CONSTRUCTION RETAIL INDUSTRY

Facility design Offer a thorough ITF announces

should enhance player selection with your World Tennis
and fan experiences string inventory Number rating

September/October 2019 / Volume 47 / Number 9 / $5.00

Section Stars
Also Inside:
Newest Racquets Hall of Fame String Playtest
Fresh frames for the Arthur Ashe, Cheryl Singer, Go in-depth with Tourna’s
US Open and fall season Andy Varat Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour
Dedicated staff, volunteers 20 16 36

and organizations
are helping to keep this
game growing.

1
.4
TA pg
USP
ating
or
corp
In
 www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry

Contents Sept./Oct. 2019

DEPARTMENTS
20
4 Our Serve
7 Industry News
16 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame
18 Facility Assistance
36 String Playtest: Tourna
Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour 17
38 Ask the Experts
40 Your Serve, by Michele
Krause

INDUSTRY NEWS
7 USPTA World Conference
heads to Las Vegas
7 12th Annual TIA Tennis Forum
set for Aug. 26 in NYC 22 24 32

8 Selkirk sponsors Pickleball

Tournament of Champions

C OV E R P H O T O C O U RT E S Y M A R C E L O G O U T S ; T H I S PA G E C O U RT E S Y W I L S O N, U S TA M I D - AT L A N T I C, G M B A R C H I T E CT U R E + E N G I N E E R I N G
8 Prince owner ABG buys
Sports Illustrated magazine
8 USTA names Outstanding
Facility Award winners
9 Short Sets
10 ITF announces World
Tennis Number rating
10 PTR to launch new Level I
certification pathway
11 Dri-Soxx introduced
into the U.S. market
12 Peoplewatch
12 USTA Foundation receives EQUIPMENT STRINGING GRASSROOTS GAME CONSTRUCTION
$180K from Chase for NJTLs Fall Variety Section Comfort
12 Serena Williams honored Ball Store Stars Zones
on Wheaties box
14 USTA announces slight CTA Racquet Make sure your Throughout the USTA Your tennis facility’s
insurance rate hike manufacturers string inventory sections, dedicated design should
14 PPR collaborates on USAPA are introducing provides a thorough staff, volunteers enhance player and
Youth Pickleball Playbook new product selection for and organizations fan experiences—
for the US Open current and potential continue to help and can help grow
14 Babolat shows all-white and fall season. customers. tennis grow. the sport.
Wimbledon Collection P. 20 P. 22 P. 24 P. 32

PLUS
p.41 42 From the CEO
43 USPTA World Conference
46 Vice President’s Message
42 48 51 56 48 Master Pro Corner
USPTA World Do You Find How to USPTA Extends 51 Inside Coaching
Conference Yourself Eliminate Endorsement 52 USPTA National Board
Heads to ‘Praying Blame-Shifting Agreement 56 USPTA & Wilson
Las Vegas For Rain’? in Tennis with Wilson
59 Career Development
60 Member News
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

2 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 O F F IC IA L
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O F TH
O F T H E U S P TA

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sportmaster.net
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 OurServe TennisIndustry

PUBLISHER
EDITOR'S NOTE JEFF WILLIAMS

Dennis Van der Meer, 1933-2019 EDITOR

PETER FRANCESCONI

The greatest teacher ever transformed MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING

how tennis is taught, and influenced CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES

millions of players around the world. SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN

ART DIRECTOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

PRODUCTION EDITOR
SAM CHASE

 A
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON

s this issue was ready to go In Johannesburg, Dennis made a CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

to press, we learned the sad
news that tennis industry
legend Dennis Van der
Meer passed away on July 27, after a
lengthy illness. No one has had a bigger
name for himself as an engaging and
talented teacher. He came to the U.S. in
1961 and quickly developed a large and
ever-expanding following. He eventually
coached pro players, including Marga-
CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
DAVID LASOTA, JUDY LEAND, KENT OSWALD,
CYNTHIA SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS

impact on recreational tennis and tennis
coaches than Dennis.
For more than 65 years, Dennis
personally taught tens of thousands of
people to play the game. But as the con-
summate “teacher of tennis teachers,” his
influence in this sport extends to millions
of recreational players around the world.
Dennis’ knowledge both
impressed and astounded me,
ret Court and Billie Jean King, and sat ASSOCIATE EDITOR
courtside during the “Battle of the Sexes” TIM McARTHUR
match in 1973.
Dennis and Billie Jean went on to EDITORIAL DIRECTION
10TEN MEDIA
launch a series of tennis camps. When
Dennis realized that the different teach- TENNIS INDUSTRY
ing methods each pro brought to the 250 Park Avenue, Ste 825, NY NY 10017
game were confusing students, he set 646-381-8735
info@tennisindustrymag.com
out to standardize a teaching method.
This led to the birth of TennisUniversity, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
aimed at developing top teaching pros. In JOHN HANNA
1976, to certify teaching pros and teach 770-650-1102, x125
the Standard Method, Dennis founded hanna@knowatlanta.com

and when he got me the U.S. Professional Tennis Registry.

out on court, his instruction
was simply beyond compare.
I first met Dennis in 1987, when I joined
Tennis Magazine. Throughout the years,
I worked closely with him on instruction
stories, including the popular “Dennis
on Tennis” series. His knowledge both
impressed and astounded me, and when
he got me out on the tennis court, his
instruction was simply beyond compare.
Dennis was born in 1933 in south-
ern Africa. He played tournaments as a
youngster, but at age 19, during a Davis
Cup tryout in South Africa, he choked on
a critical point. After that, his confidence
flagged and his playing career stalled. His
coach suggested he teach tennis to regain
his confidence, and that’s all it took. He
had also, as it turned out, found his calling.
Today the PTR has more than 16,300
members in 125 countries.
Dennis, who has received many other
accolades throughout his career, was one
of the inaugural inductees into the Tennis
Industry Hall of Fame in 2008.
Our thoughts are with Dennis’
wife, Pat, and the entire PTR family.
We are thankful that this industry had
Dennis Van der Meer as a major part of
it. He raised the level of tennis teachers
in this country and throughout the world
in ways that will influence this sport for
generations to come.
Peter Francesconi
Editor
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
APPAREL ADVERTISING
CYNTHIA SHERMAN
203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year:
monthly, January through August with combined
issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Media Company, 250 Park
Avenue, Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Periodical
postage paid in Duluth, GA and at additional mailing
offices (USPS #004-354). Sept/Oct 2019, Volume 47,
Number 9 © 2019 by Tennis Media Company. All rights
reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo are trademarks
of Tennis Media Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation
and editorial: 646-381-8735. Yearly subscriptions
$25 in the U.S., $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to Tennis Industry, 250 Park Avenue,
Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Tennis Industry is the
official magazine of the USRSA, TIA and ASBA.
Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.

4 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
EDUCATION
USPTA World Conference
Heads to Las Vegas Sept. 22-26
T
he USPTA is heading to
Las Vegas for its 2019
World Conference, from
Sept. 22-26, at the
Westgate Las Vegas
Resort and Casino. Hundreds of tennis
teaching pros, industry leaders and
representatives, manufacturers and
wholesalers are expected to attend.
Special guests at the conference include
Las Vegas native Andre Agassi, Dick
Gould, Gil Reyes and Roger Crawford.
In addition to educational offerings
from world-leading experts, the USPTA
will host division parties, industry
meetings, awards presentations and a
C O U RT E S Y U S P TA
Merchandise and Trade Show.
The conference will feature specialty
courses on Sunday, Sept. 22, and the
educational sessions on Tuesday
will showcase top women teaching
www.tennisindustrymag.com
The USPTA's 2019
World Conference
heads to Vegas for the
first time since 2006.
professionals. A Q&A with Agassi will be
held on Wednesday morning, followed
by an awards lunch. USPTA members
can earn 10 continuing education credits
for a full registration, plus additional
credits for each session they attend.
Among the more than 80 speakers will
be Mike Barrell, Mark Bey, Tim Blen-
kiron, Jorge Capestany, Emma Doyle,
Allen Fox, Frank Giampaolo, Feisal Has-
san, Mark McMahon, Michele Krause,
Greg Lappin, Stan Oley, Ajay Pant, Greg
Patton, Len Simard, Sarah Stone, Todd
Upchurch and Mike Woody.
Visit USPTA.com to register and for
more information.
IndustryNews
TENNIS FORUM
2019 NYC
12th Annual TIA Tennis Forum
Set for Aug. 26 in New York
The 12th Annual TIA Tennis Forum will be
held on Monday, Aug. 26, on the Ballroom
Level of the Grand Hyatt New York City, from
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The TIA Tennis Forum will present the
latest news about the state of the tennis
industry, including participation, market-
place trends, grassroots initiatives, updates
from TIA, ITF and USTA leadership, and
more. Also joining this year’s event will be
Andrew LaFiosca of Nielsen Sports, who will
share player and consumer insights, and
Tom Cove, executive director of the Sports &
Fitness Industry Association, with insights on
sports and fitness trends.
A new feature at this year’s forum is the
“Discovery Challenge,” an online competi-
tion designed to showcase innovation and
solutions around a problem facing the ten-
nis industry—in this case, the “retention of
tennis players.” The challenge will be moder-
ated by Carlos Salum, president of Salum
International Resources. He will be joined by
Lena Belogolova, a behavioral science expert
and former manager at Facebook. The
Discovery Challenge is designed to be an
interactive and solutions-producing session
with a panel of experts.
Immediately following the Tennis Forum
and Discovery Challenge, there will be a
short induction ceremony to honor the
2019 inductees into the Tennis Industry Hall
of Fame: legendary champion and activist
Arthur Ashe, and apparel innovators Cheryl
Singer and Andy Varat, who founded Tail
activewear company in 1974.
While the Tennis Forum, Discovery
Challenge and Hall of Fame induction are
free to attend for those in the industry,
space is limited, so registration is required.
Please visit TennisIndustry.org/forum for
registration and more information.
September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 7
IndustryNews
Selkirk Presenting Sponsor
of Pball Tourney of Champions
Selkirk Sport, a leading pickleball
equipment and accessories brand,
was named presenting sponsor of
the 2019 Pickleball Tournament of
Champions, from Aug. 21-24 at Rees
Pioneer Park in Brigham City, Utah.
The tournament is recognized as one
of the three major championships on
the professional pickleball tour.
Headlined by Team Selkirk’s Tyson
McGuffin, the No. 1-ranked singles
player in the world, more than 600
professional and amateur players are
expected to compete. Players in the
open divisions will be competing for
more than $60,000 in prize money,
and an additional $50,000 will be up
for grabs through Selkirk’s 2019 Play-
er Incentive pool. Plans call for more
courts to be installed at Rees Pioneer
Park in anticipation of the competition
growing to more than 1,000 players in
coming years.
8 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
USTA Names Outstanding
Facility Award Winners
Cary Tennis Park (above) in Cary, N.C., is
the “Featured Facility” for the 2019 USTA
Outstanding Facility Awards. The facility will
be honored at an awards ceremony in New
York City during the US Open.
Each year, the USTA recognizes facilities
throughout the country to encourage
increasingly high standards for construction
and/or renovation. Nominations are
evaluated on the facility, its amenities and
tennis programming.
The honored facilities for 2019 are:
• Ames Fitness Center, Ames, Iowa
• Apex Tennis Center, Arvada, Colo.
• Cary Leeds Center for Tennis &
Learning, Bronx, N.Y.
• Cary Tennis Park, Cary, N.C.
• City Park / Pepsi Tennis Center,
New Orleans, La.
• Courts Plus, Elmhurst, Ill.
• Delcastle Tennis Center,
Wilmington, Del.
• Eastern Athletic Club–Blue Point,
Blue Point, N.Y.
• Evergreen Racquet Club,
Bloomington, Ill.
• Glen Arven Country Club,
Thomasville, Ga.
• Greater Atlanta Christian Schools,
Norcross, Ga.
• John and Fay Menard YMCA Tennis
Center, Eau Claire, Wis.
• Kiwanis Tennis Center, Tempe, Ariz.
• La Academia–Sport for All, Caguas,
Puerto Rico
• Lindner Tennis Center at Lunken
Playfield, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Magic Lincer Tennis Club of
Manchester, Manchester, Conn.
• Mauna Lani Sports And Fitness Club,
Kohala Coast, Hawaii
• Racquet & Health 91, Tulsa, Okla.
• Rome Tennis Center at Berry College,
Rome, Ga.
• Scottsdale Ranch Park Tennis Center,
Scottsdale, Ariz.
• SMU Tennis Complex, Dallas, Texas
• Soldier Spring Park, Weatherford,
Texas
• TBarM Racquet Club, Dallas, Texas
• Tuscarora Tennis Club, Frederick, Md.
• Wall Park Tennis Complex,
McPherson, Kan.
ABG Buys Sports Illustrated
Authentic Brands Group (ABG),
which owns the Prince and Tretorn
brands, has purchased the intellectual
property of Sports Illustrated from
Meredith Corporation.
C O U RT E S Y U S TA / C A RY T E N N I S PA R K
ABG assumes the marketing, business
development and licensing functions
for the Sports Illustrated intellectual
property and brand,
while the print magazine and SI.com
will maintain editorial independence
and continue to operate under the
leadership of Meredith Editor-in-
Chief Chris Stone and Publisher
Danny Lee.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Short
Sets
To celebrate the launch of its new
app, Universal Tennis has launched the
Summer Challenge. Through Sept. 2,
players who sign up for the UTR Summer
Challenge and play in a UTR Event or post
scores to UTR will be entered into a draw-
ing and eligible to win prizes, including
Head racquets and gear, and tickets to the
Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open. Sign
up at MyUTR.com/SummerChallenge.
The WTCA Conference NY 2019 will
be held Aug. 23-25, the weekend before
the start of the US Open. The conference
will be at the Marriott LaGuardia Hotel in
New York, just a five-minute drive from
the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis
Center. Visit wtcatennis.org for more info.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
The 2nd Annual Racquet & Paddle
Sports Show will be held Jan. 21-24 at
the Orange County Convention Center
(OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., featuring prod-
uct, demos, exhibits, education and more.
A Demo Day will be on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Visit racquetpaddlesportsshow.com.
Melanie Oudin will be a guest profes-
sional for the Peter Burwash International
Adult World Tennis Camp at Reynolds
Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga., from
Oct. 3 to 6. Oudin won the 2011 US
Open mixed doubles title with Jack Sock,
reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon
and the quarterfinals of the US Open
(both in 2009), and was a member of the
U.S. Fed Cup team.
IndustryNews
New Chapter Press has released the
book Cattle to Courts: A History of Tennis In
Texas, written by Ken McAllister, longtime
executive director of the USTA Texas Sec-
tion, who shares unique insights from his
50 years in the tennis industry. The book is
available on amazon.com.
Writer Mark “Scoop” Malinowski’s ninth
book about tennis, Facing Andy Murray:
Symposium of a Champion, is available at
amazon.com. More than 50 professional
players discuss their experiences of com-
peting against Murray.
The Bank of Southern California is the
new title sponsor for the San Diego
Aviators of World TeamTennis.
September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 9
IndustryNews
COURT EQUIPMENT
Sit High Introduces
Premier Umpire Chair
S
it High Chair has introduced its
Premier Tennis Umpire Chair,
which features a heavy-duty ex-
truded aluminum frame designed with
rounded corners for safety and aesthet-
ics, all-weather eco-friendly eucalyptus
wood seat, stainless-steel hardware for
outdoor environments, and powder-
coated acrylic paint.
The made-in-the-U.S. chair also
includes extra-wide armrests, over-
sized rubber feet, contoured seat with
cushion, color choices, and options that
include a Sunbrella sunshade, easy-roll
wheel kit, custom logo plates and a
matching hardwood cooler stand. The
chair meets ITF tournament specifica-
tions. Visit umpirechair.com for more.
10 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
ITF Announces ‘World
Tennis Number’ Rating
The International Tennis Federation
and leading national tennis associa-
tions, including the USTA, announced a
strategic project to develop and imple-
ment a global, level-based tennis rating,
designed to enable more matches to be
played between players of similar levels,
from beginners to professionals.
The new rating, called the World
Tennis Number (WTN), will aim to break
down one of the sport’s key barriers
to participation—uneven match-ups.
The WTN is planned to be in operation
toward the end of 2019, with national
associations launching within each
country starting in 2020. Sports tech
company ClubSpark was selected to
build the WTN digital platform.
“Our vision is simple: to create local
online communities of tennis players
sharing meaningful and enjoyable tennis
experiences through level-based play,”
says ITF President David Haggerty. “With
this new platform, we have the means to
connect a worldwide community of 87
million tennis players and fans.”
The WTN project, approved by the ITF
board in March 2018, is led by a commit-
tee composed of executives from the ITF,
French Tennis Federation, LTA and USTA.
“We believe the new World Tennis
Number platform will foster relation-
ships, increase opportunities to play and
connect U.S. players with the global com-
munity,” says USTA CEO Gordon Smith.
PTR to Launch New Level I
Certification Pathway
The PTR has launched an enhanced
Level I certification pathway. Coaches
can expect the same internationally
recognized/externally accredited
education as in the past, while expe-
riencing a more robust foundational
framework, says the PTR.
The Level I pathway will be six
days in length, all of which will be
face-to-face education—increasing
C O U RT E S Y S I T H I G H C H A I R
the contact coaches experience from
eight hours to 64 hours and covering
Junior Development, Recreational/
High School Development and Adult
Development.
The new Level I pathway will have a
primary focus on the player pathway
from Learn & Play through Thrive &
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 IndustryNews

