Tennis Industry Association Press Releases

TIA President Jon Muir Daily Tennis News 2009 Person of the Year

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:33:30 -0500

Jon Muir, the 2009-10 president of the Tennis Industry Association, and worldwide general manager of Wilson Racquet Division has been named the Tennis News 2009 Person of the Year. Through his leadership the TIA is evolving as an industry organization to establish industry economic objectives, an increased focus on creating frequent players/consumers for the sport, and establishing clearer communications and tools that can be utilized throughout the industry. In 2009, the TIA held two “summit” meetings with representatives from all the major organizations in the industry to discuss concerns and develop further their focus in the following areas: * Economic Health: TIA is embarking to measure the total size of the tennis industry to include all stakeholders and gather other key economic barometers so they can focus more on big picture goals to increase the total revenue size and economic impact of the industry, including understanding total employment that is driven by the tennis industry. * Communication & Awareness: The TIA is building & consolidating its information into one single website (www.tennisindustry.org) that will allow all stakeholders to access basic research information, key facts & updates, and general messaging information for the sport and industry that everyone can utilize to further drive interest in tennis and allow everyone to leverage shared information to drive potential non-endemic revenues into our industry. * Frequent Players: While participation now exceeds 30 million total players and tennis is the fastest growing traditional sport in America, the TIA must focus additional efforts to translate this into more frequent consumers for our sport and industry. There are currently 5.4 million frequent players, but as Muir has stated if we can just achieve a 5% increase each year, we will exceed 9 million frequent players by 2020 and this would have a substantially positive economic impact on our industry and sport - over the next 10 years – and all stakeholders from retailers to tennis professionals, membership to events, media to manufacturers will have a dramatically larger economic pie to share in - that benefits all. Muir has committed that the industry will begin to see the TIA evolve in 2010 to support these focus areas while still maintaining its strong research and overall participation efforts with the USTA. One other tool of interest that the TIA has been working on is its “PlayTennis” widget concept that may provide a powerful type of tennis search engine pathway tool to everyone in the industry that helps players find local facilities, certified tennis professionals, quickstart programs, and other potential simple search filters that will support new and re-joining players finding the appropriate pathway to becoming a frequent player in the sport. In addition to this, the TIA launched its “Racket Up, America” promotion in 2009 as a first step to rally the industry focus on getting people playing tennis given the challenging economic environment and this was meant to drive consumers to buy a new racket with tennis retailers. The TIA has said it will continue to explore ways to expand the Racket Up, America promotion in 2010 for broader awareness and impact. Muir started his career in tennis as a teaching professional in Southern California and was soon offered a sales rep position by Dave Haggerty and Steve Zalinski at Dunlop. Two years later, in 1997, he was hired by Bob Shafer at Wilson as a territory sales manager in the Southern California area. He has served in various positions at Wilson in sales, promotions, and marketing before taking his current responsibility as worldwide General Manager in 2006. Now he travels frequently, about 150 days a year with most of this internationally to support Wilson’s business and growth outside the US market. Muir is still a current, certified tennis professional with both the USPTA and the PTR organizations as well as serving on the Executive Committee of the USTA national board as a Presidential Appointee of Lucy Garvin. Tennis News Publisher Bob Larson will present The 2009 Tennis News Person of the Year Award to Muir on Center Court of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden during the BNP Paribas Open on March 14

Person of the Year - Eric Babolat

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:18:39 -0500

What’s the oldest tennis company in the world? For some, the answer may be surprising, since it was only in the last 10 years that the French company Babolat became much more visible in the U.S. when it introduced racquets here. But Babolat is the oldest tennis company in the world—it’s been making tennis strings for 135 years. In fact, Babolat invented tennis strings, pretty much at the same time the game of tennis itself was born. In 1875, Pierre Babolat, who lived in Lyon (where the company is still based, and still uses its original building), was making natural gut strings for musical instruments. Major Walter Clopton Wingfield visited Babolat to talk about strings for wooden racquets for a new game Wingfield called “sphairistike” (a Greek word meaning “ball game”), which he had patented a year earlier. (Thankfully, the game caught on, but not Wingfield’s original name for it.) From that point on, Babolat and his company became dedicated to tennis. Now, Pierre’s great-great-grandson, Eric Babolat, heads the company and his vision has been changing the fortunes of the family-run firm, bringing innovative products to market in the U.S. and around the world, establishing and maintaining key relationships with pro and specialty retailers, and adding excitement for both recreational and pro players. His vision, products, growth and approach to business in the U.S. is what makes Eric Babolat our choice for Racquet Sports Industry’s 2009 Person of the Year. Read more here.

