Our Serve
May 1, 2008
Spread the News
Journalist and commentator Gloria Borger once said, "For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news." Well, we humbly disagree, at least with the second part of that quote. For tennis, there has...
April 1, 2008
A Gathering of Champions
Once again, I felt fortunate to attend one of this industry's best workshops for those actually delivering tennis at the grassroots level. I'm talking about the USTA's Community Tennis Development Workshop, a yearly event that brings together those who...
March 1, 2008
A Major Link in the Chain
Sometimes I worry that teaching pros get sick of hearing about various programs touted as the best thing for the future of the game. If a group such as the USTA, TIA, PTR, or USPTA is putting money and...
February 1, 2008
Get your customers online
Remember when the internet was new, when simply sending and receiving email or visiting a website was a wonder of technology? Now, just about anything you do has some sort of internet component to it. And consumers have come...
January 1, 2008
VIPs of the Tennis Industry: Our Serve
I just spent a very enjoyable and informative weekend with a group that may well be one of the most important in this industry. No, I wasn't with any of the pro players at season-ending tournaments, nor was I with...
November 1, 2007
Finding the 'Best of the Best'
Is your facility a leader in delivering tennis programs and providing service to promote the sport? The TIA and the USTA, together with RSI, are once again looking for the "Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers" in the U.S. These...
September 1, 2007
Strong, And Getting Stronger
We at Racquet Sports Industry are proud to be a part of the Tennis Industry Association. And now, we've taken steps to expand our partnership with the TIA — and as a result, you'll enjoy greater coverage of industry...
August 1, 2007
Your Source for Industry News
The recent relaunch of our website, www.racquetsportsindustry.com, has been doing just what we had hoped — it's keeping the industry informed about what's going on in a very timely manner. In fact, the tagline we use on the home...
July 1, 2007
Keep Your Business Rolling
When it comes to tennis balls, some dealers just don't get it. They treat the product almost with a kind of contempt. True, you may not be making a huge percentage of your income selling tennis balls, but the...
June 1, 2007
A Look Into the Future
Recently I had the good fortune to address the students in the Professional Tennis Management program at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. If you're not familiar with this program — and the handful of others like it...
May 1, 2007
Two Programs Serving the Future
For years, this industry has been searching for the magic bullet that will send tennis participation through the roof, making this business profitable for everyone. Many programs and initiatives have flashed onto the scene, only to fade after a...
April 1, 2007
Recognizing the Best
Every year, the International Tennis Hall of Fame inducts three or four people who have had a major impact on tennis, whether as a pro player or as a "contributor" to the game, such as a media member, coach,...
March 1, 2007
Creating our image
One of this year's inductees to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July, alongside legend Pete Sampras and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, will be longtime tennis photographer Russ Adams. The 76-year-old Adams, known as the "dean" of tennis photography, has...
February 1, 2007
Hitching a Ride
You're probably seeing it everywhere: Tennis on TV. Tennis in the movies. Tennis in popular magazines. Tennis in commercials and advertisements. In fact, the crowning achievement may have been last fall, when Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek revealed the "Final...
January 1, 2007
A Solid Foundation
There's been a lot of good news in tennis lately. Participation is rising, equipment sales are up, the number of "play occasions" has increased. And, of course, the big statistic that many people have quoted over the last six...
November 1, 2006
True Champions of Tennis
This issue marks our 6th Annual Champions of Tennis Awards. We're thrilled that every year, the awards that we started in 2001 to honor those often "unsung" heroes of the sport have gained more and more notice within the...
September 1, 2006
More Than Money Can Buy
On the one hand, it was a bold move: naming the USTA National Tennis Center in New York — home of the US Open and the world's largest public tennis facility — after Billie Jean King, and forgoing possibly...
August 1, 2006
Carrying On
After more than 20 years in the tennis spotlight, Andre Agassi, now the U.S.'s grand ambassador for the sport, has announced that he will retire after this year's US Open. The New York stage is a fitting place for...
July 1, 2006
Grab Every Opportunity You Can
You've heard it from us before, but it bears repeating: Take advantage of all the opportunities you can when it comes to furthering your knowledge in this business. And one of the best opportunities — for tennis teachers, coaches,...
June 1, 2006
A Can't-Miss Marketing Strategy
Many retailers and facility managers think the Tennis Industry Association is mainly for manufacturers. But that is simply not the case. Over the last few years, the TIA has quietly been expanding its reach to facilities and retailers to...
May 1, 2006
Become a Tennis Advocate
We all want people on our side. As teaching pros or coaches, you want your students to think positively about you, to talk you up to others who may not know you or your talents. As retailers, you want...
April 1, 2006
Spotlight on stringing
I just returned from an exciting event at The Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas — the Wilson World Stringing Championships. I served as referee for the competition, which was essentially a speed-stringing contest using head-to-head competition (not just...
March 1, 2006
Be a 'hero' in your community
The USTA's Community Tennis Development Workshop once again drew a large, enthusiastic crowd in early February, this time in Hollywood, Calif. I was among about 650 who registered for the conference, and again, I was amazed and impressed by...
