.5 281 9.91 36.5 33 315 1124 $200.00
Triad Three 113 27.7 273 9.63 37.5 32 318 1230 $200.00
Ultra 100 (version 3.0) 100 27 312 11.01 33 70 311 2177 $199.00
Ultra 100L (version 3.0) 100 27 288 10.16 32.3 64 284 1818 $189.00
Ultra 100UL (version 3.0) 100 27 275 9.70 33.5 65 283 1840 $179.00
Ultra 108 (version 3.0) 108 27.125 282 9.95 33.9 68 300 2231 $189.00
Ultra Pro (version 3.0) 97 26.875 322 11.36 32.1 60 306 1759 $249.00
Ultra XP 100 LS 100 27.25 296 10.44 36.5 73 337 2522 $299.00
Ultra XP 100 S 100 27.25 285 10.05 35.7 70 317 2274 $299.00
Ultra XP 110 S 110 27.5 278 9.81 36.2 73 318 2681 $299.00
Ultra XP 125 125 27.5 284 10.02 35 72 310 2930 $299.00
XP 1 110 27.5 281 9.91 36.2 75 320 2772 $250.00
Yonex
Astrel 100 (Mint at throat) 100 27 299 10.55 33 66 287 1894 $345.00
Astrel 105 (BlueGray at throat) 105 26.875 281 9.91 33.6 68 280 1974 $345.00
Astrel 115 (Gold at throat) 115 26.75 275 9.70 34.3 67 279 2096 $345.00
EZONE 100 (Deep Blue) 100 27 321 11.32 32.9 69 311 2146 $290.00
EZONE 100+ (Deep Blue) 100 27.375 319 11.25 34 69 332 2377 $290.00
EZONE 100L (Deep Blue) 100 26.875 305 10.76 33.3 66 301 1962 $275.00
EZONE 100SL 100 26.875 286 10.09 33.9 66 288 1877 $260.00
EZONE 105 (Deep Blue) 105 26.875 293 10.34 33.7 65 294 1981 $260.00
EZONE 108 (Deep Blue) 108 27.125 270 9.52 34.4 62 282 1912 $240.00
EZONE 25 (Deep Blue) 102 25 239 8.43 32.3 62 213 1078 $150.00
EZONE 26 (Deep Blue) 102 26 248 8.75 32.6 62 231 1315 $150.00
EZONE 98 (Deep Blue) 98 27 322 11.36 32.2 62 304 1847 $290.00
EZONE 98 TOUR (Deep Blue) 98 26.875 333 11.75 32.9 62 323 1938 $290.00
EZONE 98+ (Deep Blue) 98 27.375 322 11.36 33.7 62 332 2093 $290.00
EZONE 98L (Deep Blue) 98 27 302 10.65 33.9 62 305 1853 $275.00
EZONE ACE (Deep Blue) 102 27 272 9.59 34.7 64 287 1874 $140.00
EZONE FEEL 102 26.875 264 9.31 35 67 276 1863 $200.00
EZONE GAME (Deep Blue) 98 27 289 10.19 34.1 65 287 1828 $230.00
VCORE 100 (Tango Red) 100 26.875 318 11.22 33 64 307 1940 $305.00
VCORE 100L (Tango Red) 100 27 293 10.34 33.8 63 293 1846 $290.00
VCORE 25 (Tango Red) 100 25 243 8.57 31.4 57 214 976 $150.00
VCORE 26 (Tango Red) 100 26 252 8.89 32.2 58 236 1232 $155.00
VCORE 95 (Tango Red) 95 26.875 328 11.57 31.9 62 304 1768 $305.00
VCORE 98 (Tango Red) 98 27 327 11.53 32.6 63 313 1932 $305.00
VCORE 98L (Tango Red) 98 27 299 10.55 33.5 63 296 1828 $290.00
VCORE ACE (Tango Red) 98 27 285 10.05 35.2 64 298 1869 $140.00
VCORE FEEL (Tango Red) 100 26.875 266 9.38 35.1 60 281 1665 $220.00
VCORE PRO 100 (G) (Matte Green) 100 27 318 11.22 33.1 63 319 2010 $315.00
VCORE PRO 100 (LG) (Matte Green) 100 27 299 10.55 34.2 64 308 1971 $315.00
VCORE PRO 97 (G) (Matte Green) 97 27 330 11.64 32 62 318 1912 $315.00
VCORE PRO 97 (HG) (Matte Green) 97 27 351 12.38 31.9 63 328 2004 $315.00
VCORE PRO 97 HD (Matte Green) 97 26.875 342 12.06 32.1 57 329 1796 $315.00
 TENNIS
2021 EDUCATION

School
PTM PROGRAMS After completing a PTM
program, students can pursue
careers in all aspects of the
tennis and racquet sports industry.

Everyone knows the saying, “Do

Ties
With its partners, the USTA looks to
grow the industry through Professional
Tennis Management programs.
By Kent Oswald
what you love, and you’ll never work
a day in your life.” Now, the USTA is
putting its own spin on that maxim.
Working with the PTR, USPTA and
colleges to continue the development
of Professional Tennis Management
programs, the revised saying might
be, “If you love tennis, enroll in a PTM
program and you’ll never have to
worry about a job for life.”
The challenge is informing more
people who would love to know that.
In a recent USTA Women’s Tennis
Industry Panel, Elliot Pettit, the USTA
Director of Grassroots Tennis and a
2008 PTM graduate from Ferris State,
explained that the fact that you can
make a career out of tennis has been
“a well-kept secret,” but that the USTA
and its partners are working hard to
change that.
Among those tasked with the
responsibility for getting the word out
is USTA-U Managing Director Paul
Roetert. Aligning with Community
Tennis’ goals for growing the game,
the current status of the PTM initia-
tive includes having seeded the indus-
try with more than 1,000 graduates of
various undergraduate and graduate
programs in recent years, along with
developing a core group of schools
offering a PTM program as an addi-
tion to or specialization with a four-
year bachelor’s degree.
PTM programs aim to coordinate
with the PTR and USPTA to stan-
dardize a curriculum featuring 25
required online courses that include
on-court and off-court topics such as
instruction, running tournaments,
stringing racquets and pro shop
inventory control, along with gather-
ing funding sources to help students
earn their PTM degrees and affiliated
certifications.

