Your Serve

September 2017

Your Serve: Hop Into POP!

Tennis on shorter courts, for all ages, is catching on fast- — and POP Tennis is capturing the momentum. (Click here to read more...)

August 2017

Business Opportunities: The Pickleball Advantage

Follow trends and implement a new sport at your facility to become a better — and more profitable — manager. (Click here to read more...)

June 2017

Your Serve: How Tennis Saved My Life

Felled by a grave illness, this passionate player used the sport to change her outlook. (Click here to read more...)

May 2017

Your Serve: The Write Way to Newport

Hall of Fame inductee Steve Flink continues to craft words that elevate this sport to new heights. (Click here to read more...)

April 2017

Your Serve: The Case for POP

POP Tennis is easy to learn, uses similar skills as tennis and can help bring adults into the sport. (Click here to read more...)

March 2017

Your Serve: Open-Door Policy

Pickleball continues to gain in popularity. What can tennis learn from its growth? (Click here to read more...)

February 2017

Your Serve: Rallying Back

The USTA’s director of collegiate tennis says that after years of trying to stay in the match, varsity tennis is bouncing back. (Click here to read more...)

January 2017

Your Serve: Save Our Scoring System

The expanding use of tiebreakers and No-Ad scoring is destroying the game’s integrity. (Click here to read more...)

November 2016

Your Serve: Leveling the Field

Grouping players by level, as the Universal Tennis Rating System does, offers many advantages. (Click here to read more...)

September 2016

Your Serve: Empower the Player

The success of a large league shows that the smallest details can make a big difference. (Click here to read more...)

August 2016

Your Serve: Meet and Greet

When it comes to enhancing your business, nothing compares to attending industry conferences. (Click here to read more...)

July 2016

Your Serve: Using All the Tools

A veteran pro uses ROG balls with players of all ages to keep them active, in the game and improving. (Click here to read more...)

June 2016

Your Serve: The Perfect Storm

A Master Pro says young tennis professionals should surround themselves with others who have the same desires and goals. (Click here to read more...)

May 2016

Your Serve: Remembering Bud

A true ‘tennis zealot’ and visionary, Bud Collins made this game accessible to all. (Click here to read more...)

April 2016

Your Serve: Finding My Tennis ‘Angel’

A tennis pro’s unwavering support on and off the court helps a high school player make the cut in life. (Click here to read more...)

March 2016

Your Serve: Club Concerns

For this avid rec player, indoor club closures, college program closures, and more are raising some questions about the future. (Click here to read more...)

February 2016

Your Serve: Getting Ahead of the Class

A grassroots tennis expert says partnering with local schools will grow your business and generate revenue. (Click here to read more...)

January 2016

Your Serve: Why Tennis is Strangling Itself

A longtime player and observer of the game says instruction for recreational players needs to include more ‘real life’ situations on court. (Click here to read more...)

November 2015

Your Serve: Closing the Gaps

By finding and training adult players, we can increase the number of ‘core’ players we have. (Click here to read more...)

September 2015

Your Serve: What’s Your ‘Why’?

A dedicated industry supporter says what we celebrate needs to show why we find this sport so inspiring. (Click here to read more...)

August 2015

Your Serve: The U30s Are Coming!

A young professional urges her peers to get involved in initiatives to bring younger people into the industry. (Click here to read more...)

July 2015

Your Serve: Data Points

Will collecting data from smart courts and equipment be the ‘silver bullet’ players and the industry are looking for? (Click here to read more...)

June 2015

Your Serve: Blast from the Past

A veteran stringer helps his customer link his tennis past with a path to the future. (Click here to read more...)

May 2015

Your Serve: Fix Your Delivery!

A Youth Tennis expert says when it comes to bringing tennis to kids, “hitting” and “rallying” are very different. (Click here to read more...)

April 2015

Your Serve: Respecting the Wisdom of a Lesson Taught Years Ago

By Mark Rearden Years ago when I was young, I decided I needed a tennis lesson. To no one’s surprise, there was no tennis professional to call upon in Edgefield, S.C. At the time Augusta, Ga., was the largest... (Click here to read more...)

