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Your Serve

September 2010

Customer Service and Player Retention

Two TSRs say how we serve customers is the key to creating and retaining players. (Click here to read more...)

August 2010

Ignoring Tennis’s Biggest Contributors

When will tennis coaches be given their due by the International Tennis Hall of Fame? (Click here to read more...)

June 2010

Creating Future Leaders

A recent grad, immersed in this industry, says education and messaging to youth will help build a solid future for the sport. (Click here to read more...)

May 2010

A Great Wall in China

An American manufacturer says companies doing business in China need to help that country bring tennis to the masses. (Click here to read more...)

April 2010

Sweat the Small(er) Stuff

For success at the grassroots game, let’s build up the ‘minor leagues’ of tennis. (Click here to read more...)

March 2010

Retailer’s Bill of Rights

A longtime tennis shop owner says there must be changes in the way retailers are treated in this industry. (Click here to read more...)

February 2010

Meeting Our Challenges

The TIA president says creating frequent players, clear messaging about the sport and boosting retail are keys for tennis going forward. (Click here to read more...)

January 2010

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...)

November 2009

A Titan of Our Sport

Alan Schwartz stands alone as the 2009 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductee. (Click here to read more...)

September 2009

Technology Smokescreen?

A tennis physicist says racquet company marketing claims may have little meaning in a scientific sense and may not be serving players. (Click here to read more...)

August 2009

A Suitable Tennis Partner?

A longtime player, fan and volunteer says when it comes to tennis sponsors and advertisers, we need to aim higher. (Click here to read more...)

July 2009

An Open Letter About Regional Tennis Magazines

By Paul Fein and Jim Martz Dear USTA and TIA Leaders: Thanks to your programs and initiatives, tennis participation throughout the U.S. in 2008 continued its growth on every level. More players (nearly 26.9 million) took to the courts... (Click here to read more...)

June 2009

Take Charge of the Sport

A longtime industry insider says it’s up to all of us to keep this sport vital. (Click here to read more...)

May 2009

Building a Healthy Roadmap for the Future

The TIA’s executive director says while the good news in participation is very positive, we are also focusing on the issues challenging our industry. Tennis participation has been on a healthy growth trend, thanks to the combined efforts of... (Click here to read more...)

April 2009

Hitting a Winner Every Time

A longtime community tennis advocate says CTAs are not only good for tennis, but good for your business. (Click here to read more...)

March 2009

Tennis’ ‘Hidden Jewel’

An author and longtime tennis journalist says that on the pro and recreational sides, doubles is becoming more important. (Click here to read more...)

February 2009

New Lessons for Teaching Pros

An industry insider says it’s time the USPTA and PTR fully embrace modified tennis for youngsters by requiring knowledge of it for certification. (Click here to read more...)

January 2009

Acting Locally

The former TSR manager says drilling down into communities is the way to get more people playing tennis. (Click here to read more...)

November 2008

Changing Our Game

With challenges and changes looming, the USTA’s executive director says the organization must be disciplined, lean and in it for the common good. (Click here to read more...)

September 2008

All For One?

The head of the USPTA says his organization supports forming one teaching pro group with the PTR. (Click here to read more...)

August 2008

A United Front

A longtime teaching pro says that to make this game truly grow, it’s time the PTR and USPTA come together and form one organization. (Click here to read more...)

July 2008

Keeping The Ball In Play

An avid league player enjoys tennis not only as a great form of exercise, but as a form of community, too. (Click here to read more...)

June 2008

Off Message

A tennis insider says the industry needs to forget about comparisons to the past, embrace the fact that we’re a niche sport, and promote the wonderful assets of the game. (Click here to read more...)

May 2008

Beyond the Bottom Line

A tennis programmer and frequent player says this business is about more than just selling a product to customers. (Click here to read more...)

April 2008

League Leader

A longtime tennis director says WTT Rec Leagues are not only fun for all, but they also add to your bottom line. (Click here to read more...)

March 2008

Fitness for Everyone

A renowned health and fitness expert says the USPTA's new "Tennis — For the health of it!" campaign hits all the right notes for people to stay fit and have fun. (Click here to read more...)

February 2008

What's Fair is Fair

A tennis aficionado has suggestions to make the Hawk-Eye Officiating System better for everyone. (Click here to read more...)

January 2008

A New Way to Love Tennis

An Atlanta retailer says her love of the game is complete after establishing a tournament to benefit charity. (Click here to read more...)

November 2007

Racquet Customization

A longtime racquet technician says manufacturers should push recreational players to have their frames customized. (Click here to read more...)

September 2007

Career Choices

A recent college graduate says a Professional Tennis Management program was just what he needed to help him pursue his dreams. (Click here to read more...)

August 2007

Going the Distance

For this industry observer, the dedication of one longtime volunteer serves as an inspiration for all involved in tennis. (Click here to read more...)

July 2007

Recruit Volunteer Leaders

A Tennis Service Rep says bringing in more volunteers will unleash a giant sales force for the sport and vastly increase participation. (Click here to read more...)

June 2007

A Profitable Future for All

Tennis is an amazing sport. Think about it — what other sport combines all the positives that you find in tennis. It's fun to play, it keeps you fit and healthy, it's a very social sport, yet it can... (Click here to read more...)

May 2007

The Great Divide

A longtime tennis observer says the USTA, with its diverse goals, may better serve the industry if it splits in two. (Click here to read more...)

April 2007

Teaching Assistance

Tennis participation has been climbing since the spotlight turned to growing the game, but are teachers being left in the dark? (Click here to read more...)

March 2007

Court Assistance?