34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 PTM programs aim to coordinate with the PTR and USPTA to standardize
a curriculum featuring 25 required online courses that include on- and off-court topics
such as instruction, running tournaments, stringing and inventory control.
“After completing the program,
students can pursue careers in all as-
pects of the tennis and racquet sports
industry,” says Roetert, including as
teaching pros, tennis directors, facility
and event management, in technology,
marketing, retail, racquet technicians,
business, and positions with equip-
ment manufacturers.
With PTM certification established
as a reliable source for those in the in-
dustry looking for the next generation
of leaders, and able to point to count-
less success stories, Roetert is clear on
the next step: To assure those in the
industry that everyone who graduates
from a PTM program has received the
highest level of training.
Focus on Quality Education
Roetert is focusing on quality profes-
sional tennis management education,
not necessarily quantity—although
that doesn’t mean USTA-U does not
want to expand the number of colleges
offering programs. Negotiations are
ongoing with several schools inter-
ested in adding to their curriculum
PHOTOS COURTESY BRIDGEWATER STATE, FERRIS STATE
www.tennisindustrymag.com
(including a community college that
might be joining in conjunction with a
tennis celebrity’s foundation). There
is outreach to help grow the geograph-
ical footprint, to schools that can be
leaders in adding more women into
the professional development pipe-
line, and institutions whose students
include undergraduate majorities of
those traditionally underrepresented
in the tennis industry.
Currently, nine colleges are listed
on USTA.com as having PTM pro-
grams. Undergraduate programs
include: University of Central Florida
in Orlando, Ferris State University
in Big Rapids, Mich., Hope College in
Holland, Mich., Manhattanville Col-
lege in Purchase, N.Y., and Methodist
University in Fayetteville, N.C.
Graduate PTM programs are located
at: Bridgewater State University in
Massachusetts, San Diego State Uni-
versity and the University of Florida in
Gainesville. And there’s a continuing
education PTM program at Queens
College–CUNY in New York.
Queens College and San Diego State
add interesting options for those who
have begun their careers, either in or
out of tennis. Queens has initiated a
program graduating its first group this
June as part of its continuing educa-
tion options, and San Diego State
includes PTM certification under the
auspices of its Hospitality and Tour-
ism Master’s Degree program.
Other school options include the
University of Central Florida, which
runs the program out of its Rosen
School of Hospitality Management
and uses the USTA National Campus
at Lake Nona. Hope College offers
a PTM degree alongside a minor in
kinesiology. Manhattanville College
offers its PTM degree as part of its
sports-studies curriculum. Methodist
grants certification as a concentration
with those earning a business degree,
and Bridgewater State pairs the PTM
certification with its Master’s degree
program in physical education.
Well-Rounded Experiences
While the schools have flexibility in
how the PTM curriculum fits with the
May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 35
 TENNIS
2021 EDUCATION
college’s requirements for students’
other studies, major or minor, it is a
necessity that programs do their part
to ensure tomorrow’s industry leaders
are well rounded in the tennis experi-
ence upon graduation.
Chris Michalowski is the USTA
Director of Experiential Learning, and
was the first student Ferris State en-
rolled when it began its groundbreak-
ing PTM program in 1986. He explains
that USTA accreditation requires “a
commitment to excellence.”
PTM schools should have an on-
campus or near-campus tennis facility
where students experience the differ-
ent opportunities that a tennis career
can offer. There should be workshops
outside the standard curriculum
where students can engage with local
teaching professionals, club managers,
PERFORMANCE
EXPLOSIVE
36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
industry sales reps and others already
working in the field.
Those running the PTM program—
and Michalowski observes that the
most successful programs have an
advocate holding a faculty position—
must aggressively pursue opportuni-
ties for students, where they learn
and earn through internships at clubs,
academies, resorts and other tennis
facilities. Upon completion, PTM
students don’t just find a good job,
they find a career.
USTA officials stop short of
claiming 100 percent placement of
PTM graduates into tennis jobs, but
Michalowski admits he can’t think of
anyone he has known or heard of who
has not found a place in the industry,
going all the way back to when he was
“student zero.”
HIT PUNISHING GROUND STROKES WITH THE
AMP POLYESTER STRING SERIES
UNLEASH THE
Opportunity for All
A PTM program is not for everyone.
However, they are an exceptional
opportunity for those of all ages
and backgrounds. Industry veteran
Skip Hartman, director of the PTM
program at Queens College, notes that
of his program’s first cohort, he has
students on a pro coaching track and a
management track. Two are under age
25 and the rest range in age up to 55.
“Those in tennis are looking to
improve their current positions,”
Hartman says. “Those not in tennis
are considering it as a more interest-
ing career or a way to start a second
career after retiring.”
Hartman says students will spend
time together in class, be at home
working on online modules, par-
ticipate in 500 hours of experiential
GAMMASPORTS.COM
CHAMPION
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 PTM programs should have workshops outside the standard curriculum
where students can engage with local teaching professionals, club managers,
industry sales reps and others already working in the field.

PTM students receive a focus on building and enhancing

instruction in all aspects of
the industry, including working
on the court.
learning, meet with and learn from
Hartman’s wide variety of industry
contacts who serve as guest lecturers,
and spend time in multiple tennis
teaching clinics.
The USTA is also helping PTM
students across the country with the
recent announcement of a $100,000
scholarship program, which adds to
existing scholarships for undergrads
and grants provided to colleges in
support of current and new PTM
programs. In addition, talks continue
with the Intercollegiate Tennis Asso-
ciation about how best to complement
PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
the new Collegiate Community Hub
initiative, which is working to open up
campus facilities to students, faculty
and the local community as part of the
continuing nationwide effort to grow
the game.
All that’s needed now are for stu-
dents interested in establishing or
growing their tennis careers to
connect with a PTM program.
“Together with our partners, PTM
programs offer on- and off-court
educational experiences you can’t find
elsewhere,” Michalowski says. “You
just have to get out there and do it. 
For more information on schools
offering PTM programs, scholarships,
tennis career guides and more, visit
usta.com/ptm.