February 2015

Your Serve: Mind and Body

To best help your students, you need to understand the mental and physical predisposition of “athletic royalty.” (Click here to read more...)

January 2015

Your Serve: Fifty and Fired

After being unexpectedly let go from 21 years on the job, a longtime tennis director shares what he learned, and words of encouragement. (Click here to read more...)

November 2014

Future of Tennis: Wish List for the New Year

We asked last year’s Champions of Tennis winners what they’re looking forward to in the coming year. Virgil Christian USTA Director of Market Development & Collegiate Tennis (2013 Person of the Year) “I am excited and hopeful that college... (Click here to read more...)

Your Serve: Passion Play

One of this industry’s most influential leaders continues to push this sport forward. (Click here to read more...)

September 2014

Your Serve: Basic Training

A Youth Tennis professional says red, orange and green balls are essential for getting kids to play, and enjoy, tennis. (Click here to read more...)

August 2014

Your Serve: Team Building

A college senior says going from playing for herself to playing for her Division 1 team has given her a new appreciation for the sport, and career goals she’s excited to pursue. (Click here to read more...)

July 2014

Your Serve: Local Showcase

A local professional tennis league can highlight elite players, help generate tennis interest, and give the game great community exposure. (Click here to read more...)

June 2014

Your Serve: How Cardio Tennis Contributes to the Tennis Industry

By Ted Murray In 2005 the TIA, with support from the USTA, launched Cardio Tennis. The program was driven by former TIA president Jim Baugh, using research from the TIA, who anticipated the growth in fitness activities in the... (Click here to read more...)

May 2014

Your Serve: Can We Create Another ‘Boom’ — for the Next Generation?

By Chuck Gill I am lucky! I began teaching tennis in the 1970s, when there was a “perfect storm” for our sport. Women were starting to become more involved in sports, Title IX was taking hold, and the most... (Click here to read more...)

April 2014

Your Serve: Why Do You Love This Game?

Our original “40 Under 40” from 14 years ago explain what they (still) find appealing about the tennis business. D.A. Abrams, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, USTA: “Making a living doing something you love is incredible. I am charged... (Click here to read more...)

March 2014

Your Serve: Relationship Advice

Tennis has played second fiddle to golf at country clubs for decades. How can tennis increase its role? (Click here to read more...)

February 2014

Your Serve: Influence Peddlers

This industry needs to embrace an organized, national group of high school tennis coaches. (Click here to read more...)

January 2014

Your Serve: 2020 Vision

Reaching 10 million frequent players will be a boon to tennis. But how do we get there in seven years? (Click here to read more...)

November 2013

Your Serve: Creative Solutions to Filling Open Court Time

For years, tennis clubs have struggled with keeping courts filled during off hours and vacation times. Directors of these facilities have tried numerous methods to solve this dilemma with mixed results. The problem is that too many hours are... (Click here to read more...)

September 2013

Your Serve: America’s Tennis ‘Trade’ Deficit

A former top pro says U.S. coaching must teach young players how to ‘trade,’ ‘neutralize’ and ‘defend.’ (Click here to read more...)

August 2013

Your Serve: Pros and Coaches as Role Models

A sports consultant says tennis teachers and coaches need to do more to develop sportsmanship and good behavior in their young charges. (Click here to read more...)

July 2013

Your Serve: Taking a Wrong Turn?

The sports travel market is booming, so why doesn’t tennis appear to be pursuing this avenue for growth? (Click here to read more...)

June 2013

Your Serve: Taking the Best of Youth Sports

An industry insider, and a parent, says for great 10 and Under Tennis experiences, we should acknowledge and emulate what other sports do well. (Click here to read more...)

May 2013

Your Serve: Mentoring for Tennis Professionals — Where Is It?

A longtime industry pro says everyone wins with a structured mentoring program. (Click here to read more...)