Mentor of the American Develop-
ment Model, creating an effective
coach competence through all
levels of player activation. PTR’s
new Level I Program will officially
launch Sept. 30 at Crandon Park
Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Fla.
In addition, a new and
enhanced performance-based
Level II program will debut in early
2020, rounding out the founda-
tional courses of the new PTR
education pathway.
• Michael Roenigk, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Hemanth Siripurapu, Slough, United
Kingdom
• Ben Tozer, Victoria, BC, Canada
• Jeffrey Tran, Harker Heights, Texas
Certified Stringers
• Gary Cimperman, Philadelphia
• Colan Surratt, St. Louis Park, Minn.
Richmond Celebrates Naming
of Arthur Ashe Boulevard
The city of Richmond, Va., recently cele-
brated the naming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard
with three days of events. The celebration
included residents, community leaders and
organizers, tennis executives and members
of the Ashe family.

Dri-Soxx Introduced
into U.S. Market

Dri-Soxx, now being introduced

in the American tennis market—
initially sold at T Bar M Racquet Club
in Dallas, Ridglea Country Club in
Fort Worth, and First Serve Tennis
in San Antonio—are designed for
comfort, control and consistency.
The socks' features include full-
compression, 360-degree arch sup-
port, ankle and Achilles support and
anti-microbial fiber.
The socks come in three styles
(low-cut, crew and over-the-calf
compression), two colors (black and
white) and two sizes (4-8, 9-15). Each
pair is made in lefts and rights to en-
sure a perfect fit, says the company.
Apparel industry veteran Don
Crusius is the new director of sales
for the sock line. Visit dri-soxx.com
for more information, or contact
Crusius at 214-460-7681 or by email
at crusiusdon@gmail.com.

USRSA Names New

MRTs and CSs
C O U RT E S Y D R I - S OX X

Master Racquet Technicians

• Mic Frydell, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Ben Kruszynski, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Sean O’Meara, West Hartford,
Conn.
• Pam Roberts, Indianapolis, Ind.

www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 11

IndustryNews

USTA Foundation Receives

People
Watch
Lighting manufacturer LSI Industries
has named Michael Prachar as vice
president for lighting products, Sean
Hamilton as the director of commercial
marketing, and Doug Cotter as national
sales manager. Prachar will be respon-
sible for the leadership of LSI Lighting
Products, including the development of
new products and creating customized
solutions. Hamilton will be responsible
for leading, developing and executing
the overall commercial marketing strat-
egy. Cotter will work with distributors
and manage customer satisfaction.
International business leader Doug
Conant will receive the Intercollegiate
Tennis Association’s David A Benjamin
Achievement Award at a ceremony in
New York City on Sept. 7. Conant is a 1973
alumnus of Northwestern University. The
award pays tribute to past participants
in varsity tennis who have achieved
excellence in their chosen careers.
For the fifth time in her pro career, Head
Penn’s Paola Longoria of Mexico has
completed an undefeated season on the
Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour. The
2018-2019 season was Paola’s 16th on
the tour. Her overall match record stands
at 435 wins and 30 losses.
Longtime coach/teaching pro Jeff
Rothstein was inducted recently into the
USPTA Eastern Hall of Fame.
$180K from Chase for NJTL
For the sixth year, the USTA
Foundation has partnered with long-
time US Open sponsor Chase to award
12 National Junior Tennis and Learning
(NJTL) chapters with $15,000 grants.
The chapters are: A's & Aces, New
Orleans; Dallas Tennis Association;
First Break Academy, Carson, Calif.;
Houston Tennis Association; Legacy
Youth Tennis & Education, Philadel-
phia; MaliVai Washington Youth Foun-
dation, Jacksonville, Fla.; Metropolitan
Tennis and Education Group, Upper
Marlboro, Md.; N.Y. Junior Tennis &
Learning; Portland Tennis & Education,
Ore.; San Francisco Recreation & Parks;
Tenacity, Boston; and The ACE Project,
Riverdale, Ill.
Serena Williams Honored
on Wheaties Cereal Box

Serena Williams may have fallen one

LOVE LOVE
Club members and students will LOVE facing
off against the phenom. You will LOVE
offering the added advantage.
match short of winning another Wimble-
don championship this year, but as far
as the “Breakfast of Champions,” the
star stands alone. In June, General Mills
announced that Williams will grace the
cover of a Wheaties box.
General Mills has been celebrating
athletes on Wheaties cereal boxes since
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S

1934. Williams has won 23 Grand Slam

®
singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles
titles and four Olympic gold medals. The
follow lobste
t rsports on
te play more. win more.®

limited-edition box was on store shelves

For more information, please call 888.380.9460 or visit www.lobstersports.com for several weeks this summer.

12 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com

IndustryNews

PPR Collaborates on USAPA

Youth Pickleball Playbook
Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR)
has collaborated with USAPA on a new
Youth Pickleball Playbook. The playbook
is designed to help teachers, coaches,
recreation leaders, after-school staff and
ambassadors implement pickleball in any
recreational setting, including schools,
parks, youth centers and racquet and/or
EQUIPMENT paddle facilities.

Babolat Shows All-White This resource provides pickleball

leaders with fun games, skills activities,

Wimbledon Collection play rotations and play-manager tips for

offering a dynamic program to players.

B
 
Additional recommendations regard-
ing equipment, space and resources
abolat released a new Wimbledon collection for this year’s necessary to offer a successful pickleball
Championships that included an official racquet, shoe, sports bag and program are also included. The playbook,
accessories—all in white, and carrying the logos of both the company for which the PPR provided layout and
and the tournament. design, is based on the USAPA’s “Let’s
The Wimbledon Collection racquet is a Pure Strike Team Limited, with a Play Pickleball” resource.
100-square-inch head size and $199 retail price, which also is available in a junior Printed copies, along with a set of
version. A matching racquet bag is also available. The shoe in the collection is the laminated station signs for large group
Babolat Propulse Fury All Court Wimbledon ($130). instruction, are available for purchase at
usapa.org/recplay-resources/.
A free electronic, downloadable copy
will be soon be offered as a benefit of the
new USAPA Youth Pickleball Provider
Registration.
THE EXPERTS IN “We are proud to partner with USAPA
to help create an easy way for kids to
STRINGING MACHINES learn the sport we love,” says PPR’s
Nicole Hobson. “We are excited that the
USAPA Youth Playbook can be used to
teach younger generations, and it is
SPECIAL OFFER adaptable to teach people—even those
with very little sports background—no
REFURBISHED NEOS 1000 matter the age.”
BY OUR WORLD-RENOWNED TECHNICIANS
USTA Announces Slight
Rate Hike for CTA Insurance
CTAs continue to benefit from
discounted insurance rates provided
through the USTA, but after three years
REFURBISHED with no change in premiums, the USTA
CALL US NEOS 1000 recently announced slight increases
TODAY! $899 beginning with the 2020 CTA insurance
renewal process.
For organizations with a budget less
than $25,000, the premium will increase
from $205 to $225 annually. For orga-
C O U RT E S Y B A B O L AT

nizations with a budget greater than

Since 1934, Tennis Machines has been selling, servicing, and repairing $25,000, the premium increases from
stringing machines from every major brand in the industry. $565 to $600. The USTA says the new
rates will not increase for at least two
1.800.572.1055 WWW.TENNISMACHINES.COM ST. LOUIS, MO years. The 2020 CTA renewal process
will open around mid-November. 

14 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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TennisIndustry

Tennis Industry Hall of Fame

2019 INDUCTEES industry is extensive,” says TIA Presi-

Honor Roll dent Jeff Williams. “He helped to make

tennis popular during the boom years,
and his enduring support for tennis and
Cheryl Singer & Andy Varat education for America’s youth contin-
ues to inspire new generations.”
join the late Arthur Ashe
> Cheryl Singer and Andy Varat went
in the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. into business in 1974, soon after Singer
had walked onto a court in Florida with
a custom-made denim tennis skirt,

W
hen the industry comes together on Aug. 26 at the TIA Ten-
nis Forum in New York, the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame will
induct legend Arthur Ashe, who passed away in 1993, along
with apparel retail pioneers Cheryl Singer and Andy Varat, the
sister-brother team that created Tail activewear in 1974. The
2019 inductees are being celebrated for their dedication, passion and creativity in
helping this sport and industry grow.
> Arthur Ashe, who was born in youngsters. Today, the NJTL network
Richmond, Va., in 1943, won the US reaches 180,000 kids every year through
Open in 1968—the first year of “Open” 300 chapters across the country.
tennis—the Australian Open in 1970 and Ashe, who contracted HIV through
Wimbledon in 1975, and he was the first a blood transfusion, worked to educate
African-American selected to the U.S. others about HIV and AIDS, founding
Davis Cup team, competing on winning the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the
teams in 1963, ’68, ’69 and ’70. Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe
thrilling her friends. Singer and Varat
decided to call the new company “Tail”
as a counter to the popular Head tennis
apparel brand. The siblings borrowed
money to pay for a booth at a tennis
show in Miami Beach—and their prod-
uct was the talk of the event.
From there, “It kind of organically
kept growing,” Singer says, “and we be-
came very involved with our customers.”
Singer and Varat’s relationships with
customers and accounts is legendary.
“The more input we got from our
customers, the better product we could
produce,” Singer says about the busi-
ness. “The feedback is what we wanted—
we were very good listeners.”
“We brought something new to the
A P/ C H E RY L S I N G E R /A N DY VA R AT

But Ashe’s legacy lives well beyond
his wins on tour. The same year he won
the US Open, Ashe joined with Charlie
Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder to found
the National Junior Tennis League, now
called the National Junior Tennis and
Learning (NJTL) network. Over the
last 50 years, NJTL has transformed
the lives of hundreds of thousands of
Institute for Urban Health. In June
1993, five months after his death, he was
posthumously awarded the U.S.’s highest
civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, by President Bill Clinton. This
past June, a street in Richmond was
renamed Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
“Arthur was taken from us too soon,
but his influence on this sport and
industry,” adds Varat, who with Singer
sold the company in 2008. Now, they
help Singer’s son, Brad, with his own
apparel company, Lucky in Love.
“We were always leading with fashion
trends and bringing that consistently
to the industry,” Varat says. “For us, it
was all about relationships, service and
quality.” 