Starting at $590 USD (Includes mainland USA shipping + 3 year warranty)

www.tennisindustrymag.com May 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 37

 Tips&Techniques
1 / Protecting 1
Your Customers’
Racquets
Over time, the mounting pads on a
stringing machine take a beating. An
inexpensive fix is to use rubber gasket
material as replacements. The gasket
material can easily be cut to the ap-
propriate size and fit to your machine.

5 sets of Dunlop NT Max Plus to:

Brian Dalrymple
Taunton, Mass.

2 / Easing the
Eye Strain
When stringing with black or dark
color strings, it can be hard to see what
you are doing if your stringing ma-
chine turntable is also dark. I’ve found
that simply placing a white sheet of
paper on the turntable makes a world
of difference, especially when weaving
the crosses. (The same methodology
can be used if your turntable is light
in color when using lighter colored
strings by placing a dark piece of paper
on the turntable.)

5 sets of Gamma OCHO 16 to:

Scott Warren, MRT 2
Redmond, Wash.

3 / Enlarging Tie-Off
Grommets—Made Easy
For stringing a hybrid with a polyester
main string and a natural gut cross
string, many stringers prefer to tie off
poly to poly and gut to gut. Often, this
requires the stringer to “open up” or
enlarge a grommet hole.
To do this, I rub my awl on a piece
of paraffin wax, which allows it to be
pushed into the grommet hole more
easily, enlarging the hole enough to
accommodate the tie-off string.
Now when going to tie-off the gut
cross, I have a larger hole to put the
gut string through and complete my
C O U RT E S Y U S R S A

tie-off on the gut cross string.

Tips and Techniques submitted since 1992 by USRSA members and appearing in
5 sets of Yonext Dynawire 16L to: this column have been gathered into a searchable database on racquettech.com, the
Roger Gough, MRT official website of the USRSA. Submit your best stringing tips to Bob Patterson at
Davis, Calif. bob@racquettech.com.

38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com

FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME
The Tennis Industry has come together as Tennis Industry United to help drive the growth
of tennis. Working together, we are now better equipped than ever before to advise and
assist those who are on the front lines and baselines, bringing the sport of tennis to
players of every age and ability. TIU provides the resources and information
necessary to promote the benefits of tennis, attract new players
and re-engage past players, as well as promote greater
diversity and inclusion in participation.

To learn more and access helpful articles, videos, blogs and more

TENNISINDUSTRYUNITED.COM
TOGETHER, FOR TENNIS © 2021 USTA. All rights reserved.

TEACHING PROFESSIONALS
Adjustment Period
Convincing students to change their
games can be a challenge, but it can
pay off big for both players and coaches.
By Betsy Heidenberger
A
s teaching professionals,
we all want to see stu-
dents improve as singles
players or as partners on a
successful doubles team.
But how often do you encounter
students—both juniors and adults—who
are keen to improve, but then are hesi-
tant, or completely resistant, to mak-
ing changes to their playing style and
technique? Often, they’ll say something
like, “I’ve tried your suggestions a few
times, and I’ve lost the point every time.
I’m going back to my usual game.”
The saying “nothing ventured,
nothing gained” certainly applies to
tennis players. If they want to improve,
they need to be open to a few changes,
whether it’s being more aggressive by
attacking the net, changing the pace of
the ball, learning to drop shot or lob, or
40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY May 2021
YourServe
a thousand other tips and observations
you, as a trained professional, can offer
them and teach them.
The most important factor in any
match of any level is consistency.
Players want to be in their comfort zone
during a match, so it’s often difficult to
get students to try new shots and tech-
niques in matches in the hopes that they
can widen their comfort zone. If your
student feels like a deer in the head-
lights when first considering changes to
their game, have them stick with their
strengths for now. In a tight match,
students will most likely revert to their
comfortable playing style.
But they need to gradually practice
any new changes to their playing style
or technique to build confidence. While
they may not want to risk major changes
during matches, they should work on
The saying “nothing
ventured, nothing gained”
certainly applies
to tennis players.
raising the level of their game during
team practices, clinics and social play.
Have them make these changes gradu-
ally, and if you can, offer incentives as
they begin to incorporate changes in
their play and practice (young juniors,
for instance, might respond well to stick-
ers or other forms of recognition).
You can’t force players to change what
they are happy doing. But for your stu-
dents to improve their games, you may
have to be persuasive. Make sure they
know and understand the change will be
gradual, and that there will be ups and
downs in this transformation. But in the
end, their game will be better for it.
We all can be stubborn at times. In
fact, it may actually be a good thing for
a student to admit he or she is stubborn
and hesitant to change things—at least
you’ll know what you’re dealing with,
and can come up with a plan that will
help them move forward comfortably.
In the end, through planning and com-
munication, both you and your players
will come out on the positive end of the
teacher/student relationship. Over time,
and by following your advice and game
plan, your student will be saying, “I may
be stubborn, but look who’s holding the
trophy now!” And that reflects well on
both you and your player. •
USPTA Pro Betsy
Heidenberger played for
the University of North
Carolina, is a former WTA
player and is the Director
of Racquet Sports at
CCRA Swim and Tennis
Club in Chevy Chase,
Md. She is a USPTA Mid-
Atlantic board member
and has been nominated
SHUTTERSTOCK
as Maryland Pro of the
Year five times.
We welcome your opinions and comments.
Email info@tennisindustrymag.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 May 2021