April 2013

Your Serve: Follow the Money

A veteran tennis journalist says while money from Grand Slam tournaments are ‘reinvested in the game,’ the current prize money arrangement is flawed. (Click here to read more...)

March 2013

Your Serve: The Fathers of Tennis

When it comes to children, let’s make sure we don’t underestimate the role that fathers play in the sport of a lifetime. (Click here to read more...)

February 2013

Your Serve: Turning It All Around

With some creative restructuring and reaching out to the local community, a private club’s tennis courts are generating revenue. (Click here to read more...)

January 2013

Your Serve: Rage Against the (Marketing) Machine

A longtime tennis journalist says let’s not ‘create’ the next American star, but let young pros develop their own personalities. (Click here to read more...)

November 2012

Your Serve: The Sport of Opportunity

The USTA’s president says tennis is ideally suited to promote higher education among youth. (Click here to read more...)

September 2012

Your Serve: Serving the Tennis Public?

A longtime sports journalist says the conflicts of interest in tennis breed a lack of accountability and stunt the sport’s growth. (Click here to read more...)

August 2012

Your Serve: Collective Memory

The sport’s rich history stays alive with the Tennis Collectors of America. (Click here to read more...)

July 2012

Your Serve: The Value of Collaboration

A longtime teaching pro says that when tennis providers find ways to work together, everyone benefits. (Click here to read more...)

June 2012

Your Serve: Lessons Well-Learned

While hoping to give back to tennis, a new high school tennis coach finds this game continues to give to him. (Click here to read more...)

May 2012

Your Serve: Hiring a Tennis Pro?

An industry veteran who helps match teaching pros to jobs has some advice on what to look for. (Click here to read more...)

April 2012

Your Serve: Too Much of a Good Thing?

A former champion says a Grand Slam match lasting nearly 6 hours is too long — and too dangerous for the players. (Click here to read more...)

March 2012

Your Serve: Keep ’Em Coming Back for More

A performance enhancement psychologist has some practical advice for improving your ability to retain customers and players. (Click here to read more...)

February 2012

Your Serve: Building a Solid Game

The TIA president reflects on key industry highlights of 2011, and points to focus areas to support industry growth in the New Year. (Click here to read more...)

January 2012

Your Serve: Think Outside of the Classroom

Looking to grow youth tennis in your area? Don’t forget about the growing homeschool market. (Click here to read more...)

November 2011

Your Serve: Junior Class

A longtime tennis writer says with just a little marketing nudge, the USTA can make the US Open Junior Championships a true ‘event.’ (Click here to read more...)

September 2011

Why Playing College Tennis Is a Good Choice

By Denny Schackter The tennis industry today is blessed with thousands of students playing high school tennis. No-Cut tennis and dramatically improved coaching over the last 20 years have helped about 350,000 students continue to play in high school.... (Click here to read more...)

August 2011

Your Serve: Terms of Office

The USTA’s immediate past president believes it is time for a three-year term for the organization’s leadership. (Click here to read more...)

July 2011

Stepping Up Their Games

When it comes to getting new players, racquetball and squash can learn from tennis’s outreach. (Click here to read more...)

June 2011

Family Fun

10 and Under Tennis can be a key to bringing families back to taking tennis vacations (Click here to read more...)

May 2011

The Sport of Opportunity

The new USTA president says to reach our full potential as a sport, we need to provide meaningful opportunities to people. (Click here to read more...)

April 2011

Your Serve: Tennis Lessons

For this father, the sport made all the difference in his life—a lesson he’s passing on to his children. (Click here to read more...)

March 2011

What Racquets Do the Pros Use?

A world-class customizer says the majority of racquets used by tour pros aren’t much different from what’s in your shop. (Click here to read more...)

February 2011

Club Tennis at Its Finest

A recreational tennis junkie says the sport is the “great equalizer.” (Click here to read more...)