February 1, 2006
Building the future
In early December, I spent three days with people who may well comprise the most important group involved in tennis in the U.S. — the members of the American Sports Builders Association. These are the people who build and...
January 1, 2006
An Investment That Counts
If you haven't heard about it before, then when you turn to page 7 of this issue, you should be pleasantly surprised. The latest annual Tennis Participation Study shows an increase — by 1.1 million — in the number...
November 1, 2005
The Champion's Pursuit
The Champion's Pursuit What does it take to be a champion? No matter the field of endeavor, it takes drive, determination, sacrifice, hard work, practice, knowledge, experience, and more. Man, that sounds like a tough row to hoe. Is it...
September 1, 2005
Honoring Our Commitment
Well, we did this a year ago, and we're going to do it again this year. We're going to pat ourselves on the back. We recently received word that Racquet Sports Industry magazine won a 2005 Apex Award for...
August 1, 2005
You Gotta Have Heart!
It was vintage Jim Baugh — laser pointer in his right hand, slide projector clicker in his left, explaining the latest development in tennis. All of Baugh's excitement about the sport was there, as always, and he was thoroughly...
July 1, 2005
Playing the Numbers
Everywhere you turn in this business, you're hit by research numbers — participation figures, retail sales numbers, attendance and TV viewership figures. A recent addition to all the numbers is the SGMA Sports Participation Trend figures, which indicate that...
June 1, 2005
'Tis the Season
For tennis fans in the U.S., it's like being a kid again, with Christmas fast approaching. We're coming into the Tennis Holiday Season. So many things are happening in June, July, and August — all culminating with the greatest...
May 1, 2005
Don't Expect a Magic bullet
Something came up at the last TIA board meeting in March, held during the USTA's Annual Meeting in La Quinta, Calif., that got me a little concerned. As TIA President Jim Baugh was updating members about some key programs...
April 1, 2005
What's on Your Business Learning Calendar?
What did you learn last week that will accelerate the continuous reinvention of yourself and your business in order to survive, compete, and prosper in today's and tomorrow's business environment? Approximately 800 PTR pros spent the last week in...
March 1, 2005
Lessons From a USTA Section
In January, I was invited to the USTA Southern Section Annual Meeting in Atlanta. The nice folks on their Media/Public Relations Committee (Marc Kaplan, Ron Cioffi, and Marcy Hirshberg) asked me and Seth Sylvan, director of communications for the...
February 1, 2005
Continuing Ed That Connects
Continuing education is a big key to helping you succeed in this business. And there are a number of excellent choices when it comes to adding to your business knowledge and honing your skills in tennis teaching, programming, and...
January 1, 2005
Tennis now Through 'Coopetition'
There is nothing wrong with trying to sell the most racquets, build the most courts, recruit the most members, or teach the most players. In fact, that is what guarantees that the best products and services will be available...
November 1, 2004
Winning Lessons
Once again, you responded -- with e-mails, faxes, and letters -- to our call to honor the people and organizations that are making a difference in the business of tennis. This issue contains our fourth annual "Champions of Tennis"...
October 1, 2004
What does tennis need?
Has anyone noticed that tennis is fun to watch ... again? Well, fun for me at least, because I like rallies and lots of running. And these are back! And this, desspite all the talk about the fate of...
September 1, 2004
Off to a Good Start!
We'd like to do something that, in many ways, we don't do enough of. We'd like to pat ourselves on the back. Recently, we were notified that Racquet Sports Industry magazine, won an Apex 2004 Award of Excellence. Of...
August 1, 2004
Now, It's Your Turn
Chances are, you've been bombarded lately with messages about how the sport of tennis needs the involvement of everyone -- teaching pros, court builders, manufacturers, facility owners, pro shops, etc. Those of us who have been in this business...
July 1, 2004
A winning game
There's a well-known saying in tennis: Don't change a winning game. You get ahead in a match, your strategy seems to be working -- why deviate from that path? Right now, the USTA has been on a path that...
June 1, 2004
Use All Your Tools of the Trade
It doesn't matter what profession you're in -- carpenter, sales executive, tennis teaching pro, lawyer, retail shop owner -- you need to have the right tools for the job you do. The bottom line, naturally, is the bottom line:...
May 1, 2004
Start Where You Are
Sports stars often stun us with their skill and sometimes make us laugh at their TV commercials, yet rarely do they inspire us or provide something to think about. One notable exception was Arthur Ashe, both a consummate champion...
April 1, 2004
It's about more than just the job
Every business has its movers and shakers -- the high-profile types who keep pushing, get a lot of things done, and, because of their effectiveness, tend to receive a lot of attention. Right now in tennis, it is an...
March 1, 2004
One Degree of Separation … from Tennis
Do you ever wonder what all those people are thinking about as you sit bumper-locked in morning rush hour traffic? Millions of separate consciousnesses all doing the same thing, encased in their metal shells, as if in their own...
February 1, 2004
Writing Our Own Tennis History
In your hands is a little bit of tennis history — the premiere issue of Racquet Sports Industry. This new magazine, which we're calling RSI, comes about as a merger between two industry stalwarts: Tennis Industry magazine and the...
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