and the benefits

it brings to your
program
Mental Health
Awareness Month

New Pathway
brings changes

There is No
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Inspire your
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Building a
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7 segments to attain a
Workplace culture
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Are We Goin’?
I t is always around this time of year
when our staff commences the
planning for our World Conference. As
of this writing, we are only six months
away from our scheduled dates of
September 19-23 in Las Vegas, back to the
same destination we were in 2019. The
Westgate Las Vegas proved to be a terrific
venue two years ago, which is why we
contracted with them to return in 2021.
But, because of the global pandemic, the
question remains: Are we goin’? Without a
doubt, we made the right decision last year
to pivot from an in-person event and did it
virtually. But sitting here today, our world
is in a much different place than we were a
year ago. So, here is my take:
1
Given the current vaccination
o trends and based on all that I
read and hear, any adult who
wishes to get vaccinated should be able
to by early summer. As a result, all our
attendees who come and are vaccinated
uring can feel more comfortable traveling and
ool. The being in a group setting.
pport.
y.
2
Up until recently, Las Vegas
remained closed to groups of
50 or more people. However,
the state of Nevada has authorized groups
of 1,000 people to convene at hotels for
meetings and conference groups as of
March 15. That fits our bill.
3
Life is Beautiful is a three-
day outdoor music festival
that takes over downtown
. Las Vegas, September 17-19, which is
the same weekend when attendees for
From the CEO USPTA
John R. Embree, USPTA CEO
our conference would be arriving. This
major concert series was sold out in a
matter of hours once tickets went on sale.
Organizers are expecting 200,000 people
to attend. I don’t think that the concert
promoters would be producing an event
of this magnitude in 2021 without being
confident they could pull it off safely.
4
While our virtual event last
September was a home run,
there is something to be said
about getting together in-person. There
is no substitute for networking, seeing
friends, feeling the vibe that our World
Conference possesses typically, and not
having to endure another Zoom session.
While I get the fact that many people
cannot travel to a “live” conference
because of work or family obligations
and would prefer to get their education
from the comfort of their home or office,
I firmly believe there is a segment of our
membership that wants to get together
for a face-to-face conference. I want to
think that we could offer a hybrid event
whereby people could remain home if
need be while also putting on a dynamic
in-person experience.
5
When we surveyed our
membership in late February
about the upcoming World
Conference and what would be preferred,
we received a mixed bag of responses.
Yes, many said that they wanted to attend
a live event, but there were also many
replies which said they preferred a virtual
event. Thus, our challenge would be to
offer a platform that could satisfy both.
May 2021
6
I am of the opinion that there
is pent-up demand to get away
after being homebound for so
long. People are desperate for personal
interaction, live entertainment, for sheer
enjoyment. What better place to get that
than in Las Vegas!
7
Indeed, we have a contractual
obligation that we must honor
with the hotel. But in doing
so, the hotel management will make
certain that we follow all CDC protocols
for social distancing and safety when it
comes to food services, exhibit halls, and
seminar sessions. I am confident that our
audience will respect those guidelines
that will be enforced, realizing that this
year’s event will not be anything like
those in previous years.
8
At some point, we must put
a stake in the ground and
commit to getting back to
doing the business that our membership
has come to expect. We need a sense
of normalcy to return. These last 12-15
months have been brutal on our psyche,
our businesses, our friendships, and our
profession in general.
The time has come to make the tough
call: are we goin’ or not? However, it is not
up to me. By the time you read this, our
board and executive committee will have
met (in early April), and a decision will
have been rendered. I hope we can make it
happen. And if we are given the go-ahead, I
look forward to welcoming everyone to our
2021 World Conference in Las Vegas*
ADDvantage Magazine - 43
 ROLAND GARROS
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3/11/21 9:05 AM
USPTA Master Professional Corner
Inverting the Pyramid and
the Benefits it Brings to
Your Program
João Pinho, USPTA Master Professional
M any clubs and pros look to build a
comprehensive junior program,
where they get a player on the red ball
stage and build them up to their later
teenage years. While such developmental
1
methods and early seeding are, in the
vast majority of cases, ideal and crucial
for our industry and most clubs’ health,
it’s important to note that there is also a
different way to build a pyramid of players.
“Inverting the pyramid” means that most
of the efforts made will serve the players
who are already near or at the top of the
pyramid first and then use the benefits
of this venture to construct the lower or
younger levels second.
Although high-performance players and
parents can sometimes have a reputation
of being too demanding, wanting free
services, or not being loyal — amongst
other less than ideal connotations,
46 - ADDvantage Magazine May 2021
working with such clientele can be very
rewarding. More specifically, building
a successful high-performance (HP)
program can create the following:
Augmented demand on less
than ideal time slots: Committed
players are much more likely to
shift their schedules to train than
recreational players. This can be a
nice boost for clubs and pros seeking
to add lessons at difficult-to-sell
slots. As long as you have the right
staff, a good mix of players, and a
solid program — people will come.
2
The 80/20 rule: The good old
Pareto principle states that “80
percent of the consequences of
our lives come from the 20 percent
of the causes (the vital few).” So,
how does that translate to tennis
programs? HP players are often more
financially invested, which means
that a more significant portion of
your revenues would come from
a lesser amount of players. While
this sounds dangerous, as the pro
or club now relies on a smaller
clientele, this is part of the initial
strategy to build the program from
top-down — to expand the number
of participants, thus spreading the
business impact to many players.
Commonly, the biggest spenders
in many clubs are some of their top
juniors, who take multiple group
classes and private lessons. From
my experience of working with a
large number of competitive juniors
over the years, I’ve noticed that for
every super committed HP player I
get, that would equal close to eight
recreational players in terms of
financial commitment. So, if your
club has saturated the market in your
area, one way to grow your business
is to have your existing players
become more committed (pay for
more services). For that, creating an
HP program can become the answer.
3
Enhanced reputation in
the market: One of the most
common ways that clubs
further develop their program and
staff’s reputation is by promoting