16 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com

TennisIndustry
Court Construction
FACILITY ASSISTANCE
Community Investment
The USTA’s Tennis Venue Design Group
and Facility Assistance help to boost
the sport in thousands of communities.
By Beau Fieldsend
A
re there courts in your
community that need a
facelift? Would you like
to improve your venue,
but don’t know where to
start? The USTA’s Facility Assistance
program and Tennis Venue Design
Group would like to help.
The Facility Assistance program
caters to a range of providers and
community tennis organizations, from
those looking to repair cracked courts
and add 36-foot and 60-foot blended
lines at their local park, to those hoping
to build a state-of-the-art, multi-court
facility. The USTA has funding levels up
to $100,000 for public venues, seg-
menting its financial assistance based
on the number of courts a facility is
renovating or constructing.
Along with free technical expertise,
the USTA has expanded its program to
offer business development assistance
18 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
for reconstruction projects, while con-
tinuing to offer world-class advocacy
assistance, identification of potential
partners and funding sources, and
assessment of existing or planned
facilities for every type of project.
“It’s great to see how the Facility
Assistance program has blossomed
since its inception in 2005, assisting
thousands of communities, helping
to grow the sport, increase play op-
portunities and raise revenue,” says
Virgil Christian, USTA senior director
of Strategic & Section Infrastructure.
“Continuously focusing on tennis
venues in local communities is the best
way to get people active and engaged.”
The needs of the tennis community
are wide-ranging when it comes to
improving existing facilities or building
new ones, with many variables for pub-
lic and private entities and Community
Tennis Associations to consider, from
budgeting and business planning, to
design and infrastructure assessments.
Organizations that may be experts at
tennis programming and managing
the day-to-day needs of facilities may
not be familiar with details specific to
tennis development. This is where the
USTA’s Tennis Venue Design Group
offers its most valuable benefit to the
industry, by expanding court develop-
ment, increasing the life cycle of exist-
ing courts and having a direct effect on
the growth of tennis participation.
The USTA has a team of four project
consultants—Heather Blythe, Robin
Jones, Lynne Schachte and Lauren
Zink—each responsible for the major-
ity of projects that the Tennis Venue
Design Group works on in their assigned
sections. Communities and venues are
leveraging their experience, expertise
and advice in many areas, but a primary
role is to guide projects through the
grant process and be the point of contact
for any questions or concerns.
To be considered for project funding,
public venues must complete the USTA
Facility Assistance Form at usta.com/
facilities and be actively engaged with
the USTA Facility Assistance program
by working with a USTA project consul-
tant. In addition, communities must
show their project meets specified
industry standards and is able to dem-
onstrate a financial need, while being
able to meet at least 50 percent of the
project cost. (Note that when applying
for 36- or 60-foot blended lines, both
public and private facilities are eligible
for 100 percent reimbursement.)
To date, the USTA’s Facility Assistance
program has invested more than $13
million in communities nationwide, and
has completed more than 8,700 projects.
The program has contributed to $500
million in tennis infrastructure in the
United States, building or renovating
C O U RT E S Y U S TA / C A RY T E N N I S PA R K
40,000 tennis courts.
For more information, including con-
necting with the Facility Consultant for
your section, viewing the Tennis Venue
Design Group’s portfolio and client
testimonials, visit usta.com/facilities or
email facilities@usta.com. •
Beau Fieldsend is the USTA’s manager of
Strategic & Section Infrastructure.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry

SNEEL W
LIN
RGA CFQRUA EMTESS

2 0 1 7 R EAQC UQ IUPEMT ESNETL E C T O R

Fall Ball 1

Companies are introducing

new racquets for the
US Open and fall season.
By Bob Patterson
Executive Director, USRSA

F
 
or many racquet manufacturers, the
US Open has often served as a time for their
sponsored tour pros to take to the courts at
Flushing Meadows, debuting the latest
frames on the tennis world’s grandest
stage—and in time to be available for consumers in
the fall season.
At press time in mid-July, a handful of companies had
new frames they were able to tell us about. Expect other
companies to introduce new models as the US Open plays
out and we head into the fall and holiday season. When
they do, we’ll return with additional coverage.

1 /YONEX / yonexusa.com

Yonex launches the latest VCore Pro line, made in Japan,

and endorsed by pros Stan Wawrinka and Frances Tiafoe.
The new technology features a vibration dampening mesh
incorporated in the grip for improved feel, says Yonex.
The VCore Pro 97 is available in 330 grams (11.6 ounces)
and 310 grams (10.9 ounces), both featuring a 16/19 string 2
pattern. The VCore Pro 97 HD weighs in at 320 grams (11.3
ounces) and features an 18/20 string pattern. The VCore
Pro 100 is available in a 300-gram (10.6-ounce) or 280-gram
(9.9-ounce) weight and both feature a 16/19 string pattern.
The VCore Pro 97 XXX is available in 290 and 270 grams
(10.2 and 9.5 ounces) and features a 16/19 string pattern.

2 /VOLKL / volkltennis.com

Volkl introduces the V Feel 3 and V Feel 7 to complete the

V Feel lineup. Both feature Volkl V-Feel Technology, a com-
bination of revolutionary EVA, Vcell and Vtex technologies
providing increased dampening and less torque, says Volkl.
Also new is the latest version of the classic C-10 Pro.

20 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 As the US Open plays out and we head into the fall
and holiday seasons, expect more racquet manufacturers
to introduce new models for players of all levels.

3 4

3 /WILSON / wilson.com 4 /HEAD / head.com

P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y YO N E X , V O L K L , W I L S O N, H E A D

Wilson introduces the Clash line of racquets after a tease
ad campaign that had dealers and players anxious to see
and feel the new frames. The line is designed for big-hitting
players with an aggressive game. The Clash 98 features a
98-square-inch head with an average unstrung weight of
310 grams (10.9 ounces) and a 16/19 string pattern. The
Clash 100L features extraordinary control and flexibil-
ity, says Wilson, weighing in at 280 grams (9.9 ounces).
The Clash 108 has a 108-square-inch head, 280-gram
(9.9-ounce) weight and 16/19 string pattern.
Also new is the latest version of the Blade line. The Blade
98, in 16/19 and 18/20 string patterns, is one of the most
popular frames on tour. Also available are the Blade 100L,
Blade 104 and Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail.
Head launches a new line: Gravity, endorsed by Alexander
Zverev and built for aggressive next-generation players. The
Gravity Pro features a 20-mm beam and 100-square-inch
head size with an 18/20 string pattern. Average unstrung
weight is 315 grams (11.1 ounces). The Gravity MP features
a 22-mm beam, 100-square-inch head size and 16/20 string
pattern. It comes in a bit lighter than the Pro at an average
of 295 grams (10.4 ounces). Both frames feature the latest
Graphene 360+ technology, a combination of Graphene
360’s energy transfer and innovative spiral fibers for an
enhanced flex and clean impact feel, says Head.
Also new for Head is the latest incarnation of the Radical
Line: the Radical Pro, Radical MP, Radical S, Radical PWR
and Radical 26. All feature Graphene 360 technology.

www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 21

TennisIndustry
SELLING STRINGS
Variety Store
Make sure your string inventory
provides a thorough selection
for current and potential customers.
By Bob Patterson
Executive Director, USRSA
I
n any retail business, manag-
ing inventory is essential to
being successful. Having too
much inventory will wreck
your profit margin, while not
having enough inventory can hurt sales
and the potential for repeat business.
It’s not only important to have the right
amount of inventory, but it’s vital to have
the right selection available—which is
especially true for strings.
If stringing is a big part of your busi-
ness, having a good selection can be
tricky. On one hand, you want to present
to your customers the newest strings
that are being introduced. But if you’re
doing your job effectively, you have
probably already spent a lot of time
getting your players into a string set-up
22 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
Stringing
that works for their game. So, once
they’re content with their string, it’s
hard to try to get them into something
new. In addition, if you are manag-
ing your inventory, then bringing in a
new string may mean you need to drop
another string to make room. It can be
quite the conundrum.
First, make sure you have a good
variety of options to fit your current
clients as well as potential ones.
Whether you stock 10 strings or 50
strings will depend on your volume.
You need to make sure you hit every
category of string, but skew your inven-
tory to your clients. If the majority of
your players are young big hitters who
prefer a stiff, durable string, you don’t
need half of your inventory to be natural
gut or multifilaments. But, you also
don’t want to exclude a category, either.
You need to cover your bases for poten-
tial clients who may play differently.
New string introductions should be
assessed to see if they make sense for
your business. Does the new string fill a
void in your inventory? Is it very similar
to something you already stock? If so,
determine if it offers any advantages. Is
the new string less expensive, providing
a better margin? Does it provide some
other incentive or advantage to either
you or your client? If so, then you may
want to replace an existing string with
the new one. If not, then pass.
It’s not only important to
have the right amount
of inventory, but it’s vital to
have the right selection
available—which is
especially true for strings.
You certainly want to investigate and
consider new introductions, as there
seems to be new technology coming
all the time. But remember that many
of the top-selling strings have been on
the market for years. New is not always
better, but don’t ignore new products
and place your clients in the position to
miss something that may improve their
performance.
While clients tend to find a good
string set-up and stick with it, remem-
ber that their game is constantly chang-
ing, and their needs must be constantly
evaluated. As a player gains skills—or,
conversely, ages and loses some skills—
their needs will change.
Make sure you are keeping an open
dialogue with each client every time
they come in into your shop. Even
if they stay with the same set-up, it
shows them that you care and are
working to help them play their best
every time they step on the court. 
As a player’s game
constantly changes, so
will their stringing needs.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry

MIDWEST

ARTA Serves Up
Community
R E C R E AT I O N A L T E N N I S

GRASSROOTS GAME
After years without organized tennis in

Section
the small city of Gaylord, Mich., a group

C O U RT E S Y U S TA M I DW E S T/A RTA ; U S TA N O RT H E R N ; U S TA C A R I B B E A N ; U S TA M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y
of dedicated individuals came together
in 2012 and formed the Alpine Regional
Tennis Association (ARTA). The
association works tirelessly to integrate
the sport into the lives of Gaylord’s

Stars
In each of the USTA’s 17 sections,
dedicated volunteers, staff and
organizations are helping to keep
this game growing.
youngsters and adults.
At the helm of the many programs is
Dave Johnson, a PTR-certified instruc-
tor eager to use tennis to make a differ-
ence in the community. As more people
took to tennis through Johnson’s
programs, the ARTA board decided to
go the next step—building four new out-
door courts. ARTA, the city and county
raised more than $300,000, and the new
courts opened in May 2018. Volunteers
installed 700 plants to protect the
courts from standing water.
Now led by Sheila Simpson, ARTA
will look to continue fostering a love
and appreciation of the sport, and
the association is hoping to create an
indoor facility in the future.
ARTA, says Gaylord Mayor John
Jenkins, is “looking out for everybody
and anybody who has an interest in
tennis.”

