USPTA Mid - Atlantic Tennis
SERVICE LINES A Publication of all the USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division
Newsletter - Fall 2023
2023 World Conference & Trade Show, Orlando, Florida More in page 4
INSIDE
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New Mid-Atlantic Board
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2023 Fall Workshop
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Spotlight on Education
President’s
MESSAGE Dear fellow USPTA Mid-Atlantic professionals, In my final message as your president, I write to thank you – our industry leaders, club professionals, school coaches, and up-and-comers – for the work you do every day. I also write to challenge you. As each of you already know, these past four years starting with COVID have forever changed our industry for the better. The audience for racquet sports has never been larger, there are simply more players involved and more racquet sports available than ever before. My question to you is: what are you going to do to take advantage of this opportunity? Regardless of where you are in your career or what your professional goals may be, this is an important time for all of us and we must evolve. It starts with knowing the trends, there is no “business as usual” right now. Your players’ family schedules have never been busier – how has your programming changed to accommodate? Are the pros on your staff still working 6 or 7 days a week? – that is quickly becoming obsolete. We’ve all taught tennis players how to play pickleball (hopefully), but have you started teaching pickleball players how to play tennis? – that’s coming, too.
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My hope is that you will lean on USPTA to educate yourself and not just keep up, but stay ahead. I also believe that USPTA is at an important time in our association’s history. We must get younger and we must get more diverse. The problem is that it is much easier to talk about these issues than it is to do anything meaningful about them. What can you do to help in these two critical areas for the long-term future of our industry? I want to close by assuring you that USPTA Mid-Atlantic is in great hands. Glenn Gerbino, your incoming president, and Joni Hannah, our division’s Executive Director, are committed to supporting us and our collective efforts to become better racquets professionals. I also want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve as your president these last two years and on the division board for the past 10 years, it has been an honor. The future is bright for racquet sports in our region, please get involved. Sincerely, Rob Oakes President, USPTA Mid-Atlantic
Executive Director’s
MESSAGE
SAVE THE DATE: 2024 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division Annual Conference February 23rd & 24th, 2024 Westwood Country Club, Vienna, Virginia For many of us, the daily responsibilities and routines of the tennis season make it nearly impossible to spend any meaningful time evaluating and improving our professional skills, tennis programs and management techniques. We all need to take a “time-out” occasionally, away from our busy daily schedules and responsibilities, to learn and focus on developing as tennis professionals. Fortunately, a perfect “time-out” opportunity is approaching – the 2024 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division Annual Conference will be held on February 23-24, 2024 at Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Virginia, and I hope you all will attend. More information will follow on the specific speakers, seminars and educational programs planned for the conference, but please save the date for this terrific opportunity to re-energize your career NOMINATIONS FOR 2023 AWARDS USPTA professionals are driven individuals who strive to inspire their students to reach their highest level of performance on the tennis court and provide them with tools to be successful off the court as well. At the upcoming 2024 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division Annual Conference, we will once again recognize division members who are committed to excellence. I will be sending an email to the membership in the coming weeks looking for nominations for our awards program, so please be thinking about any deserving members who you feel deserve recognition.
