the scoop
We have only 3 rules
1. We'll give you the real scoop as we see it.
2. We'll always hold their feet to the fire. 3. we'll always empower the powerless
I hope you all had a nice July and stayed as cool as possible throughout the month. We're starting August with a nice message from our new International Strategic Partner Mark Wylam of SportsProsConnect.
Message from Mark Wylam
Hello readers, my name is Mark Wylam, and I am the owner of SportsProsConnect. Today I will briefly explain the relationship we have with Tennis Club Business, and what we do at SportsProsConnect to help the tennis world…
Rich Neher and myself spoke just a week or so ago and both agreed that we could link up to write an article or share some advertising to help both our businesses grow… The relationship is all about helping each other. We will help to promote readers on a more global level, and Tennis Club Business will publish articles and international job opportunities for tennis coaches worldwide…
So, what does SportsProsConnect do?
SPC was established in May 2018 where we helped coaches and academies to promote themselves. Since then, we have continued to innovate and in November 2019 we became a worldwide tennis coaching jobs platform. Since then we have helped to place well over 350 tennis and padel coaches to find job opportunities worldwide! We have gone through a good period of success, and in September 2022 started working on a big re-brand. This has involved a lot of work behind the scenes, but we are looking forward to launching the new re-brand in September 2023.
One of our innovations relates to our new ‘Gold Membership’ for tennis coaches. Currently the cost of this membership is €190 per year. For Tennis Club Business Readers, we are prepared to offer this membership for a 2 week period only to join as a ‘Gold Member’ for just €175 per year with a code of ’TCB’ added at the very top of the Membership form on this link:
https://sportsprosconnect.com/membership-account/membership-checkout/?level=9
Member Benefits for Gold Members include:
-
Professional Video CV worth €200 on its own
-
Added to the top of the new SPC platform
-
Video CV made available to potential recruiters
-
Own professional online cv
-
Register Vacancies at your own Venue
Without doubt, the greatest benefit is the professionally made ‘video cv’. Below is an example of what Stephan de Kock’s video cv looks like… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Y2rg2xyfI
So all in all we are excited to partner with Tennis Club Business and looking to help promote the new platform to a new reader base. We are extremely interested in hearing from Directors or Venue Managers to discuss how we can work together to help get international coaches into your venues. Please feel free to contact me direct by email on info@sportsprosconnect.com or WhatsApp +353867922188.
In the meantime, please take a look at the below links which help to explain how the SportsProsConnect platform works:
Current Job Vacancies: https://sportsprosconnect.com/jobs/
Testimonials: https://sportsprosconnect.com/coach-directory/jobplacements/
Example Coach Profile: https://sportsprosconnect.com/anacvetkovic/
Gold Coach Membership (Remember your Promo code ’TCB’): https://sportsprosconnect.com/membership-account/membership-checkout/?level=9
Silver Coach Membership: https://sportsprosconnect.com/membership-account/membership-checkout/?level=1
Gold and Silver Coach Membership Benefits: https://sportsprosconnect.com/blog/newbens/
Venue Membership: https://sportsprosconnect.com/membership-account/membership-checkout/?level=3
Post Your Job Vacancy: https://sportsprosconnect.com/post-a-job/
Until next month…
Mark Wylam
Owner SportsProsConnect
RIP Dave Borelli
A true legend of Southern California Tennis passed away on July 15.
Funeral services for Dave Borelli will be Saturday, Aug 19th, at 11 am at St John Fisher Church in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Celebration of Life on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at Sierra Raquet Club in Fresno, California, from 10am to 1pm.
I had met Dave Borelli only 3 times in my life, always at the Mission Viejo Tennis Pavilion where he worked as the Community Services Supervisor but I do remember him as the most helpful tennis guy I can think of. In the same class as Vic Braden, for sure. But there is so much to report about the man, I want to just quote from obituaries from three sources.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf
"Dave Borelli, USC’s Most Successful Women’s Coach, Passes Away"
Dave Borelli, who won seven national titles as coach of the USC women’s tennis team, has died. His seven national titles are still the most won by a USC women’s sport. And USC women’s tennis has not won a national title since Borelli left in 1988.
He won national titles in 1977 (2), 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983 and 1985. Borelli’s teams won 88 straight home matches over an eight-year period.