January 2011

The 7 Habits of Successful Teaching Pros

In my career as a psychologist, sports psychology consultant and tennis teaching professional, I have had the opportunity and good fortune to interact with a great many talented and successful tennis-teaching professionals. In numerous discussions, countless observations and some... (Click here to read more...)

November 2010

On-the-Job Training

A young professional says the experiences she gained from her PTM internships have helped guide her career in the tennis industry. (Click here to read more...)

September 2010

Customer Service and Player Retention

Two TSRs say how we serve customers is the key to creating and retaining players. (Click here to read more...)

August 2010

Ignoring Tennis’ Biggest Contributors

When will tennis coaches be given their due by the International Tennis Hall of Fame? (Click here to read more...)

June 2010

Creating Future Leaders

A recent grad, immersed in this industry, says education and messaging to youth will help build a solid future for the sport. (Click here to read more...)

May 2010

A Great Wall in China

An American manufacturer says companies doing business in China need to help that country bring tennis to the masses. (Click here to read more...)

April 2010

Sweat the Small(er) Stuff

For success at the grassroots game, let’s build up the ‘minor leagues’ of tennis. (Click here to read more...)

March 2010

Retailer’s Bill of Rights

A longtime tennis shop owner says there must be changes in the way retailers are treated in this industry. (Click here to read more...)

February 2010

Meeting Our Challenges

The TIA president says creating frequent players, clear messaging about the sport and boosting retail are keys for tennis going forward. (Click here to read more...)

January 2010

Making the Best Of A Bad Situation

A veteran coach and teaching pro used the time she was out of a job to expand her career, and her opportunities. (Click here to read more...)

November 2009

A Titan of Our Sport

Alan Schwartz stands alone as the 2009 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductee. (Click here to read more...)

September 2009

Technology Smokescreen?

A tennis physicist says racquet company marketing claims may have little meaning in a scientific sense and may not be serving players. (Click here to read more...)

August 2009

A Suitable Tennis Partner?

A longtime player, fan and volunteer says when it comes to tennis sponsors and advertisers, we need to aim higher. (Click here to read more...)

July 2009

An Open Letter About Regional Tennis Magazines

By Paul Fein and Jim Martz Dear USTA and TIA Leaders: Thanks to your programs and initiatives, tennis participation throughout the U.S. in 2008 continued its growth on every level. More players (nearly 26.9 million) took to the courts... (Click here to read more...)

June 2009

Take Charge of the Sport

A longtime industry insider says it’s up to all of us to keep this sport vital. (Click here to read more...)

May 2009

Building a Healthy Roadmap for the Future

The TIA’s executive director says while the good news in participation is very positive, we are also focusing on the issues challenging our industry. Tennis participation has been on a healthy growth trend, thanks to the combined efforts of... (Click here to read more...)

April 2009

Hitting a Winner Every Time

A longtime community tennis advocate says CTAs are not only good for tennis, but good for your business. (Click here to read more...)

March 2009

Tennis’ ‘Hidden Jewel’

An author and longtime tennis journalist says that on the pro and recreational sides, doubles is becoming more important. (Click here to read more...)

February 2009

New Lessons for Teaching Pros

An industry insider says it’s time the USPTA and PTR fully embrace modified tennis for youngsters by requiring knowledge of it for certification. (Click here to read more...)

January 2009

Acting Locally

The former TSR manager says drilling down into communities is the way to get more people playing tennis. (Click here to read more...)

November 2008

Changing Our Game

With challenges and changes looming, the USTA’s executive director says the organization must be disciplined, lean and in it for the common good. (Click here to read more...)

September 2008

All For One?

The head of the USPTA says his organization supports forming one teaching pro group with the PTR. (Click here to read more...)

August 2008

A United Front

A longtime teaching pro says that to make this game truly grow, it’s time the PTR and USPTA come together and form one organization. (Click here to read more...)

July 2008

Keeping The Ball In Play

An avid league player enjoys tennis not only as a great form of exercise, but as a form of community, too. (Click here to read more...)