Let’s Connect The USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division is interested in connecting with you. If you have news you would like to share with the division, job postings, a promotion, tennis/pickleball tips or an upcoming event, then please send the information to me at Joni.Hannah@uspta.org. Also, please follow us on Facebook and on X (formerly Twitter) twitter.com/usptama
USPTA MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION WELCOMES THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS! T arun Arora, Brambleton, Virginia O liver Crawford, Charleston, West Virginia
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2023 World Conference & Trade Show September 24 – 28, 2023 Orlando, Florida
By Glenn Gerbino, Regional Vice President
On September 24 - 28, 2023, USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division members attended the 2023 USPTA World Conference at the beautiful Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Florida and the USPTA World Headquarters in Lake Nona, Florida. We started our engines the first night with a visit to the Andretti Indoor Karting and Games for some team-building, competition and fun. The next five days we got down to business with in-person learning, on-court seminars, networking, trade show, social events and the 2023 Awards Luncheon, featuring USPTA Tim Heckler Hall of Fame inductees Chris Evert and Kirk Anderson. The World Conference was a non-stop educational experience, with a range of speakers including Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, Chuck Gill, Dr. Stephan Esser, Simon Paek, Kyle LaCroix and Dale Evans. A highlight was USPTA Chief Executive Officer John Embree interviewing a celebrity panel of sports professionals, including Peter Taglianetti (NHL), Frank Nobilo (PGA) and William Floyd (NFL). Attendees were also treated to a Q & A
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session with Chris Evert moderated by author Steve Flink. Our Mid-Atlantic Division party held at Top Golf on Tuesday night was a huge hit. We came together as a division, meeting new members, networking and watching the excitement of those that had never hit a golf ball before, all while an amazing lightning storm raged around us – it sure added to the fun. Whether your focus is tennis, pickleball, or padel, there was something for everyone at this World Conference. Both new and more experienced pros can gain a lot from interacting with colleagues at an event like this. There is no substitute for the opportunities a World Conference offers for networking, attaining educational points and learning from others in the business of sports. I hope to see even more pros at the 2024 World Conference & Trade Show to be held at The Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas in Palm Springs, California.
New USPTA Mid-Atlantic Board Set for 2024-2025 Term The slate for the 2024-2025 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Board proposed by the Nominating Committee is now officially approved and confirmed as follows: 2024 – 2025 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Board President:
Glenn Gerbino
Regional Vice President
Mark DiChiara
Vice Presidents
Bridget Merrick Taylor Newman Arun Pant
State Representatives:
Betsy Heidenberger Joseph Caruth Mike Caboy
Immediate Past President
Rob Oakes
The 2024-2025 Mid-Atlantic Board will take office effective on January 1, 2024. Many thanks to the Nominations Committee made up of Jason Grigg, Nominations Chair, Terence Killen and Chip King. Rob Oakes will be the Nominations Chair for the 2026-2027 slate. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the members that volunteer their time and efforts to make our division stronger. Special thanks to Past President, Jason Grigg, outgoing President, Rob Oakes, Vice President David Robinson, Vice President, Jeremy Carl, and State Representatives Michael Vann and Eddie Davis for their many contributions to the USPTA and, particularly, the Mid-Atlantic Division, over the years.
New Faces on the Board While there are several familiar faces remaining on the new Board, we are very excited to welcome Taylor Newman, Arun Pant and Mike Caboy to the Board
Taylor Newman Vice President Taylor Newman currently serves as the Director of Racquets Operations at Chevy Chase Club in Bethesda, Maryland. She started working at Chevy Chase in 2015 as a summer professional and moved up the ranks, serving as Head Tennis Professional, Director of Junior Tennis and Assistant Ladies Interclub Director. Since taking over the Director of Racquets Operations role, Taylor has been instrumental in developing new adult programs, such as CardioTennis. She also teaches and competes in Pickleball and Platform Tennis, and is currently ranked in the Top 100 in Platform Tennis. Prior to joining Chevy Chase, Taylor competed at the NCAA Division 1 level at Radford University, where she played #1 singles and doubles, was Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year and was a four-year member of the Big South All-Academic Team. Taylor earned a B.A. degree in Journalism and Spanish and, in recent years, she competed as part of the Sears Cup Team representing the Mid-Atlantic Division. Service Lines | uspta.com
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Arun Pant Vice President Arun Pant is currently the Assistant General Manager for Columbia Association Racquet Sports. Arun is responsible for all programming, club operations, and staff hiring, onboarding and development. Prior to his role at Columbia Association Racquet Sports, Arun worked at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland as a staff professional. Arun has been a USPTA member for five years and in his time has served on the Diversity & Inclusion and the Member Engagement committees of the Mid-Atlantic Division. Arun has a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science from Frostburg State University where he played college tennis and was team captain for two years. Arun also enjoys serving as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT with the Ellicott City Fire Department.