U.S. Tennis Participation Hits 30 Million

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:18:37 -0500

U.S. TENNIS PARTICIPATION TOPS 30 MILLION PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 25 YEARS
2009 USTA/Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Study Shows Growth In All Age Groups and Ethnicities Participation up 12% vs. 2008 and 25% since 2003
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., November 17, 2009 – The USTA and TIA announced today that tennis participation in the United States topped 30 million players for the first time in more than two decades. The annual survey of 6,000 Americans showed that tennis participation grew in all age groups under the age of 50 and within all ethnicities. With 30.1 million people hitting the courts, tennis participation has grown 12% over 2008 and climbed 25% since 2003. The survey is conducted annually by the Taylor Research Group on behalf of the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and the USTA.
New players comprised 7.1 million of the total, and the majority of tennis players consider themselves “regular players” (14.8 million). Though 15 of the 17 USTA sections were affected by record rainfall in the spring, total play occasions surpassed 560 million for only the second time in more than 20 years. The greatest percentage growth in participation was in players 12-17 which grew from 15.7% of the total participants in 2008 to 20.5% of the participants in 2009.
“The USTA continues to work closely with the entire tennis industry to grow our game, and we are extremely gratified that our collective efforts have generated such strong growth,” said Lucy S. Garvin, USTA President and Chairman of the Board. “We continue to strive to make tennis easier to learn and more fun to play, and this commitment has led to millions of more Americans playing the game. I am proud of our network of sections, states/districts, and community programs who have worked so hard to increase participation.”
“Over the past several years, we’ve strived to make the game more accessible, particularly at parks and schools across the country,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “Combine this with the health benefits of tennis, and you get surging interest in the sport.”
“The TIA (industry) and the USTA have been focused on growing participation since the mid 90s and this is the result of a consistent and sustained effort that is now paying dividends,” said TIA President Jon Muir. “Our ongoing challenge is to continue to build our frequent player base, the economic lifeline for the sport.”
The TIA/USTA survey results include:
??Total participation broke the 30 million mark in 2009 (a 12% increase to 30.1 million, against 26.9 million in 2008).
-New players reached 7.1 million (up 19.5% from 5.9 million in 2008).
-Regular Players, those playing 4 to 20 times per year, increased 26% to 14.8 million players in 2009. No. 199-2009
-Participation in 2009 is up in every major ethnic group, but especially among African Americans (+19%) and Hispanics (+32%)
-Age groups comprising the greatest percentage of players are:
o 12-17 years at 20.5% of the total (more than 6 million players)
o 18-24 years at18.4% of the total (more than 5.5 million players)
o 6-11 years at 16.25% of the total (4.9 million players)
-Tennis is doing a better job at retention with continuing players up 6.3% to 16 million
-Former players rejoining to the game is up for the third year in a row, with nearly 7 million coming back to tennis
The TIA/USTA results compare favorably to other recent research released from industry organizations over the past 12 months. In the 2009 Sports and Fitness Participation Report conducted by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers association (SGMA), results showed tennis was the only traditional sport to enjoy growth in grassroots participation.

Serve for $1 Million on National TV

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:14:53 -0400

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Serve for $1 Million On National TV

“Racket Up, America!” Sweepstakes Ends September 30th - Visit PlayTennis.com/million Today

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (September 16, 2009) — What better way to celebrate the memorable 2009

US Open than participating in the industry-wide promotion, “Racket Up, America!” In just two short weeks, the promotion will come to an end, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve for $1 million will be over.

Now is your chance to sign up and become part of the action!

If you’re the lucky GRAND PRIZE winner, you’ll receive a trip to New York City to attend the “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” in Madison Square Garden on March 1st, which will feature the top women tennis players in the world. In the middle of it all, you’ll step up to the line and hit a serve to a target that could make you a millionaire.

In this unique promotion, anyone who buys a new tennis racket—of any brand, and at any tennis retailer or pro shop—through September 30, 2009, could win the chance to serve for $1 million (USD). Consumers simply register their racket purchase at PlayTennis.com/million. Other prizes include a trip for two to the 2010 US

Open Men’s Singles and Women’s Doubles finals and twenty $500 tennis merchandise prize packs. (No purchase necessary to enter or win, see playtennis.com/million for official rules and details.)

The winner will be announced on December 1st at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks vs. Phoenix Suns game.

The BNP Paribas Showdown on March 1, which is part of “Tennis Night in America,” will bring together the 2009 Women’s Grand Slam winners or world No. 1 players, vying for $1.2 million in prize money and the Billie Jean King Cup.

