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IndustryNews Industry News Information to help you run your business management system back in 2001 with TECHNOLOGY the intended goal to support the mar- ket and its software and technology needs. Foundation Tennis, which we Slinger Bag Acquires Software began developing in 2017, represents the sum of our experience while har- Developer Foundation Tennis nessing the latest technology to give our customers a cutting-edge competi- tive advantage. “Mike and the Slinger team have tapped into something special in the tennis market and we look forward to driving value and innovation for the entire industry together.” Franklin Sports, USAP Ink Deal for Official Ball, Growth Initiatives Franklin Sports has signed a multi-year agreement to become the official ball of USA Pickleball and to partner on growth initiative for the sport, including working toward making pickleball a Demonstra- tion Sport at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The two organiza- tions will work together to develop pick- leball programming for schools while also increasing the sport's presence at retail stores across the country. "Pickleball is just scratching the sur- face of what we believe it can become as linger Bag has acquired hosting, iOS and Android apps). a sport, and our pickleball partnerships Foundation Tennis, a “We are thrilled to bring Foundation and growing product collection reflect developer of tennis software Tennis under the Slinger brand and in that belief," says Adam Franklin, presi- applications covering tennis doing so to support Charlie Ruddy [the dent of Franklin Sports. "We're looking club and facility admin- founder and president of Foundation forward to working with USA Pickleball istration and encompassing highly Tennis] and his team in building out his to grow and develop the sport, and we S functional user and CRM experiences. platform, providing a compelling offer- can't wait to see the X-40 ball in action at Slinger says the acquisition is in line ing of facility and member services on a upcoming tournaments." with the company’s focus on innovat- single user platform,” says Slinger CEO Already the official ball of the U.S. Open ing game-improvement technology and Mike Ballardie. Pickleball Championships and more than equipment, and looking to become a The acquisition “represents a signifi- 200 independent tournaments held an- “connected” sports company. cant step in our brand evolution toward nually worldwide, the Franklin X-40 will Foundation Tennis, started in 2017, becoming a leading connected sports now be the official ball of USA Pickleball's currently has more than one million company,” adds Ballardie. “We aim to flagship National Tournament and its individual facility members registered achieve that by putting our users at the corresponding National Championship on its platform. core of all products and services.” Series at Newport Beach Champion- Foundation Tennis’ proprietary tech- “Over the past many years, we have ships, and Regional Championship Series nology suite provides business services built and accumulated a diverse array events. to the industry, including operational of tools and software to best serve the For more information on the sport and and payments software as well as digital tennis facility market,” says Ruddy. company, visit usapickleball.org and COURTESY SLINGER BAG COURTESY platform management (website design, “I developed my first SaaS tennis franklinsports.com/pickleball. www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com September/October 2021 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7 IndustryNews ESPN Reaches TV Extension with Wimbledon Through 2035 ESPN signed a 12-year extension in July with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to con- tinue televising the Wimbledon tournament through 2035. ESPN will show weekend matches on the ABC network during the tournament and air all courts on the ESPN+ streaming service. ESPN+ will also have full match replays. The deal covers the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Brazil. Bolle Designs Court Sunglasses With New Phantom Court Lens MANAGEMENT Tip: Collecting Tennis Balls ne of the unexpected effects team came up with a great solution. of Covid has been a shortage We purchased and placed small O of tennis balls. At the mo- baskets by every court, then sent an e- ment, none of my usual suppliers are blast to our players saying that, when Bollé is back in the tennis market with able to provide me with my regular they finished playing, if they were not a new sunglass lens called the Phantom monthly ball shipments, and I’m told planning to use their balls again, we'd Court. The company says the lens, which this may continue into the fall and appreciate them putting the balls in is Bollé’s patented, top-of-the-line per- winter months. Fortunately, through the baskets, which would be re-used