Mike Caboy State Representative Mike has over 30 years of competitive playing, teaching and management experience in the tennis industry. He played at Florida International University in Miami, Florida from 19841985 and at Montclair State University in New Jersey from 1985-1987. Mike began his tennis teaching career in 1988 at Walt Disney World as the Assistant Professional at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and then became the Head Professional at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in 1992. Mike was a Resort Operations Manager for Walt Disney World from 1997-2001. In 2002, Mike became Director of Tennis at Spanish Wells Club, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he built a successful program leading to the construction of four additional courts at the facility. Mike was selected as the 2002 Pro of the Year for Hilton Head Island by The Tennis Association of Hilton Head Island (TAHHI). Mike was also named to the Board of Directors of TAHHI in 2003 and was the Tournament Director for the Hilton Head Island City Championships in 2003 and 2004. He served on the committee which successfully bid on hosting the USTA Senior State Championships between 2005-2007.
Mike has been the Director of Tennis at McCormack Nagelsen Tennis Center at William & Mary since June 2016. He was a member of the 2022 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Mike is a USPTA Certified Elite Professional.
Welcome Taylor, Arun and Mike! 6
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Additional Volunteer Opportunities Available The USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division currently has openings for positions on committees and state representatives for the 20242025 term. If you are interested in getting more involved with the division, then I highly recommend you volunteer for one of these positions. CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER →
Or contact Glenn Gerbino at G2tennis@live.com or Joni Hannah at joni.hannah@uspta.org for more information.
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2023 USPTA Mid-Atlantic
DIVISION FALL WORKSHOP
B y: Glenn Gerbino, Regional Vice Presiden
A great turnout for this year’s 2023 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division Fall Workshop The 2023 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Division Fall Workshop was held on November 2nd and 3rd in two locations - Old Farm Swim and Paddle Tennis Club & Georgetown Prep Tennis Club in Rockville, Maryland. Over thirty USPTA professionals enjoyed a full and fun day and one-half of in-person learning, on-court seminars and certification opportunities. Michael Cochrane, Director of Platform Tennis and Pickleball & Head Tennis Professional, Saucon Country Club, and a USPTA Coach Developer, kicked off the Workshop on Thursday afternoon with a Platform Tennis Certification Workshop. On Thursday evening, the Mid-Atlantic Division Board Meeting was held and outgoing President, Rob Oakes, thanked the current Board members and welcomed the incoming Board members. Jason Grigg, Pickleball & Tennis Coach, JG Pickleball, & USPTA Coach Developer, led us off at Old Farm Swim and Paddle Tennis Club on a very chilly Friday morning with his seminar on “Pickleball Technique and Programming with Drills” and Michael Cochrane followed with “Platform Tennis – Teaching the Seven (7 Shots 8
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Unique to Platform Tennis).” As always, Jason and Michael did a wonderful job educating our pros. We then moved to Georgetown Prep Tennis Club for lunch and the afternoon on-court presentations. Mark DiChiara, General Manager & Director of Tennis, Georgetown Prep Tennis Club (and one of only a handful of USPTA Professionals in the world with USPTA certifications in four separate sports – tennis, platform tennis, pickleball and padel), presented “5 Drills to Make it Stick in Your Student’s Brain” and Christopher Tran, Founder, Strike Zone Tennis & Head of Junior Development, Country Club, kept us focused on the mental aspects of the game with his seminar on “Cognitive Flexibility vs. Rigidity.” We finished the session at Georgetown Prep with our always popular “Drill Exchange” with several pros participating. Jason Grigg also conducted a Pickleball Certification Workshop at Old Farm on Friday afternoon. Thank you to all of our presenters and volunteers for making our 2023 Fall Workshop a tremendous success and a special thank you to Mark DiChiara for securing the locations for the event.
