RSPA New England Newsletter - Fall 2025

YANKEE PROSE The Newsletter of the RSPA New England Division

FALL 2025

2024 Small Division of the Year Take a look inside: President’s letter page 1 World Racquet Conference, page 5 Member Recognition, page 10

Certification information, page 14 Racquet sports event, page 18 Racquet sports career, page 22

RSPA New England Board of Directors

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT: LISA WILCOTT Happy Fall Everyone,

Division President: Lisa Wilcott metennis@comcast.net Regional Vice President: Milan Kubala stowemiles@gmail.com

I'm hoping that everyone had a successful summer season with the amazing weather after a very wet spring season. Time flies when you are having fun, sometimes it is a blur, but it's important to enjoy yourself along the way. Remember that we are changing people's lives in a positive way every day, so invest in yourself - you are the brand.

Many of us have just returned from our 2025 RSPA World Conference in Hawaii and it was an outstanding conference in a beautiful location.

This year's theme was “Rebrand You”, and how each of us can adapt Treasurer: and grow as professionals and leaders to meet the demands of Christy Bennett tomorrow. There were over 500 members that took advantage of the bennett@newengland.usta.com networking, educational information, amazing speakers and panels, activities and the opportunities to connect with other dedicated RSPA Secretary: members and staff. There are so many advantages to going to inWilbur Shardlow person conferences, numerous opportunities to learn, and this World shardlowtennis@roadrunner.com Conference was a big hit. We met so many new members, connected with old friends, and it is always great to connect with the other divisions.

Vice President:

Kristen Gerety kdgerety@icloud.com Vice President: Mike Hill michael_hill@alumni.brown.edu

Past President: Mike Kolendo mkolendo46@gmail.com

NE Executive Director: Pam Dodman pam.dodman@rspa.net

Thank you to Pam Dodman, our Executive Director, the New England Board of Directors and our State Presidents for the hard work they have been doing to continue to support and help grow our division. We were surprised to receive the Small Division of the Year Award AGAIN! This is our 3rd National award in the past 4 years, so that makes our New England Division Board members very proud as we are working hard to represent you.

Please let us know if we can help you in any way to continue to grow as individuals and leaders in your sports. Our RSPA membership includes 5 sport certifications, so please continue to stay involved, increase your knowledge and certifications and stay relevant.

The 2026-2027 New England Board of Directors : President: Milan Kubala VT Regional Vice President: Christy Bennett Mass Secretary: Nestor Bernabe RI Treasurer: Stu Lehr Mass Vice President: Glenny Hay CT Vice President: Dan McCormick Mass Immediate Past President: Lisa Wilcott ME Thank you to the Nominating Committee for their hard work in selecting the new slate of Directors for the 2026-2027 Term.

We are hoping to put together some state events together, before mid-December, so we look forward to connecting in person again soon.

Please check in on the RSPA website often and update your profile on your personal page. Coming very soon is a major overhaul of the website, many updates on partnerships and sponsorships, career developments, and many more digital transformations are coming.

Thank you for taking your time to read this newsletter and let me know how we can help you get involved further. Every month we receive RSI-Racquet Sports Industry Magazine, always informative and RSPA ADDvantage is always highlighted with numerous articles and information - see pages 54-72 this month.

Email or text me or any board member if we can help in any way.

RSPA New England State Presidents: Connecticut: Kent Chalmers chalmerstennis@gmail.com Maine: Chris Nordenson chrisnordenson@gmail.com Massachusetts: Stu Lehr stuartklehr@gmail.com & Vi Nguyen vnguyen734@gmail.com New Hampshire: TBD Rhode Island: Mike Michaud mike.mmtennis@gmail.com Vermont: Joyce Doud jdoud@edgevt.com

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2025 World Racquets Conference The WRC in Hawaii was Spectacular!

The RSPA World Racquet Conference in Kona, Hawaii was a an excellent event, and the venue was incredible! Mats Wilander headed the list of world-renowned speakers. New England had 17 members attending, at least five of whom were attending their first world conference.