An award-winning tennis writer and USPTA teaching pro says on-court coaching in the pros is not a good move. (Click here to read more...)

February 2007

An international flavor

A longtime observer of junior and college tennis says limiting foreign players at U.S. colleges is a bad idea. (Click here to read more...)

January 2007

A Growing Tennis Village

The TIA's executive director says collaborations within the industry are what lead to the growth of the sport. (Click here to read more...)

November 2006

A Local Tie

The Davis Cup Cares Initiative, designed to promote tennis at the local level, can be a blueprint for success with smaller events, too. (Click here to read more...)

September 2006

Sharing the Passion

TIA President Jim Baugh has left his mark on tennis, and has left the sport in good hands. (Click here to read more...)

August 2006

How to make life easier for recreational tournament players

The tennis industry has made a great effort to attract new players through a number of innovative initiatives, such as free tennis lessons, Cardio Tennis and World TeamTennis. But the needs of a significant number of existing players have... (Click here to read more...)

July 2006

Why Player Challenges Are a Bad Call

By Paul Fein and Christopher Noble Paul Hawkins, the British inventor of the revolutionary Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling technology, was speaking from his experience with other sports when he advised the ATP and WTA tours: "You've chosen this route, now... (Click here to read more...)

June 2006

An Effective Use of Time

A tennis teaching veteran, who is also a Tennis Service Rep, says meeting your TSR can yield excellent benefits for your facility and programs. (Click here to read more...)

May 2006

Tennis Loses the 'Conscience of the Sport': Eugene L. Scott, 1937-2006

The death of Tennis Week founder and publisher Eugene L. Scott of heart disease on March 20 prompted an outpouring of love, support, condolences, and tributes from Scott's friends, colleagues, and readers. Here is just a fraction of the many tributes that were posted on EugeneLScott.com. (Click here to read more...)

April 2006

The Trickle-Down Effect

The head pro at the National Tennis Center says that to continue the growth in the recreational game, the pro tours need to make some changes. (Click here to read more...)

March 2006

Step Outside the Lines

A city tennis coordinator says reaching out to schools with an introductory "Tennis Day" can bring exciting returns. (Click here to read more...)

February 2006

Give 'em what they want

A longtime tennis camp director says more people are looking to improve their games, and we need to deliver. (Click here to read more...)

January 2006

The ABCs of Tennis

A former elementary school teacher and new Tennis Service Rep says it all starts in the schools. (Click here to read more...)

November 2005

Getting Things In Shape!

A longtime tennis director says Cardio Tennis will revolutionize the sport, and your business. (Click here to read more...)

September 2005

A Big Doubles Fault

An award-winning tennis writer says the ATP's pro doubles "enhancements" are absurd, unethical, and unfair. (Click here to read more...)

August 2005

Open the Door to College Players

A longtime college tennis advocate says it's time the USTA and US Open stop shutting out top amateurs. (Click here to read more...)

July 2005

Something to Write About

A longtime tennis writer decries the declining coverage the sport has been receiving in local media. (Click here to read more...)

June 2005

Junior Achievements

A veteran tennis coach and youth center executive director says tennis pros need to serve juniors as they do adults. (Click here to read more...)

May 2005

Time for Radical Change?

Teaching pros need to simplify the learning process for their students, says the director of tennis at the NTC. (Click here to read more...)

April 2005

Community Tennis Action!

Unsure how a CTA can help your business? The head of the CTA Development Committee says you have a lot to gain by getting involved. (Click here to read more...)

March 2005

Adding Value to Tennis

It's easy to see the social case for embracing diversity, but consider what your business, and the sport, stands to gain, too. (Click here to read more...)

February 2005

Expanding Tennis' Reach

The new USTA president lays out his agenda to grow the sport and to advance the stature of tennis in the U.S. (Click here to read more...)

January 2005

Help Yourself in 2005

A relatively small investment on your part will bring the force of a whole industry behind your business. (Click here to read more...)

November 2004

Become a tennis champion

The USTA president outlines initiatives that will keep this sport a winner in the years to come. (Click here to read more...)

October 2004

Vive la Différence!

Looking to widen tennis' appeal? Just don't take away the very things that give the sport its identity. (Click here to read more...)

September 2004

Join the campaign!

The TIA president says while work continues on bringing in new players, we all need to focus on frequent-player retention. (Click here to read more...)

August 2004

Welcome to the Family!

With teaching pros leading the way, Tennis Welcome Centers can go a long way toward bringing people into their local tennis communities. (Click here to read more...)

July 2004

Chasing Points?

An expert on competitive junior tennis says recent changes are putting kids, and their families, in jeopardy. (Click here to read more...)

June 2004

You Gotta Have Heart!

The key to growing tennis, says one of the world's greatest tennis teachers, is to have a passion for the game. (Click here to read more...)

May 2004

Increasing Class Size

Through a concerted effort, college-age players who used to get lost in the system are now finding a tennis home. (Click here to read more...)

April 2004

It's a Beautiful Thing

Tennis has been making life better for millions of people. Let's spread that around even more. (Click here to read more...)

March 2004

Let's Help the Sport: Promote Foreign Pros, Kids' Events and Player Involvement

Quick, tell me, who lost in the men's final at the Australian Open? Who are the top three women on the WTA Tour right now? What country is Roger Federer from? You and I can likely answer these questions... (Click here to read more...)

February 2004

Want More Business? Take a Look At What You're Doing, Then Change It

I've spent the last two decades visiting tennis resorts, clubs and camps in order to give avid players advice about where to go to play tennis. The research has taken me to more than 350 tennis resorts and clubs... (Click here to read more...)