their top players’
results. To do so, it’s
crucial that directors and
head pros collect player’s
results and distribute them
in various ways — from social
media to internal displays and
even inclusion in a weekly or
monthly newsletter.
4
Improved inflow of new
players: The sad reality in the
junior development scene is
that most players and their parents
care, almost exclusively, who the
players are in the specific program.
Often overlooked, it is essential to
guide participants to look deeper and
value a program’s culture — instead
of just the faces. Their logic is, “if
the players are good, so must be the
coach(es)!”Even though there isn’t
always a linear correlation between
a player’s level and the capabilities of
his or her coach, many will create such
association. Therefore, if you do have
accomplished players in your program,
others will likely join as a result.
Some of these new applicants may
be younger and/or weaker than your
top athletes. However, getting this
influx is an integral part of building
a large and robust program. While
quality should be more important than
quantity, to properly gauge the value of
a program, it’s relevant to look at the
overall numbers.
5
Boosted staff retention and
morale: While many coaches
specialize and highly enjoy
working with recreational players,
others feel more fulfilled once
their interests and motivations
are elevated. Consequently, having
exposure to high-performance
players can often increase the staff’s
overall job satisfaction, as the pros
feel more connected with the player
and his or her goals.
Master Professional Corner USPTA
6
Superior
retention
of lower
levels: Creating
a “top-heavy”
program can
indirectly impact
the lower levels, as those
players now have something
to strive for. It is common for
programs that have less competitive
top levels to lose some of their
promising players because the
evironment is less than ideal.
Such powerful benefits can allow you (or
a club) to “invert the pyramid” and, if done
well, be successful in the long-term while,
potentially, achieving results in a faster
timetable than a traditional, bottom-to-up
approach. While creating an HP program
can be highly beneficial and lucrative, it’s
also important to mention that it demands
a high level of dedication from the
program’s staff, not only to deliver lessons
but also to attend tournaments, console
players (and parents), as well as receive
requests around the clock. Identifying
key staff members who are passionate
and capable with this segment and have
an abundance of patience to develop
the program over the years are musts.
May 2021
Photo courtesy of Elkhophoto
Remember, high-performance coaching
is not about having better drills, yelling
louder, or hitting thousands of balls.
Instead, it’s about being an integral part
of a junior’s life, becoming a role model,
and having a higher standard for the way
everything is done (both on and off-court).
You must also understand where the
player is in their development and what
level they can reach. Sometimes you’ll
need to instill that vision before they see it.
I hope this has sparked new thoughts
in your mind and makes you envision
a second approach to developing a
comprehensive junior program in the
long-term, as we want to serve the
entire pyramid successfully! If you have
comments or questions, please do not
hesitate to contact me at
pinhojoao@hotmail.com *
ADDvantage Magazine - 47
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Building a Culture
Bunny Bruning, USPTA Master Professional
Y ou often hear about changing
the culture at your workplace or
organization. That can mean a variety of
topics depending on the specific business’
vision and mission statement. Therefore,
you may have questions if you want to
enhance your department’s culture or
organization. Those queries could include,
what does culture mean? How do I begin?
And why do I want to do this?
Society is changing at a rapid pace.
Transformations occur in semantics,
messaging, protocols, diversity, social
institutions, and generational values
modifications. Jobs are shifting because
the workforce has to adjust through
the rapid growth of streamlining and
digitalization. Connecting jobs to
employee’s meaningful results involve
what they learn, not just what they do. No
longer will you be doing the same thing 10
years from now. And I am not talking about
switching workplaces. Transformation
of the same job will continue to occur
quickly. Giving people opportunities to be
educated, along with a sense of ownership,
is critical. Encouraging individuals
to adapt and learn makes them feel
Photo courtesy of Myroslava Malovana
Master Professional Corner USPTA
supported and appreciated.
However, changing the systems of
work through modern techniques is
not enough. Opening minds and hearts,
transforming behaviors, and altering
language and words are just as importat.
Adhering to vision & mission statements
and goals allows people to feel safe, more
confident and adds a sense of value.
Empathetic and inclusive cultures assist
the well-being of the group. Why wouldn’t
you want to have the people you work
with feel happier?
Many authors define culture as a
blended model of history, experience,
and behavior — including the values,
attitudes, and customs shared by a group.
It is a way of life. These beliefs and
attitudes that employees share and use
daily can determine the group’s decisions
and functions.
The world is filled with diverse
thoughts depending on the culture we
grew up in. As we mature, individual
biases become established — and we may
not even know it. If we have a growth
mindset and want to improve ourselves
and our group, we need to be aware of our
viewpoints.
So how can we
evolve to help make
a healthier and
enhanced culture?
From my research
and application over
the past decade, I’ve
arrived at a formula
of seven segments
to attain a culture
for you and your
workplace.
May 2021
1.
2.
Vision Statement
Mission Statement
3. Plan & Tactics
4. Essential Values
5. Character Qualities
6. Emotional Intelligence
7. Leadership Skills
Countless writers have offered the
meaning of a vision statement, which
could be described as an inspirational
message for staff to strive towards a
better purpose. This concept defines your
organization and its ideals — and shows
commitment to your long-term efforts.
When the vision has real meaning to
employees, they will be more productive
in their work and effective as ambassadors
for the facility. It gives direction on future
goals so that the team can have a purpose
in the bigger picture
Vision Statement example: To create a
safe and nurturing place where growth
and advancement opportunities can
be encouraged.
A mission statement focuses on who
we are, why we exist, and determines
action. It provides the purpose of the
company, facility or department, and the
importance of what each team member
works towards daily.
Mission Statement Example: [Club
Name] is an inclusive community
dedicated to teaching, training, and
effectively communicating so that the staff
will have an open and safe place to work,
create, collaborate, and grow in a diverse
environment. We promise to educate,
inspire, and serve all who work here.
ADDvantage Magazine - 49
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Having a vision and mission statement
is just writing on the wall. So, how do
you implement it? The plan & tactics
are how we get to the vision. As a leader,
one must have open communication
with staff where connection and trust
can thrive. Conduct dedicated training
sessions through various sources of
communication. Act on teachable
moments. Lead by example and let it be
known that everyone is a leader. Begin
each day with the intention of the vision.
People are not robots, and disputes will
arise. Communicate, listen, train, own up,
share, and return to the now of the intent.
Essential values represent who we are
through our words, attitude, and behavior.
These values include:
• Service: Focus on striving to
make better people, leaders,
and workers.
• Connection: Have an open
heart and a listening ear.
Build relationships through
kindness and genuine
interest.
• Communication: Teach,
serve, and share.
• Compassion: Have sincere
Enhancing character qualities will lead
to leadership skills. Compassion, integrity,
respect, and trust are most important.
Reflect on your personal attributes.
Who are you? Who do you want to be? I
consistently challenge myself, staff, and
students to work on the qualities they want
to improve.
The Oxford Dictionary defines emotional
intelligence as the capacity to be aware of,
control, express one’s emotions, and handle
interpersonal relationships judiciously
and empathetically. Furthermore,
psychologists Peter Salovey and John
Mayer define it as “the ability to monitor
one’s own and other people’s emotions — to
discriminate between different emotions,
label them appropriately, and to use
emotional information to guide thinking
and behavior.”
Daniel Goleman, an author, science
journalist, and psychologist who helped
popularize emotional intelligence suggests
that the five components of emotional
intelligence are self-awareness, self-
regulation, motivation, empathy, and
social skills.
What is emotionally intelligent
leadership, then? Well, emotionally
intelligent people are aware of their
feelings and how they affect others.
They can also sense and understand
the emotions of others. This emotional
management and empathy lend
themselves to better communication,
overcoming conflict, and reducing stress.
This perception can guide everyone to
improved workplace behavior and actions.
Leadership defines the vision and
mission statements, rallies people
towards that vision, and inspires them to
make it happen. You can strive towards
the goal not just by influencing staff
but by putting people first. Connecting
and building relationships with people
through empathy offers individuals
trust and respect. When you open your
heart and mind through kindness and
understanding — and then share a piece of
your story that relates to them — they, in
turn, start to connect and recognize you
are on the same path.
The seven segments are just a brief look
at what helps to build a new workplace
culture. What is most important is that
you are aware negative language and
behavior can hurt people. This can lead
to a lack of production and growth as an
individual and team. Therefore, language,
words, and actions must change. *

