Racquet Tech Tennis Business Event Attendance Knot or clamp? Check out the MARKETING How to START agenda for the your events A STRING JOB T.O.M. CONFERENCE effectively APRIL 2016 / VOLU ME 44/ NUMBER 4 / $5.00 Apparel Trends: Hitting The Right Shots! Winning Soft-Court Facilities 1 1 .. 4 4 T T A A p p g g S S P P g g U U t t i i n n o o r r a a o o r r p p I I n n c c TennisIndustry www.tennisindustrymag.com APRIL 2 016016 DEPARTMENTS 4 Our Serve 7 Industry News 14 Industry Recognition 15 TIA News 22 Racquet Tech 24 Grassroots Tennis 26 Retailing Tip 28 Event Marketing 38 Tips & Techniques 40 Y Your Serve, by Annie Beier INDUSTRY NEWS 7 USTA PlayDev creates new p.35 “T“Team USA” department 7 TT.O.M. Conference and FEATURES Forum in Miami 8 PTR, TennisEurope partner 30 Event Tracking for TennisCoachEd.com 8 Babolat introduces How can you prepare for sudden spikes in lightweight JET shoe attendance at your facility? The next level of 8 Pound, Maule have new roles at Wilson service will help you forecast and adapt. 8 New edition out for 32 “T“Tennis Parent’s Bible”e” p.30 Trends in Tenniswear 9 USTA awards Wheelchair From high fashion, to toned-down neon, to TTennis grants 10 Peoplewatch tech fabrics, to better stretch—the trends 10 Pickleball US Open continue to take apparel from on court to off. to be in Naples 10 Solinco adds new Hyper-G 35 Soft Touch co-poly string 11 iTPA to hold 2nd World These outdoor Distinguished Facility-of-the- TTennis Fitness Conf. Year award winners are excellent examples 12 Short Sets p.32 of soft-court construction. PLUS 42 CEO’s Message p.41 44 Vice President’s Message 44 The Lifelong Learner 52 Invest in Yourself 46 USPTA Benefits 48 Master Pro Corner 48 The Ten Commandments of 54 “20 Point” Inspection Tool 52 Beyond the Court for YYouth Tennis Being a USPTA Professional 57 USPTA News 58 Career Development 60 Member News Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 22 TennisIndustry April 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com Publishers Our Serve David Bone Jeff Williams Editorial Director Peter Francesconi [email protected] Associate Editor Greg Raven Design/Art Director Kristine Thom Special Projects Manager Bob Patterson Righting an Contributing Editors Robin Bateman Cynthia Cantrell Industry Wrong Peg Connor Kent Oswald t was exactly nine years agoo ten with Dennis in mind.)) Cynthia Sherman when I wrote about this topic in And beyond that, flood the Hallall Mary Helen Sprecher I this column—and I can’t believe of Fame and any other influential nothing has happened in that time tennis people you know with emailsils Contributing Photographers to right this wrong. supporting Dennis for this honor. Bob Kenas Plain and simple: Dennis Van der This injustice in the tennis world David Kenas Meer should be inducted into the was again brought to light by none International Tennis Hall of Fame. other than Billie Jean King, who TENNIS INDUSTRY Shame on the ITHOF—and all of spoke at the PTR Symposium in Corporate Offices us—for not fixing this years ago and February when she was inducted PO Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096 recognizing the incredible impact into the PTR Hall of Fame. BJK Phone: 760-536-1177 Fax: 760-536-11711 this amazing man has had on this told the sold-out awards banquet Email: [email protected] game—not just in the U.S., but crowd that we need to get a petition Website: www.TennisIndustryMag.com throughout the world.. going to get Dennis into the Inter- Office Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dennis has taught more people national Tennis Hall of Fame—and to play—and to teach—tennis than that’s what PTR CEO Dan Santo-- Advertising Director anyone in the history of this sport. rum started right then and there. John Hanna He has been a coach, innovator, Visit www.ptrtennis.org to find out 770-650-1102, x.125 advocate and tireless promoter of more and to lend your support. [email protected] tennis for decades. While he has Dennis was the first inductee into personally taught thousands to play the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame in Apparel Advertising Cynthia Sherman this game, by teaching the teach- 2008. He’s been inducted into both 203-263-5243 ers he’s had a direct hand in getting the USPTA Hall of Fame (2015) [email protected] millions of recreational players on and the PTR Hall of Fame (2013). the court.rt. He’s also in the USTA Northern Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year: monthly January through August and combined Now, in this 40th year of the California and the USTA Southern issues in September/October and November/ Professional Tennis Registry, the section halls of fame. In 1972, the December by Tennis Industry and USRSA, 310 