A Case for Racket Sports Olympics

There is a basic difference between the sports that use rackets and balls, and almost all the other mainstream sports, it’s a difference that may end up defining our future decisions. Most other mainstream sports have a very identifiable group of participants and followers. If you play or watch baseball, football, soccer, or basketball, those sports have clear-cut markets and participation that is common for all those who patronize those sports. Tennis, on the other hand, is now one of many racket sports, in essence, a part of a conglomeration of many different sports all with the common characteristic of using a racket and a ball. For those reasons, we need to rethink our marketing and growth plans. Tennis has not been forced to share this market, but rather has, for many different reasons, become just one of many racket sports that are an option. Good or bad, this is the new reality.

We also need to be mindful of uniting these sports instead of becoming competitors. This synergy, based upon the likeness of these sports, can become beneficial, in essence, cross-pollinate the popularity of racket sports that seems to be loved by so many, and in so many different forms.

Racket sports could take on a growth game plan that could be very similar to what the Olympics have experienced over the past 138 years. In the beginning. The first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens, Greece in 1896, featured 43 events across 10 sports.  But as other sports became more popular and started to have a following of fans, either as recreational users or as competitors, they were gradually adopted by the Olympic program. This year there will be 32 sports with 329 events. They even developed an entirely new venue to host the winter sports. It was the right thing to do and seemed very logical, despite the fact that those many added sports were very different. Putting all of the various sports under the same venue once every four years created tremendous exposure and has proved to be very successful for all the participating sports.

With the Olympics right around the corner, we will have that opportunity to appreciate this evolved co-existence, and maybe the racket world could learn from the popular success of this event. Imagine that someday, there is a single celebrated gathering hosting all the racket sports. Each would have its own space and venue to be able to accommodate their respective fans and followers. This all may seem very farfetched, but it would allow each of the sports to maintain their autonomy, still showcasing their sports, but in the company of all the other racket sports. This would gather all the fans and provide an opportunity for exposure to all the variations of racket sports. In marketing, it’s about the numbers…get a greater audience, and you have greater exposure for everyone. Those who play a major racket sport could gather to appreciate their similarities and their challenging differences.

Again, if you think this is only a wild dream, look at what many of the facilities are doing all over the world. In a quest to reach as many members as possible, they provide multiple racket venues. It’s not uncommon to find facilities with tennis, pickleball, padel, racquetball, squash, badminton and more. When that member, who might have been an avid tennis player, walks into that facility, they can choose what activity suits them best that day. They also have the benefit of managing their time off, as some of the sports take less time while others can take much longer. They can also expand their social interaction. Take for example pickleball, many tennis players left their tennis world behind because they discovered a new social venue in pickleball, especially those senior folks.

It may turn out that the real benefit of having a single event that would host all mainstream racket sports might be the possibility of creating common ground for a common cause; growth. Instead of always competing for participants or an audience, they could for a brief time, take advantage of a symbiotic relationship. Again, it’s very much like the Olympics, seeing so many athletes from all over the world competing, seems to provide enthusiasm and a universal message “Come Join Us.”

In the last three or so decades, tennis has become a more worldwide sport. It was always played and enjoyed in most parts of the world, but the emergence of so many new international stars has impacted both the commercial marketing of the sport and in turn the general participation. That is now the current standard for tennis, and will likely continue to grow in the future. Any event that is put out there for the world to see, benefits everyone. Isolating any sport is never a good idea and seldom works in the long run.

The question left is, could there be enough coordinated effort to make this happen? Or on the other hand, is this idea inevitable? As mentioned, racket sports have been around for a long time, and the development of the many variations of racket sports seems to be a growing pattern. Time for tennis and the others to stop swimming upstream and join in on a common current that will create the most progress.

In 2010 he was awarded “Manager of the Year” for the USPTA NorCal Division and the “Manager of the Year” at the USPTA World Conference. Rod has written several books including, “Down Your Alley” in 1993, “Playing Into the Sunset” in 2013, and most recently, “250 Ways to Play Tennis.”

He also produced the “Facility Manager’s Manual” and the “Business Handbook for Tennis Pros,” which is distributed by the TIA.