With her exciting win at this year’s US Open, Kim Clijsters has qualified for an invitation to the 2010 BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup. Pending her acceptance, Clijsters will join Serena Williams (Australian Open/Wimbledon) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (French Open), who have already qualified. The fourth player will be named in the next several weeks and will come from a distinguished list of former Grand Slam winners or world No. 1 players. (For more on the BNP Paribas Showdown, visit www.stargamesinc.com/bnpparibasshowdown.html.)

The Showdown’s format will be two one-set semifinals followed by a best-of-three-set final. The “Racket Up, America!” sweepstakes winner will hit the potential million-dollar serve between the second semifinal and the final, in front of the MSG crowd and a television audience. The winner also will meet tennis legends Billie Jean King and Ivan Lendl, along with other tennis champions.

“‘Racket Up, America!” is a collaborative effort by the tennis industry designed to generate excitement and interest in the sport while helping to stimulate retail sales. “Tennis is a fun, social, healthy, lifelong sport,” says Jon Muir, president of the Tennis Industry Association, which is pearheading the promotion. “We’ve been thrilled that over the last eight years, tennis participation has grown 43 percent, far outpacing all other traditional sports, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.”

“We are happy to be able to have the ‘Racket Up, America!’ sweepstakes winner go for a million dollars at the BNP Paribas Showdown,” says Jerry Solomon, president of StarGames, which is partnering with Madison Square Garden to produce the event. “We’re happy to help bring attention to such a worthwhile industrywide promotion.”

You can follow “Racket Up, America!” on Twitter and Facebook. More information, including official rules and details, is at playtennis.com/million.

TIA Tennis Forum Reviews Industry

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:16:30 -0400

TIA Tennis Forum Reviews Industry, Sets Path for Future

Increasing the number of frequent players, promoting QuickStart Tennis and developing a single tennis web portal for consumers are cited as ways to increase and sustain growth.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (Sept. 24, 2009) — The third annual Tennis Industry Association

Tennis Forum, presented by Tennis Magazine, took place in New York City during the US Open and brought together industry leaders and many others interested in the future of the tennis business. The audience heard about the state of the industry, various TIA and Growing Tennis initiatives, and plans for moving the sport and industry forward.

USTA Chairman of the Board and President Lucy Garvin led off the Forum, which was held during the USTA’s annual Tennis Teachers Conference. “The TIA and USTA have a long history of working together,” she told the crowd. “While we all have our own brand which we represent, what brings us together is our shared brand, which is tennis.”

TIA President Jon Muir said that while the Tennis Health Index (a composite of five key measures) shows that the health of the sport has increased 18.1 percent in the U.S. over the last five years, the sport is still facing many economic challenges. “The general feeling is that we kind of bottomed out in the third quarter [2009] in terms of racquet shipments,” he said. “Are consumers essentially delaying certain discretionary purchases? Yes.”

Tennis ball sales, said Muir, are now trending relatively flat. However, sales of transition tennis balls are up 63 percent over a year ago. “We’re starting to see the impact in sales and distribution of QuickStart Tennis products”—which are age-appropriate racquets and balls for children.

Muir referred to recent, continued increases in tennis participation: “What else can we do to build on the momentum from a participation standpoint?” he said. “Frequent players are the ones that fuel the majority of the economic drivers of this industry. If we could get 1 million people—a 20 percent increase in frequent players—to become frequent players, it will have a huge impact.”

Addressing frequent-player growth is the subject of one of the three ongoing Task Forces that came out of two TIA “Tennis Summits” held earlier this year, Muir said. Other Task Forces deal with communication/positioning (“We need to be clear on defining a roadmap for the future and clear communication,” said Muir) and economic benchmarks (“It’s hard to grow something you can’t measure”).

Key in the communication/positioning area is the promotion of the website PlayTennis.com, a new consumer site still under development. The website is designed to be a simple portal that will serve as a central “clearing house” for the mainstream audience to learn more about tennis, to join the sport, and to get on the pathway to becoming frequent players. “PlayTennis.com will be the first step,” said Muir. “We’ll get key messaging out there through this site. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all stakeholders to get behind.”

TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer talked about key industry initiatives such as the GrowingTennis System (www.GrowingTennis.com) and new features and interfaces that are helping consumers and players find places to play, programs, partners and retailers. She also updated the audience on the “Racket Up, America!” promotion (www.PlayTennis.com/million), which ends Sept. 30 and is designed to drive awareness of the sport and help retail sales.

Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis, gave an update on QuickStart Tennis, designed for kids 10 and under. “Training is big,” he said. “We have to be training 20,000 parents a year” in QST, emphasizing that the training is not designed to take over from certified teaching pros. Currently, there are more than 17,000 recreational coaches and parents trained in the QuickStart Tennis format.

“The biggest challenge,” said Kamperman, “is that there’s not enough organized play and competition” on QuickStart courts. He added that there needs to be a sound progression that will lead to Jr. Team Tennis and tournaments on the shorter QST courts.

About 1,300 QuickStart Tennis facilities are registered on GrowingTennis.com. More than 400 permanent QST courts or courts with permanent QST lines have been installed in the U.S. in the past two years. And starting next year, WalMart will carry transition balls that are used in QST.

The last part of the Forum was the induction of Alan G. Schwartz of Highland Park, Ill., into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. As an avid player, club owner, founder of Tennis Corporation of America, volunteer, former USTA president and more, “Alan stands alone as a titan of our sport,” said Jeff Williams, Tennis Magazine publisher and chairman of the TIA’s Tennis Industry Hall of Fame Committee.

“Twenty years ago, [the TIA and USTA] were not a united family, but because of the efforts of Alan and others, bridges have been built that have brought us together,” Williams said in his introduction.

“Few people in the history of the tennis business have had the influence and prolific presence that Alan has had in his more than 40 years in this industry.”

The audience gave Schwartz a standing ovation as he received a plaque. “I love tennis. I love the sport. I love this industry and I love being a contributor,” said Schwartz. “You have my promise that I will continue with undiminished passion to give back to this game I love so much.”

New Path to Improve Industry Health

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:48:31 -0400

New Path to Improve the Health of the Tennis Industry

Working closely with industry partners, manufacturers and associations, the Tennis Industry

Association is leading the way to a healthy future for the industry and the sport.

NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 1, 2009) — While the world’s best tennis players are competing in New York at the 2009 US Open, the Tennis Industry Association—the not-for-profit trade association for tennis whose mission is to promote the growth and economic vitality of the sport—is charting a new and innovative path to improve the health of tennis and the industry in the U.S. That new path involves focusing on a number of key areas that are impacting the tennis industry in new and challenging ways, say industry leaders.

“The TIA has been a key organization in supporting participation efforts of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), and from that standpoint, our sport has been in a strong position of growth,” says TIA President Jon Muir. “But we also need to more clearly define and understand how we can further support growth as an industry. With everyone working together, we have the opportunity now to build both a stronger industry and a stronger sport.”

Recently, through a series of “summit” meetings, the TIA has been defining a roadmap that will further support the unified growth of the tennis industry and allow for a simple communication approach designed to further engage new and rejoining players to get on the path to becoming frequent players. “This will certainly not be easy or show an immediate impact, but our focus is to keep positioning our industry and the sport for where we want to be in the future,” Muir adds.

Many top officials in the tennis industry already credit this unified approach with the USTA for leading to major gains in recreational tennis participation. For instance, the latest measure of participation health, the just-released Tennis Health Index, shows an 18.1 percent gain over the last six years. Published by the TIA and USTA, the Tennis Health Index

includes three participation surveys that use different methodologies, combined with measures of ball shipments and court activity, to provide a more accurate view of the state of tennis participation in the U.S.

“The Tennis Health Index is a great indicator that our industry’s collective efforts are having a positive impact and getting more people on the court,” says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis.

Importantly, that collective effort has already caught the attention of many sports-industry watchers. “I’ve never heard of any sport coming together, top to bottom, with such unity, ever,” says Mike May, the longtime director of communications for the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. “There’s no one who studies sports more than I do, and the united aspect of tennis at all levels is unprecedented. What tennis has done is a model for other sports to follow.”

“While the many brands and organizations in our industry may compete in the marketplace on different levels, we know that everyone benefits when we work together for the sport and industry as a whole,” says Muir, who also is the worldwide general manager of Wilson Racquet Sports. “We all know we must elevate our focus on the economic health of tennis and support ways to increase sales of both hard and soft goods, facility and lesson revenues, event growth, and ongoing infrastructure investments in court building and maintenance.”

The TIA’s path to improve the health of the tennis industry includes:

* Improving the economic impact of the entire tennis industry for all stakeholders—tennis manufacturers, teaching professionals, pro tours, facilities, court construction, sponsorships, professional events, media and more—all of which affect the tennis economy. The TIA’s goal, says Executive Director Jolyn de Boer, is to better define the total “tennis economic impact” and to develop ways to stimulate the tennis economy in all sectors for short- and long-term growth. The TIA is working on establishing economic benchmarks “in the form of a new study—an all-encompassing ‘TIA Economic Index’—that will examine the full picture of the industry, in every area,” she adds.