24 TennisIndustry September/October 2019 www.tennisindustrymag.com


Volunteers play a pivotal role in providing the best possible
experience for players, assisting tennis providers and helping make
a section’s tennis offerings the best they can be.
NORTHERN
A Consummate
Volunteer
In each state in USTA Northern,
volunteers play a pivotal role in provid-
ing the best possible experience for
players, assisting tennis providers
and helping make the section’s tennis
offerings the best they can be. But few
volunteer contributions rise to Greg
Anderson’s level.
Anderson, without fail, is the first
to get in contact with USTA Northern
staff to lend his time and effort to the
cause. He volunteers as a court moni-
tor for Junior Team Tennis. He serves
League lunches. He volunteers at
member appreciation and community
activation events like Pride, Rondo
Days and Cinco de Mayo.
The Northern Section counts itself
lucky to have Anderson, who not only
is ready to volunteer for any USTA
tournament or event, but he played
in nine tourneys himself last year.
In fact, Anderson is so dedicated, he
recently sent a message to section
staff apologizing for being unable to
volunteer at an event.
“Besides playing and volunteering, I
watch the Tennis Channel,” Anderson
says. “That’s pretty much it!”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
CARIBBEAN
Loving, Living and
Inspiring Tennis
Jimmy Vazquez started playing tennis
30 years ago, and the sport immediately
became his passion. After his first two
years, he became a team captain, suc-
cessfully leading squads to sectional
and national championships. Then he
reached out to his section’s local league
coordinator to collaborate on grow-
ing the game and promoting the social
aspect of tennis.
Over the last 25 years, Vazquez has
worn many hats: tournament direc-
tor, organizer, board member for the
section and for private clubs, chair of
section committees, and a member of
the USTA’s National League Commit-
tee. A property manager of a villa resort
at Culebra, Vazquez is also an accoun-
tant and a chef, known in the league
community for his paella.
“Jimmy goes above and beyond in
every project he gets involved with,”
says USTA Caribbean Executive Direc-
tor Rosa Martinez. “We’re honored to
have him as one of our most valuable
volunteers. He’s an example of selfless
commitment, dedication and effort who’s
always willing to lend a hand and share a
smile.” —Blamilsa Corujo Rodríguez
TennisIndustry
MISSOURI VALLEY
Increasing
Opportunities to Play
Sara Rassmusen, director of the
Ralph Wulz Riverside Tennis Center in
Wichita, Kan., is growing a love of
tennis in players of all ages, bringing
new tournaments and programs to the
facility and her community.
In just one example, through a part-
nership with the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation, commu-
nity centers in lower-income areas
receive funding and assistance for
Riverside programming. Rasmus-
sen is also a Net Generation provider
involved with the School Partnership
Program at Colvin Elementary School.
The Riverside Tennis Center itself
has increased opportunities for play
through creative programs and team
events. Rassmusen also helped the cen-
ter apply for funding to build pickleball
courts that have been used to draw new
players, and help kids build an interest
in tennis. She has also served as tourna-
ment director and organizer.
In 2018, her first year at Riverside
Tennis Center, Rassmusen won the
USTA Kansas District’s award for
Outstanding Contributor to Youth
Tennis Programs. —Kendra Wicks
September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 25
TennisIndustry
Great coaching is the primary reason a player will be
motivated and continue in the game. The quality of a program
can never exceed the quality of its coaches.
EASTERN
Passion and Enthusiasm A Career Dedicated
for the Sport to Growing Tennis
For over 20 years, Sandy Hoffman has
been invaluable to the USTA Eastern
team. As the tennis service rep for the
Southern Region, she has connected
thousands of students in the Westches-
ter, N.Y., area to local tennis program-
ming, including facilitating a recent
partnership between the Yonkers
Tennis Center and Yonkers Public
Schools that helped more than 300
children gain access to lessons.
Hoffman, who is retiring at the end
of the year, has also bolstered parks
programming throughout the region,
including helping to revitalize tennis at
Port Chester Parks & Rec, in 2017, with
structured programs that attracted
nearly 200 people that summer.
“Sandy radiates passion and
enthusiasm about tennis wherever
she goes,” says USTA Eastern board
member Olga Harvey.
“Sandy’s success is largely due to her
tremendous interpersonal skills and
warmth,” adds USTA Eastern CEO and
Executive Director Jenny Schnitzer.
“Those qualities are also what make her
such a trusted and beloved colleague.
She will truly be missed!"
26 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
PA C I F I C N O R T H W E S T
Kirk Anderson is one of the foremost
authorities in youth tennis coaching,
and he has received many accolades,
including Tennis Industry’s Person of
the Year Award in 2006. He has been an
integral part of the USTA for 30 years
at the national level, with the Midwest
section and now with Pacific Northwest.
After 50 years in the industry, Anderson
will retire at the end of 2019.
When his high school tennis coach
asked Anderson to take his spot as di-
rector for the local Parks & Rec tennis
program, he knew teaching was his call-
ing. He served as the director for coach
education at the USTA for 20 years.
Since moving to Portland three years
ago, Anderson has developed new
resources and shared inspiring ways
to coach players of all ages with an
emphasis on fun, development, activity
and retention. He has made it his mis-
sion to coach others to improve and be
their best.
“Great coaching is the primary
reason a player will be motivated and
continue in the game,” he says. “The
quality of a program can never exceed
the quality of its coaches.”
C O U RT E S Y U S TA E A S T E R N ; U S TA PA C I F I C N O RT H W E S T; U S TA T E X A S ; U S TA N O RT H E R N C A L I F O R N I A ; U S TA M I D D L E S TAT E S
TEXAS
In Dallas, a True
Star for the Sport
Most coaches bring one or two teams to
the Junior Team Tennis Section Cham-
pionships. But Christina Allen isn’t like
most coaches. In fact, she’s not a coach
at all. She doesn’t even play tennis.
Allen is a parent who has been help-
ing out with Dallas JTT, bringing six
teams in total—or one-fourth of all
teams—to the National Championship
Qualifying Tournament held in Fort
Worth this past June. Last year, Allen
brought two teams to JTT Nation-
als, and both were crowned National
Champions, with daughters Emma and
Sarah part of the winning squads.
In 2016, Allen was invited to be
on the Dallas Tennis Association
Tournament Committee, building
relationships from her work at the
Irving Tennis Classic until that event
ended in 2018. She now works with the
RBC Championship of Dallas. Allen
was named USTA Texas Volunteer of
the Year in 2018 for her hard work and
dedication to growing the sport.
This tennis parent proves you don’t
have to be a player to make a huge
impact on the sport, and on those who
do play it.
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Nancy Wilkins (right)
has helped to spur
massive growth of tennis
programming in the
Middle States section.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Creating a New Generation
of Leaders for the Industry
Last year, Hilary Phu was a winner in the 18-and-under
category of the 20th Annual USTA Foundation NJTL Essay
Contest, and represented her NJTL chapter at the US Open
(below). Now, as an intern at USTA NorCal, she continues to
take on more of a leadership role within the tennis community.
Phu has been playing Junior Team Tennis since 2012. In
2015, her coach asked her to lead a group of young players, a
challenging task for anyone, let alone a teenager leading her
friends and peers. But Phu excelled at the role.
She then asked Darren Wenger, NorCal’s JTT specialist, if
she could volunteer with the section championships. “First, I
was refilling water and checking in players, but I was eager to
take on bigger responsibilities,” Phu says. “So Darren taught me
many of his tasks, such as checking team lineups and leading a
group of coaches to confirm they were following the format.”
Phu has since become a certified co-captain and continues
to take on more responsibilities with her teams, such as
organizing team outfits, coaching younger players and run-
ning matches when the coach is not available.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry
Tennis
M I D D L E S TAT E S
The ‘Epitome of a Selfless
Volunteer’ for Tennis
Nancy Wilkins’ involvement throughout the tennis com-
munity is vast, and so is her influence on the sport. Her day
job is as the director of tennis at RiverWinds Golf & Tennis
Club in West Deptford, N.J. But she’s become well-known for
her work with the Special Olympics, where she has made an
impact locally and nationally, organizing local play through
Special Olympics of New Jersey and serving as the tennis
director for the Special Olympics USA Games.
“Nancy is the epitome of a selfless volunteer,” says Middle
States Executive Director Ben Zislis. “Her efforts at the local,
section and national levels show her passion and dedication
for giving back to the game that has given her so much.”
Recently, Wilkins helped organize tennis festivals in New
Jersey. Her work on these special programs has become a
catalyst for growth in the lives of many kids looking for a
sport to compete in.
“One thing that always impresses us is how Nancy can
manage so much as an organizer, while still connecting with
players in such a personal way,” Zislis adds. “She does it all.”
September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 27
TennisIndustry
"Children are learning tennis
while having fun," says Noe
Vasquez (right). "It's important
to have fun because it helps build
confidence and self-esteem."
NEW ENGLAND
Making Tennis and
Learning Fun
Walter Perry of South Paris, Maine, is the dad, teacher and
coach every kid wants. A chemistry teacher at Oxford Hills
High School, he has the personality, relatability and passion
for kids that constantly keeps them engaged.
Perry (below) had been a high school tennis coach for
20 years, but left varsity coaching last year to pursue other
avenues. As it happened, Eric Driscoll, USTA New England's
tennis service rep for Maine, had a perfect opportunity for him.
“We were looking for a tennis coach for our Park and Rec-
reation pilot program in Portland, and Walter was the perfect
fit,” Driscoll says. “His energy is contagious.”
With Perry’s leadership and creativity, the program for
children in grades 1 to 8 gained traction through last summer
and fall, and many parents requested a winter session. This
became the first tennis program run through the Portland
Recreation Department in five years and is now known as
Portland’s Tennis in the Parks program.
“Whether teaching or coaching, I just identify with the
kids,” Perry says. “I understand them well.” —James Maimonis
28 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
M I D -AT L A N T I C
Inspiring Youth to be Their
Best Through Tennis
Growing up in a poor community in El Salvador, Noe
Vasquez didn’t have access to tennis, yet he loved the game
and wanted to play it. When he was 10, he started as a ball
boy at the Primera Raqueta Country Club, and began to work
on his tennis skills. He began playing tournaments, moving
quickly up the ranks, and realized that he wanted to dedicate
himself to the game and to helping others through tennis.
Today, Vasquez is impacting the lives of kids and adults
as a USPTA certified tennis professional and coach. Earlier
C O U RT E S Y U S TA N E W E N G L A N D ; U S TA M I D - AT L A N T I C ; U S TA H AWA I I PA C I F I C ; U S TA I N T E R M O U N TA I N ; U S TA S O U T H W E S T
this year, he was voted “No. 1 Tennis Instructor” in Loudoun
County, Va., particularly for his work as a head coach for
the USTA Mid-Atlantic’s afterschool tennis program called
TGA Premier Youth Tennis, helping introduce thousands of
children to the sport.
Vasquez says that for him, the best part about coaching is
being able to give students the opportunity to learn a new
skill and feel confident about themselves: “My students learn
that perfection is not the goal, but rather to just do your best
and be your best self.” —Lauren Hoffmann
www.tennisindustrymag.com

It’s the best job I’ve ever had, and there’s never been a day
when I ever dreaded going to work.
H A W A I I PA C I F I C
Developing Youth
Players
Barbara Wallace has served Hawaii’s
tennis community for over 20 years.
A visionary and go-getter, she formed
an affordable tennis program at Kalama
Park on Maui that services players from
all areas of the island community, as
well as its many visitors. She’s also been
dedicated to helping Hawaii’s youth
enjoy the sport, organizing numerous
fundraisers to help Maui children cover
travel expenses for tournaments and
events on the mainland.
Most recently, Wallace took the
initiative to jumpstart Orange Ball
tournaments on Maui to give area
youngsters opportunities to earn
progression points. In just the past
year, she’s run four of these tourna-
ments, and as a result, she is now
proficient in using the USTA’s
Tournament Data Manager.
On top of developing youth players,
Wallace also actively participates in
workshops for coaches. Through her
enthusiasm and selfless dedication,
she’s inspired many Hawaii players
to make a positive impact in
their community by way of good
sportsmanship, conduct and character.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
I N T E R M O U N TA I N
Contagious Energy
and Positivity
To say Rob Scott is passionate about
tennis would be a vast understatement.
The executive director of USTA
Intermountain, Scott has dedicated
nearly 30 years to all aspects of the
industry. He’s worked tirelessly as an
advocate for unity in a geographically
and politically diverse six-state section.
In 2012, Scott took on the difficult
task of restructuring a section staff
and volunteer pool in a contentious
environment that would challenge
even the most seasoned manager. But
his consensus-focused, relationship-
building style was the perfect approach.
“Rob combines amazing people skills
with excellent management skills and
knowledge of the tennis industry,” says
a section board member. Adds a staffer:
“We are extremely grateful to have such
a high-performing individual who also
has a sense for empowering others.”
“Rob does everything he can to set
our section up for success,” says Wendy
Anderson, the section’s marketing and
communications manager. “His energy
and positivity are contagious. This
section feels more like a family because
of Rob’s inclusive leadership.”
September/October 2019
TennisIndustry
SOUTHWEST
Official Teaching
Moments
It takes deft touch and remarkable self-
control to become a great tennis player,
but those same skills are needed in
abundance in another vital area of the
sport—officiating. Tucson’s Mei Hand
has been exhibiting those traits for the
last decade as one of the Southwest's
most valuable USTA officials.
Hand’s on-court appearances always
feel like true teaching moments. She
is the current USTA Southwest lead
chair of officials, helping to recruit new
officials, in addition to officiating at
collegiate matches, junior and adult
tournaments, and USTA Adult League
Championships. Her tone with players
when they may need a little guidance
and direction, or even when they tend
go a little astray behavior-wise, is pitch-
perfect. Last year, she was honored
with the USTA Southwest Tournament
Enrichment Award. Her tennis-playing
background helps, too—she’s a 4.5
player and has appeared at a few USTA
Adult League National Championships.
It's a delicate balancing act being
both tough but understanding, but
that’s what makes Hand so officially
good at her job. —Jeff Sikes
TennisIndustry 29
TennisIndustry
The worst idea is not having an idea in the works. Even when there is
a new project that may not be as relevant to current goals, you never
know what that door may open for future opportunities.
SOUTHERN
Bringing Junior
Tennis to the Fore
Earlier this summer, a pillar of South-
ern tennis announced his retirement.
Bill Ozaki, the section’s director of
player development and programs, has
guided junior tournament play and
player development for nearly 30 years.
“Bill handles challenging situations
with such an ability to stay calm, smile
and make situations the best they can
be,” says John Callen, USTA Southern
executive director & COO. “Over the
decades he has helped thousands and
thousands of Southern junior players,
their parents and coaches.”
Known for his warm and outgoing
personality, in addition to his
leadership skills, Ozaki, of Flowery
Branch, Ga., has been instrumental in
nearly doubling junior tournament
participation, from about 20,000
players in 1991 to 38,000 today. In his
three decades, he’s watched as a string
of highly successful pros emerged from
the USTA junior circuit.
“I can honestly say two things about
working at USTA Southern,” Ozaki
says. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had, and
there’s never been a day when I ever
dreaded going to work.” —Ron Cioffi
30 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Connecting with
Local Junior Players
Barbara Estes, a recreational player
who traveled the California coast to
compete in and help organize local
tennis tournaments, graciously vol-
unteered her time to help out the 1982
Pacific Southwest Tennis Champion-
ships in Los Angeles—won by Jimmy
Connors. In 1985, she accepted a job
with the Southern California Tennis
Association, overseeing player stats and
rankings. This year, she announced her
retirement from the section.
An annual highlight for Estes and her
colleagues was the Los Angeles Open, a
top-level men’s event that ended its
85-year run in 2012. Estes would
shuttle volunteers, brushing shoulders
with top players and celebrities.
Today, most local players have
connected with Estes through junior
tennis, registering at tournament desks
and calling the SCTA office with points
and ranking questions.
“I love working with the kids and
seeing them grow,” she says. “Watching
the little kids, like [current ATP pro]
Steve Johnson, walk up to the desk, and
then they grow up and become college
players, or coaches, or moms and dads.”
F LO R I D A
Innovating to Create
Opportunities
Long before the USTA National
Campus was imagined, Orange County
was a hotbed for tennis activity, growth
and innovation in Florida. Marcelo
Gouts, owner of MG Tennis, has been
stoking that fire for nearly 40 years.
Originally from South America,
Gouts relocated to Orlando in 1982.
C O U RT E S Y U S TA S O U T H E R N ; U S TA S O U T H E R N CA L I F O R N I A ; U S TA F L O R I D A
Soon, he joined Orange County Parks
& Recreation and took on its largest
tennis facility, Lake Cane Tennis
Center. Over the years, he has tested,
provided feedback for and promoted
nearly every USTA and USTA Florida
program. When USTA Florida wanted
to connect with Hispanic families,
Gouts helped to create and lead the
Tenis Para Todos initiative. More
recently, he helped pilot a new adult
beginner program, Love to Learn.
What makes Gouts different is his
ability to stay current and innovate to
meet consumers’ ever-changing needs.
“The worst idea is not having an idea
in the works,” he says. “Even when
there is a new project that may not be
as relevant to current goals, you never
know what that door may open for
future opportunities.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
TennisIndustry
Court Construction
FACILITY DESIGN
Comfort Zones
Your tennis facility’s design should
enhance the player and fan experiences
—and can help grow the sport.
By Tim Gerrits, ASLA
GMB Architecture + Engineering
Well-designed tennis courts go beyond
the playing surface. Thinking about
your tennis facility holistically—
whether indoor or outdoor—can
improve the experience for players,
coaches, instructors and spectators.
In an ongoing effort to increase
tennis participation, tennis providers
32 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
need to both attract new people to the
sport and retain the players we have.
Well-designed tennis facilities can be a
part of this solution. Attracting young
people to the sport means catering
not only to existing players, but also to
their families, who are often spending
an extended amount of time at your
facility in support of an athlete. Making
that experience a positive one through
design and amenities should be a part
of an outreach strategy for your facility,
and even the sport at large.
A well-designed facility can help
with recruiting to improve enrollment
in your school, academy, camp or club.
Better design and amenities can attract
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y G M B A R C H I T E CT U R E + E N G I N E E R I N G
high-caliber tournaments and other
events to your facility, potentially pro-
viding an additional source of revenue
that offsets upgrade investment.
People enjoy spending time in
well-designed spaces. When you are
thinking about making improvements
to your facility, consider some of these
features, which can make a positive
impact on your own tennis community.
Signage and Branding
Instill pride in the home team and in-
crease awareness of your organization
through signage. The most common
www.tennisindustrymag.com

