Jon Muir, worldwide general manager of Wilson Racquet Sports, begins two-year term as TIA president.
U.S. tennis participation in 2008 is at the highest level since 1992 with nearly 27 million participants in the sport.
The first publication of the “Tennis Retailer Health Index,” introduced by the TIA to monitor and track the pro/specialty retail market, shows a 19% increase from the baseline year of 2003, although year-end ball & racquet shipments go flat and retailers begin to feel the effects of the recession that started in early 2008.
February
The USTA/TIA Participation Survey shows that 1.8 million players joined the game in 2008, and charting economic indicators show that people may actually increase play in a down economy.
GrowingTennis.com site is revamped and adds a Business Resource Section for facilities and retailers. The site sees a 1000% increase in providers using it to post their programs and information in online consumer searches.
TennisIndustryNews.org debuts and features the latest news feeds from RSI, along with TIA member news, plus an official tennis industry calendar, GrowingTennis newsletter archives, and more.
March
TennisConnect Retailer debuts as a comprehensive service for tennis merchants and pro shop managers to enhance their web presence.
Ball and Racquet shipment reports for 2008 show an increase of 16% in ball units and 44% in racquet units since 2003.
The TennisInsure program is expanded to include multiple forms of coverage & experts on two sides of the business: Property & Casualty and TennisInsure Association E-Health Programs.
TIA holds annual Board Meeting on March 2 and gets behind USTA’s QuickStart Tennis and Tennis Night in America efforts to grow youth participation.
April
Tennis is the fastest growing traditional sport in the U.S., according to the SGMA, up 43% from 2000 to 2008.
SGMA study for the first time records Cardio Tennis participants at 600,000, which exceeds squash players.
GrowingTennis system statistics show that the system is receiving more than 4 million consumer queries every month.
The first TIA Tennis Summit is held April 23 to 24 in New York City to address the changing marketplace.
May
TIA releases “Tennis is the Fastest Growing Sport” publication to the industry and its members.
The TIA partners with Rally for the Cure and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to have Cardio Tennis Rally for the Cure events take place at tennis facilities across the nation.
The TIA, USTA and RSI recognize the “Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers of 2008.”
An industry-wide promotion — “Racket UP, America!” — is developed and attracts wide partner support to help promote consumer awareness and drive traffic at retail.
June
The 2008 Tennis Marketplace is released, with highlights on player participation increasing to nearly 27 million and play occasions up 13% in 2008, but by mid-year 2009, racquet & balls shipments show decline.
The TIA Tennis Forum date is set for September 1, during the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference and US Open, along with the TIA Board Meeting and Tennis Industry Hall of Fame announcement.
TIA initiates meeting with Sports Illustrated’s main tennis writer.
Tennis growth story receives more than 421 million media impressions throughout print, internet, TV and other channels.
July
The “Racket Up, America!” promotion kicks off in an effort to stimulate racquet sales at retail shops across the U.S.
Tennis participation news appears on “Live with Regis & Kelly” and other mainstream media outlets.
The TIA reports 2,602 Tennis Welcome Centers, 1,701 Cardio Tennis Sites, and 1,221 QuickStart Tennis sites in the U.S. year-to-date.
Second TIA Tennis Summit is held July 16 to 17 in New York City and addresses need to create more frequent players, and turn focus on industry and business health.
August
The TIA partners with PublicEarth to bring tennis facility and retailer coordinates and locations to GPS units and mobile phones.
The “Court Activity Monitor” shows a net increase in “Early Season 2009” vs. “Late Season 2008” along with more than 1 million online court reservations tracked.
The TIA joins various social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to promote tennis.
More than 1,600 facilities have been added to date to the GrowingTennis System, pushing the total number to 20,000-plus.
September
The TIA holds its annual “TIA Tennis Forum” at the USTA National Tennis Teacher’s Conference.
Alan Schwartz is inducted into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame.
The TIA holds a Technology Workshop in New York City in conjunction with the USTA and Active Network.
TIA Board meeting is held in New York City during the US Open.
“Racket UP, America!” concludes Sept. 30 and estimates $400,000 increase in racquet sales plus additional $200,000 future sales.
October
The 2008 “Tennis Participation Health Index” is released, showing an 18.1% increase since the measure was initiated in 2003.
The “GrowingTennis System” adds tools for Facility Managers to download, including a “Facility Manager’s Manual” and a “Go Green” section.
TIA attends Career Weekend at Ferris State University in Michigan and works toward attracting young talent into the industry through Careers in Tennis initiative.
November
The online career development tool, “Careers in Tennis,” is soft-launched at CareersInTennis.com.
The 2008 Play Report is generated and presented at a conference in Washington, D.C., and shows that tennis continues to hold the No. 1 spot for traditional sports.
The 2009 Cost of Doing Business survey is sent to retailers and facilities and expanded to capture data for court contractors and designers.
TennisConnect registers its 200,000th player and TennisConnect Retailer offers manufacturer branded pages in a newly released version to help retail businesses.
December
The 2009 TIA/USTA Tennis Participation study shows that total tennis participation tops 30 million players for the first time in the 22-year history of the survey, further mobilizing the industry to match participation health with industry health.
TIA and research partners create the TIA Economic Index, to gather top-line data from eight key sectors of the tennis economy to improve industry health.
TIA develops a PlayTennis “widget” for consumer sites.
Christine Smith of Hurst, Texas, is announced as the winner of “Racket Up, America!” and will serve for $1 million at Madison Square Garden on March 1st, 2010.