* Creating a simple consumer website portal that will serve as an entry point into our sport and a central “clearinghouse” for the mainstream audience to learn about how to get started in tennis. PlayTennis.com is in development and will be supported by a powerful database of over 20,000 places to play throughout the U.S., developed through the GrowingTennis System. PlayTennis.com also will contain links and easy-to-use search for finding programs and formats (such as QuickStart Tennis), lessons from certified teaching pros, leagues, retailers, pro events, and other resources and information that can put a new or rejoining player on the path to becoming a frequent player. For all industry stakeholders, PlayTennis.com will be a simple, neutral communications vehicle to fuel awareness of how to get into the sport and play

* Ensuring consistent and clear messaging for the sport both in the mainstream and within the industry itself. “The goal is to increase tennis awareness among consumers and communicate the benefits of the sport and how people can easily startplaying the game,” says de Boer. “PlayTennis.com will certainly be the primary focus, but other key elements will include consistent messaging and general updates within our industry, so everyone is focused in the same direction, as well asmainstream messaging that on-air tennis commentators can utilize to further fuel awareness and growth of our sport.”

* Increasing the number of “frequent” tennis players. While there are nearly 27 million players in the U.S., which is the highest number in 15 years, it is the 5.6 million frequent players who play 21 or more times a year that are the core of the tennis market and the primary revenue drivers for equipment, clothing, lessons, leagues, court time, memberships, etc. The TIA and USTA are focused on accelerating frequent-player growth, since they are the economic engine that drives all parts of the industry.

* Focusing on the growth of equipment and soft-good sales in the industry. “Ensuring that our industry grows from a product and sales perspective is of course an ongoing focus,” says Muir. “That’s one of the reasons we all came together to create the ‘Racket Up, America!’ campaign.” The campaign includes a sweepstakes in which consumers who buy a racquet can register for a chance to serve for $1 million and win other prizes (visit playtennis.com/million for more information). “This campaign is basically a first step, but the TIA will be consulting more closely with retailers to discuss future initiatives and other opportunities that can have a positive impact at retail.”

* Creating and promoting a “careers in tennis” initiative, in addition to helping raise the profile of tennis teaching pros. “We want to attract young people to this business in all sectors, and we’re developing a Careers in Tennis initiative designed to do that,” says de Boer. “Also, we’re working with the Professional Tennis Registry and the U.S. Professional Tennis Association to raise the profile of the teaching profession and emphasize the need for ‘certified’ pros at facilities.”

* Connecting tennis providers and retailers to players. While there are several applications in the industry that impact this area, the TIA has helped developed “TennisConnect” to provide facilities, retailers, and local tennis associations with a software tool to help them manage their businesses more efficiently and keep in touch with players. By allowing players greater access to scheduling and other time-saving features, it can impact more frequent play.. “This is a critical and aggressive agenda for the industry and the sport,” says de Boer. “It’s a huge undertaking and all of us in the TIA realize it won’t happen overnight. But importantly, we’re all working together to chart a profitable and growing future for our sport, and to have more people than ever playing tennis.”

TennisConnect Retailer Version Debuts

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:16:30 -0400

TennisConnect Renames Facilities Software,

Debuts Innovative Retailer Version

‘TennisConnect Facility’ joins suite of industry software products, which includes a new ‘Retailer’ version with online catalog and branded web pages.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (Sept. 1, 2009) — TennisConnect, the leader in software solutionsfor the tennis industry, announces a name change to its software package that will make it easier for tennis providers to find the product that is right for their business. TennisConnect Facility is the new name for the former TennisConnect Professional. The name more accurately reflects TennisConnect’s commitment to providing clubs and facilities with software solutions designed specifically to support their efforts to expand their player base, communicate more effectively with members, allow for online registration and enrollment capabilities, and reduce administrative time and costs. In addition, the recently-released TennisConnect Retailer software allows authorized tennis retailers to take their operation online with their own branded website—all with manufacturerapproved images and content. With support from a growing list of manufacturers, such as Head, Prince, Wilson, Babolat and Dunlop, retailers also have access to marketing programs and other online material that will help them sell more product through their own store websites.

