January 2010 Monthly Archive

There’s Still Much More Work to Do

The news that overall U.S. tennis participation — for the first time in more than 20 years — surpassed 30 million players in 2009 was rightfully hailed as a major achievement for the sport. Amid all the celebrating and... (Click here to read more...)

Industry News

Information to help you run your business. (Click here to read more...)

Letters

Thoughts on the Foot Fault (Click here to read more...)

For Tennis Universal, It’s About Customer Service

Tennis Universal started in 1979, when people kept asking Allan Gardner’s son, a teaching pro at the time, where to get various court products. His son made deals with some suppliers, and sent out a mailing. “That first mailing... (Click here to read more...)

Wilson Seeks ‘The Perfect Feel’ With New BLX Racquet Technology

Wilson’s newest racquet technology is called BLX, which adds basalt fibers in the racquet frame and — when combined with proprietary frame, grommet and grip technologies — produces what Wilson calls “the perfect feel.” “Tennis players of all skill... (Click here to read more...)

String Selector 2010

Use our charts to find the perfect strings for your customers. (Click here to read more...)

2009 Person of the Year: Eric Babolat

What’s the oldest tennis company in the world? For some, the answer may be surprising, since it was only in the last 10 years that the French company Babolat became much more visible in the U.S. when it introduced... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Private facility of the year: Reynolds Plantation

Alongside picturesque Lake Oconee sits Reynolds Plantation, in the town of Greensboro, Ga., 75 miles east of Atlanta. This private community is host to the award-winning Lake Club Tennis Center, with its four hard and four clay courts —... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Stringer of the Year: Ron Rocchi

Ron Rocchi’s first job, in seventh grade, was stringing for a local shop near Chicago. Now, as Wilson’s global tour equipment manager, he’s tasked with designing products, including performance racquets. His drive to offer players the best possible in... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Builder/Contractor of the Year: Derosa Tennis Contractors

The tennis industry puts a lot of emphasis on what’s new. But sometimes, it’s easy to overlook the fact that proven, even “old-school,” ways of doing business may still be the best: delivering quality work, charging reasonable rates and... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Sales Rep of the Year: Tracy Lynch

“Everyone has their own approach to customer service,” says Tracy Lynch, the wholesale accounts manager for Lee Tennis of Charlottesville, Va. “The first thing we do is listen to our customers, then ask questions to find out what they... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year: Tennis Express

Everyone knows it’s a tough retail environment. Still, tennis shops are finding ways to do business. For Brad Blume at Tennis Express in Houston, it’s a return to fundamentals that is helping to see him through. “From the top... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Tennis Advocate of the year: Ellen Doll

What happens when a very passionate tennis player and parent sees courts in town falling into disrepair? If you’re Ellen Doll of Minneapolis, you step up and start gathering support to save the courts. Doll started the nonprofit Support... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Junior Tennis champion of the Year: Dan Faber

It’s quite an understatement to say that Dan Faber is a busy man. Faber is the executive director of the NJTL of Trenton, N.J., one of the most active NJTL’s in the country. “Our mission is to enhance lives... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Grassroots Champions of the Year: Lisa Stone & Susan Chambers

Local tennis heroes are all around us. They run programs in parks, they form CTAs, they run leagues and mixers. In Cobb County, Ga., Lisa Stone and Susan Chambers, both of Marietta, formed a program for schoolchildren that has... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Municipal Facility of the Year: Reffkin Tennis Center

Jim Reffkin has served as director of tennis for Tucson, Ariz., Parks & Rec for 34 years, directing operations at the award-winning Randolph Tennis Center. In appreciation, the city last September renamed the facility in honor of Reffkin, and... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year: Dean Oba

Talk to people about Dean Oba of Salt Lake City, and certain words keep coming up: “phenomenal,” “generous,” “amazing,” “inspirational.” “He’s the complete package,” says Linda Vincent, executive director of the Utah Tennis Association. “He’s been a mentor and... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Public Park of the Year: Darling Tennis Center

The term “public park” generally evokes images of … unkempt municipal courts, few, if any, amenities, and no real ambience. Then there’s our choice for RSI’s Public Park of the Year: the Amanda and Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center... (Click here to read more...)

2009 Community Tennis Association of the Year: Western Wake T.A.

What makes a great CTA? Programming and activities, of course. But the Western Wake Tennis Association in Western Wake County, N.C., goes well beyond that. And for 2009, the WWTA is RSI’s CTA of the Year. “Western Wake has... (Click here to read more...)

2009 PTR Member of the Year: Ken DeHart

There are some people in this industry you just can’t avoid. Ken DeHart is just such a person. He’s involved in so many aspects of tennis — as a director of tennis, teaching pro, coach, teacher of tennis teachers,... (Click here to read more...)

2009 USPTA Member of the Year: Robert Greene Jr.

In recognition of a career of accomplishments spanning more than 30 years, Robert Greene Jr. of Rangeley, Maine, has been recognized with the 2003 International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Tennis Educational Merit Award and 2009 USPTA Alex Gordon National... (Click here to read more...)

2009 High School coach of the Year: Rich Johns

Tennis most likely was in the cards all along for Rich Johns of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. After all, his middle name is “Ace.” Johns, who is the tennis coach at Saratoga Springs High School, has led his teams to... (Click here to read more...)

2009 USTA Section of the Year: USTA Midwest

In the past year, the USTA Midwest Section has compiled a list of accomplishments spanning community tennis, youth and junior team tennis, no-cut high school, collegiate and adult competition, USTA Leagues, QuickStart and recreational coach workshops, high performance, tennis... (Click here to read more...)

Playtest: Luxilon M2 Plus

M2 Plus is a new “multi-mono” from Luxilon that offers the advantages of both multifilament and monofilament strings. Luxilon M2 Plus has dynamic variable flex which reacts to the power of your shots. It acts like a multifilament at... (Click here to read more...)

Making the Best Of A Bad Situation

A veteran coach and teaching pro used the time she was out of a job to expand her career, and her opportunities. (Click here to read more...)