Racket Business - Publisher's Notes for September 2024

BREAKING NEWS

Professional Tennis Registry Announces Peter Hurley as New CEO
In a press release dated August 26, PTR announced “…the appointment of Peter Hurley as its new Chief Executive Officer. Hurley will take the helm of PTR, along with its umbrella organizations—the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), Professional Platform Tennis Registry (PPTR), and Padel Coaches Registry (PCR)—bringing with him a wealth of experience in sports leadership and a passion for advancing the racquet sports industry.”

My take: PTR needs a ‘big picture captain’ to get them through some stormy waters ahead. We’ll find out in the next couple of weeks and months how much of a ‘big picture captain’ Peter Hurley is. I wish him great success!

A 'silent coup' to conquer the U.S. racket professionals industry?
(August 2024)

==> “Rich, I remember the USPTA coup where Tim Heckler was purged. The folks who were part of that effort were capable of getting rid of him, but they did not have the leadership skills to advance the organization (Harry Gilbert, Tom Daglis, Tom McGraw, and Chuck Gill. The presidents since then have been equally ineffective - Gary Trost, Feisal Hassan, Rich Slivocka, and now - Trish Faulkner. Trost was the best of the bunch.”
(The Commish)

==> “Rich, sounds like Cherrico is getting a reputation for giving people the silent treatment.  Smart thing to do if you are in the people business.”
(Steve H.)

==> “Rich, hats off to you for tactfully addressing the Santorum scam and exposing the Directors Club gang.”
(Dave S.)

==> “Rich, The situation with Santorum tells me he had a great support staff at PTR who did his work and made him look good. He is clearly not as brilliant as he looked. The tennis industry is too small to have so many certification organizations. He started at PTR as a flunkie and was there for a very long time. I doubt if the idea of an NDA was ever discussed. It will be interesting to see what he steps into next.  Sad story given his past success.”
(The Commish)

Accreditation & Certification

==> “Rich, the accreditation and certification games are total BS. The industry was not addressing the right issue. They were fighting over who should be certifiers and how they should certify. That was the wrong battle to be fighting.

They should have been addressing what types of pros the industry needs and where can they be found, how quickly can they be certified with a meaningful process,  and get hired. This works for mid to entry-level positions. At higher levels, the only place to find qualified pros and coaches with experience is to raid them from some other facility.

The USTA has been jacking around with certification since 2018 and they haven't figured this out. Do they take incompetence tests to work in the tennis industry or do they simply hire rejects from the Directors’ Club?”
(The Commish)

==> “Rich, the current debacle in tennis is a microcosm of the mess in the U.S. Very frustrating. In the mid-80s the USTA quietly put out innuendos about becoming a monopoly, although they used much softer verbiage.  Around 1990 Becky Lenhart told the pros that they should adopt Touch Tone Tennis because it would allow them more time to spend on the court teaching lessons, meaning, the pros were nothing more than ball burners.  They have spent the last 40 years trying to create that monopoly.  That is how incompetent they are.  

If the teaching pros realized that the USTA is nothing without them, they would start telling THEM what to do.  The teaching pros are the delivery system for tennis. Wake up, pros. Wake up USPTA/PTR.

I have a friend who described the situation well: This USTA has a bucket full of lobsters ready to boil. They have thrown them in the water and are slowly turning the heat up. USPTA, PTR, and the teaching pros need to wake up. You are going to be served at an upcoming USTA luncheon.”
(Rod L.)

Every time a reader requests anonymity, we use the moniker The Commish.

Racquet Sports Industry Magazine

A quick look at the latest issue (September/October 2024)

==> Money on the Line
Like in other sports, betting partnerships are spreading throughout tennis. What could this mean for fans?

Good article by Joe Tedino. My question: I understand that betting companies are their sponsors and advertisers but why would neither the WTA nor the ATP appeal to their fans to gamble responsibly? Ever heard of DOING THE RIGHT THING?