Borelli coached 56 All-Americans and seven NCAA singles and doubles champions, including Barbara Hallquist (1977); Stacy Margolin (1978); Anna Maria Fernandez (1981) and Beth Herr (1983). Anne White and Trey Lewis won the NCAA doubles title in 1980.
He was also a member of the USC men’s tennis team in the 1970’s. Borelli also coached men’s tennis and women’s tennis for 12 seasons at TCU.
The fact is USC has not come close to his success in women’s tennis since he left.
Legacy.com
David Anthony Borelli, known to most as 'Dave', passed away on July 15, 2023, in Mission Viejo, California. Dave developed serious medical issues very suddenly. Unsurprisingly and like most heroes, Dave stayed strong and fought up until the very end. Dave was surrounded by those most close to him when he passed.
Dave was larger than life. Although Dave possessed a degree in Law, he chose to pursue his lifelong passion for tennis instead of working in an office. Dave's accomplishments are second to none: Dave played college tennis for an NCAA winning team at USC. From 1974-1988, Borelli was the head coach of the USC Women's Tennis team, where he won 7 NCAA National Championships and compiled an impressive .870 winning percentage. In 1981, he was named NCAA National Collegiate Coach of the Year. During his time at USC, Borelli led his players to five NCAA Singles National Championships and one NCAA Doubles National Championship, with 25 of his players earning a total of 56 All-America honors.
After his time at USC, Borelli continued his work in tennis mentoring players, including coaching future top professionals Mardy Fish and Robbie Ginepri as a USTA professional tour coach. In 2002, Borelli became the head women's coach at TCU, and earned ITA Regional Coach of the Year honors in the 2005 season. Dave spent 12 years with the TCU, coaching both the women's and men's teams during his time in Fort Worth. Borelli served as the chair of the National Collegiate Tennis Coaches Committee, the Western Collegiate Athletic Association, the Pac-10 Coaches Committee, and was on the board of directors of the Central California Tennis Association. He also spent time serving on the ITA and NCAA Southwest Regional committees. In 2010, Dave was inducted to the ITA Intercollegiate Tennis Women's Hall of Fame.
Dave continued to make a difference in people's lives much after college tennis, however. During the later part of his life, Dave became a tennis pro at the Sierra Sport and Raquet Club, and the head pro at Copper River Country Club in Fresno, California. During his time in Fresno, Dave mentored many young tennis players into well-accomplished adults.
Funeral services for David Anthony Borelli will be held Saturday, August 19th, 2023 at 11am at St. John Fisher Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Dave will also be honored in a Celebration of Life on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at Sierra Raquet Club in Fresno, California, from 10am to 1pm.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
WeAreCollegeTennis.com
Remembering David Borelli: Celebrating the Life and Contributions of a True Tennis Visionary
It is with great sadness that the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) shares the news of the passing of 2010 ITA Intercollegiate Tennis Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee, David Borelli. He will be remembered by many for the large impact he made within college tennis and with the student-athletes he coached.
“Coach Borelli was a larger-than-life tennis icon,” said ITA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Timothy Russell. “He loved coaching, teaching, and sharing his love of our sport. I thoroughly enjoyed the times that I was able to visit with Coach Borelli, as did so many other of his friends and fans.”
From 1974-1988, Borelli was the head coach of the USC Women’s Tennis team. While at the helm of the program, Borelli won seven NCAA National Championships and compiled an impressive .870 winning percentage with the Women of Troy. In 1981, he was named NCAA National Collegiate Coach of the Year.
During his time at USC, Borelli led his players to five NCAA Singles National Championships and one NCAA Doubles National Championship, with 25 of his players earning a total of 56 All-America honors.
After his time at USC, Borelli continued his work mentoring players, including coaching future top professional Mardy Fish, as a USTA professional tour coach.
In 2002, Borelli became the head women’s coach at TCU, and earned ITA Regional Coach of the Year honors in the 2005 season. He spent 12 years with the TCU, coaching both the women’s and men’s teams during his time in Fort Worth.
Borelli served as the chair of the National Collegiate Tennis Coaches Committee, the Western Collegiate Athletic Association, the Pac-10 Coaches Committee, and was on the board of directors of the Central California Tennis Association. He also spent time serving on the ITA and NCAA Southwest Regional committees.
Borelli left an undeniable legacy on college tennis and will be remembered as a dedicated coach, mentor, and driving force behind the success of countless student-athletes.
TOGETHER WITH
Conga Sports
Re: Western & Southern Open - Was I wrong all along?
