Industry News Grow Participation Your Serve HAR-TRU sold; How to move Use ROG balls PLAYSIGHT tech the needle with FOR ALL AGES to at Lake Nona MARKETING keep ’em playing JULY 2016 / VOLUME 44 / NUMBER 7 / $5.00 2016 Guide to Ball Machines A money maker for your club Help your players improve Our exclusive listings Plus: TIA State of the Industry Report Latest data shows gains & challenges 07_TI_COVER_R1.indd 1 6/1/16 2:40 PM ads.indd 1 4/29/16 12:43 PM ads.indd 2 4/29/16 12:43 PM Te nnisIndustry www.tennisindustrymag.com JULY 2016 DEPARTMENTS p.20 4 Our Serve 7 Industry News 14 TIA News 16 Grassroots Tennis 18 Marketing 31 Tips & Techniques 32 String Playtest: Kirschbaum 34 Your Serve, by Lou Marino INDUSTRY NEWS 7 Har-Tru Sports acquired by Tuckahoe Holdings 7 PlaySight to equip all courts at USTA National Campus 7 Tennis leaders gather at USTA symposium 7 USTA joins with NFHS for FEATURES “Coaching Tennis” course 8 USTA names new Chief Marketing Offi cer 20 Money Machines 8 TIA Tennis Forum Aug. 29 With attention to how your ball machine is in New York used, you can hit a revenue winner. 10 Head debuts next generation Speed Limited Edition 10 Peoplewatch 22 Guide to Ball Machines 10 New book chronicles senior Use our exclusive guide of current ball player’s tennis quest machines on the market to fi nd the perfect 11 Tecnifi bre continues “Young Guns” contest unit for your players. 12 Short Sets 13 Tom Daglis to head PTM program 27 2016 State of the Industry at Berry College While the latest TIA research shows some 13 USTA, Discovery team up gains, the State of the Industry report points for “Careers” initiative out a number of challenges we must address. 2 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com TOC.indd 2 5/26/16 10:50 AM TI MAG AD pg.indd 2 5/31/16 2:16 PM Our Serve PUBLISHER JEFF WILLIAMS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PETER FRANCESCONI MANAGING EDITOR SCOTT GRAMLING CREATIVE DIRECTOR IAN KNOWLES SENIOR EDITOR ED MGROGAN Fishing In ART DIRECTOR CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR Profi table Waters BOB PATTERSON CONTRIBUTING EDITORS LET’S MAKE THIS CLEAR UP FRONT: them to attend won’t be full of young ROBIN BATEMAN, CYNTHIA CANTRELL, I’m not suggesting tennis providers players that they’ll have trouble keep- PEG CONNOR, KENT OSWALD, CYNTHIA ignore or lessen the appeal of programs ing up with? Don’t assume one email SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER available to kids. We must continue to or one poster will appeal to every type CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS get more kids into tennis, and it’s prob- of player, age or gender. Tailor your BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS ably more imperative now than ever, in messages and, when appropriate, your light of the most recent research that tennis programs. WEBMASTER shows overall tennis participation for With all the emphasis on youth, GREG RAVEN ages 6 to 17 actually slipped from 2014 sometimes it’s easy for older players to ASSOCIATE EDITOR to 2015. In fact, we should re-double get lost in the mix, and then forgotten TIM MARTHUR our e orts at the local level. We need to completely. It’s one reason why we have play a long game here—young players this “leaky bucket”—we get new players EDITORIAL DIRECTION are our industry’s future. into tennis, yet we also lose a nearly 10TEN MEDIA But we also need to make sure we’re equal number of existing players. TENNIS INDUSTRY not forgetting a key segment of our Appealing to the 50-plus market will 48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010 playing population—a group that has get and keep players on your courts, 646-783-1450 the time, energy, desire and, especially buying lessons, court time, apparel and [email protected] for our businesses, the money. I’m talk- equipment. It’s not like you need to ing about the 50-plus market. reinvent anything; there are plenty of ADVERTISING DIRECTOR The U.S. Census Bureau says about programs out there already—like POP JOHN HANNA one of every three Americans is over Tennis with ROG on shorter courts, 770-650-1102, x.125 [email protected] the age of 55. Staying healthy and fi t is a Cardio Tennis, and Masters Ten- priority for this group, and the lifetime nis—that can easily cater to this huge APPAREL ADVERTISING sport of tennis should play a vital role audience and provide them with all the CYNTHIA SHERMAN in serving those desires. Baby-boomers right reasons to play this game. Doing 203-558-5911 helped this sport grow decades ago; so will help retain one group of players, [email protected] let’s not assume they no longer have an and provide you the resources to help interest in tennis and being active. attract another. Tennis Industry is published 10 times per year: monthly, January through August with combined Yes, there is money to be made by issues in September/October and November/ reaching out to this segment of the December, by Tennis Media Company, 48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010. Periodical postage paid in population, but this is also about run- Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offi ces (USPS ning sustainable programs and building #004-354). July 2016, Volume 44, Number 7 © 2016 by Tennis Media Company. All rights reserved. Tennis customer loyalty that can reach down Industry, TI and logo are trademarks of Tennis Media generations—including into the youth Company. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation and editorial: market. Baby-boomers have children 646-783-1450. Yearly subscriptions $25 in the U.S., and grandchildren, too. Peter Francesconi $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes In your outreach to players and to Tennis Industry, 48 W 21st St., New York, NY 10010. Editorial Director Tennis Industry is the offi cial magazine of the USRSA, potential players, are you using [email protected] TIA and ASBA. materials and messages that appeal to Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet the 50-plus crowd? Are your clinics, Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website leagues and programs, along with your at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions. marketing and advertising, reassuring baby-boomers that the clinic you’d like 4 TennisIndustry July 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com 07_TI_OurServe.indd 2 5/26/16 12:47 PM Introducing California Sports Surfaces, the world’s largest manufacturer of acrylic sports surfacing systems and surface preparation products by DecoTurf, Plexipave, Rebound Ace, Plexitrac, Guardian Crack Repair, Premier Court & Premier Sports Coatings. To learn more please visit www.californiasportssurfaces.com or call 1.978.623.9980. BUILD A COURT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF. ® Introducing California Sports Surfaces, the world’s largest manufacturer of acrylic sports surfacing systems and surface preparation products by DecoTurf, Plexipave, Rebound Ace, Plexitrac, Guardian Crack Repair, Premier Court & Premier Sports Coatings. To learn more please visit www.californiasportssurfaces.com or call 1.978.623.9980. TI MAG AD pg.indd 2 6/1/16 11:22 AM 1160517_TECNIFIBRE_REDCODE_TENNIS_INDUS.ai60517_TECNIFIBRE_REDCODE_TENNIS_INDUS.ai 1 17/05/201617/05/2016 18:4618:46 THE REDSURRECTION C MAXIMUM M SLIDE J POLYETHYLENE WAX CM FULLY IMPREGNATING MJ THE POLYESTER MATRIX CJ CMJ N EXPANDED STRING SLIDE LESS FRICTION MAXIMUM LUBRICATION FASTER SNAPBACK MORE EASIER MAXIMUM DURABILITY TO STRING SPIN Industry News Information to help you run your business Tennis Leaders Gather Har-Tru Sports Acquired At USTA Symposium The USTA held its fi rst USA Tennis by Tuckahoe Holdings Symposium in early May in Orlando, Fla., with representatives from the ar-Tru Sports was sold in mid-May to USTA and organizations including the Richmond, Va.-based Tuckahoe Holdings. ATA, ITA, NIRSA, PTR, TIA, USPTA and Har-Tru had been owned and operated by WTT. The symposium and discussions LuckH Companies since 1998. analyzing the state of the sport were Tuckahoe Holdings is a private investment fi rm led by USTA Chairman of the Board and focused on building a portfolio of operating compa- President Katrina Adams. nies that it owns on a permanent basis, according to The overall purpose of the sympo- a statement on the sale. Har-Tru is the fi rst tennis sium was to introduce U.S. tennis lead- company in the Tuckahoe portfolio. ers to the USTA National Campus and “Our team is extremely excited about this transi- discuss how the new Home of Ameri- tion,” said Pat Hanssen, president of Har-Tru. “This can Tennis can benefi t each attending has been a really positive experience. From the organization and the sport of tennis as beginning, Charlie Luck has wanted to be certain he a whole. Special emphasis was placed sold Har-Tru to the right kind of buyer. Tuckahoe on programming and support for Youth has a buy-and-hold mentality and a strong con- Tennis and U.S. Player Development. sumer focus, and they’re excited to be in the tennis industry. They are going to bring great new energy USTA Joins With NFHS and focus to the business, to our products and, most importantly, to our customers.” For ‘Coaching Tennis’ Course Har-Tru started as Lee Tennis in 1965, providing clay tennis-court material and clay- In partnership with the USTA, the court maintenance tools to the industry. Since then it has evolved into a global tennis National Federation of State High company with a product line that includes natural and synthetic clay court surfaces as School Associations has launched well as equipment, accessories and amenities for all court types.