applications of a brand are on the back
fence line and in between courts on the
court surface.
Good signage can also help
customers find their way around and
give a positive impression of your
facility to a visitor. If events at your
well-branded facility are featured on
social or traditional media, the visibility
can generate more interest in your
facility and even in the sport itself.
Seating and Viewing
Seating needs at your facility will vary
based on the level and type of competi-
tion. If you have hopes of hosting high-
profile tournaments or invitationals, an
investment in seating can make your
facility more attractive.
Benches and bleacher seats are
among the most common seating
options selected at the community
and secondary school level due to
their lower cost. Stadium seats have
www.tennisindustrymag.com
a cost premium, but they bring the
experience of the facility to a higher
level. Fans appreciate the increase in
comfort, and the improvements to the
spectator experience could result in a
boost in morale for the players, too.
While personal preferences vary,
most casual spectators find the ideal
location for seating to be behind the
baseline, rather than along the sideline.
If seating behind the baseline is not an
option, look for other ways to increase
the quality of seating along the sidelines.
Fence heights need to be considered
in conjunction with seating placement.
High fences behind the baseline, when
combined with wind screens, further
build a case for an elevated seating area.
Along the sidelines, 4-foot-high fences
have long been the standard, but this
height often places the top bar at the
spectator sight line. Lowering the side
fence to 2.5 to 3 feet is a new trend for
courts with sideline viewing.
September/October 2019
TennisIndustry
Regardless of the type of seating, fans
and other players can better enjoy spec-
tating from an elevated viewing area.
Raised seating set above the fence is
worth considering for many reasons: it is
also a great location for filming players,
which can be used as a teaching tool.
Court Layout
How the courts are laid out has an
impact on those who are watching.
Individual courts have long been
popular at private clubs, offering a
more intimate playing experience for
individual matches.
In team settings, such as a college
tennis facility, a center spine layout
provides benefits to coaches, players
and spectators. Coaches and instruc-
tors are better able to keep an eye
on the progress of drills or matches.
Spectators can track multiple matches,
and players may benefit from feeling
connected to their teammates.
TennisIndustry 33
TennisIndustry
Amenities
Players, fans and instructors desire
many of the same amenities at a tennis
facility: shade, access to water foun-
tains and bathrooms, and tournament
information boards are some basic
amenities to consider.
Shade can be natural, such as trees
planted on the site; built-in to the
design of the facility, such as an area
underneath an elevated viewing plat-
form; a stand-alone structure, like a
pavilion; or a temporary solution, such
as a table umbrella.
Designing shaded spaces for players
and coaches requires consideration
of its location relative to where play
is occurring, and proximity to water
and bathrooms. Deciding if shade is
for breaks during a match, or a place
to relax between games, also helps
determine how many people it should
cover. Fans may be on-site for an entire
day watching matches, so providing
34 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
options for shade in or near the seating
areas is essential to their enjoyment
and comfort.
A basic tournament information
board is helpful for players and specta-
tors. It should be in a centralized loca-
tion that is accessible and readable. If
you host large events that draw players
from outside the area, consider includ-
ing information that extends beyond
the court and facility, such as informa-
tion about the community, including
local attractions that can enhance the
visitor experience.
Facilities that host a high level of
competition should consider a score-
board to add to the fan experience.
Often, these facilities also feature a
sound system, which has many benefits.
If you host large-scale instruction,
camps or teams, a sound system can
help communicate drills and timing
to all players across your courts at the
same time. Playing music between
drills or matches can motivate players
and inject fun for fans as well.
When it comes to picking a location
to host tournaments, whether for high
schools, universities or even large
USTA-sanctioned events, decisions
aren’t made solely based on the quality
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y G M B A R C H I T E CT U R E + E N G I N E E R I N G
of the tennis courts themselves. Of-
ficials also consider spectator seating
and viewing, player and spectator
comfort, amenities available and other
factors. A well-designed site and facility
play into these considerations. •
Tim Gerrits leads the Sports practice
at GMB Architecture + Engineering of
Holland, Mich. He has combined a back-
ground in landscape architecture with
a passion for sports and competition.
With over 25 years of experience, Tim
has designed more than 45 tennis facili-
ties, including over 175 post-tensioned
concrete courts.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
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TennisIndustry
EQUIPMENT
Tourna Big Hitter
Silver 7 Tour 17
By Bob Patterson
T
ourna Big Hitter Silver
Tour 7 is a seven-sided
control-oriented poly
with massive spin,
according to Tourna.
This string is crafted
in Germany with the latest, most
advanced co-poly materials. Tourna
says the materials undergo a thermal
process that strengthens the molecular
bonds to keep the edges sharp and the
string structure intact longer. Tourna
designed this string for high-level play-
ers and touring pros.
Big Hitter Silver Tour is available in
16 and 17 gauge, in silver. It is priced
from $6.50 for sets of 40 feet and $68
for 660-foot reels. For more informa-
tion or to order, contact Tourna at 800-
554-3707, or visit uniquesports.us.
Be sure to read the conclusion of this
playtest for information about getting a
free set to try.
In the Lab
We tested the 17-gauge Big Hitter
36 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
StringPlaytest
Silver 7 Tour. The coil measured 40
feet, 2 inches. The diameter measured
1.24-1.26 mm prior to stringing, and
1.22-1.25 mm after stringing. We re-
corded a string-bed stiffness of 76 RDC
units immediately after stringing at 60
pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x
18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), string-
bed stiffness measured 72 RDC units,
representing a 5 percent tension loss.
Our control string, Prince Synthetic
Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC
units immediately after stringing and
71 RDC units after 24 hours, repre-
senting a 9 percent tension loss. In lab
testing, Prince Synthetic Gut Original
had a stiffness of 217 and a tension loss
of 11.67 pounds, while Tourna Big Hit-
ter Silver 7 Tour 17 had a stiffness of 198
and a tension loss of 13.41 pounds. Big
Hitter Silver 7 Tour 17 added 15 grams
to the weight of our unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks
by 31 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP
ratings from 3.5 to 6. These are blind
Playtester Ratings:
Ease of Stringing
(compared to other strings)
Much easier: 0
Somewhat easier: 3
About as easy: 15
Not quite as easy: 11
Not nearly as easy: 2
Overall Playability
(compared to the string played most often)
Much better: 0
Somewhat better: 6
About as playable: 11
Not quite as playable: 10
Not nearly as playable: 4
Overall Durability
(compared to other strings of similar gauge)
Much better: 8
Somewhat better: 10
About as durable: 11
Not quite as durable: 1
Not nearly as durable: 1
Rating Averages
From 1 to 5 (best)
Playability: 3.5
Durability: 4.5 (7th highest)
Power: 3.4
Control: 3.9 (5th highest)
Comfort: 3.4
Touch/Feel: 3.3
Spin Potential: 4.3 (3rd highest)
Holding Tension: 3.4
Resistance to Movement: 4.1
tests, with playtesters receiving
unmarked strings in unmarked
packages. Average number of hours
playtested was 24.2.
Our testers noted that while the
string had a strong recoil memory, it did
not kink as easily as some poly-based
strings do. While you can certainly
feel the string’s edges, it didn’t cut
into itself when installing the crosses
when using the one-ahead method. The
string was easy to get through blocked
or shared holes. The string didn’t have
a notable stretch during installation,
but had plenty of string to complete the
racquet. Knots cinched up neatly.
One playtester broke the sample
during stringing, nine reported prob-
lems with coil memory, four reported
problems tying knots, none reported
friction burn and four reported other
C O U RT E S Y T O U R N A
problems.
On the Court
Our playtest team liked the Spin
Potential, Durability and Control of
www.tennisindustrymag.com

Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour, rating
it fourth overall of the 202 strings we
have playtested for publication. The
ratings for Spin place it as the third
highest, while it ranked seventh for
Durability, and fifth for Control.
No playtester reported premature
fraying or peeling, or buzzing, and only
three reported notching. None broke
the sample during the playtest period.
Conclusion
Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour’s high
marks in the durability-related playtest
categories will certainly prove attrac-
tive to big hitters, and the high spin
potential should appeal to anyone look-
ing for a durable spin option.
If you think Tourna Big Hitter Silver
7 Tour might be for you, fill out the cou-
pon at right to get a free set to try.
Playtester Comments
“The string was responsive with good
bite as well as a nice touch. A definite
boost in power that players of all
GET A FREE DEMO!
Half Page Ad-Rev4.indd 1
www.tennisindustrymag.com
levels will enjoy. The combination of
playability and durability makes it a
must-try.” 4.5 male all-court player us-
ing Head Instinct S strung at 55 pounds
LO (Head Hawk Touch 18)
“A comfortable polyester string
capable of generating a lot of spin.”
4.5 male all-court player using Babolat
Pure Aero strung at 55 pounds CP
(Babolat Origin 17)
“I like how easy it was to string con-
sidering it was a poly. I thought it
played well in the heat. I liked the sound
off the strings during midday play. It
kept its tension well.” 4.0 male all-court
player using Wilson Clash strung at 55
pounds CP (Luxilon Smart String 16)
“String had great spin potential and
durability. It played better on warmer
days. Cooler night temps drastically
reduced power and comfort. Power
was average. String construction
made drop shots and volleys more ef-
TennisIndustry
fective.” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy
spin using Dunlop 200G strung at 60/55
pounds CP (Prince Synthetic Gut with
Duraflex 16/17)
“I found this string to be a pleasure
to play with. It was above most of the
strings that I have tried in nearly
every category. Control, ability to
spin the ball, feel and touch were all
exemplary.” 4.5 male all-court player
using Prince Tour 100T ESP strung at
48/52 pounds LO (Prince Tour XP 16)
FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM
Tourna will send a free set of Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour
17 to the first 200 USRSA members who cut out (or copy)
this coupon and send it to: USRSA, Attn: Tourna Big Hitter
Silver String Offer, 1000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite
6-492, Suwanee, GA 30024-6777, or fax to 760-536-1171,
or email the info below to: stringsample@racquettech.com.
Offer expires Sept. 15, 2019. Offer only available to USRSA
members in the U.S.
Name: _______________________________________
USRSA Member number: _________________________
Phone: ______________________________________
Email: _________________________________________
If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your
sample will be sent.
iGENIE
TM
The Official Ball Machine of the USPTA
NEED DRILLS? Go to:
playmatetennis.com
(800) 776-6770
11/13/17 8:22 PM
September/October 2019 TennisIndustry 37
TennisIndustry
AskTheExperts
Top Down, or
Bottom Up?
Q: Yonex recently changed its instruc-
tions for installing cross strings on its
badminton racquets from top down to
bottom up, yet the instructions for
Yonex tennis racquets are still top
down. Which is the correct way?
A: Badminton frames and tennis frames
are constructed quite differently, and
as such, the stringing instructions will
likely vary regardless of brand.
According to Yonex Pro Tour Stringing
Director Mark Gonzales, the company’s
badminton racquets are now strung
from the bottom to top, while Yonex
tennis frames should be strung from
the top to the bottom, as you described.
Mark isn’t certain when the change
took place for badminton frames
(tennis frames have always been top
down) and we are still waiting for a
technical explanation from Yonex
Japan on this, but it is likely due to the
differences in construction between
tennis and badminton frames.
38 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
Top Down, or
Bottom Up—Part 2
Q: I’ve noticed that several racquets
listed in the Stringer’s Digest show
two-piece instructions where the
cross strings are installed from the top
down—yet on the one-piece instruc-
tions for the same frame, the crosses
are installed from the bottom up. Why
are there different instructions for the
same frame?
A: With very few exceptions, tennis
frames should have the cross strings
installed from top to bottom, unless
specifically stated otherwise in the
instructions. The examples you are
referring to include frames where the
main strings finish at the throat—and
in order to use a one-piece method, you
would have to begin the crosses at the
bottom, or use a box or around-the-
world pattern (we’ll leave that subject
for another day).
Many of these frames—from Head
and Yonex, for example—eliminate
one-piece stringing instructions
altogether, since stringing bottom to
top would void the warranty and likely
result in damage to the frame. Other
manufacturers have chosen to allow
bottom-to-top stringing when using
one-piece, although they recommend
installing crosses from top to bottom
when using two-piece, as you point out.
In speaking to racquet designers
about this, we’ve been told that while
the frame will withstand stringing the
crosses from bottom up for a period
of time, it is much better for the frame
to install from top to bottom. It will
maintain the integrity of the frame for
a longer period of time.
Professional
Stencil Ink?
Q: Is the stencil ink stringers use at
Grand Slams and other professional
tournaments different than what is
available for the general public? It
seems like the pro ink stays on the
strings and doesn’t get on the balls,
compared to the ink I use.
A: It is the same product. The main
difference is that the ink used in
tournaments is fresh, since the
stringing team at a Grand Slam event
will go through dozens of bottles of
each color. It does wear off, but since
most players change to a freshly strung
racquet every few games, the wear is not
as evident on the strings and balls. 
SHUTTERSTOCK
We welcome your questions. Email them
to bob@racquettech.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
BEST PLAYER’S FRAME

Dunlop CX 200 Tour 16x19 voted Tennis Magazine’s Best Player’s Frame
TennisIndustry
GRASSROOTS GROWTH
If I Were Tennis
Commissioner. . .
A longtime industry insider shares
her views on what this industry needs
to do to grow the sport.
By Michele Krause
I
love tennis! We’ve long known
tennis is a healthy way to stay in
shape and be active. And it can
be as competitive as you want it
to be. But it’s no secret that this
industry faces challenges: participation
is stagnant, play occasions are down and
equipment sales continue to slide.
I headed up Cardio Tennis when the
program was created in 2005. I left
that position at the end of 2018, after
helping to make Cardio Tennis the only
program in this industry to consistently
add players year after year. My job took
me to hundreds of facilities, and I found
that on many levels tennis still lives in
the 1960s. This includes the condition
of many venues, how they operate, and
how tennis is taught and coached. Plus,
40 TennisIndustry September/October 2019
YourServe
we have a culture that overall is not
inclusive. What we need is a paradigm
shift—let’s replace the usual ways we do
things with new and different ways.
In my new endeavors, I continue
with a focus on the recreational/com-
munity side of tennis. So, if I were the
“commissioner” of recreational tennis in
the U.S., what would be on my agenda?
1) Emphasize tennis’ health and fitness
benefits. We need a better market-
ing campaign! We all know the health
benefits of this sport, so why can’t we
better communicate this to those who
aren’t playing tennis currently, and to
those teetering with leaving this sport?
What parent wouldn’t want their child,
or themselves, more healthy and fit?
2) Market, promote and implement
the green ball. It’s slightly lower in
pressure and can be a game-changer
for getting new players into tennis and
keeping players involved, while adding
revenue for providers. Players below
4.0 should play with the green ball, both
recreationally and in leagues. We should
promote a National Green Ball Day;
clubs should hold a monthly Green Ball
Day. #greenisthenewyellow!
3) It’s time we had only one professional
tennis teaching organization, so we can
finally all be on the same page, at the
same time, when it comes to growing
this sport. Having two organizations has
not helped tennis grow.
4) Enough with the mega-tennis
facilities. They suck tournaments and
events away from local facilities. Let’s
promote one- to four-court local
projects. We need more facilities and
courts around the country, where every
person can easily access tennis.
5) Tennis teaching pros should be
focused on growing this sport. As my
friend Doug Cash advocates, teaching
pro and coach job descriptions and
compensation should be tied in with the
growth of tennis and participation.
6) Every beginning player, regardless
of age, should start with a red ball. The
goal is for quick and easy success, while
creating a solid tennis foundation.
These are just a few of the ideas that
I, and others who have been in this
industry for a while, have put forward to
help grow this sport. We all need to work
together, and have open minds, to move
this industry forward. •
We welcome your opinions and
comments. Please email them to
info@tennisindustrymag.com.
Michele Krause is Global
Fitness Director for
PlayYourCourt, a tennis
SHUTTERSTOCK
tech company. She also
is founder of inTENNSity
fitness. Email michele@
playyourcourt.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 September - October 2019

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 41 7/24/2019 5:10:03 PM

 USPTA FROM THE CEO
CHA-CHING, CHA-CHING
John R. Embree
USPTA CEO
T here are certain cities across
the country where we know our
members will turn out for the World
Conference. New Orleans drew a great
crowd. Who didn’t want to go to New
York City last year and catch a day or two
of the Open? Folks are always excited
to take the family to our hometown of
Orlando, the happiest place on earth. But
nothing draws a crowd like Las Vegas!
So when it came to selecting the host
city for our upcoming USPTA World
Conference, Las Vegas was far and away
the most intriguing option. First of all,
we have not been to Las Vegas since
2006. Secondly, when we were last
there, it was unquestionably the highest
attended conference we have ever had.
And because 2019 is the third year of
the current continuing education cycle,
there will be a hoard of members looking
to get the credits they need to keep
their membership compliant. Lastly,
we were able to secure a property (the
Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino)
that wanted our business and was able
to meet all of the specs that we require
for our World Conference. Plus, it is the
largest sports book in the world!
We are fast approaching the start of
this annual get together. If you have not
already registered, please do so. This
42 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine — Sept.-Oct. 2019
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 42
will be my seventh USPTA World
Conference in my capacity
as CEO, and I have to say
that this year’s event
is going to be the
biggest and the most
fantastic conference
that we have put on
in that time. It will
be a veritable “who’s
who” of presenters!
We have over 40
sessions confirmed
plus two specialty courses
(on Sunday), all highlighted
by an appearance of Andre Agassi on
Wednesday. What a coup for us to have
him share his perspective on coaching
today. Knowing how important it is
to feature women in our association,
we have dedicated a day (Tuesday) to
specifically showcase the top female
professionals in our sport. While the
percentage of our total membership is
20% female, over 30% of the speakers
over the four days are women. Each day
is packed with the most reputable and
respected speakers in our industry.
But besides the outstanding
education being served up, we have four
days of social activities scheduled that
will be a blast! We begin on Monday
evening, September 23 with our
Merchandise and Trade Show. Not only
will we have a buffet dinner in the hall,
we will be showcasing Monday Night
Football (my beloved Bears vs. the
Redskins) throughout the exhibit hall
so that everyone can hang out, watch
some football and support our vendors.
Tuesday afternoon will see our General
Membership Meeting where we will
have a “town hall” forum to learn more
about the new certification pathway
and USTA Accreditation. Your division
parties will follow thereafter. After
Andre’s Q&A on Wednesday
morning, we will host
our Awards luncheon
where we will
recognize those
USPTA members
who have
contributed
so mightily to
our association,
including our
two hall of fame
inductees, Frank
Brennan, Jr. and
Dick Gould. And our final
event on Thursday evening will be a
barbecue cookout around the outdoor
courts where we will watch the final
matches of the USPTA tournament
being played.
With the desert heat in September
making educational sessions outdoors
unbearable, we have arranged for
a stadium court to be set up inside
a ballroom which will make those
sessions very comfortable to witness.
In addition, the staff has come up
with a few surprises for the week that
I think will be very popular with the
attendees.
For all of the reasons that I have
cited above and for those of you who
like to go to Las Vegas, this is a World
Conference you don’t want to miss.
Yes, the glamour and glitz of Las Vegas
is compelling (Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching)
but the educational content that has
been coordinated by our staff and
the Education Committee is truly
outstanding. I cannot wait to welcome
you to our annual gathering.
The tables await. The slot machines
are primed. The Westgate is eager to
accept your wagers. And, the USPTA
is prepared to shine during our biggest
week of the year. Come join us! *
7/24/2019 5:10:07 PM
 USPTA

Conference Daily Schedule (subject to change)

Sunday Monday LADIES DAY Wednesday Thursday
Specialty 7am Tuesday 7am 7am
Courses* Cardio Tennis 7am Cardio Tennis Cardio Tennis
with the USTA Cardio Tennis with the USTA with the USTA
9am-1pm with the USTA
Want that 8:30am-Noon 8am-Noon 8:30am-Noon
$100,000+ Job? On-Court and 8:30am-Noon On-Court and On-Court and
Key Skills That Classroom On-Court and Classroom Classroom
Qualify You sessions Classroom sessions sessions
- Greg Lappin
sessions
1:15-4:45pm 11am-Noon 1:30-3:45pm
1pm-6pm
On-Court and 1:30-3:45pm International Tennis On-Court and
Pickleball: IPTPA Classroom Hall of Fame Q&A Classroom
On-Court and
Teach the Teacher sessions Classroom with Andre Agassi sessions
Pickleball sessions
Certification Noon-2pm 6:45pm
5-9pm
- Seymour Rifkin USPTA Awards
Merchandise and 4pm-5pm Barbeque
Trade Show USPTA Membership Luncheon
2-6pm Meeting
Specialty Course 2:15-5:45pm
The Art of Games
6:30pm On-Court and
- Mark Bey Classroom
USPTA Division
Parties sessions
* Additional Fee

Sept.-Oct. 2019 — USPTA ADDvantage Magazine - 43

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 43 7/24/2019 5:10:12 PM

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 44 7/24/2019 5:10:12 PM
19-1204_US_ADDvantage_August_TE_Print_Ad_FNL.indd 1
 USPTA