I spoke with someone who knows the situation much better than me. The CEO of the USTA Midwest section.
I know the (relatively new) CEO of the USTA Midwest section from his time when he was their COO and I was visiting to train his league staff on NTRP. Chad Docktor is a standup guy who answered my questions without hesitation. I like that in a USTA executive.
How did it come to the exchange? I read another article in the Dayton Daily News titled (Warren County ‘staying in the game’ to keep pro tennis event, ‘but at what cost?’) and thought "Good point." Is it really worth it for the taxpayer in Ohio?
The article said that Beemok Capital, the new owner, expects a third of the improvement cost to come from public sources. At an estimated $150m in improvements, this would really be $50m from the government. " So far, the state of Ohio has anted up $22.5 million; the county has pledged $10.5 million; and Mason has pledged $15 million." That's $43m, pretty close, I'd say.
Not sure whether we can use the same math for the new Charlotte project. If we can, here it is. The new $400 million tennis campus with four stadiums would require $132m in public funding. So far, the pledges have come up to $95m. Hmmm. So I reached out to Chad. My main question was: Did the USTA throw their Midwest members under the bus with this deal? The answer: NO!
RN: Chad, Do you agree with my analysis that the move to Charlotte is a done deal?
CD: Myself and a few others on our team have spent a lot of time the last six months working with the State of Ohio, Warrant County, and the City of Mason’s Government Officials/Representatives. I have spoken to Todd Martin on a number of occasions. We have put together a group that includes a PR Firm that will do everything possible to show how great of a tennis city Cincinnati/Mason Ohio is. Everything I have been told is that it is 50/50 right now whether they stay or go. It will be a business decision in the end. We think with the history, enormous amount of volunteers, and a year-round tennis partnership we can convince Beemok Capitol (Ben Navarro) to keep the tournament in Mason, OH.
RN: Am I totally off my rocker saying that the USTA threw Midwest tennis fans under the bus?
CD: I don’t believe so at all. I have spoken to Lew Sherr and that’s not the case. It’s unfortunate for the Midwest Section but it was not intentional. The draw size is increasing and the facility will need a major upgrade. The USTA had to look at all factors. In the end, another company with far more money can take this event to an even higher level.
RN: Was there any USTA communication so far about the sale and the potential move? Anything?
CD: Yes, we had conversations. It’s a confidential contract. Everything I have been told is that Beemok had every intention of keeping the tournament in Cincinnati when it was purchased and had grand ideas on how to elevate the event.
RN: Was the Midwest section involved during the negotiations of the sale to Beemok Capital?
CD: No
RN: Did you guys know that Beeman Beemok will possibly move the tournament? Was that a known factor in the sale?
CD: That was not the intent at the time of the sale but always a factor. Charlotte came to the table months after the sale. There are a lot of moving parts that have to happen. The City of Mason, Warren County, and the State of Ohio have been given every opportunity to come together and become strong partners with Beemok. They rallied and presented a strong case. At the end of the day, Charlotte has a strong case as well with a lot of unknowns with never having an event like this before and having to build a brand new facility. We feel really good about Cincinnati’s future with Beemok and look forward to spearheading a partnership that will be a year-round gain for Midwest Tennis. As you can see, I am remaining positive.
RN: Thank you, Chad.
I don’t believe the USTA threw Midwest Tennis fans under the bus.
Chad Docktor, CEO, USTA Midwest section
Looking at all the facts as they present themselves today, I am beginning to think that the USTA really had no choice but to sell the Western & Southern Open. They needed to come up with a hundred million dollars at least for the required improvements. Now we all know they don't have that kind of money anymore. On the contrary, they are overindebted to the tune of $726m. The sales price of between $250m and $300m (no one seems to really know how much) can put a good dent into that financial burden.
And it appears the USTA had very little leverage negotiating with Ben Navarro, reportedly a very smart negotiator. He knew they HAD to sell and he may have been the only party interested enough or with enough capital.
But - is it too far-fetched to think that Ben Navarro has an escape clause built into the agreement with the USTA? Like, "If we can't make the move to Charlotte happen, the USTA will take the tournament back."
Oh my. We'll probably never know. I hope for all my Ohio tennis friends that this will have a happy ending for them.
TOGETHER WITH
CONGA SPORTS
We are welcoming all our sponsors and strategic partners who trust in us and our abilities to create better tennis for everyone.
