There is a Rebellion in the Air!

There is a Rebellion in the Air!

Hats off to the USPTA/RSPA for its efforts to strengthen its education program, certification process, increase tennis participation, and showcase the value of women professionals.

Eighteen months ago, the USPTA revised its mission and changed its name to become the certification body for multiple racquet sports, now known as the Racquet Sports Professional Association (RSPA). Today, it certifies professionals in tennis, platform tennis, pickleball, squash, and padel.

Over time, the USPTA/RSPA has had an ongoing goal to increase the number of women members and better recognize their contributions to the RSPA and the industry.

Out of necessity, RSPA will strengthen its education programs and certification process as it pursues these efforts.

Certifying Multiple Racquet Sports

At a recent RSPA business conference, hosted by the Southern and Southwest Divisions, it became evident that certifying professionals for multiple sports was easier said than done. The maintenance of an elite education program and a certification process that determines whether an applicant is qualified to instruct the sport requires continuous discussions within the organization.

NGBs – National governing bodies (NGBs) have different structures, financial prowess, expectations, and priorities. The RSPA must have a strong working relationship with each NGB to understand the ever-changing core competencies of each sport. Having this knowledge enables RSPA to offer relevant educational programs and maintain a certification process that distinguishes between qualified and unqualified applicants.

Unique Characteristics – There are similarities, yet distinct subtleties between the racquet sports in the RSPA portfolio. RSPA leaders must understand these similarities and differences to provide education and programs tailored to meet the needs of professionals in each sport. For example, teaching platform tennis is different from teaching tennis on a platform tennis court.

Unique Aspects of Each Sport – Every sport has distinct court specifications, balls, rules, equipment, maintenance needs, culture, and history. They are part of the core elements of the common body of knowledge for teaching each sport.

The Court Usage Conundrum – Anecdotal evidence suggests that two-thirds of players enjoy two racquet sports. Member/user-to-court ratios may change with the addition of multiple racquet sports. Each sport may have unique court usage patterns or business cycles. Consider the case of the Denver Racquets Club, which has tennis, platform tennis, pickleball, and padel courts. Facilities, such as DRC, will have a different set of challenges than a facility with one racquet sport. 

Unplanned Disruptions and Demographics – User demographics will also affect the long-term business opportunities of racquet facilities. Then there are unplanned disruptions. Examples include the increased cost of aluminum used to manufacture platform tennis courts, elevated energy costs to provide heat and lights for indoor facilities during the winter season, or the public policies during the pandemic.

The institutional knowledge of the RSPA will increase as it manages the education programs and certification process of five racquet sports. Over time, RSPA members will benefit from that increased expertise.

The RSPA education programs and certification processes for five racquet sports should increase the number of employment possibilities for its members. In particular, RSPA has created more opportunities for facilities to utilize the skills and talents of certified women professionals. 

Gladys Heldman and the Original Nine

In 1970, women were a small and submissive part of the tennis industry. Enter Gladys Heldman! The Original Nine ignored threats made by the USLTA, signed $1 contracts with Heldman, and the rest is history!

In 2021, the International Hall of Fame inducted the Original Nine, and Julie Heldman made the following statement at the ceremony, "The Original Nine are being honored today for our courageous stand as the symbol of all the early competitors on the women’s pro tour who banded together for the present and future of tennis. Since 1970, vastly increased numbers of girls and women have participated in sports, and many have excelled. And once again, the sound of rebellion is in the air, echoing our long-ago demand to be respected and paid for doing what we did best.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clOsQLSKBrA

The Sound of Rebellion

The rebellion that Heldman alluded to is evident in the following data sets.

The Census Bureau reports that:

• In 1970, 12.0% of men (25+ years) had college degrees. By 2024, the rate jumped to 37.1%.

• In 1970, only 8.2% of women (25+ years) had college degrees. In 2024, the rate for women surpassed the men's rate, at 40.1%.

Since 1970, women have made it a priority to get a college degree.

Labor force participation rate (LFPR) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show:

• In 1970, the civilian LFPR for men (25+years) was 82.5%. By 2024, the rate had fallen to 70.0%.

• The LFPR for women in the same age group was 41.1% in 1970. It rose to 58.8% in 2024. The increased importance of women in the workforce was noted in 2020 and 2021 when the LFPR declined because of COVID-19 related policies.

Women are a critical part of the United States workforce. When the tennis industry recruits women to be part of its workforce, it must bring its “A” game. It is competing against every industry in the country to hire the best and brightest.

The attendees at a recent women's tennis conference in Denver had different backgrounds and skill sets. Their clout in the industry can be seen in the following list.

·      Newcomers to the industry, assistant professionals, and veteran women tennis professionals (30+ years). There were full-time, freelance, part-time, and seasonal professionals.

• Two speakers had PhDs.

• Co-owner of a racquet facility.

• Director of the state high school tennis program.

• High school, college, and recreation coaches.

• Territory sales manager for a major sporting goods company.

• Professionals with extensive tour experience.

• Program leaders and managers for RSPA and USTA activities.

The conference was vibrant and thought-provoking. Looking at it from Julie Heldman's perspective (There is once again a rebellion in the air), the event was one in a series of small but valuable chapters in a much bigger story.

Push Yourself to Meet Your Potential – Ditto for the RSPA and Industry

A prominent overarching conference theme was that participants should push themselves to reach their potential. "Meeting your potential" is also appropriate for industry and trade organizations. It applies to the RSPA, given its mission to certify and educate professionals in five racquet sports and showcase the value of women in the industry.

The RSPA has an opportunity to support the personal growth of its members as it takes steps to reach its potential as an organization. RSPA leaders might consider the following steps as they advance that agenda.

• Identify target markets for recruiting new members, particularly women members. College tennis has the largest pool of potential members.

• Establish goals for the number of women members that the RSPA will certify in the next year.

• Motivate existing members to invest in their careers and support the industry. Members should aspire to become elite or master professionals.

• Learn from the successes and failures of industries that created programs to attract female workers over the past decade. Manufacturing, construction, software, and IT are examples of such industries.

• Conduct research that identifies industry issues that adversely affect both women and men workers. On a positive note, research could also determine why women and men pursue careers in the tennis industry.

• Eliminate the silos. Foster an environment where members are engaged in their profession and share their knowledge and experiences with others. Men and women professionals can accomplish more by working together.

• Turn the RSPA education program into a distinctive competency. The program should be so vibrant that it attracts new members and retains existing ones.

With the collaboration of its members, the RSPA has an opportunity to increase tennis participation and the size of the tennis workforce with its education program and certification process for five racquet sports. The data and actions of women RSPA members over the years (including recent conferences) suggest that women will have an impact on the industry as the RSPA strives to reach its organizational potential.

There is a rebellion in the air!

In addition, Gary Horvath has conducted extensive business and economic research that has largely supported the state of Colorado's economic development efforts.