June 2008

Off Message

A tennis insider says the industry needs to forget about comparisons to the past, embrace the fact that we’re a niche sport, and promote the wonderful assets of the game. (Click here to read more...)

May 2008

Beyond the Bottom Line

A tennis programmer and frequent player says this business is about more than just selling a product to customers. (Click here to read more...)

April 2008

League Leader

A longtime tennis director says WTT Rec Leagues are not only fun for all, but they also add to your bottom line. (Click here to read more...)

March 2008

Fitness for Everyone

A renowned health and fitness expert says the USPTA's new "Tennis — For the health of it!" campaign hits all the right notes for people to stay fit and have fun. (Click here to read more...)

February 2008

What’s Fair is Fair

A tennis aficionado has suggestions to make the Hawk-Eye Officiating System better for everyone. (Click here to read more...)

January 2008

A New Way to Love Tennis

An Atlanta retailer says her love of the game is complete after establishing a tournament to benefit charity. (Click here to read more...)

November 2007

Racquet Customization

A longtime racquet technician says manufacturers should push recreational players to have their frames customized. (Click here to read more...)

September 2007

Career Choices

A recent college graduate says a Professional Tennis Management program was just what he needed to help him pursue his dreams. (Click here to read more...)

August 2007

Going the Distance

For this industry observer, the dedication of one longtime volunteer serves as an inspiration for all involved in tennis. (Click here to read more...)

July 2007

Recruit Volunteer Leaders

A Tennis Service Rep says bringing in more volunteers will unleash a giant sales force for the sport and vastly increase participation. (Click here to read more...)

June 2007

A Profitable Future for All

Tennis is an amazing sport. Think about it — what other sport combines all the positives that you find in tennis. It's fun to play, it keeps you fit and healthy, it's a very social sport, yet it can... (Click here to read more...)

May 2007

The Great Divide

A longtime tennis observer says the USTA, with its diverse goals, may better serve the industry if it splits in two. (Click here to read more...)

April 2007

Teaching Assistance

Tennis participation has been climbing since the spotlight turned to growing the game, but are teachers being left in the dark? (Click here to read more...)

March 2007

Court Assistance?

An award-winning tennis writer and USPTA teaching pro says on-court coaching in the pros is not a good move. (Click here to read more...)

February 2007

An international flavor

A longtime observer of junior and college tennis says limiting foreign players at U.S. colleges is a bad idea. (Click here to read more...)

January 2007

A Growing Tennis Village

The TIA's executive director says collaborations within the industry are what lead to the growth of the sport. (Click here to read more...)

November 2006

A Local Tie

The Davis Cup Cares Initiative, designed to promote tennis at the local level, can be a blueprint for success with smaller events, too. (Click here to read more...)

September 2006

Sharing the Passion

TIA President Jim Baugh has left his mark on tennis, and has left the sport in good hands. (Click here to read more...)

August 2006

How to make life easier for recreational tournament players

The tennis industry has made a great effort to attract new players through a number of innovative initiatives, such as free tennis lessons, Cardio Tennis and World TeamTennis. But the needs of a significant number of existing players have... (Click here to read more...)

July 2006

Why Player Challenges Are a Bad Call

By Paul Fein and Christopher Noble Paul Hawkins, the British inventor of the revolutionary Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling technology, was speaking from his experience with other sports when he advised the ATP and WTA tours: "You've chosen this route, now... (Click here to read more...)

June 2006

An Effective Use of Time

A tennis teaching veteran, who is also a Tennis Service Rep, says meeting your TSR can yield excellent benefits for your facility and programs. (Click here to read more...)

May 2006

Tennis Loses the 'Conscience of the Sport': Eugene L. Scott, 1937-2006

The death of Tennis Week founder and publisher Eugene L. Scott of heart disease on March 20 prompted an outpouring of love, support, condolences, and tributes from Scott's friends, colleagues, and readers. Here is just a fraction of the many tributes that were posted on EugeneLScott.com. (Click here to read more...)

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