To top of the event, New England was the recipient of the Small Division of the Year Award for the second year in a row! New England has been honored with this award for the past three out of four years!! Next year’s World Racquet Conference will be held in Dallas, TX! Yankee Prose / page 05

2025 World Racquets Conference

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2025 World Racquets Conference

2025 World Racquets Conference

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2025 World Racquets Conference

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Member Recognition

Congratulations to Lisa Gilbridee

We’re proud to announce that Lisa Gilbride of Topsham, ME, has been named our 2025 Champion of Equality Honoree! She was celebrated Thursday evening at the US Open alongside Billie Jean King and 15 other USTA Section representatives.

Lisa was a trailblazer at Providence College, where she was instrumental in launching the women’s tennis program, captained both the tennis and basketball teams, and became the first woman to earn PC’s Athlete of the Year Award (1975).

After graduation, she coached the PC women’s tennis team before moving on to lead a number of college and high school programs. For 27 years, she served as the Paddle Sports Director at the award-winning Central Lincoln County YMCA, shaping the lives and tennis journeys of hundreds of young players.

Lisa has made tennis accessible to all with free school programs, red ball lessons and family Stay-and-Play sessions. These sessions offer more than just tennis, providing homework help and nutrition guidance. Additionally, through partnerships with food banks, farms, and Tennis Without Borders, she ensures the community's well-being is a top priority.

For her remarkable career, Lisa was inducted into the USTA New England Hall of Fame in 2023.

Congratulations, Lisa—an incredible honor so well deserved!

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Certification Workshops

Add to your credentials by getting certified in Pickleball!!

If you have a pickleball certification from another organization, be sure to contact the RSPA national office so you can add it to your RSPA credentials!

Click the images above to go to the registration page.

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Certification Workshops If you would like to upgrade your tennis certification to elite and need to redo your private lesson, group lesson, and/or stroke production the Level 2 workshop is for you!!

Click the desired workshop image to go to the registration page.

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Refer & Earn Refer a new applicant, earn a $50 Tennis Warehouse Gift Card

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Racquet Sports Event “Rally Against Cancer” Raises over $40K!!

More than 300 players came together on the weekend of September 13 & 14 as the "Rally Against Cancer" campaign got underway.

Nine tennis facilities organized events as part of the effort with five more events still to come this fall! Events are being hosted in ME, MA, and FL. To date, Rally Against Cancer has raised more than 40K with more donations still coming in.

Rally Against Cancer was founded by Seth Meyer, longtime tennis player, cancer survivor, elite RSPA Tennis Professional, and Head Tennis Professional at the Midcoast Recreation Center. Seth’s goal was to raise funds for cancer charities, and to honor the resilience, generosity, and unity of local tennis communities.

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Racquet Sports Event “Rally Against Cancer” Raises over $40K!!

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Racquet Sports Event “Rally Against Cancer” Raises over $40K!!

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Racquet Sports Career Navigating Your Career in Racquet Sports: “Clarity, Transparency, and Growth for Professionals and Directors"

by Mark McMahon, RSPA Master Professional, President| Founder, McMahon Careers Racquet sports professionals and directors today have more opportunities than ever before. With pickleball exploding in popularity, tennis continuing to thrive, and padel arriving on U.S. shores, clubs are investing heavily in their racquets programs. But while the demand for skilled leaders and teaching professionals is high, true career success requires more than just landing the next role. It takes strategic clarity— both for job-seekers and hiring directors—to ensure the right match.

Being transparent and direct throughout the hiring process empowers professionals to find positions that align with their goals and helps clubs build cohesive, high-performing teams.

Assessing Your Fit and Career Vision When exploring new opportunities, professionals should begin by assessing how a role fits into both immediate and long-term goals. A club’s current needs may look appealing, but does the position also support your career trajectory?

Take time to research each club’s culture, its level of investment in racquet sports, and the overall direction of its program. A role that pairs your skills with a supportive, forward-thinking environment can set the stage for long-term growth.