organization he founded, it’s time to U.S. State Department cited him for Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North, Suite 400, fix this. While the HoF inductees for Exceptional Coaching Performance Birmingham, AL 35203. Periodcal postage paid this year are settled, we all can helpp in the Middle East, and in 1989, he at Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices make this a reality for next year. received the Healthy American Fit- (USPS #004-354). Apr 2016, Volume 44, Number 4 © 2016 by USRSA and Tennis Industry. All Go to www.tennisfame.com, click ness Award. He was named Devel- rights reserved. Tennis Industry, TI and logo on “Hall of Famers” and nominate opmental Coach of the Year by the are trademarks of USRSA. Printed in the U.S.A. Dennis Van der Meer as a “Con- U.S. Olympic Committee in 1997. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone tributor.r.” And hurry—deadline forfor Dennis has been honored by so circulation and editorial: 760-536-1177. Yearly the 2017 induction class is April 1, many groups, organizations and subscriptions $25 in the U.S., $40 elsewhere. 2016. (Just look at that description governments that it makes no sense POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tennis for “Contributor””—“exceptional con- to me he’he’s not yet enshrined inn Industry, 310 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North, Suite 400, Birmingham, AL 35203. TI is the official tributions that have furthered the Newport. This is something that magazine of the USRSA, TIA,and ASBA. growth, reputation, and character of everyone in this industry can rally the sport…”—it was practically writ- behind. Let’s fix this now.. Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/ Racquet Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website at TennisIndustrymag.com for free digital Peter Francesconi, Editorial Director versions back to 2004. [email protected] 44 TennisIndustry April 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com Industry News Information to help you run your business T.O.M. Conference Slated USTA PlayDev Creates New For March 23-25 in Miami It’s not too late to sign up for the ‘‘Team USA’ Department Third Annual Tennis Owners & Man- agers (T.O.M.) Conference, March STA Player Development has created a 23-25 at the Hilton Miami Downtown new “Team USA–Pro” department that during the Miami Open pro tennis Uwill be focused on providing American tournament. Single-day rates are pro tennis players with coaching assistance, available for the T.O.M. training and financial resources to help them reach the Top 100. USTA Lead National Coach- es Tom Gullikson and Kathy Rinaldi have each been promoted to leadership roles in the new department and will lead its coaching efforts on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively.. The conference will bring together The Team USA–Pro department was cre- leading experts in facility manage- ated to provide professional players ranked ment, programming and other key between 100 and 500 resources and assistance areas to provide vital information to similar to what has been available to junior grow tennis businesses, in addition players since USTA Player Development first to a TTennis Tech Fair & Resource began to incorporate the Team USA philoso- Center. phy into its junior development structure in Key speakers include Dr. Jack 2014. Geoff Russell will assume a new role, as Groppel, Cliff Drysdale, Gigi Fernan- senior manager of Team USA–Pro, overseeing dez, Emilio Sanchez, Jim Baugh and the department’s administrative operations. Dr. Gerald Faust, among other man- “When players move quickly into the Top agement and business consultants. 100, they have a much better chance of achiev- Tennis industry speakers include ing rankings in the Top 50, Top 20 or Top 10,” Martin Blackman Craig Jones, Dan Santorum, John Em- says USTA Player Development General bree, Randy Futty, Pat Hanssen, Lee Manager Martin Blackman. “Team USA–Pro Sponaugle, Virgil Christian and Scott will better enable us to maximize this oppor- Schultz. Among facility owners and tunity for our American pros and help them managers sharing their knowledge achieve a ranking that gets them into the will be: Greg Lappin, Simon Gale, main draw of Grand Slam events, where we Mike Woody, Fernando Velasco, eventually want to see them competing into Jorge Capestany, Doug Cash and the second week.” many others. To register and for Additionally, USTA Player Developmentt more information, go to TheTOM- has reorganized its structure of National Conference.com. Coaches, creating teams of coaches who will focus on distinct groups of players: juniors, State of Industry Tom Gullikson collegiate players and professional players.