USPTA Mid-Atlantic Pro Bruce Lipka Named 2023 USPTA Tim Gullikson Touring Coach of the Year LAKE NONA, Fla., Oct. 16, 2023 — The United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. (USPTA) is proud to present the 2023 USPTA Tim Gullikson Touring Coach of the Year to USPTA Master Professional Bruce Lipka of Rockville, Md. (Mid-Atlantic Division). Lipka is a former ATP Player and an ATP, WTA and collegiate coach. Lipka works with several WTA Tour doubles players and has coached Erin Routliffe to a career-high WTA doubles ranking of No. 29. Erin was the 2022 Citi Open champion, made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the third round of the French Open. Lipka also coached Ingrid Neel to the second round at Wimbledon with a first-round upset over the 12th seeded team of multi-grand-slam winners Stosur and Chan. “Bruce has been a true leader in the USPTA, not only in the Mid-Atlantic division but across the country. Under the tutelage of the great Bill Tym, Bruce learned how to coach high-performance players and has made a difference in the lives of the players he has coached,” USPTA CEO John Embree said. About the USPTA: Founded in 1927, the USPTA is the global leader in tennis-teacher certification and professional development. With more than 14,000 members worldwide and
17 divisions nationwide, the association's mission is to raise the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches and to promote a greater awareness of the sport. Learn more at USPTA.com
SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION USPTA Vision Statement - The USPTA will be the world's leading trade association of certified tennis-teaching professionals and coaches, viewed and highly respected as an organization of knowledgeable experts and specialists, industry innovators, and as an indispensable business partner. The USPTA will deliver the highest level of educational tools and programs that enhance the livelihoods of its members, create career opportunities within the tennis industry, and promote the sport of tennis.
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CHANGE YOUR
MINDSET From Continuing Education To Continuing Idea Exchange By: Mark DiChiara
General Manager & Director of Tennis, Georgetown Prep Tennis Club
Why the stigma around Continuing Education (“CE”) in the world of Tennis Professionals? Since the dawn of time, bettering yourself as a professional has always been encouraged, expected and, in many fields, required. However, unlike a doctor, lawyer, accountant, policeman, boat captain, house painter or any other slew of “professionals”, many tennis professionals have evolved with the thought; “If I can come across as more knowledgeable than my relatively small group of regular students with very similar abilities, practice ethics and goals, across a relatively small geographic area, then that is all the knowledge I require and I do not need to participate in the quest for CE.” This is a recipe for a stagnant workplace and environment. I hope no one strives to live/work in a bland coaching/professional/ management bubble for the rest of their career. If you do, then you must be prepared to deal with some real challenges in selfmotivation as the years proceed and don’t be surprised when the masses are no longer excited to have you as their source of tennis knowledge. CE has a negative stigma attached to it. It is like that of the award of “Most Improved Player.” Many people interpret that to mean you were “bad” at the beginning of the season and now, since you had the largest amount of potential improvement, you improved, but it wasn’t that hard. Similarly, if you are seeking out CE, many
tennis professional peers feel that you are admitting that you are lacking something that you should be offering your students, and that students shouldn’t be going to you since you obviously don’t “know it all”. To combat that thought, tennis pros often retort with things like, “I don’t need CE,” “Those presentations never help me,” “I could give that talk,” or “That guy was so stupid.” As an organization of tennis pros, regardless of the particular professional organization you belong to, a true tennis professional needs to change their mindset from Continuing Education to Continuing Idea Exchange (“CIE”). I recently attended the USPTA World Conference in Orlando and listened to a talk from a longtime friend of mine, someone I have known for over 20 years. There isn’t a lot in the tennis world we haven’t discussed together. However, he had a certain way of teaching his students the importance of finding and repeating solid contact with the ball in the sweet spot of the racquet…it was GREAT. The “educational” point that solid contact is important is not new to anyone, so that is not what I was surprised about. What surprised me was, the next week, when I got home, I introduced this method to 15 students and 14 of them benefited from it. He didn’t “know” something I didn’t - it was more of an idea exchange from him to me and not an education. I promise you that this happened THOUSANDS of times during that week in Orlando.