formance lens, provides unique combina- other sources (and a lot of begging, for teaching purposes. tions of HD lens tints, molecular photo- borrowing and bartering), I’ve been The response has been tremendous. chromic fi lter with super wide range and able to purchase balls to sell at our In the first week following the email, I platinum anti-fog on the inside only. facility, Four Seasons Racquet Club in received nearly 1,000 balls—enough to Bollé says its lens magnifi es and high- Wilton, Conn. fill three teaching carts! lights white and yellow compared to However, acquiring teaching balls During this pandemic, in the overall surrounding colors and adjusts to chang- has presented an entirely different scheme of things, a shortage of ten- ing light conditions. The Phantom Court challenge. Anyone who has ever given nis balls is nothing. However, in my lens is available in the Lightshifter frame a lesson is well aware that, when the situation, it has provided yet another (suggested retail, $200) and Bolt 2.0 balls in the teaching cart begin to go example of people coming together, frame ($170). Contact 800-222-6553 or bad, complaints from customers are and that is a very big thing! [email protected]. soon to follow. But a member of my —Greg Moran Short Sets Shortly before the Truist Atlanta Open in part-time Cashiers resident Andy Roddick, ship with the Pro Pickleball Association July, Dunlop reached a multi-year agree- will be run by PBI pro Wendell McConnie. through 2023. The Dura Fast 40 Pickleball ment to become the offi cial ball and rac- The Club at High Hampton has four Har-Tru will continue to be the Offi cial Ball of PPA quet provider of the tournament. Players courts, one hard court and four pickleball Tour events through 2023. used the ATP Extra Duty Ball; Dunlop also courts. is the offi cial ball of the ATP Tour. The grass courts at the International Ten- Beyond the Baselines has been con- nis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., will be the Peter Burwash International is managing tracted by the East Chop Tennis Club on venue for the Sept. 17-18 Davis Cup World the tennis and pickleball programs at The Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., to complete a Group 1 tie between New Zealand and the Club at High Hampton in Cashiers, N.C., “pickleball feasibility study” as part of a Republic of Korea. With New Zealand’s in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Moun- long-term strategic plan. borders closed to international visitors due tains. The program, developed under to Covid-19, a neutral host was required, the direction of former champion and Onix Pickleball has extended its partner- and the Hall of Fame offered its support. COURTESY BOLLLE; PHOTO BY MIKE MORAN BOLLLE; PHOTO BY COURTESY 8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY September/October 2021 www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com SWITCH ON Welcome to CX Your new way to control the game. FLEX BOOSTER lets you hit harder. So you can play longer. US.DUNLOPSPORTS.COM * Game-winning control included. Game-controlling remote, not included. Or invented. Dunlop_1326_CX_Launch_PrintAd_8.25x10.75in_US.indd 1 11/11/2020 09:15 IndustryNews TENNISWEAR USTA Foundation Awards $1.07 Million to 105 NJTLs New Tennis The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the USTA, has awarded grants Apparel totaling more than $1.07 million to 105 National Junior Tennis & Learning chap- ters (NJTL) in 36 states and the District of Brand 1015 Columbia. The grants are designated to support under-resourced youth through Debuts tennis and education programs de- signed to improve health, build charac- oad to Pro (rtptennis.com) ter and strive for academic excellence. wants to change the percep- The $1.07 million represents an initial R tion that when tennis moves investment by the USTA Foundation, outside the lines, it leaves behind which is set to give $4 million in grants in its focus on fashion found in the 2021. The grants, targeted toward com- eye-catching designs and explosions expected to start at $95, with avail- munity programs designated by the 105 of color that appear on clothing, ability at 1015la.com. NJTL chapters, are expected to support racquets and shoes. And so, in Au- A goal of the brand is to target 60,000 youth participants, including gust, the company launched its 1015 younger players, but also to give back an estimated 30,000 who will pick up a (pronounced “ten” and “IS”) brand, to that demographic by allocating a racquet for the fi rst time. with expressive designs on T-shirts portion of profits toward athletes’ In total, these chapters will offer more and hats. Sweatshirts and shorts, all tennis careers, in keeping with the than 56,000 hours of education and using premium materials and manu- guidance RTP has traditionally 95,000 hours of tennis activities, includ- factured in the U.S., are planned offered high-performance juniors.