“TennisConnect has established itself as the premier platform for many tennis providers, from Community Tennis Associations and independent teaching entrepreneurs, to facilities, pro shops and specialty retailers,” says Jolyn de Boer, executive director of the Tennis Industry Association, which provides the TennisConnect software. “The ‘Facility’ name change better reflects the ‘edition’ of TennisConnect that is appropriate for a given provider,” she adds. “And with the new TennisConnect Retailer, manufacturers are stepping up and offering support that will boost traffic to the retailers’ own websites and help their sales.

Dealers now have the opportunity to display product online.”

The TennisConnect suite of products consists of: TennisConnect Standard—the software for managing contacts, group email communications, player matching (Find-a-Game), an interactive calendar and a hosted website; TennisConnect Facility—which adds facility-specific features for member management and administration, online court reservations and associated lesson-search functions; and the new TennisConnect Retailer—which adds software to support an online shopping catalog, demo racquet center and String Center, and manufacturer-supported branded web pages.

“Each version of the TennisConnect software utilizes the same core technology, allowing a customer to upgrade seamlessly,” says Charlie Ruddy, TennisConnect product manager. (For facilities that have a retail operation, TennisConnect Facility can easily be upgraded to the new Retailer edition for a small monthly fee).

Also available with all TC editions is “TennisCollect,” which adds integrated pricing rules for court time, lessons, enrollable events, and membership dues and fees, as well as payment options for account charges or online credit-card payments, says Ruddy.

For more information on TennisConnect, including finding the edition that is right for yourbusiness, visit TennisConnect.com or contact Marty Mohar at the Tennis Industry Association,

866-686-3036 x 227 or Marty@TennisIndustry.org.

Alan G. Schwartz Inducted Into 2009 HOF

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:48:31 -0400

09/14/09 - New York, NY—Alan G. Schwartz of Highland Park, Ill., was honored recently as the sole 2009 inductee of the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the annual Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Tennis Forum held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

Schwartz was introduced by Jeff Williams, publisher of Tennis Magazine and chairman of the TIA’s Tennis Industry Hall of Fame Committee.

“Twenty years ago, [the TIA and U.S. Tennis Association] were not a united family, but because of the efforts of Alan and others, bridges have been built that have brought us together,” Williams said. “Few people in the history of the tennis business have had the influence and prolific presence that Alan has had in his more than 40 years in this industry.”

“I love tennis. I love the sport. I love this industry and I love being a contributor,” said Schwartz, who expressed particular excitement about the potential of QuickStart Tennis, a play format for children using modified equipment, as a “silver bullet” to grow the game. “You have my promise that I will continue with undiminished passion to give back to this game I love so much.”

An experienced player who won seven state championships and eight national titles, Schwartz’s tennis leadership can be traced back to his college years when he captained the Yale University tennis team. After earning an engineering degree from Yale and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, he worked as an entrepreneur in industrial real estate.

In 1969, he built Mid-Town Tennis Club in Chicago, where he pioneered the four-inch baseline, indirect court lighting and cushioned playing surfaces. He also co-created the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP), the sport’s standard for rating players. Since that time, Mid-Town has become the anchor club for Schwartz’s 45-club Tennis Corporation of American (TCA). Between 1996 and 2000, TCA administered – pro bono – all programs on Chicago’s 680 public parks courts.

Now chairman of TCA Holdings, Schwartz has served as an officer and director of the Chicago District Tennis Association and Chicago Tennis Patrons for 20 years. His most visible achievement, however, has been his volunteer service with the USTA. In fact, according to Schwartz, it was 15 years ago this month that he and the late Tennis Week publisher Gene Scott “kicked up a lot of dust” as the first industry representatives to join the USTA Board of Directors. During that first year, Schwartz created the organization’s mission statement: “To promote and develop the growth of tennis.”

Schwartz served as USTA vice president for two consecutive terms before becoming first vice president and, from 2003 to 2004, the USTA’s chairman of the board and president. During his presidency, he played a key role in making the US Open Series a reality, hired the first master planner for the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, enhanced the financial stability of the USTA and strengthened its relationships with organizations industry-wide.

He continues to serve as a member of the board of directors for the International Tennis Federation (ITF), on various ITF committees and with the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Club Industry Hall of Fame and Chicago District Hall of Fame, and past president of the National Indoor Tennis Association (now known as the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association).

Top 50 Tennis Welcome Center Facilities

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:12:06 -0400

TOP 50 TENNIS WELCOME CENTER FACILITIES

RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN PROMOTING SPORT

Facilities lauded for taking a proactive role delivering tennis across the U.S.