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During that week, I went and received a Padel coaching certification. I don’t yet have Padel courts at my club and I am not sure when I will ever get them, but I learned things during Padel certification that I have immediately implemented into my Tennis and Platform Tennis teaching. I also had the chance to learn about some of the economics of a successful Padel program and I am, in turn, trying it out with the pickleball program at my club. So, by taking the certification for a sport I DON’T yet have at my club, I have bettered the three sports that I do. If I had passed up on the opportunity to take this certification/education, the “idea exchange” could not have helped my club currently. HOW TO GO INTO A CIE SESSION WITH PROPER EXPECTATIONS. One of the main reasons we have such a tough time seeing the benefits of CIE is that we are often thinking of everything else we could have been doing at that time. Here are some tips to get the most benefit from the time spent.
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Turn off “work” life from breakfast to lunch and after lunch until the class is over. Just as you would ask your kids to focus on their teachers at school, I ask you to do the same for time spent in CIE. Don’t expect to get something through osmosis. You must pay attention.
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Don’t expect that everything will be new information. For the most part, unless you are looking for something very specific, there will be things you have heard before, but that doesn’t mean you are wasting your time. Instead, look at how the subject matter 12
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is being presented to see if can be added to how you typically present the same topic. This is how I took the information about contact point and spun it into my own version and made it fit with my lessons on the same topic.
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Everyone’s situation is different, but look for ways to adapt information to fit your situation. If there is a person whose presentation is titled,” Servicing Members at Large Country Clubs,” does that mean that, because I work at a commercial club, I can’t get anything out of this talk? For my own purposes, let me change the title to “Giving a Great Customer Experience.” Now, it doesn’t matter who the customer is and I know know that I can absorb something from this presentation that will be relevant to my situation.
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Ask questions of the presenter. At the end of the talk, don’t run out of the room and find your friend as quickly as possible. Find something that did not make sense to you and how can it affect you in your situation and ask the presenter about it. Usually, if they are knowledgeable about the topic, once you give them a little background of your facility, student, situation, they will be able to help. I have met some well-known people in our industry because I did this and I wouldn’t have me them otherwise. COST VS. VALUE The cost of CIE and the related educational credits isn’t always cheap. Between the course price, travel costs and missed revenue, it can add up. If the pro shows that their attendance at these CIEs
is directly helping the club, they should make a case to have the company pitch in. This is always something that is a battle…should the professional have to pay for the cost incurred with CIE classes or should the facility? This is a tough question to answer. There are two schools of thought: 1) the facility should pay because you work there, and they should invest in their employee, and 2) the professionals should want to better themselves and see what is new to offer their students, and it is their responsibility because it doesn’t bring in any direct revenue for the club. I see it both ways, and understand it is tough to put a “$$$” amount on the value of education. For the professional, either way it is a loss of revenue to travel somewhere to take the classes. Then, there is the travel costs, hotel, food etc. The boss must know that their investment is worth it for the club and that it is just not an extra vacation for the pro on the club’s dime. What is the benefit? That question will be for both the pro and the club to ask. Here is the solution that I suggest that will benefit both sides. In this age of technology, with all of the USPTA material that is available online, including both free and paid courses, it is very easy to access CIE without having to travel. A few suggestions for cost effective ways that a boss can find value in CIE for its pros:
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Watch 6 hours’ worth of CIE videos and show me where that knowledge has helped the members or the facility. If that can be quantified, then offer for them to be paid for the day or two taken off from work to go to a USPTA in-person conference.
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Take the USPTA webinar on “Running Successful Events.” For all the events you run inspired from that Webinar, the club will give you an extra 20% of the income from the event. This gives your pro incentive to explore the option, this shows you are encouraging him/her to do this. This is hopefully pumping fresh ideas into the pros’ brains and then to the customers. Most importantly, it is giving the pro something new to work into his repertoire. On the whole, it’s not a big loss for the club.