Photo courtesy of Take A Pix Media

empathy.
• Inclusiveness: Incorporate
responsibility to guarantee
a safe place of diversity and
equity.
• Integrity: Be authentic and
ethical in all interactions
with staff.
• Trust & Respect: Gain it by
being consistent in your
values.
• Health & Family: They always
come first.
• Enjoyment of Life: Express
POT joy and happiness. Love what
you do.
• Dedication: Lead by example
• Safeguard the culture.

May 2021 ADDvantage Magazine - 51

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There is No “I” in Coach
N aturally, you are invested in your
players, want to see them succeed in
life, and of course, to improve and enjoy
our wonderful lifetime sport. One of the
key characteristics our players need to be
successful is to be responsible individuals.
The earlier in life we acknowledge and
nurture our obligations, the quicker we
develop. For young players, learning and
accepting accountability is a fundamental
part of growing up.
Fortunately for us as coaches, playing
tennis teaches responsibility like few
other sports can. We are all aware that in
most sports, you win and lose as a team.
However, winning and losing in tennis
is very personal, even if you play with
a partner. Tennis players can never say
something like, “the offensive line did
their job in our win today,” or the contrary,
in the face of a loss.
Therefore, we need to carefully evaluate
and advise our young players and their
parents — excited about competing in
their first matches. Even sporty kids who
have already been participating in team
sports are sometimes not emotionally
ready to accept the task of a losing
outcome in tennis for an individual.
We can improve our coaching and help
our players recognize their responsibility
for their success, with one small change in
how we communicate., Remove the word
“I” from your on-court and classroom
language. More specifically, remove “I
want” from communication between you
and your players.
Of course, you want your players to
execute that cross-court drill impeccably
because you want them to improve.
However, to help them expand their game,
Member Feature USPTA
Jeff Tucker, USPTA Elite Professional
the player’s motivation needs to drive the
drill because they understand the need to
do the specific exercise to get better — not
because the coach wants it.
The shift is small. Instead of saying,
“I want you to,” replace it with, “You
want to.” Avoid placing your individual
expectations on your players and instead
help them express their desires. This
minor change in phrasing can be a
challenge at first — yet, it can result in a
significant alteration in mindset.
One of my character directives is the
“Responsibility Rule,” which can be
flipped when needed. Here is the rule
with the coach putting the onus on the
player: “You are responsible for what you
do. You are accountable for doing good!”
The flip side places authority squarely
on the player: “I am responsible for what
I do. I am accountable for doing good!”
The player-centric way is more often
the competence equation that is most
effective in the long run.
Indeed, there are times when we as
coaches need to lay down the law. For
example, at the beginning of a program,
we must set the standards for a fair play
environment in our classes. We must
also expect our players to behave in ways
that maintain specific standards. For that
expectation to succeed, our players must
feel competent for behaving appropriately.
The players need to adopt and own their
responsibility for proper behavior.
In creating the learning framework
for young players, we need to set
expectations. In those cases, we
must expect the players to accept our
opportunities as their own if they are to
adopt and carry out projections. Each
May 2021
time we express the phrase “I want,” we
essentially rob them of answerability.
In your next lesson, remove “I” and
replace it with “you.” Do you want to work
on your returns now? Do you want to load
a little deeper as you prepare? Do you
want to focus on that wide serve?
One of the most useful words for players
with doubts is “yet.” So, if your young
player says, “I can’t do it,” reply with, “you
can’t do it yet.” Now try again.
Talk to your players about learning from
failure. Failure is necessary for success.
If at first, we don’t succeed, try, try again.
To help young players gain the motivation
and responsibility to keep working at
something, we are well served to praise the
player’s effort and how they are applying
that effort. “I’m glad to see you are sticking
with this, [insert name here]. And I see
you’ve started bending your knees more
too. That’s super; how did you figure that
out? Keep up the good work!”
Guiding players to help themselves is
a fundamental objective of coaching. For
almost every student, the self-discovered
lesson is the best-learned experience. Our
players will discover more as they become
accountable for their journey. We simply
enable this self-responsibility in the ways
we communicate with our players and
their parents. *
Photo courtesy of Jeff Tucker
ADDvantage Magazine - 53
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 Diversity & Inclusion Initiative USPTA
has also reached out to Saint Paul Urban
Tennis in Minnesota to lead a career
visit with young Asian American Pacific
Islander coaches who are just beginning
their tennis careers.
Even in its infancy, we already see

Asian American Pacific

the impact of this initiative. Brandon
Kuether has shared that there were
students in the Saint Paul Urban

Islander Committee Tennis program who were amazed that

somebody who looks like them was
working as a tennis director and WTA
Chris Tran, USPTA Elite Professional coach. It is tremendously crucial for

