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Teaching pros support 'Try Tennis for Free'

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — The country’s two main professional tennis-teaching organizations, the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), are supporting a new, industry-wide effort to get Americans to “Try Tennis for Free,” by urging their thousands of certified tennis teachers to offer free sessions to beginners and returning tennis players. Consumers can find these free sessions, and more, at PlayTennis.com.

“Try Tennis for Free” runs through the month of May and is designed to get new and returning players onto the tennis court to enjoy all the healthy benefits of the sport. The campaign, for players of all ages and skill levels, is run through the tennis industry-supported website PlayTennis.com.

The PTR is promoting Try Tennis for Free to its certified professionals in conjunction with its 10 & Under Tennis Month, while the USPTA is promoting Try Tennis to its certified pros in connection with its Tennis Across America campaign.

“PTR has participated in many initiatives over the past 25 years to bring more players into the game,” says PTR CEO Dan Santorum. “We support the Try Tennis for Free campaign because PTR members realize how important it is to help get people active and grow the game of tennis, and especially to bring all the healthy benefits of the sport to kids.”

“This year the USPTA celebrates 25 years of encouraging new players to take up the sport through our ‘Tennis Across America’ effort,” says USPTA CEO John Embree. “The Try Tennis for Free promotion in May goes hand-in-hand with Tennis Across America and what has always been one of our primary goals—getting more people onto the tennis court and growing the game.”

“Our research consistently shows that nearly 65 percent of new players who begin tennis in an introductory program continue on with the sport,” says Jolyn de Boer, executive director of the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), which is managing and promoting the Try Tennis for Free campaign. “The Try Tennis for Free promotion is an ideal way to bring new people to the game and bring back those who may have stopped playing tennis. The free instruction, clinics or other events offered at facilities and by teaching professionals will help ensure players get into this healthy sport properly, and have fun at the same time.”

De Boer says consumers should go to PlayTennis.com, which has a free “tennis concierge” service that easily helps to find nearby tennis locations. “If you don’t see a participating Try Tennis for Free venue in your area, contact your local facility or teaching pro and tell them you’re interested in playing, and inquire about a free or introductory session or program,” she adds.

To learn more about Try Tennis for Free and to find a nearby location, visit PlayTennis.com.

About the TIA

The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is THE unifying force in the tennis industry whose mission is to promote the growth and economic vitality of tennis by working closely with the U.S. Tennis Association and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation and improve the health of industry businesses. Core TIA activities include producing more than 70 research reports annually on participation and consumer/trade research, in addition to Grow the Game Initiatives such as PlayTennis.com, 10 and Under Tennis, the GrowingTennis System™, Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis, Careers in Tennis and Tennis Tune-Up Campaign. Visit TennisIndustry.org or call 866-686-3036.

Posted on May 12, 2014
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