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Challenge your veteran pros (or yourself) to share what they know at a conference or in an online forum. Don’t make it difficult for them to do it, encourage it. When they do a great job, it looks great for your staff and your club, and your members are proud. Offer to pay for their night at the hotel if they are going to speak - often, entry-level speaking engagements are unpaid and any help would be appreciated. Value comes from many different places. Please be open to the difference in long-term vs. short-term value. While the club may lose revenue for the day while the pro is at the conference, it may get paid back five times over after the lessons learned at the presentation are implemented back at the facility. What is a small, onetime expense, to a club’s budget, could be the springboard to the pro’s start as a valued contributor to the organization and to the industry. STUDENTS ARE DOING IT ALL THE TIME!!!! Recently, especially over the last 4 years since the pandemic, many tennis professionals have become increasingly possessive of their students. Tennis pros will say, “Oh Susie is ‘my player’ and ‘I’ trained her to her win at sectionals.” When people say that I often laugh. You never hear a math teacher say, “He is MY student…he ONLY learned from me…I am the reason he is so successful.” That teacher would rightly be laughed at for such a remark. In reality, Susie is likely playing at three different places and there are three different coaches claiming her success as their own. What has happened is that Susie had taken the best ideas from all three coaches and she understands the benefits of getting information from different sources. The ironic thing is that the student, smartly, is seeing the value of multiple sets of eyes, while the tennis professionals are often unwilling to hear and learn from other sources. Those extra sets of eyes, however, are what makes their students so successful. Nobody knows it all…but collectively, we know a lot. Just be willing to hear what other pros are doing and why it works for them. It may not work for you…you will never know if you don’t experiment. Now go get and give some CIE!!!!!
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PROPS PROMOTE POSITIVE PARTICIPATION! By Betsy Heidenberger
USPTA Professional, USPTA Mid-Atlantic VP & Pickleball Certified www.betsytennis.net
If you want to see consistent numbers in your programs, you’ve got to be creative with new props! Yes, I have been known to rummage through the Lost and Found at my club - as well as my neighborhood dumpster when we have a once a year clean out. Witnesses wonder if I am so desperate and my business is so p oor that I have to rummage through other people’s trash? Well actually, other people’s trash are my students’ treasures! In all my classes, I always have some sort of props – targets, prizes, stickers, snacks, coupons, books, etc. – as part of my lesson plan. I use these props for both junior and adult targets such as a basketball hoop, hula hoop, Halloween blowups are amazing targets that add a lot of excitement when my students hit them - cones are good, but not nearly as exciting. One of the best prizes that I have selected out of our neighborhood dumpsters was a huge container of beautiful unique seashells. When a student (adult or child) hit a target or won a certain number of points, the smile on their face knowing they could pick a shell as a prize was priceless. However, I did have a few occasions when a child cried if they did not receive a seashell because they did not hit the target, but you cannot give in! The students quickly learned that you have to earn the prize and there are no freebies. To think that someone was trashing these shells and I picked them up and recycled them to happy customers. I learned who the owner of this box of shells was and she was thrilled that someone else would enjoy them - I even sent her pictures of the smiling winners with her shells as they were holding them like big trophies!
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Anything you can create to add excitement to your classes and private lessons will keep the clientele coming back. I have gotten coupons, as little as one dollar off for a bagel, Christmas ornaments, stickers, fake jewelry, etc. - the list can go on and on. So, who cares what your friends say when they see you rummage through dumpsters and lost and found containers? You will be the one laughing all the way to the bank because your clientele keeps coming back trying to hit more targets!
TOP 10 BENEFITS OF THE BALL MACHINE By: Stan Oley Playmate Ball Machines Product Marketing Specialist and USPTA Master Professional
1.
Students get a “Game-Like” ball. Most lessons have the pro standing at the net feeding an easy ball into the player’s strike-zone. There are many reasons for this including it is too difficult to feed the correct ball hours a day, the skill level of the pro does not permit them to feed the appropriate ball, etc. Providing a “Game-Like” ball (moonball, high approach, low approach, half volley, etc.) allows the student to work on their receiving skills in addition to their sending skills.
2.
Revenues from rentals, ball machine clubs, and creates a value-added member amenity. The average hourly rate of a
ball machine is $20/hour and $12/half hour. 80% of clubs utilize a Ball Machine Club for the ball machine. Average annual membership (before court fees) is $200/per person $250/per family (3 members)
3.
Increased revenue and creation of better players with Post Lesson Curriculum ball machine use. It is important that the student is practicing what they are learning in the lesson. Giving a Post Lesson Curriculum will show that the pro cares about the development of their players. Also, having that player utilizing the ball machine after the lesson creates additional revenue for the facility.