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 45 7/24/2019 5:10:13 PM

6/10/19 2:04 PM
 USPTA VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
LADIES DAY
by Cari Buck,
USPTA Vice President
F or as long as I can remember,
the sports industry has been
dominated by men…women have been
fighting for more recognition, equal pay
and respect. And now,
more than ever people
are taking notice.
With the recent
Team USA win at the
World Cup over the
Netherlands, the fight
for equality in sports
is once again on the
forefront. Even Billie
Jean King got in on
the action on twitter.
But this isn’t a
new issue for tennis. In 1968, the
introduction of Open Tennis didn’t do
much to improve things for the women
who played the sport. In fact, the prize
money gap between men and women
continued to grow and the women were
continually relegated to outside courts,
but in 1970, despite threats of being
banned from the Grand Slams, the
“Original 9” rocked the tennis world.
With the support of World Tennis
Magazine publisher Gladys Heldman,
and Joe Cullman, Chairman of Philip
Morris, the Virginia Slims Tour was
46 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine — Sept.-Oct. 2019
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 46
born, with nine women signing $1
contracts to play. The Original 9
included Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals,
Nancy Richey, Judy Dalton, Kerry
Melville Reid, Julie Heldman, Peaches
Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon and Valerie
Ziegenfuss. As the tour grew, so did
their momentum. In 1973, the WTA
was formed. The Virginia Slims Tour
showcased women as a force to be
recognized. They fought for what they
felt was right, what they deserved and
what they had earned.
It is no secret that men still out-
number women in tennis, both on and
off the court, but women are making
headway. What do you get when you
combine hundreds of tennis pros,
eleven fabulous speakers and the glitz
of Las Vegas?
Day 3 of the 2019
USPTA World
Conference.
We have World
Conferences
with great
speakers
every year, so
what makes
September 24,
2019 so special
you ask? Not
only is it a day full of world class
speakers, these speakers are
all women! It’s Ladies Day at the
World Conference… Events like this
give our female pros a chance to
shine. I hear story after story about
women in our industry having to work
harder, earning less money, getting
fewer breaks, etc. These speakers
have not let that stop them and have
become leaders in our industry, again
not sitting idly by. They are making
a difference and making themselves
heard.
They also come from different
backgrounds in the industry including
coaches, tennis directors, sports
psychologists, authors and fitness just
to name a few. Let’s take a closer look at
the line-up:
• Building a Championship Culture at
Your Club - Kathy Toon
• Creating Space on Groundstrokes
- Sarah Stone
• Creative Programming for Adults
- Katie Dellich
• Redefining the Tennis Parent
- Marianne Werdel and Debbie Graham
Shaffer
• One Doubles System for All Levels of Play
- Rosie Bareis
• The Positive Coaching Alliance-Double-
Goal Coach, Culture, Practices and
Games - Carrie Zarraonandia
• Athlete-Centered Coaching: Pursuit of
Performance and Personal Excellence
- Kim Bastable
• How to Incorporate Fitness into your
Programming & Why it’s Good for Your
Business - Michele Krause
• How Your Personality Can Make Your
Coaching Shine - Amanda Fink
• The Future is Bright: Unique Success Tips
for the Business Tennis Pro/Dir. of Sports
- Paula Scheb
You can learn more about this
outstanding line-up of speakers at
USPTAWC.com.
The 2019 USPTA World Conference is
just around the corner, and I don’t know
about you, but I can’t wait. It is always
an amazing week full of great education
and speakers, a chance to catch up
with colleagues and share ideas, and on
September 24th, a showcase for some of
the best women in the biz.*
7/24/2019 5:10:13 PM
 2019 USPTA HARD
Berry Creek Country Club
COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS
Georgetown, Texas

November 8 - 10
Entry Fee $90
For More Information:
Visit uspta.com or contact tournament director
Jenny Gray JGRAY@BerryCreekCC.com
For online registration please visit
uspta.com/championships

HCCHAMPHalfPage.indd 1 7/15/2019 2:38:49 PM

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 MASTER PRO CORNER
Do You Find Yourself
Praying For Rain?
Mark McMahon
USPTA Master Pro
T his phrase is often used as
a metaphor. As a teaching
professional, I’ve heard the words “I’m
praying for rain” from colleagues many
times. I may have even whispered the
words myself on occasion. The phrase
“I’m praying for rain” is often used by
someone who does not really want to
do something that is soon approaching
- (As in, Question: “Are you looking
forward to the family reunion picnic next
weekend?” Response: “No, not really,
actually I’m praying for rain!”).
With a tennis professional, the phrase
is sometimes used when, without access
to indoor courts, and feeling tired, worn
out, and generally unmotivated to teach
another lesson or run a team practice,
the opportunity of an afternoon or day
off because of rain is relished! If this is
happening to you too often, it might be
time for some serious reflection on how
you’re approaching and managing your
career and balancing your work life with
your real life.
While we all recognize the signs of
physical fatigue, the question of burnout
is a little different. According to the
team behind the mental health and
wellness website, HelpGuide.com,
burnout is defined as a state of
emotional, physical, and mental
exhaustion caused by excessive and
prolonged stress. It occurs when you
feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained,
and unable to meet constant demands.
Burnout can also cause long-term
changes to your body that make you
48 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine — Sept-.Oct.
Sept.-Oct. 2019
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 48
vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu.
In your daily professional life,
whether as a tennis professional,
club manager, business executive
or employee - feeling lethargic or
unmotivated can be an important
warning sign. At a minimum, these
feelings become a distraction, or result
in you saying something the wrong way,
or without first thinking. At its worst,
burnout can threaten your long-term
success and professional stability.
Burnout and how its symptoms
impact your performance is not too
different from what happens when you
become dehydrated when exercising or
competing. By the time you’re thirsty,
it’s usually too late to quickly adjust and
rebalance your body chemistry. Simply
“drinking more water’ will not be
enough - at least in the short term. If you
keep exerting energy while remaining
dehydrated, you can easily get hurt –
even hospitalized. Burnout in your job
is no different. Once you feel it, some
major adjustments and re-balancing
are needed before you hurt yourself - or
your career.
Preventing burnout in your
professional life requires that you
be proactive. As a guide, I like to use
as a comparison, the strategies used
by high-performance athletes. The
most successful athletes set realistic
expectations and establish a balanced
training and competition schedule,
to help stay fresh and focused. The
athlete’s schedule includes both
high-energy ‘performance periods’
(competition) and planned non-
competition ‘recovery periods’ (rest).
This same approach will go a long
way to ensuring that you do not start
to suffer ‘burn out’ in your career to
the point where you regularly ‘pray
for rain.’
Sounds easy, right? That depends!
Understanding the concept of work/
life balance is easy. Believing the science
and research that has proven the
benefits of modulating high-intensity
activity with periods of recovery, is easy
too. Making a plan that includes time-
blocking for rest and recovery is also a
relatively simple exercise. Executing on
all of the above is the challenge! Getting
the mix right takes a conscious effort, a
commitment to taking care of yourself,
a commitment to excellence in your
career and life, and ongoing monitoring
and adjustment. Here are some tips on
how you can stay fresh and focused:
Seven Tips to help you stop praying
for rain - (aka; Avoiding Burnout)
1. Make a Plan: Plan your day,
your week, your month and even
your year within the context
of your overall career pathway.
What’s next? Where are you
today, and where are you headed
professionally? Be detailed as you
make your plan. Understand that
working 7 days a week or 14 hours
even 2 or 3 days a week is not a plan
for long-term success and career
advancement.
2. Work Smart: No matter how hard
you work, there are no guarantees
of success. Instead, try working
smarter. Commit that you will be
diligent, focused and industrious,
but that you will also try to
prioritize your time. Remain always
willing to “go the extra mile”
and embrace the spirit of “doing
whatever it takes” - but commit also
to working smart, and be proactive
with your schedule to include
scheduled periods for recovery.
7/24/2019 5:10:16 PM

Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused
by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally
drained, and unable to meet constant demands.
3. Recovery: Follow the lead of
the best tennis professionals on
the planet - Roger, Rafa, Novak,
schedule time for rest and
recovery among your professional
‘competition’ time. Dr. Jim Loehr
at the Johnson & Johnson Human
Performance Institute has long
advocated the importance of
recovery after pushing hard for
top-notch performance. The push-
recover approach helps to build
speed, strength, and endurance
in professional athletes, allowing
those athletes to expand the
limits of human performance and
endurance while avoiding injury.
The concept is no different for you
in your professional performance
arena. Your plan needs to remain
flexible, and include the natural
flow of activity around your
professional role on an annual,
monthly and weekly basis so that
your recovery periods sync with
periods of lower demand for your
time.
4. Take up a hobby: A study of 400
employees published in the Journal
of Occupational and Organizational
Psychology found marked
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 49
MASTER PRO CORNER
doesn’t need to include a drive
to the gym, nor does it have to
include a machine, a dumbbell or
a class of any type. A 20-minute
walk, with or without a four-legged
friend at the end of the leash,
can get the job done. In addition
to all the research flaunting the
medical benefits, regular exercise
has been proven as one of best
mood-boosters out there… and no
one wants a professional in a bad
mood!
6. Turn Off: Our ‘always on’ society
has created unrealistic 24/7
expectations from customers,
managers, and members.
Performance expert Joe Burton
differences between those people recommends that you turn off the
who engage in creative hobbies data on your phone at the same
and those who do not. Having a time each evening. You may be the
creative hobby is associated with most important person in your
positive work-related traits, like group, but your state of mind and
creativity and a better attitude on emotional health play a big role
the job. Other research shows that in the healthy functioning of your
employees with hobbies are more family, your business and your life.
satisfied with their jobs and have There is likely nothing that will
a lower likelihood of burning out. happen between 8 pm - 7 am that
If that’s not enough of a reason, a can’t wait for you.
hobby can help you professionally.
Facebook co-founder and CEO 7. Put on your oxygen mask first: We
Mark Zuckerberg is quoted as hear this message every time we
saying that having a hobby shows fly. You can’t help the person you
a prospective employer that you love if you don’t first ensure your
have passion and drive. In fact, it’s a own survival. Exercise. Workout.
question that I always ask potential Walk. Stretch. Breath. Pray. Find
candidates when completing your thing and do it. Make it a
Tennis and Racquet Sports Director priority. No employer wants a
search assignments for clubs. tired, worn-out or worn-down
team member. Take care of your
5. Exercise: For some, this tip is body and your mind for yourself,
considered fundamental, for for those around you and for those
others, a mountain to climb. This with whom you work. *
Mark McMahon is a USPTA Master Professional, and one the tennis industry’s
most recognized Consultants. In 2008, after almost 25 years as a Director of
Tennis for two of America’s most distinguished private-club tennis programs,
(Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, FL and Dunwoody Country Club in
Atlanta, GA), Mark founded McMahon Tennis to help private clubs hire the right
professional as their new Tennis or Racquet Sports Director.
Sept.-Oct. 2019 — USPTA ADDvantage Magazine - 49
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ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 50 7/24/2019 5:10:19 PM

 INSIDE COACHING
BLAME-SHIFTING
IN TENNIS
e
by Frank Giampaolo, USPTA Elite Professional
a
P
ms
ropose a simple question to any
it
park & recreation, country club,
ers.
the high school or college coach “How often
ble. do you experience blame-shifting with
y. your athletes?” I’m confident the answer
will be a resounding “All of the time!”
Unfortunately, until this is pointed out,
most afflicted athletes are unaware that
they possess this undesirable habit.
Assisting athletes in overcoming this
performance anxiety trait begins with
awareness.
So what is blame-shifting?
Blame shifting is a process wherein the
athlete transfers accountability for a
possible upcoming catastrophe, essentially unchecked, it could negatively affect the
evading responsibility. It’s common that
athletes fearful of being judged shift blame lifetime.
to avoid taking leadership in their own
behavior. Athletes who have difficulty
accepting ownership for their inadequate
training and poor effort are prime
contenders of covertly presetting their
excuses.
nd Blame shifters are found at every level,
es in every club around the world. These
ot athletes routinely point fingers at others
e. in their sphere of influence. “I would have
trained, but my Mom didn’t wake me
up,” said 16-year-old Rebecca. “My wife
scheduled breakfast with her sister so I
couldn’t practice,” said 43-year-old Joe.
These are typical excuses used as athletes
assign the lack of responsibility to others
within their entourage.
Another form of self-deception is blaming
the probable upcoming loss on a phony
injury. “I can’t play today, my wrist is sore,
my knee hurts or I feel sick.” These are
what I call ego outs. These psychosomatic
ailments are coping mechanisms used to
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 51
ease their fear of failure often caused by
their lack of proper preparation. When
used habitually, these athletes believe
that they’re the victim when in reality, the
problem is all their own.
A solution for dealing with these “excuse
experts” is to ask the athlete to honor their
competitive commitment and try to play
– even for only a game or two. If the injury
indeed persists, it’s acceptable to default.
Convincing the athlete to at least show up
and try to compete is a critical first step in
overcoming this performance anxiety.
It’s important to reiterate that blame
shifting is a coping mechanism used to
deal with stress. When this behavior goes
athlete on and off the court for his or her
One solution to eliminating blame-
shifting begins by replacing the behavior.
I highly recommend the FLIP IT game.
When you hear a blame shift, smile and
say “Flip it!” Ask the athlete to flip their
pessimistic comment into an optimistic
one. Essentially this is rewiring their
problem-based dialog with a solution based
response. Changing this performance
anxiety begins with gentle awareness. Just
telling an athlete to stop doing any negative
behavior rarely works. The solution stems
from replacing the negative behaviors with
positive actions.
An experienced coach can flip this
behavior by encouraging the athlete and
their entourage to accept responsibility.
Here’s how:
1. Organize daily and weekly planners
and expect the athlete to be
accountable for completing their
customized developmental plan. This
Sept.-Oct. 2019 — USPTA ADDvantage Magazine - 51
USPTA
includes a full tool belt of strokes:
athleticism (such as speed, agility, and
stamina), the wide range of customized
strategies and tactics found in
mental toughness, and the emotional
components (such as solutions to
performance anxieties) as they prepare
properly for pressure.
2. Ask members of their entourage to
lead by example by making their
words match their actions. I’ve
often witnessed loving parents who
subscribe to the philosophy that rules
don’t apply to them. They routinely
arrive 15 minutes late to their child’s
lesson. They make their child skip
practice when it suits their needs.
Though these parents tell their
children “You need to work hard,” their
actions say “unless there’s something
more enjoyable to do.” Leading by
example is key.
3. Design an entourage agreement to
move the process from deliberation
to action. In this contract, each
party commits to excellence for a
specified period of time. By teaching
life skills, such as accountability and
time management, you’ll change your
pretenders into contenders.
Blame shifting is a common stumbling
block for many in today’s athletic arena.
It is important to recognize that when
athletes feel they are being judged, blame
shifting may ensue. Striving to apply the
above solutions will not only maximize
your athlete’s tennis potential, but it
will also develop strong, confident, and
resilient people. *
7/24/2019 5:10:19 PM
 USPTA NATIONAL BOARD

2020-2021 National Board

President Vice President Vice President Vice President
Feisal Hassan Lane Evans Mark Faber Trish Faulkner

First Vice Vice President Vice President Immediate

President Jason Gilbert Bill Mountford Past President
Rich Slivocka Gary Trost

A s of the July deadline, the USPTA

National Office did not receive
any candidate challenges for the 2020-
2021 National Board of Directors, thus
the 2020-2021 National Slate will take
office on January 1, 2021. The Board of
Directors will serve a two-year term.
Per the USPTA By-Laws, the Board
of Directors shall manage the affairs of
the Association between meetings of the
Executive Committee. It shall also have
the power to interpret the bylaws and to
give direction in cases not provided for
therein.
The outgoing Board of Directors shall
hold its final meeting prior to December
31st of the last year of their Board term.
The newly elected Board of Directors
shall hold their initial Board meeting on
a date that is after January 1st of the first
year of their Board term.*

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Register
Register
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you’ve registered
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© 2019 USTA.
© 2019
All rights
USTA.reserved.
All rights reserved.