==> Interview with the USTA President, Dr. Brian Hainline
Despite the fact that these were easily the softest and least challenging interview questions of the year, kind of like the interviewee sent RSI the questions and answers, I got something out of that interview. The cat’s out of the sack! Just check these words from the good Doctor: “…, the USTA, along with our Board of Directors and section leadership, has taken a hard look at coaching in the U.S. and has made the decision to get involved in overseeing all aspects of coaching— from the grassroots to the most elite level of sport.” 

The Commish chimed in: “Dr. Hainline may have been in the USTA system too long.  He may have a case of USTAitis.”

==> Santorum is CEO of New Org for Racquets Professionals
Another cat came out of its sack: Dan Santorum seems to be purging PTR members. He said, “… I can’t wait to welcome back the tens of thousands of coaches I’ve had the honor of knowing and serving as we build a legacy of innovation and education in the world of racket sports.”
Did Dan Santorum shoot himself in the foot with this interview? Did he not sign a non-compete on his way out?

==> Choosing Wisely 
Pete Scales writes: Put more emphasis on shot selection during lessons, and your students will perform better on match day.
I salute the writer. Have been saying this for years.

==> Finding the ‘Why’
When we inquire with curiosity and sincere interest, we not only learn and grow, but we relate better to others.

==> USPTA Addvantage
Collin Brazan’s article about Marcos Del Pilar’s work on the ‘USPTA’s Enhanced Padel Certification’ is very good and informative. And so is Jim Stockwell’s celebration of a Florida Coach I was not familiar with: Kara Borromeo, Director and Head Pro of the Coral Reef Park Tennis Center in Palmetto Bay, Florida. Amazing woman!

==> While I’m at it
When did I last report that the RSI phone number in New York is not working? Two or three years ago? It still is not working. Why are those knuckleheads putting it into the magazine?

Brian Teacher Likes Your Feedback 

Full Court Tennis (FCT) Player Survey
We'd love your feedback! Please take a minute to provide your feedback. By answering the questions, you'll help us improve and better serve you.
Take the Survey here

Conga Sports Drumbeat is Thriving

Conga Sports Drumbeat is a resource for racquet sports beginners, players, and returners. It’s free for Providers and Users.
Providers: Clubs and independent teaching pros, academies, CTA’s post their programs (classes, clinics, Liveball etc.) and events on Drumbeat.
Users: Beginners, players, returners (Tennis, Padel, Pickleball).
New: Player Classifieds.
Conga Sports Drumbeat publishes weekly on Monday mornings.

NBC and Paris Olympics

The news item read, “NBC reported a massive 6.55B social impressions across its channels through the Paris Olympics, marking a 184% increase from Tokyo and a 497% jump in viewership on social media specifically.”
I asked The Commish to comment and here’s their reply: “US Tennis missed a great opportunity to promote the sport. The athletes did not have notable success and there was not great coverage of tennis.  I think USTA is measuring the impact of their marketing of the US Open on impressions more than ticket sales and viewership.  Interesting how times change.”

Fernando Segal Quote

Duey Evans’ Facebook Discussion about Player Development

OUR INDUSTRY

USPTA and Play Your Court?

I am seeking clarification on the recent partnership between the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and Play Your Court led by Scott Baxter. While the advantages for aspiring members who are in the early stages of their careers and require teaching hours seem evident, I am interested in learning more about the specific benefits that this collaboration brings to the existing members of the USPTA. Furthermore, I am eager to discover additional details that this partnership may entail.

• The press release highlights the platform's matching algorithm as unique. However, my personal experience testing the platform has shown otherwise. From my observations, the site seems to consistently assign the same coaches to beginners, regardless of the data and preferences provided. This raises questions about the actual uniqueness of the matching algorithm.

• A teaching professional from Southern California reached out to us about a persistent problem they've been facing with PYC coaches: squatting. They're tired of constantly having to deal with these coaches on their courts, which they lease at a significant expense from Los Angeles City and County parks. I heard that the same happens in other cities and states.

• The qualifications of professionals in the PYC system raise concerns for me. As someone who is well-aware of the teaching profession, particularly in Southern California, I found it surprising that none of the individuals listed on the PYC site in the Los Angeles region were familiar to me.

• What measures are in place to ensure the qualifications and Safe Play registration of PYC coaches, as well as the safety of its members?