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4.
Great feeding solution for Cardio Tennis. Using a ball machine for Cardio Tennis opens so many doors for the pro. They can provide more shots that are too difficult to feed rapidly, save their body, and is much safer for the player having the pro on the same side of the court to closely monitor their condition.
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Health of the teaching pro. Many pros who have been feeding for years are injured or sidelined. Teaching with a ball machine would allow them to still coach even with an injury that may have them sidelined from hitting. Teaching with a ball machine is also great preventative medicine as well.
6.
Great for privates to allow for demonstration and better pro/player relationship by being on same side as player. Demonstration is at the heart of teaching a Motor Skill Sport. Being able to step in and show the student how to hit a particular shot is an invaluable resource to the player’s learning experience.
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Group lessons and junior academy almost become privates because the pro is on same side as the players. When you teach clinics with a ball machine, stoppages in a clinic
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do not have to occur to assist a player with a technical issue. Players can continue the drill while you assist a player similar to a private lesson.
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Makes videoing the player much easier. It is much harder and time consuming to video a player without a ball machine.
9.
Allow ability for pro to work with high-performance players. Many coaches can no longer hit with a high-performance player which may result in easy feeds to the player that are not relevant to their skill level. Many coaches have a lot of knowledge to offer a high-performance player, and their lack of ability to still compete at a high level should not keep them from working with them.
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Can help a lesser skilled pro be better by allowing them to be on same side as the player. A new professional to the industry may find it hard to feed appropriately and communicate at the same time. They may find it much easier to teach with a ball machine.
By: Ashley Owens CourtReserve Co-Founder & Director of Sales and Marketing
When you’ve got a growing pickleball business, pricing your court time effectively can be challenging. How do you make sure your pricing appeals to players, while also being profitable for your club?
How do you keep players coming back, without leaving money on the table? As your club gets more and more popular, it’s tempting to just increase your prices. More expensive court time equals bigger profits, right? But the last thing you want to do is turn players away because of the price. You’ll always get more profit from keeping your courts busy and your members happy, than from just increasing prices. That’s why pricing your pickleball court time for maximum profit requires a strategic approach that takes into account demand, local competition, facility quality and a whole lot more. 1. Implement dynamic pricing based on demand The first place to start with pickleball pricing is a peak and offpeak model. If your courts are always busier and more in
demand after 4pm on weekdays, then you’ll want to have higher prices then compared with quieter periods during the middle of the day or on the weekend. 2. Tier your courts based on desirability If your club has different types of courts – some easier to access, some with more modern facilities, some with lighting, for example – then adjust your pricing to reflect that. Those courts which are more desirable for players should be priced higher than those which would be a second or third choice. 3. Regularly check competitor prices Make sure you spend time every couple of months looking at other clubs in your local area (and further afield) to see what they’re charging, and bring your prices in line to make sure Service Lines | uspta.com
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you’re making similar levels of profit. If you know of any clubs in other cities or regions that you aspire to be like, check out how they price their courts and see what you can learn. 4. Prevent dead sandwich time Implement a court reservation system like CourtReserve that automatically optimizes court scheduling to prevent players booking slots that create unwanted gaps in your timetable. For example, if most players book on the hour, you don’t want someone booking a 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm slot, as that creates a half hour of dead time either side. 5. Adjust pricing to match seasonality If your area sees an uptick in outdoor racquet sports during the summer, then make sure your pricing reflects this in advance of the new season. If your town has a tourist season, or you have a regional tournament and you expect an influx of players, plan ahead and price accordingly. 6. Offer discounts for block booking or early scheduling Reward your regular players with discounts when they book well ahead, or when they block out several weeks in advance for a weekly match with their partner. They get to enjoy better pricing for being a regular member, and you get the benefit of knowing well in advance that a court is booked with guaranteed revenue. 7. Run special offers and promotions when demand is low
bookings at those quieter times by offering a discounted price or a special offer (like a free drink). 8. Consider cross-sell and bundle opportunities Instead of just focusing on selling hours on a court, think about potential bundles or packages you could offer to players based on the facilities available at your club. Maybe you could promote a “Swing and Swim” option, with time on court and in the pool? Or a combined 30-minute lesson for two, one hour court time and then a meal in the clubhouse after? The more you can bolt onto a package, the more you can increase your profits. 9. Automatically charge for last minute cancellations When you can’t fill that slot after a player cancels at the last minute, it costs you money. It’s a wasted hour for your club. Don’t be afraid to add cancellation conditions to booking and use pickleball club management software like CourtReserve to make sure your profits are protected by automatically charging for those cancellations. 10. Get the right platform to maximize your profits The secret to optimizing court usage, maximizing profits and elevating your players’ experience is CourtReserve – the allin-one court reservation and club management platform. It helps you implement dynamic prices, adjust costs based on seasonality, notify members of special offers and keep players engaged. See how it works for yourself.