Hilton Head, S.C.—The "Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers of 2008" have been recognized by the Tennis Industry Association, U.S. Tennis Association and the trade magazine Racquet Sports Industry as leading the charge in the growth of the sport by providing well-rounded programs to new and current players of all ages and abilities. The tennis facilities honored all exhibited excellent participation figures involving new and returning players, support of industry programs and community tennis development, and were active with Tennis Welcome Center facility requirements, among other criteria. “All of the more than 2,500 Tennis Welcome Centers have played a key role in the increased tennis participation we’ve seen in the last few years in the U.S.,” says TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. “These Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers have been doing an exemplary job of creating a positive tennis experience for people in their communities. Tennis Welcome Centers serve a vital role in delivering tennis. The TIA, together with the USTA, is very pleased to recognize these efforts with this award.” “Tennis teaching professionals, facility managers and the staff of these TWCs play a critical role in ensuring the continued growth of players in our sport,” says Glenn Arrington, the USTA National Manager for Tennis Welcome Centers. “The USTA remains committed in our support of the TIA and of the Tennis Welcome Center Initiative, which helps introduce thousands of new players to tennis each year.”

To choose the Top 50 TWCs, an independent research firm, Sports Marketing Surveys USA of Jupiter, Fla., received nominations via an online survey. The company then used extensive criteria measures to determine this year’s winners, which also were reviewed by an Awards Committee. This is the third year that this prestigious recognition has been awarded.

The Tennis Welcome Center initiative is backed by all sectors of the industry, from governing bodies and manufacturers to media, retailers, teaching organizations, pro groups and facilities. Popular pro players Maria Sharapova and James Blake are spokesmodels for the program, which is free to tennis facilities that wish to support industry efforts to grow participation through specific programming and marketing.

The TWC initiative has been a key factor in tennis reaching nearly 27 million recreational players in 2008, which is the highest participation level in 15 years. In addition, according to a study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, from 2000 to 2008 tennis participation has grown 43%, by far the fastest growing traditional participation sport, well ahead of its nearest rival (racquetball, at 11.6%) and far surpassing sports such as golf, soccer, basketball, swimming and baseball, most of which saw declining participation over the same eight years. Also, industry research shows that both racquet sales and ball sales have increased for the last five years from 2003 through 2008.

ABOUT TENNIS WELCOME CENTERS

The Tennis Welcome Center initiative is a joint effort by the Tennis Industry Association and U.S. Tennis Association

to promote the growth of tennis. Participation in the program is free to facilities that agree to meet qualifications in

programming and other aspects. All Tennis Welcome Center locations receive valuable benefits and promotion. For

information on becoming a TWC, visit Partners.TennisWelcomeCenter.com or growingtennis.com or email info@GrowingTennis.com.

PHOTOS & ADDITIONAL SOURCES UPON REQUEST

Contact: Jolyn de Boer, Executive Director, TIA, 843-686-3036

Glenn Arrington, National Manager for Tennis Welcome Centers, USTA, (914) 696-7000

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit www.TennisWelcomeCenter.com

TOP 50 TENNIS WELCOME CENTERS OF 2008

in alphabetical order by facility name

Annapolis Area Tennis School Annapolis, MD

Arlington Tennis Center Arlington, TX

Bay Tennis and Fitness Harbor Springs, MI

Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club Hendersonville, TN

Cary Tennis Park Cary, NC

Center Court Youth Tennis Association Arnaudville, LA

Circle C Tennis Club Austin, TX

Columbia Basin Racquet Club Richland, WA

Cooper Creek Tennis Center Columbus, GA

Cooper Tennis Complex Springfield, MO

Copamarina Tennis Guanica , Puerto Rico

CTA of East Williston, Wheatley, & Carle Place Williston Park, NY

Delaware Tennis Center Wilmington, DE

Dunnigan Family YMCA Evansville, IN

Family Circle Tennis Center Charleston, SC

Greenville Country Club Greenville, MS

Hamilton Family YMCA Tennis Center Chattanooga, TN

Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort & Club Tucson, AZ

Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet & Fitness Club Homewood, IL