17304_C_NY_19_NetGeneration_TIM_MagSpread.indd
17304_C_NY_19_NetGeneration_TIM_MagSpread.indd
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 54 All Pages All Pages 7/24/2019 5:10:23 PM
 VOICES
VOICESOFOFNETNETGENERATION
GENERATION
SUSANSUSAN
PENDOPENDO
USPTA Elite
USPTAProfessional
Elite Professional
| Tennis |Director,
Tennis Director,
BraemarBraemar
CC | Orange
CC | County,
Orange CA
County, CA

“Braemar“Braemar
is a busy is
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game.”
the game.”

GORDON
GORDON
REID REID
USPTA Elite
USPTAProfessional,
Elite Professional,
NationalNational
Tennis Manager,
Tennis Manager,
Life TimeLife
Athletic
Time Athletic
Eden Prairie,
EdenMNPrairie, MN

“At Life Time

“At Life
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on court on withcourt
our members.”
with our members.”

ROB LOWE
ROB LOWE
USPTA Elite
USPTAProfessional
Elite Professional
KAITLYN
KAITLYN
VERFUERTH
USPTA Elite
USPTA
VERFUERTH
Professional,
Elite Professional,
Tennis Director,
Tennis Director,
Walden Creek
Walden
Racquet
Creek Racquet
Center Center Professional
Professional
wheelchair
wheelchair
player/coach,
player/coach,
Montgomery,
Montgomery,
TX TX Flagstaff,Flagstaff,
AZ AZ

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and character
skills skills
that translate
that translate
both on and
bothoffonthe
andcourt.”
off the court.”

reserved.

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 55 7/24/20197/24/19
5:10:23 3:56
PM7/24/19
PM 3:56 P
 USPTA WILSON ENDORSEMENT

USPTA EXTENDS ENDORSEMENT

AGREEMENT WITH WILSON
Partnership will now extend through 2022

U SPTA has extended its endorsement agreement

with Wilson Sporting Goods Co., the global leader in
performance tennis. Under the terms of the agreement,
With the
enormous
success of the
Wilson will remain as the official equipment supplier of new Clash
the USPTA, providing racquets, balls, strings, grip, bags, racquet and
youth tennis equipment and stringing machines, along with introduction
platform tennis paddles and balls for USPTA members and the new Trinity
programs. Additionally, Wilson will become tennis ball, with
the official pickleball paddle and ball of Eco-friendly,
USPTA. recycled
USPTA members will continue to have non-plastic
access to the all-surface USPTA Ultra Ball, packaging,
produced by Wilson for USPTA members. Wilson has
As the official equipment supplier of the solidified its
USPTA, Wilson equipment and signage standing as the leader in equipment in the tennis industry
will be showcased prominently at all worldwide. Several top players use Wilson racquets,
official USPTA events, conferences including legendary Swiss professional Roger Federer and
and promotions. Wilson will continue American Serena Williams, who each own the Open Era
making contributions to the USPTA record for Grand Slams with 20 men’s titles and 23 women’s
Supplemental Savings program. titles, respectively. *

Above USPTA President Gary Trost (left) and Wilson Racquet Sports Regional Commercial Director Mickey Maule put pen to paper
in extending the endorsement agreement between USPTA and Wilson for an additional three years. (Below) Members of the USPTA
National Board and senior staff at Wilson World Headquarters in Chicago.

56 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine — Sept.-Oct. 2019

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 56 7/24/2019 5:10:25 PM

 NIKECOURT
PERFORMANCE
FAVORITES

Statement style inspired by tennis’ most relentless athletes.

The Official Distributor of Nike

Footwear & Apparel to the USPTA.

USPTA Members Receive Preferred MEMBER Pricing.

uspta.fromuthtennis.com

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 57 7/24/2019 5:10:26 PM

 Official Portable Tennis Court Supplier of the 2019 USPTA World Conference

Building Champion Court

Facilities for All Racquet
S p o r t s f o r O v e r 4 0 Ye a r s !

Specialized Design & Construction in California, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, & Wyoming
• Tennis • Pickleball • Combination Courts • Club Redesign & Multi-Sport Integration

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RAISING THE
STANDARD
TO
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GAME

USPTA is the first and only USTA accredited

tennis teaching professional organization.
Together, we will set a new standard
of excellence and provide even more
opportunities for those who teach
tennis to grow and advance. To learn more, go to usta.com/raisingstandards
© 2019 USTA. All rights reserved.

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 58 7/24/2019 5:10:26 PM


Exams, Upgrades & PTCA
4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams,
Upgrades & PTCA
Sept. 7 ................................. Midlothian, VA
Sept. 7-8 .................................Portland, OR
Sept. 7-8 ......................................Aurora, IL
Sept. 9-10 .................................Orlando, FL
Sept. 13 ........................... Minneapolis, MN
Sept. 13-14 ..............................Houston, TX
Sept. 15 ....................................... Rome, GA
Sept. 15-16 ............................. Burbank, CA
Sept. 16-17 ............................. Berkeley, CA
Sept. 19-20 ................................ Tucson, AZ
Sept. 26-27 ........................... Las Vegas, NV
Sept. 29 ...................... West Bloomfield, MI
Oct. 4....................................... Mt Kisco, NY
Oct. 5-6..................... Huntington Beach, CA
Oct. 5-6.................. North Richland Hills, TX
Oct. 6........................Hilton Head Island, SC
Oct. 10-11...............................Missoula, MT
Oct. 11............................... Nichols Hills, OK
Oct. 11-12...................................... Boise, ID
Oct. 12-13.......................... Johns Creek, GA
Oct. 18-19....................... Albuquerque, NM
Oct. 19-20.............................Boca Raton, FL
Oct. 20.................................. Glen Allen, VA
Oct. 21-22........................ San Francisco, CA
Oct. 25-26........................... Fayetteville, NC
Oct. 25-26..........................New Orleans, LA
Oct. 26-27............................. Columbus, GA
Oct. 26-27............................... Gulfport, MS
Oct. 28...........................Rancho Mirage, CA
Nov. 1-2....................................... Azusa, CA
Nov. 2-3..................Mountlake Terrace, WA
Nov. 8............................... Prairie Village, KS
Nov. 8.................................. Wilmington, DE
USPTA
The USPTA
Leadership
Academy is
LEADERSHIP laser focused
ACADEMY coaching on
key tennis
industry
leadership principles. Led by USPTA members
Feisal Hassan, Ajay Pant, Sara Morse and
Jose Pastrello, the leadership academy will
use case studies, self-assessments and best
practices and behaviors. Additional topics to
build a strong leadership base will include
time management, communication skills,
customer service, team building, budgets and
HR issues. This is a very interactive course that
will involve group participation utilizing group
projects and exercises within each training
module. All sessions will be held at USPTA World
Headquarters in Lake Nona, Florida.
ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 59
CAREER DEVELOPMENT USPTA
Nov. 8-9.......................................... Lehi, UT
Nov. 8-9............................ Westminster, CO 2019 USPTA Division
Nov. 9....................................... Mequon, WI
Nov. 9.............................................. Rye, NH Conference Schedule
Nov. 9-10........................... Johns Creek, GA Division Conferences - 6 Credits
Nov. 11................................... San Diego, CA Sept. 22-26.................USPTA World Conference
Nov. 11-12....................... San Francisco, CA Westgate Las Vegas; Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 11-12.................................Orlando, FL Oct. 19-20............................Southern California
Nov. 15........................................Vienna, VA Sea Cliff; Huntington Beach, CA
Nov. 15-16................................Houston, TX Nov. 8-9........................................ Middle States
Nov. 16.................................. Big Rapids, MI Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington,DE
Nov. 16-17..............................Charlotte, NC
Nov. 30-Dec. 1.......... Huntington Beach, CA
Nov. 30-Dec. 1.........................Glendale, AZ
Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days
WHEELCHAIR Tennis
Oct. 24-25 ........................................Orlando, FL
prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an
exam, upgrade. PTCA I is included in the two-day
exam. Exam cancellations must be received no later
than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation fee
IPTPA Pickleball
will be charged accordingly.
Certification Workshop
Sept. 14, 15 ..........Governador Valadares, Brazil
Sept. 22.......................Las Vegas, NV (Sold Out)
Sept. 27-28 ................. Certification Course Sept. 28, 29 .............................Eden Prairie, MN
USPTA World Conference; Las Vegas, NV Oct. 20 .............. Phoenix, AZ (USPTA Members)
Nov. 15-16 .................. Certification Course
Atlanta, GA
Surface Championships
Platform tennis
Oct. 1-2......................................... Paoli, PA
Nov. 8-10............. Hardcourts - Georgetown, TX
Oct. 6...........................Briarcliff Manor, NY
Oct. 14-15....................... Chevy Chase, MD
Oct. 25.................................. Rochester, NY
Padel Online education
Watch webinars, seminars, On Court with USPTA
episodes, specialty courses and much more on
2019 Level 1 Certification Dates TennisResources.com to earn your education
Sept. 19-20 ................................Lowell, AR credits.
Information and Location:
• Dates: November 8-10
• Location: USPTA Headquarters, Orlando, FL
• Cost: $499
• Education credits: up to 15 education credits
6 credits + up to 9 credits for the education
sessions.
USPTA.com/LeadershipAcademy
Sept.-Oct. 2019 — USPTA ADDvantage Magazine - 59
7/24/2019 5:10:27 PM
 MEMBER NEWS

Frank Sachire Mark Robbins Mary Herrick Jimmy Parker

Elite Professional Frank Professional Mark Robbins Elite Professional Mary Master Professional Jimmy
Sachire, the Austintown was named tennis coach at Herrick was recently inducted Parker, has won eight
Fitch High School tennis Bishop Gorman Catholic into the USPTA Midwest consecutive USTA National
head coach for 28 seasons, School in Tyler, Texas. Division Hall of Fame. Singles Championships. He
was recently inducted Ohio Robbins was formerly Herrick has been a USPTA holds the men’s all-time record
State Tennis Hall of Fame. the Jacksonville College member since 1994 and has for national championships
Sachire’s teams compiled a athletic director and head served as the Ohio president with 144, is currently ranked
325-164 record, winning two tennis coach, is a certified and as the Midwest Division #1 in the 75 USTA national
league championships and tennis teaching professional president, as well as being rankings, #2 in the ITF World
18 runner-up finishes. A 1963 through the United States a member of the USPTA singles and doubles rankings,
graduate of Fitch, Sachire Professional Tennis national executive committee. and will captain the US team
was a four-year letterman Association for 23 years. She served on the national at the World Cup in Croatia
in football at Mount Union. At Jacksonville College, nominating committee and in September. He currently
Twice, he was an All-Ohio seven of Robbins’ Jaguar was the chairperson for the serves as President of the
Conference honoree who teams reached the NJCAA National Division Leaders National Senior Men’s
played two season in the NFL. National Tournament. Workshop in 2002. Tennis Association.

Raleigh Grossbaum
USPTA Elite Professional Raleigh Grossbaum was recently named
head coach of the Southern Utah Thunderbird men's tennis
program. Grossbaum, a graduate of the USPTA Leadership Academy
in 2018, played his collegiate tennis at Ferris State University in Big
Rapids, Michigan. Grossbaum graduated from Ferris State in 2017
with a Bachelor's of Science in Professional Tennis Management.

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE ADDvantage is published monthly by the

United States Professional tennis Association.
President...................................................................... Gary Trost Editor.............................................................................John Cornell The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are
Layout/Design........................................................... Gustavo Reyes those of the authors and not necessarily those
First Vice President................................................. Feisal Hassan of ADDvantage or the United States Profes-
Editorial Assistance.....Jacquelyn Dahre, Risa Epstein, Sarah Fisher
Vice Presidents..........................................Cari Buck, Mark Faber, Ramona Husaru, Sid Newcomb, Ellen Weatherford, sional Tennis Association.
Fred Viancos, Ashley Walker
Trish Faulkner, Bill Mountford, Richard Slivocka Circulation................................................................ Trevor Trudelle Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
Immediate Past President.............................................Chuck Gill USPTA World Headquarters Association, Inc. 2019. All rights reserved.
11961 Performance Dr. Reproduction of any portion of the magazine
CEO...........................................................................John Embree
Orlando, FL 32827 is not permitted without
.. written permission
Legal Counsel........................................................George Parnell 800-887-8248 - www.uspta.com from USPTA.

60 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine — Sept.-Oct. 2019

ADDvantageSep-OctB.indd 60 7/24/2019 5:10:29 PM

 PURE STRIKE
SHARP CONTROL