When your bookings are looking a little low, use a club management platform like CourtReserve to engage members and let them know about current availability. Encourage
Schedule an intro call today and find out more about CourtReserve. CLICK HERE →
Looking for more insight and advice on running your Pickleball Club? Download our free ebook: How to kick start success in your new pickleball club CLICK HERE → Elevate & Engage: Kick-starting Success in Your New Pickleball Club
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Service Lines | uspta.com
A TENNIS
HISTORY LESSON By: Ivan Ronaldson and Haven Pell
Who Invented Tennis? I have asked the question often, but few professionals seem to know the answer. Lawn tennis, first called “sphairistiké (Greek for ball game), was invented by Walter Clopton Wingfield in 1873.
Before we get too far into this story, let's try a quiz: What two 19th century technological developments were required for Wingfield's game to become the huge success that it has? Wingfield’s idea was not entirely original. Another game called tennis (derived from the French word "tenez" that was said before each serve and meant "get ready") had existed for about five centuries all over Europe by that time. The origin of that game is unknown, probably because the idea was so easy that it developed in many places simultaneously. Two or more players stood opposite each other in a courtyard and threw a ball back-andforth or bounced it off the architectural features of any nearby buildings that made it interesting.
He patented a box of gear that resembled a backyard croquet or badminton set, for which he is recognized in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
NOW FOR THE ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ. The two technological developments that enabled Wingfield's invention were: India rubber, which made the balls possible; and steam power, which enabled the heavy rollers to create smooth lawns that had previously been pock marked by the divots of the hooves of the animals that pulled them.
Wingfield’s game dominated its ancestor. By the early 1800s – seven years after its invention – there were national championships held in the United States and England. When surfaces other than grass became popular, lawn tennis dropped the "lawn" and poached the name of its ancestor, which then resorted to “court tennis” in the United States, “real tennis” in England and Australia and “jeu de paume” (game of the palm) in France. If few tennis professionals know the origin of the game fewer still know that court tennis still exists. It is played on about 50 courts in the world (US, UK, Australia, and France), the newest of which was built in 2022 at Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Virginia. The new court tennis court at Westwood Country Club will be on display at the upcoming 2024 Mid-Atlantic Division Annual Conference as participating members will get to see a demonstration and explanation of the game by Ivan Ronaldson.
Ivan Ronaldson is the Head Court Tennis Professional, Westwood Country Club, in Vienna, Virginia, and has been a Court Tennis Professional for 29 years, working as the Senior Professional at Hampton Court Palace, and Head Professional at five clubs in the UK and France. He moved to the USA in 2005 to run Prince's Court, the International Tennis Club of Washington. Ivan held seven junior British Open titles. As a touring professional he won the 1998 French National Open. He has a diploma in sports psychology from Newcastle College. His experience as a player has allowed him to connect with his students and lead teams to international championships. In 2019, he coached Team USA to its first win against the UK in two decades. His goals include growing Westwood into the best run court in the world and coaching the Westwood team to win the Whitney Cup (Amateur World series.) Haven Pell was introduced to court tennis as a teenager, he has been involved in the game for more than six decades and had a hand in building two court tennis courts in the Washington, DC area.