For directors tasked with hiring, clarity matters just as much. Before opening a search, engage key stakeholders — other leaders, board members, and staff — to align on the vision for the program. This collaborative approach ensures that the qualities sought in candidates truly reflect the club’s long-term aspirations.

Compensation Clarity: Know the Metrics One of the most common pitfalls in racquet sports hiring is unclear compensation.

Professionals should never hesitate to request full transparency: base salary, bonuses, and, importantly, the performance metrics tied to those incentives. Understanding how success will be measured allows you to evaluate whether the position provides both stability and opportunity for advancement.

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Racquet Sports Career Navigating Your Career in Racquet Sports continued Directors, in turn, have a responsibility to provide detailed breakdowns and to explain the reasoning behind compensation structures.

Outlining the specific metrics for evaluation — lesson volume, programming growth, member satisfaction — fosters trust and ensures candidates know exactly what is expected of them.

The High Cost of Mismatched Hires The stakes in racquet sports hiring are high.

Members join clubs expecting world-class instruction, innovative programming, and a welcoming environment. A mismatched hire can undermine those expectations and negatively affect culture, service, and strategy.

For professionals, a poor fit often leads to frustration and limited career growth. For clubs, the consequences can include lower member satisfaction, weakened staff morale, and financial strain from turnover. The lesson is simple: invest the time up front to ensure alignment. Seek out clubs that prioritize their racquets staff through investment in facilities, professional development, and programming.

Likewise, directors should take care to match candidates not just to the job, but to the culture and values of the club.

Connect, Collaborate, and Grow The racquet sports industry thrives on community. Professionals and directors who actively engage in networking opportunities; at the industry level and beyond, gain access to valuable connections, shared knowledge, and continuing education. For job-seekers, these networks open doors to opportunities that

might otherwise remain hidden. For directors, collaboration and transparency send a signal to high-caliber professionals that your club is a place where they can succeed.

Organizations dedicated to professional development in racquet sports are helping raise the bar industry-wide, fostering environments where both individuals and clubs can flourish.

Shape the Future—With Clarity As clubs invest millions into state-of-the-art racquet facilities, one truth stands out: buildings and courts alone don’t create a competitive edge. The real differentiator is people — the leaders and professionals who design the programs, foster community, and deliver exceptional member experiences.

For professionals, that means pursuing roles with clarity about your vision, skills, and growth potential. For directors, it means building teams with transparency, clear expectations, and alignment around culture and goals.

In the end, the path to lasting success in racquet sports leadership is built on clarity.

When both sides of the hiring equation approach the process with openness and strategy, the result is not just a job filled, but a future shaped — for clubs, for professionals, and for the racquet sports industry as a whole.

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Racquet Sports Career About Racquet Search & Hire By McMahon Careers Racquet Search & Hire by McMahon Careers brings transparency and clarity to racquet sports hiring and staff across the industry. The firm connects clubs of every size with top racquet sports professionals through customized search solutions — ranging from job postings to executive placement and comprehensive career support — ensuring clubs and candidates achieve the best possible match for long-term success.

McMahon Careers also administers the racquet sports industry’s leading professional credential, the Certified Racquet Sports Executive (CRSE) program. Since its launch in 2020, more than 200 racquet sports professionals have earned the CRSE designation by completing a rigorous 10-month, multimodule experiential curriculum designed to advance leadership, management and strategic capabilities, supporting long-term career growth.

With a commitment to transparency, excellence, and industry-specific expertise, McMahon Careers helps clubs and professionals achieve their highest potential.

Mark McMahon: Recognized and awarded by his tennis industry peers, Mark has been acclaimed as an astute and insightful Search Consultant and Coach, and his firm McMahon Careers has had the opportunity to guide some of the country’s most prestigious clubs in hiring a Director of Racquets to lead their programs to greatness.

In 2020, Mark launched the Certified Racquet Sports Executive program, an intensive 10-module coaching and experiential developmental program. Now in its fourth-fully subscribed year, the program is aimed at guiding racquet sports professionals through the process of managing, leading, and directing private club programs more effectively, more professionally and more confidently.

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