WRC25 was a BIG success

WRC25 was a BIG success

Yes, some skeptics thought that not a lot of teaching pros would want to afford the expense of traveling to Hawaii for an industry conference. The RSPA staff worked hard to get this event going, and they showed the skeptics wrong. WRC25 had almost 600 participants and 22 trade show vendors. I call this a success.

I asked a bunch of friends to send me their comments and opinions, but many of them are either too exhausted or fly-fishing. Right, Kyle? But here are some notes that were sent to me from Jenny Gray, Bunny Bruning, and Brian Dillman. Thank you!

RSPA World Racquet Conference 2025 – Kona, Hawaii
September 21–25, 2025

Jenny Gray, Director of Tennis at The Club at Sonterra, San Antonio, Texas

The 2025 RSPA World Racquet Conference in Kona, Hawaii was a truly memorable and energizing event, celebrating all five RSPA racquet sports. Through the combined efforts of the RSPA National Staff, the RSPA Hawaii Division, and the RSPA National Board, attendees enjoyed a dynamic program set against Hawaii’s breathtaking scenery.

The conference welcomed 560 attendees, including a 20% increase in first-time participants, and offered 44 hours of education featuring inspiring speakers and engaging panel discussions. Highlights included presentations from Mats Wilander, Andrei Daescu, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Sarah Stone, and many others who brought insight and motivation to the stage.

Additional standout moments included:

• An interactive Q&A session with Ajay Pant

• A well-attended networking breakfast that fostered new connections

• A lively vendor show featuring 22 exhibitors, primarily from the mainland, all supporting RSPA’s efforts to build a stronger, more connected racquet sports community

RSPA is excited to announce that the 2026 RSPA World Racquet Conference will be held in Dallas, Texas, from September 20–24. We look forward to building on this year’s momentum and welcoming even more members for another unforgettable experience!

Bunny Bruning, Director of Tennis at Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa
President, WCRS (Women Coaching Racquet Sports)

After 20 hours of flying, I was greeted by the warm salt air of Kona. Driving past lava fields and lush vegetation, my Uber driver shared stories of Hawaiian culture and history. I arrived filled with excitement for the conference ahead.

The first two days were a mix of individual meetings, settling into the venue, and even a little time relaxing by the pool—a chance to plan my week’s agenda. That calm shifted quickly when the Midwest Division needed a minister. So, I enlisted my partner, Marla, an ordained minister, to renew the vows of six Midwestern couples overlooking the ocean. The event set the stage with camaraderie, love, and humor, capturing the spirit of the week to come.

The RSPA represents nearly a century of professional certification, raising the standards for the members, creating innovative education and career opportunities, and networking. Six hundred of us gathered to learn from leading racquet sports speakers and from each other. Eighty-five attendees were either new members or attending for the first time, which gave the event a fresh energy unlike any I’ve experienced before. The central theme was rebranding—of our association and of ourselves. Brian Dillman, RSPA CEO, delivered a powerful seminar on personal rebranding, urging us to be proud of who we are and the many roles we play.

Those roles go far beyond teaching: we are coaches, CEOs, financial managers, facility managers, customer service leaders, staff managers, mentors, sales and marketing professionals, event organizers, and strategic planners. We even oversee capital improvements. To support these efforts, RSPA has also hired a social media expert to guide us in navigating our digital presence.

Every day, diversity, equality, and inclusion were celebrated, not only from the top leadership but throughout the organization. Our voices—our opinions, questions, discussions, and debates—all mattered. Together, we grew stronger as a community.

Special thanks go to Cathy Nicoloff of Hawaii, who spent years persuading and preparing for this world conference to be hosted on the islands. Her dedication made it possible.

Anthony Bourdain once said, 'Travel isn’t a reward for working. It is an education for living.' This week in Hawaii was exactly that—an education in both professional growth and shared humanity.

Brian Dillman, CEO, Racquet Sports Professionals Association, Orlando, Florida

The 2025 Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) World Racquets Conference took place September 21–25 at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, bringing together nearly 600 racquet sports professionals from around the world (as far as Japan, China, and Australia). Centered on the theme “Rebrand You: A New Wave Begins in Hawaii,” we focused on professional reinvention, leadership growth, and adapting to the evolving landscape of racquet sports. We launched our multiple learning tracks, with sessions on coaching, operations, and leadership, along with workshops in pickleball, padel programming, and wheelchair tennis.

The opening presentation by Brian Dillman identified three key issues for Racquet Sports Professionals: we work in an unregulated industry, we are underrepresented, and our skills have not been transferable from on court to off court. He emphasized that all racquet professionals are brands, and they should align their brand (and purpose) with their career aspirations and lead this changing industry rather than follow. The presentation offered a personal action plan for participants to use to help achieve the above and determine where they want their careers to go in the future, offering resources from the RSPA to assist this journey. We concluded the workshop, encouraging the unity of our industry. Win as One - as we all advocate for the industry and as our professionals achieve success, our whole industry benefits. When professionals win, we all win, hence the closing idea of we Win as One in our industry.

Presenters included:

• Mats Wilander — 7-time Grand Slam Champion, presenting on “Winning with your Brain"

• Brenda Schultz-McCarthy — Former Top 10 WTA Player and current racquets professional

• Mark Bey — High-Performance Leader  

• Dr. Greg Rose — Co-Founder of Titleist Performance Institute and Racquet Fit

• Andrei Daescu — RSPA Elite Pro & Pickleball Lead Curriculum Developer  

• Megan Fudge - Professional Pickleball Athlete

• Craig O’Shannessy — ATP Tour Strategy Analyst & Founder of Brain Game Tennis  

• Sarah Stone — WTA Tour Coach

• Fernando Segal — Global Tennis High Performance Leader & Coach Educator  

• Marcos del Pilar — Padel Lead Curriculum Developer  

• Ajay Pant — Industry Leader  

• Andy Zodin — Host, KickServeRadio.com, and Karl Jones — RSPA Intermountain President

• Frank Guengerich — Wellness Expert and Chris Hagman — RSPA Elite Pro & Entrepreneur  

• Brian Dillman — CEO, Racquet Sports Professionals Association  

• Cynthia Neiman — Incoming USTA So Cal President and presenter on “Marketing Yourself Through Your Students”

• Dr. Dave Porter — RSPA Hall of Fame and Presenter “The Game and Profession are evolving"

• Michael Mahoney - Midtown Health Clubs

• Scott McCulloch - Troon, Cliff Drysdale, and PBI

• Dr. Sophie Woorons  - Owner of Brookstone Tennis Club

• Trish Faulkner - President, Racquet Sports Professionals Association

The blend of on-court and off-court presenters was highly appreciated, as was the intimate setting of the resort. Hawaii provided the perfect backdrop for a time of reflection and rejuvenation. 

Some highly distinguished contributors to the racquet sports industry were recognized. Dr. Dave Porter received the prestigious Tim Heckler Hall of Fame Award, while Pam Austin was honored with the George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bunny Bruning was named Racquet Sports Professional of the Year, and Simon Paek earned his Master Professional designation.

This conference also centered on networking, community, and “Win as One”. 20% of attendees were first-time World Conference visitors, and the request was to have destination events every 5 years.

The first evening featured the Industry Village with 22 vendors and our first Speaking Competition, where 11 volunteers spoke on a topic of their choice for three minutes.

Other highlights were the luau on Tuesday night with an incredible fire show and the grand finale, Divisional Olympics, where Southern California dominated in the karaoke competition.