I n light of recent events, there has

been a wake-up call around the nation
that the discussion about diversity
a network for AAPI coaches to connect
with other industry professionals to
provide guidance in tennis-related fields.
youngsters to see people from their
respective backgrounds succeed in our
industry — and to envision themselves in
and inclusion (D&I) was desperately The online platform is used as a resource these tennis-teaching roles.
needed. Whether you are leading a tennis to propel AAPI coaches in our industry. Following the committee’s early
academy, coaching a college team, or While the Facebook group is relatively success, membership will be researching
giving lessons at your local park, D&I is new, members are joining at a rapid pace. to see which divisions have AAPI
a part of all our lives. The USPTA, under The group houses intriguing discussions pros on their board and nominating
the guidance and vision of Feisal Hassan, and a video series in which committee committees. We will work to provide
understands that its members must seek members Brandon Kuether and Chris more opportunities to Asian American
to understand the experiences of BIPOC Tran interview industry professionals Pacific Islander pros to ensure equity in
(Black, Indigenous, and people of color) about how they found their tennis the selection process for leadership roles
individuals who are involved with the journey. Beyond this, the advisory team within the USPTA. *
game of tennis — hence the creation of the
USPTA D&I Committee.
One story that we would like to
share with you today is that of the
sub-committee focused on Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
To creatively find ways to connect,
lead, and educate fellow AAPI coaches,
committee members Chris Tran, Brandon
Kuether, Anthony Nguyen Pham, Ricky
Moua, Hung Nguyen, and Cedric Abalos
decided that the best way to start is at
the grassroots. This led to the creation
of the Asian American Pacific Islander
Advisory group. The consortium is made
up of industry professionals in a vast
array of careers that you can pursue
in tennis. The current advisory group
consists of a tennis academy director,
Division I college coach, certified master
stringer, leader of a sizable Asian tennis
association, parents of college tennis
players, and more.
Once the team was assembled, a
Facebook group was created to develop

May 2021 ADDvantage Magazine - 55

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The Evolution of
USPTA Testing
Shepherd Newcomb, USPTA Elite Professional
T he first certification exam was
administered in 1969, and at its core,
much of it has remained unchanged
until now. Twenty twenty-one will see a
strategic shift in the way the USPTA trains
and certifies members of the association,
emphasizing education. In January, we cut
the ribbon on an exciting and welcoming
new pathway to our organization.
However, there is an accompanying sense
of loss for the pathway that led so many of
us to where we are now — in our careers
and lives with the great game of tennis.
The USPTA Certification Exam helped
set the standard for tennis coaches
throughout the country during an era
dominated by wooden racquets and tiny
white shorts. The initial batches of pros
were evaluated on stroke production,
group and private lessons, a grip test, and
a written test. After a while, the phrase
“Best by Test” was attributed to members
who set the bar for teaching professionals
in America. The exam has influenced
our organization’s trajectory and how
tennis has been taught in the United
States for over 50 years. In addition to
affecting the sport itself and the careers of
thousands who have joined the USPTA, the
examination pathway was a meaningful
experience to many tennis professionals
on a personal level as well.
While there has, of course, been some
changes since the examination was
introduced, the structure has remained
intact. Some notable modifications have
been the addition of stroke analysis, feeding
proficiency, and question formatting on the
written exam. There was also an era in our
past that applicants had to have a ‘sponsor,’
an idea that will take on a new form with
the role of ‘certification advisor.’ This
guide will help the applicant through their
education and experiential opportunities.
Some of the processes will continue;
similarly, others will be done away with,
and still, there will be a continual recycling
of ideas, both new and old.
We are no longer solely evaluating
applicants as to whether they have the
experience and know-how to be certified.
We are now teaching and providing
experiential opportunities to ensure that
the applicants are more than ready to be
our sport’s future providers. This change
is a monumental undertaking that is full
of challenges. As we strive to blend the
established in with the “new,” there are a lot
of shifting roles and responsibilities. The 17
division head testers and 81 USPTA testers
throughout the country will no longer be
regularly engaged with the USPTA’s new
members as they have been for decades.
Therefore, we need all of us to find roles
that we are passionate about and gifted in
to serve our association going forward.
May 2021
NetWork USPTA
As professional teachers and educators
of the sport of tennis, we must care
about teaching it better. If we are not
concerned about coaching our players
more effectively, why should our players
care about playing better or showing up to
clinics? Our players aren’t getting the most
out of us unless we’re continually learning
how to coach them better.
Our association consists of members who
collaborate to help one another become
stronger and more successful tennis
coaches. We want to learn how to teach a
cut above. Everyone is encouraged to learn
and contribute to continuing education
within our sport, so the bar is constantly
rising. The New Certification Pathway will
set the standard again in 2021 by teaching
and providing hands-on opportunities to
ensure each applicant is more than ready to
be a future provider of our sport. *
“It has been an honor to have served
the organization as the Eastern Section
Head Tester. I have tried to model my
mentor and tennis hero George Bacso, the
former Director of USPTA Certification
and Academies. I never lost sight of the
significant opportunity the process provided
to excite and motivate an applicant to be
a lifelong learner and contributor in our
industry.”
Whitney Kraft
USPTA Eastern Head Tester
“Coaching new professionals for success
has always been my goal. Certifying new
applicants from all over the world is why I
love to serve the USPTA. Touching base with
many of them as well as veteran members at
division conventions brings it all full circle.
Being a tester has made me much more
aware of continuing education’s power in
striving to be the best professional I can be. I
have also enjoyed the responsibility of being
the ‘greeter’ into our association – the link
between national and divisional. Mentoring,
coaching others, and providing customer
hospitality have made me a better person
and tennis professional.”
Bunny Bruning
USPTA Missouri Valley Head Tester
ADDvantage Magazine - 57
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Make the Most of May
Mike Calendrillo, USPTA Public Relations Coordinator
S ince 1949, Mental Health Awareness
Month has been observed each May
in the United States. In large part to the
unprecedented anxiety that the global
pandemic presented, the outreach and
activities performed by Mental Health
America, Veterans Affairs, and other non-
profit and advocacy organizations are
crucial in 2021. Raising awareness around
specific mental health conditions and
breaking the stigma surrounding mental
illness is paramount when you consider
that 18.1 percent of all Americans suffer
from some form of anxiety, depression,
PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar
depression. According to the Anxiety &
Depression Association of America, 18.1
percent represents 40 million adults
in the U.S., age 18 and older — yet only
36.9 percent of those suffering receive
treatment. Even 25.1 percent of children
between 13 and 18 years of age suffer from
anxiety disorders.
The realities of living with these
conditions, strategies for attaining mental
wellness, and lending assistance in this
time of need can no longer fly below
the radar of everyday life. If you look at
Photo courtesy of Elkhophoto
Raising Awareness USPTA
the cover of this month’s ADDvantage
Magazine, we’ve adopted the colors
associated with Mental Health Awareness
Month. As we did similarly in April as
part of Autism Awareness Month and
the cover story on Serving Advantage,
a tennis-teaching non-profit for kids
with cognitive challenges in San Diego,
CA — there isn’t nearly as much readily
available press on mental wellness in the
world of sports, and that needs to change.
Sure, there are countless articles
about mental toughness, how to pick
up a player after a loss, the best way to
improve this, that, or the other thing
— and while they all have their place in
tennis, the emotional aspect and the toll
it takes on players, families, and coaches,
often stays silent.
Whether it’s not living up to the
enormous expectations talented juniors
are saddled with, families that fall into
financial hardship supporting their
aspiring tennis players, or teaching pros
that struggled to stay afloat during the
pandemic, a better sense of community,
public relations, and organizational
outreach would encourage those that
May 2021
need help to come forth.
Just one year ago, the men’s tennis tour
launched a partnership with Sporting
Chance to help players and ATP staff
dealing with mental health issues during
the COVID-19 shutdown. Founded
by former England International and
Arsenal footballer Tony Adams, Sporting
Chance gives players 24/7 access to
therapists experienced in working with
elite athletes. With a network of over 200
therapists across the U.K., and a one-
of-a-kind residential treatment center
designed to work with professionals
suffering from an addictive disorder,
it’s refreshing to see the focus of sports
training is evolving exclusively from
physical health and conditioning.
Last spring, ESPN Senior Writer Wayne
Drehs penned an article on Noah Rubin
and how his online platform, “Behind
the Racquet,” brought tennis players’
emotional and mental struggle into
focus. Rubin, a tennis pro that is also
a mental health advocate, speaks with
tennis’ biggest names and shares stories
on everything from eating disorders
and speech impediments to anxiety and
depression. A mixture of a wonderfully
informative website, podcast, and social
media channels sheds light on the
human pitfalls of life while allowing for
a renewed perspective that those who
struggle are not alone.
And that’s the thing — sharing
stories, whether hailing from similar
or vastly different backgrounds,
tennis-professionals have a common
denominator — you are not alone. Help
can be attained. If you’re struggling,
reach out to a family member, coach,
mentor, executive director, or licensed
health professional. We must significantly
increase the 36.9 percent of Americans
that suffer from mental illness and help
them receive treatment. *
ADDvantage Magazine - 59
USPTA What’s the Dill?