Kiwanis Recreation Center Tempe, AZ

Laguna Creek Racquet Club Elk Grove, CA

Lake Charles Country Club Lake Charles, LA

Lexington County Tennis Complex Lexington, SC

Los Gatos Tennis Academy Los Gatos, CA

Mandarin Middle School Community Tennis Jacksonville, FL

Meadow Creek Tennis and Fitness Club Lakewood, CO

Memorial Park Tennis Center Colorado Springs, CO

Midland Community Tennis Center Midland, MI

Midtown Athletic Club Weston Weston, FL

Midtown Tennis Club Overland Park, KS

Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center Raleigh, NC

Miller Tennis Center Williamsville, NY

Oconomowoc Community Tennis Center Oconomowoc, WI

Paseo Racquet Center Glendale, AZ

Raleigh Racquet Club Raleigh, NC

Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center Minneapolis, MN

Reynolds Plantation Lake Club Tennis Center Greensboro, GA

Rudgear Park Walnut Creek, CA

Sarver Tennis Club Bluefield WV

Shaw Park Tennis Welcome Center Clayton, MO

South Towns Tennis Club Orchard Park, NY

Springfield Racquet Club Springfield, OH

Sprinker Tennis Center Tacoma, WA

Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex Surprise, AZ

Tennis Center of Coral springs Coral Springs, FL

Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center Providence, RI

Towpath Tennis Center Akron, OH

Upper Main Line YMCA Berwyn, PA

Village Glen Tennis Club Williamsville, NY

YMCA Greendale Worcester, MA

Tennis Industry Association, P.O. Box 7845, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29938

Tel. 843-686-3036 Web www.TennisIndustry.org

Tennis Growth Skyrockets 43 Perent!

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:15:58 -0400

TENNIS GROWTH SKYROCKETS 43 PERCENT!

According to Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA)

2009 Sports & Fitness Participation Report

Hilton Head, SC., March 19, 2009 – According to data just released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers

Association (SGMA), Tennis is the fastest growing sport in America among individual traditional sports with an

increase in participation of 43% from 2000 to 2008. According to the SGMA, tennis was one of only six sports to

experience participation growth exceeding 40% from 2000 through 2008. Tennis is well ahead of other

traditional sports like baseball, ice hockey, gymnastics and football, all of which suffered a decline in

participation during the past eight years. In the last year alone (through December 31, 2008), Tennis

experienced a 9.6% growth in participation.

The SGMA study is the latest in a series of reports and studies that have cited the extraordinary growth for

tennis. In December, the Taylor Research Group (TRG) reported that tennis participation reached a record high

of 27 million players in 2008, more than any other period in the past 15 years. Sales of tennis racquets and balls

have both also increased significantly, most notably, an 88% increase in the sale of youth racquets from 2003

through 2008, according to the TRG report.

“The SGMA study is a clear validation of all the hard work and commitment that our industry has put into the

sport,” said Jon Muir, president of the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), and General Manager of Wilson

Racquet Sports. “We’ve focused not only on reinforcing our already strong base, but at the same time, we’ve

developed new, innovative programs to bring players, of all ages and skill levels, into the game.”

“From programs like QuickStart Tennis that makes it easy for young players to get into the sport and begin a

developmental pathway; to high school and college programs like USTA’s No-Cut and Tennis on Campus, which

keeps them in the game; to the innovative and fitness based Cardio Tennis, which combines tennis with a healthy

and fun work-out curriculum, the tennis industry is at the forefront of engaging and retaining players,” “We’ve tried

to make tennis as accessible as possible at the grassroots levels, which we’ll continue to do, by promoting

initiatives to grow youth and adult participation in order to keep this momentum going,” comments Kurt

Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA.

“Together with the USTA, the TIA has also established more than 2600 Tennis Welcome Centers across the

country, and provides an online Growing Tennis System that lets consumers find places to play, partners with

comparable skill level and other programs that all serve to enhance their overall tennis experience,” adds Muir.

The TIA, USTA and many other industry partners have been united since 1993 in a joint effort to support “Grow

The Game” activities, a strategy to increase tennis participation on several levels.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: SK Communications, 973-267-5605

Greg Sherry, gsherry@sherryllc.com

Kyle Kuhnel, kkuhnel@sherryllc.com

Melissa Hoistion, mhoistion@sherryllc.com

Tennis Participation vs. Economy

“We are especially pleased that interest in tennis has been able to withstand this soft economy,” added Jolyn de

Boer, TIA Executive Director. “We’ve charted the various economic indicators against industry shipments and

participation numbers from 2003. We’ve clearly seen that tennis has experienced a level of growth unmatched

among other major sports and participation doesn’t seem as impacted by a down economy.”

In addition to the rise in tennis participation, charting industry shipments over this same five year period showed

shipments of adult racquets are up 30%, while shipments for youth racquets increased a remarkable 88% from

2003 thru 2008. Furthermore, tennis ball shipments for the same time period were up over 16%, continuing to

demonstrate an increasing attraction to the sport. Muir adds: “While no industry can escape the current impact

of the nation’s economic challenges, we will use the current report provided by the SGMA study and our own

TIA/USTA Participation research to focus on creating even more players and consumers for our sport.”