A Numbers Game

Gaining a competitive edge in today's market means keeping informed about what is happening in industry. And nothing prepares you better than research provided by the Tennis Industry Association — the research source for facilities, retailers, court construction companies, and manufacturers.

The TIA produces more than 70 tennis-specific reports and surveys each year, together with partners Sports Marketing Surveys Inc. and W&W Services Inc. All levels of TIA membership include either overviews or executive summaries of TIA research (the amount and type of research available varies with membership level and type of business). The TIA can also run customized research for any business.

Here's an overview of TIA member research available.

Tennis Health Index

The Tennis Health Index, developed by the USTA and TIA, is composed of seven different elements that, together, will give an accurate measure on an annual basis for the state of tennis in the U.S. By combining these elements, there is now a series of checks and balances in contrast to relying on a single measure. Elements of the THI include:

Participation Study — phone survey
Participation Study — online survey
Participation Study — mail survey
Ball Shipments
Court Activity Monitor
Tennis Player Survey
Facility Survey

Court Activity Monitor

An important measure within the Tennis Health Index is the Court Activity Monitor. The aim is to develop a national facility audit to supplement participation data by monitoring key facility operational data. The end result is a "courts booked" or "games played" figure that is a monthly indicator of playing trends.

Each month, facilities enter key data at www.GrowingTennis.com, such as total number of courts, total hours booked, and increase/decrease in play, new players, league play, etc. Participating facilities receive a comparison with regional trends, so they can better direct their own businesses. Go to GrowingTennis.com to become a part of the Court Activity Monitor.

The Tennis Marketplace

These mid-year and year-end reports provide an executive summary of all TIA research and market intelligence. Each report includes an overview from tennis participation, consumer report, specialty retail audit, retailer satisfaction and census reports.

Cost of Doing Business Reports

There are three CoDB reports that address specific areas of the tennis industry: for Facilities, for Retailers, and for Court Contractors, which was added in 2008. These reports tell businesses how they compare to businesses of similar size and type.

The reports for Facilities and Retailers have been an essential reference tool for years. Businesses use this data to benchmark key operating areas, including revenue expectations, expenditures, and business ratios such as revenue per court, percent of gross revenue spent on rent, utilities, salaries, insurance, etc.

Research for Manufacturers

Specialty Retail Audit: Compiled from monthly reports from more than 75 representative retail outlets, these quarterly reports monitor racquets, footwear and strings through the pro/specialty channel and tell what is selling at the brand and model levels.
Dealer Trend Surveys: These biannual reports evaluate manufacturers' performance among pro/specialty dealers, tracking dealers' attitudes toward their suppliers and telling what dealers really are thinking. The trend surveys also include a Dealer Confidence Index, along with ratings of suppliers in various areas.
Consumer Reports: Features early- and late-season Consumer Reports on racquets, footwear, strings and apparel and evaluates buying and playing habits, brand strength, and brand image among frequent players.
Distribution Study: This report gathers retailer information from manufacturers to produce an in-depth analysis of the size of the pro/specialty tennis racquet and footwear market by region. The database can also be used to produce custom studies for manufacturers.
Census Reports: The quarterly Census Reports conducted on racquets, balls, and strings define the total size of the U.S. market. These reports enable participating companies to track market changes and determine their own market share. The Census Reports consist of confidential quarterly data provided by manufacturers.

Research Fast Facts

The Court Activity Monitor includes data from:

Ranking Metropolitan Statistical Areas for number of courts, Tennis Welcome Centers, Cardio Tennis sites, players, and total population.
Online and early season telephone surveys.
Facilities using TennisConnect online court reservations.

For more information about TIA research, call 843-686-3036, email info@tennisindustry.org, or visit TennisIndustry.org.

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