• What is the vetting procedure

• What strategies does Scott Baxter propose to address the industry's challenges, including the decline in participation of adult beginners and juniors in the sport, as well as the environmental concerns surrounding the recycling of tennis balls?
  
  An entity that also poses as The Commish in Racket Business told me he’s only slightly more positive about PYC because he has worked with them in the past. He said, “On a scale of 1-10, I’d give them a 5.1” 
  I hope this works out for the USPTA.

Women and Tennis

Lately, I made two observations regarding women in tennis.

==> First, at the Olympics in Paris I noticed that some of the U.S. women seemed to be the biggest wimps. Do you agree?

• There was Coco Gauff’s crybaby-like arguing herself to a loss. ("I feel like I'm getting cheated constantly in this game.")

• Emma Navarro revealed herself as an arrogant sore loser. ("I just told her I didn't respect her as a competitor.”) Headline: “Spoiled rich kid syndrome”

• Jessica Pegula lost after winning the first set over Svitolina.

• Naomi Osaka was shocked that pregnancy ruined her tennis.

I guess none of them has ever heard Billie Jean King saying “Champions find a way.”

==> Second, I am disheartened by the recent work ethic displayed by some individuals in the women's tennis community. There have been instances where commitments to providing content for Racket Business, assisting with articles, delivering promised photos, and meeting deadlines have not been fulfilled. It is disappointing to note that promises are not being upheld, and phone calls are left unanswered. In comparison to their male counterparts, the level of professionalism displayed by some female tennis coaches falls short. This observation aligns with what appears to be a declining number of women pursuing tennis as a career, as evident from their limited presence on LinkedIn.
Should we as an industry be concerned?

 Jannik Sinner’s Doping Case

Although I early on had a strong opinion about this case (“I’m not buying it!”) I decided to stay out of it. Maybe you want to read up on it in the New York Times: Jannik Sinner’s doping case and what players’ reaction says about tennis

US Open Prize Money

I assume you saw the news? 2024 US Open prize money will be largest in tennis history.
I say, bravo. But why? Why this race for the biggest prize money in history? Why not increasing the money only for the lower ranks rather than for the Top 20? Do you think Novak Djokovic would skip the US Open if he earned “only” two million instead of three million? Or how about taking a few million and putting them in grassroots tennis right here in the U.S.?

US Open Alcohol Prices

If you are as speechless as I am over $32 glasses of Champagne, I salute you! $15 cans of beer? $19 glasses of wine? Oh, yes, of course, most US Open goers can write that off, right? How about the regular guys who have to work hard for their dollar? Does the USTA even care?
See also this CNN article: Seafood towers, endless Honey Deuces and $100,000 suites: How the US Open lures in high-rollers and celebrities

If any of that US Open money reached grassroots tennis, I would keep my mouth shut. But it seems all of it is being used for salaries in Orlando and most of the money sent to the sections is also used for salaries there. Oh, I forgot, paying multimillion-dollar salaries is seen by the USTA Board as growing the game. Right.

Oh, and if anyone is interested in the recipe for making the Honey Deuce, here it is as posted in Morning Brew.

Safe Play Mandate for USTA Adult League Players?

You all know I have my ears to the ground. Always. Here’s the latest: I was told that USTA National is considering requiring and mandating that all USTA Adult League Players go through the same steps as those who volunteer with juniors, i.e. Safe Play and background checks just to play in the Adult League Programs.  

“Not sure when the USTA will wake up and realize that it's "leaders" at the top that need to be removed and get back to the basics... PLAYING TENNIS.”

My thoughts: The sections will not stand for it. (Well, maybe except for PNW, SoCal, and Mid-Atlantic. My regular readers know why.) After USTA National’s Legal/DEI coalition decided that Transgender Women be allowed on Adult League teams, I have a feeling that most sections will not let Orlando touch their cash cow.

Kylie McKenzie Sexual Abuse Trial

Law360 reported on August 19: A Florida federal judge denied the U.S. Tennis Association's request for a new trial in a case that held the organization liable for the sexual assault of player Kylie McKenzie at the hands of her coach, leaving in place a $9 million jury verdict.

Where in the World is… Net Generation?