May Membership Dept. Update

Dillon Chustz, USPTA Director of Membership

I consider myself very fortunate to

know and work with our industry
members who are brimming with a passion
from instructing and signifying, Ginger
considers the connection made with
students to be the driving force behind
learn. “You want to create an experience
for the student and have them buy into the
game,” Ginger says. “This requires a certain
for cultivating our sport. When that their success. She encourages her teaching degree of humanity that keeps them
enthusiasm is combined with hard work pros to ask questions like “How did that coming back to you.”
and integrity, the potential is limitless. adjustment feel?” rather than simply Proof of Ginger’s ability to do all of this
One such person is Ginger Phillips of the telling someone to “Do it this way.” This is evident in the results she yields as a
USPTA Intermountain Division, who ideology allows for an equal exchange tester and how she has influenced many
has spent many years as a Lead Tester of thoughts and concepts and imparts of our aspiring teaching pros. I constantly
for USPTA Certification. No matter the something new to everyone involved, receive feedback saying, “Ginger helped me
condition (including a pandemic), Ginger’s bridging the gap between teacher and recognize my strengths as a teacher” and
innate ability to inspire, empower, and student. Ginger claims to have learned an “Ginger had us all rooting for one another.”
charm those around her has made her one equal number of things from her students What more could you ask for in someone
of the most effective conduits for aspiring as they have learned from her. This not representing the USPTA! Ginger is one of
pros hoping to further our sport. only engages everyone on a deeper, more the many USPTA members serving our
Ginger’s philosophy for teaching is productive level, but it also supports the association in this significant way. You all
rooted in the sharing of ideas. Apart philosophy that we all have something to make us great. Keep it going, folks! *

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE

President................................................................. Feisal Hassan Editor...................................................................................... Jim Burke ADDvantage is published monthly by the
Managing Editor......................................................... Mike Calendrillo United States Professional Tennis Association.
First Vice President.............................................Richard Slivocka
Layout/Design.............................................................Kevin Karczewski The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are
Vice Presidents...............Lane Evans, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner, Editorial Assistance .............................Alegna Hollis, Ramona Husaru, those of the authors and not necessarily those
Jason Gilbert, Bill Mountford Sid Newcomb, Fred Viancos, Ellen Weatherford of ADDvantage or the United States
Professional Tennis Association.
Immediate Past President............................................ Gary Trost Circulation..................................................................... Trevor Trudelle
USPTA World Headquarters Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
CEO...........................................................................John Embree Association, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved.
11961 Performance Dr. Reproduction of any portion of the magazine
Legal Counsel........................................................George Parnell Orlando, FL 32827 is not permitted without written permission
407-634-3050 – www.uspta.com from the USPTA.

60 - ADDvantage Magazine May 2021

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Yonex professional players may use a string with different specifications to the model displayed.
Yonex professional players may use a string with different specifications to the model displayed.

Yonex professional players may use a string with different specifications to the model displayed.