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Racket Sports Business: Need To Know
Events, Organizing, Book Reviews, Learning
Rich Neher
May 27, 2024
Certification Courses
PTR Tennis Calendar
PPR Pickleball Calendar (new phone number: 843-785-7244)
PCR Padel Calendar
Book Review - Pre-Announcement
Playing Into The Sunset
By Rod Heckelman
 By Rod Heckelman | Rod is currently updating his bestselling book, "Playing Into The Sunset," which offers a unique approach to tennis coaching. Unlike ordinary coaching books, Rod has transformed it into a captivating story that emphasizes the journey of senior players. This demographic is often overlooked and underserved, as most information available through television or tennis magazines primarily focuses on top athletes and younger individuals. |
Coaching tips typically reference these top performers, despite the significant presence of senior players resulting from the tennis boom in the 1970s. Rod tries to help seeing every aspect of playing as an aging player and he also has fun sharing his experiences. There is a mix of wisdom, insight, guidance, and games to help with the reader’s journey through the senior tennis experience.
The book will be available June 2 on Amazon and we’ll review it for our July issue.
Book Review
Will Boucek reviews Ben Rothenberg’s book ‘Naomi Osaka’
Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice by Ben Rothenberg
Available on Amazon
 Naomi Osaka | Will Boucek writes: Released in January of 2024, this book reveals the fascinating upbringing, adolescence, and professional tennis career of the global superstar, Naomi Osaka. She’s one of the best tennis players of the last decade, but it’s all she’s done beyond tennis that makes her story great. Osaka broke ground by being one of the first athletes to refuse to play with her stance against racism. |
She’s been an outspoken advocate for mental health, a victim of depression and anxiety. Ben tells these stories and more, including her 2018 US Open victory over Serena Williams, with first-hand quotes and detailed accounts of the sport’s biggest stories surrounding Naomi.
Listen to Will’s interview with Ben Rothenberg to get a preview of his book.
Editorial Reviews
Three short reviews on Amazon
Bill Patton: Net Results: How To Master The Next Level Of Play In The Frontcourt For More Wins (Tennis Strategy with BrainSports.Coach)
Available on Amazon
 | "Bill Patton has hit a home run being able to mix great instruction into a format that is well organized but fun to read coaching book. The quotes and lessons are impacting and well placed while each chapter has great insights and depth without information overload. He has surely hit the right blend to get this information in front of tennis players who want and need better offense and a better game." |
"Bill Patton has served up an ace in his latest tennis coaching book. It is well organized, instructional progressive through the chapters, and an enjoyable read using humorous anecdotes, philosophical quotes, sensible analogies, and personal stories. Being an old school serve-volleyer and coach for forty-five years, I could relate to every page of net play development."
Ron Williams
"Never before have I read a book with in-depth knowledge on the net game in tennis. Bill gives you the knowledge and confidence to get to the net and win more without the technical complications to bog you down."
Andy Dowsett - System 9
Essex, England
Seen in Oncourt Offcourt’s Newsletter
Video: Mastering the Serve: The Game-Changing Ball Life Technique
Free Webinar with Josh Warren
Everyday Wellness: Training Smarter and Debunking MythsGet in the Pickleball Groove: Your Guide to Everything Pickleball – Everything You Need to Know to Start Playing Pickleball
Pickleball Mini Lessons with Simone Jardim
Featured Product: Perfect Pitch Rebounder
Mark Your Calendar
June 1-2
GreatBase Tennis Immersion Training Camp and Coaches Workshop with Steve Smith
Conducted by Steve Smith
Coordinated by TennisBloc
Hosted by NC State
 | Location |
June 4
USTA New England: Free Virtual Coaching Webinar
June 9
Junior Tennis Player & Parental Virtual Conference
by Parenting Aces
Lisa Stone writes:
Speaker Announcement
As y'all know by now, I am teaming up with former Yale Women's Tennis Coach and current recruiting consultant, Danielle McNamara, to offer the first of what we hope will be an annual conference for Tennis Parents and Players. Our goal is to help y'all develop a workable roadmap for your junior tennis journey.
Our inaugural event is coming up on
Sunday, June 9th, beginning at 12pm ET/9am PT
Registration and Speaker Info
June 21-23
June 23
13th Annual Tennis Seminar
for Professional Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Parents
(In Memory of Dave Borelli)
Sunday, June 23, 2024 from 8am to 5pm
Great Park Tennis, Center City of Irvine, CA
Organizer: Steve Riggs
Emcee: Matt Previdi
Speakers*
Bill Patton, Brian Parkkonen, Conan Lorenzo, Dave Hagler, Dianne Matias, Frank Giampaolo Jason Cook, Karen Ronney, Kam DeHart, Ken DeHart, Ken Schuler, Matt Previdi Matt Simons, Ross Duncan and Zach Frampton
*Subject to change
Registration Fee: $75 p/p includes lunch** and (1) raffle ticket
Dunlop Cap for the first 125 attendees to check-in at the door
**Please RSVP by Friday, June 21st to be included in the lunch.
To Register with PayPal Registration or Venmo Steve Riggs @Steve-Riggs-11
July 1
Apply for the John Embree USPTA World Conference Scholarship
 | Certified tennis professionals who have never attended a USPTA World Conference can apply for one of two $1,000 scholarships to attend the 2024 event in September. The deadline to apply is July 1. |
July 16
Bridge Chapel Centre, Liverpool, UK
Tue 16th July 2024 6:00 PM
"Yes I Can" - Sam Jalloh - How Tennis Saved My Life
 Sam Jalloh’s book | War Survivor, BBC Inspirations Awards 2020 recipient, TEDx Speaker, ex Sierra Leonean Tennis player, professional tennis coach, Globe trotter and Author of “How Tennis Saved my Life” & ‘’Can’t Break the African Spirit’’. Sam Jalloh tells his harrowing story of how he grew up in a war torn country, Sierra Leone and against all the odds managed to escape and build a successful career in Tennis and motivational speaking. |
Sam writes, “For £250 you would give 20 teenagers this amazing opportunity to come to the show on the 16th July and be inspired. All funds raised will go to our Motivate Africa Programmes 2024, helping underprivileged children. It takes one story, one person, one community to change the life of a child. if you want to be our partner to help change lives - please be in touch via: [email protected]”
July 19-21
MiLP Tournament Weekend
by Cliff Drysdale Tennis
Join us for the first-ever Minor League Pickleball Tournament Vacation powered by DUPR. This tournament weekend is designed to combine group clinics, happy hours, and tournament match play into a luxury vacation at the Omni Amelia Island Resort. The tournament offers single or team sign-ups for a day full of match play and competition.
More Information
July 19-21
International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction Weekend
Newport, RI
2024 inductees: Vijay Amritraj of India, Richard Evans of the United Kingdom, and Leander Paes of India.
Tickets and Information
July 22-28
American Tennis Association (ATA) Nationals
Orlando, FL
Registration and Information
July 24
August 26 & 27
September 15-19
September 18-22
23rd Annual HBCU National Tennis Championships
South Fulton, GA
Information
November 15-17
2024 ITA Coaches Convention
Dallas, TX
Information
February 23-27, 2025
Saddlebrook, FL
More information coming soon