Is it me or is the USTA’s Net Generation fizzling out right now? Seems to me it has almost completely disappeared from the headlines. What’s going on?

Question for next month

How do our readers feel about the USTA's frequent inclusion of Pride Week, LGBTQ activities, Drag Queens, and 'Queer Big Apple Corps' events at the US Open? Does the LGBTQ community still find value in these initiatives? Shouldn't we consider moving beyond categorizing people and focusing on inclusivity for all? I am open to hearing your thoughts on this matter. Kindly email me, and I will ensure that your input is shared with our readers.

The majority of the 17 USTA sections are effectively managed by individuals who demonstrate a commitment to promoting tennis and fostering participation in racquet sports within their respective communities. This is made possible by the dedicated efforts of numerous Coordinators and Volunteers. A noteworthy exemplification of this is USTA Midwest, the second largest section, which boasts exceptional leadership, coordinators, volunteers, and a wide range of commendable programs and activities.

When it comes to USTA Southern California, the situation is quite different. Although there are undoubtedly some talented coordinators and volunteers in the once-prominent SCTA (Southern California Tennis Association), their leadership has been lacking for several years. In my opinion, Bruce Hunt was the last executive director who possessed good leadership skills. I have always been puzzled as to why he departed from his position after only four years, although I have some theories that could be discussed at another time.

• Marla Messing proved to be an unfortunate choice as Executive Director/CEO, as her tenure in Los Angeles was cut short after only two years. Despite her previous experience as a US Soccer executive, her leadership and people skills were lacking in my opinion. This assessment is based on external observations and my extensive reporting on the matter throughout 2020/2021.

• Trevor Kroneman - Act 1 is another disappointing chapter for USTA SoCal, in my humble opinion. We had high hopes and expectations for Marla Messing’s successor, but unfortunately, we were let down by his handling of the Weddington Golf & Tennis tragedy. Despite the protests of 15,000 neighbors and the needs of thousands of tennis players, he chose to celebrate the bulldozing of 16 perfectly good tennis courts in the community of Studio City, California, prioritizing short-term gains for his league program. Throughout this unfortunate series of events, he has maintained a consistent pattern exhibited by many USTA executives: a lack of explanation for their decisions and a refusal to address concerns. It is clear that they feel untouchable.

• Trevor Kroneman - Act 2 is also an unfortunate tale, this time concerning the San Diego District. This 51-year-old district had been relying on two annual grants, totaling $82,000, to sustain their programs. However, this source of income has been abruptly cut off. Several months ago, Kroneman made the decision to cease funding, leaving the largest tennis hub in Southern California without financial support. According to insiders, this decision was prompted by the section leadership's financial strain caused by an $80M project known as Dominguez Hill.

• Trevor Kroneman - Act 3 While it may not be solely his fault, as the ED, ultimate responsibility rests with him. As evidence, I would like to reference an article written by Kevin Schmidt of Schmidt Computer Ratings titled: “It happened again, SoCal has an undefeated team sent home from Sectionals.”

  To put it in a nutshell: For whatever reason they allowed 18 teams for 3.5 women (from only 14 league areas!) to play unflighted Sectional Championships in round robin format where each team played only 3 matches. Thanks to those weird conditions and an antiquated tiebreaker system, the undefeated San Diego team had to go home empty-handed. Read the article and comments to learn what went on.

  My questions for Mr. Kroneman: Was this part of a vendetta against San Diego tennis? Why 18 teams from only 14 league areas? Did four Board members request their teams to be included? Are you getting pleasure out of annoying your members and the general tennis-playing public? Why do you refuse to comment on that sad Weddington case? Is this plain arrogance or do you not know how to get out of that quagmire?

The section describes their mission on their IRS 990 form: SCTA IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, COMPOSED OF MEMBER CLUBS, THAT GETS AND KEEPS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS ENGAGED IN TENNIS.

This is quite misleading in my opinion. What it should say is:
SCTA IS A FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, WITH NO REGARD FOR MEMBER CLUBS EXCEPT FOR A CHOSEN FEW, THAT GETS AND KEEPS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS ENGAGED IN THEIR OWN MONEY-MAKING PROGRAMS.

Comments?