Cruise Control Gear
National Apparel Partner
Luxury tennis apparel & activewear
brand distributed to prestigious
resorts worldwide.
CourtReserve
Official Club Management App
Court reservation & club management platform
Elite Tennis Travel
Official Travel Partner
Discover the world through tennis!
SportsEdTV
Official Sports Training Partner
World-class online sports training videos
Cognitive Wealth Management
City Slams 2nd Season SoCal Sponsor
"Your retirement is our business"
Re: TENNIS CHANNEL
My new question: Is the Tennis Channel Heading in the Right Direction?
When a TV/Streaming executive told me "A lot of market dynamics (Cable/bundling leverage slipping with the Diamond/ Sinclair situation, cord cutting, a product that is not sticky, etc.) are not helping the Tennis Channel's path forward," I needed to dive a little deeper into that situation.
Between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Diamond Sports Group’s many troubles currently, cord cutting and a Tennis Channel media product that just kind of feels old and stale to me, my sense is Tennis Channel can't be heading in the right direction. I was told, when that occurs, shedding operating expenses usually follows. So, it got me thinking, how much do you think Tennis Channel pays annually for their most obvious operating expenses?
Production
When I watch Tennis Channel’s coverage, I don’t feel like the production is any better than the ATP and WTA Tour world feeds. So, to me, spending money on production just feels like somewhat of a waste of money at this point.
ATP Tour rights (50+ tournaments)
If there is one property that Tennis Channel must have, it has got to be the ATP Tour. If Tennis Channel didn't have the ATP Tour, what would the network look like? Will Tennis Channel be able to keep the product long-term? Tennis Channel and the ATP signed a deal that went into effect in 2021 (article), but I wonder when that deal will end. It's strange that the duration of this agreement is a mystery.
WTA Tour rights (50+ tournaments):
Based on this article, the WTA Tour and Tennis Channel signed a 5-year deal that started in 2019 which would mean that 2023 is the last year of that deal. Given the WTA Tour originally signed a 5-year deal with BeIN (article) and got out of that deal in the U.S. territory after just 2 years, it signals to me that the WTA Tour did a bad deal. I think Tennis Channel is probably paying pennies to the WTA because Tennis Channel probably bailed out the WTA Tour from maybe doing the worst media rights deal for the sport, but who knows? If 2023 is indeed the last year of the WTA’s current deal with Tennis Channel, I don’t see any media partners except Tennis Channel having an interest in the WTA Tour product. No Serena, no value. Right?
Roland Garros
Based on this article, 2023 is the last year of Tennis Channel’s deal with Roland Garros. However, maybe now is the time to say goodbye to the property. ESPN has Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. It seems obvious that ESPN only cares about the majors. Now might be the time to just pick up Roland Garros and seal the deal with the majors.
Wimbledon (re-airs):
Based on this article, Tennis Channel and Wimbledon agreed to a deal through 2036. In the article, it says that Tennis Channel has “unlimited highlight rights and the right to show a full set from any match (what does that even mean?). It also includes global rights to show daily tournament-produced highlight packages on the Tennis.com website and broadened, year-round access to Wimbledon’s match archives.” If Tennis Channel spent a lot of money on this deal and is tied down to those rights through 2036, I would imagine that deal could preclude Tennis Channel from pursuing some more meaningful deals. Does anyone actually watch re-airs anymore or do you just look up scores and quick highlights? It seems like a weird deal to me.
SOUTH-CENTRAL LOS ANGELES TENNIS COURTS REFURBISHED
USTA Foundation contributes six figures to the renovation of Harvard Park tennis courts
Eight tennis courts in south-central Los Angeles have been refurbished with the help of the USTA Foundation.
World No. 10 Frances Tiafoe was one of the approximately 250 people on hand Thursday at Harvard Park in Los Angeles to help the USTA Foundation cut the ribbon and unveil the revitalized courts, made possible in part due to six figures of financial support from the USTA's national philanthropic arm.
The support is part of the USTA Foundation's national court refurbishment program that is anticipated to provide $3.3 million in funding over the next three years across the country with the goal of renovating 250 courts in under-resourced communities.
Read more here Photo: Jordaan Sanford/USTA Foundation
COURTRESERVE CATALYST USER CONFERENCE
August 15th and 16th near Salt Lake City, Utah
Ashley Owens, Courtreserve CoFounder and Director of Sales & Marketing shared with us some information about this exciting event:
-
One on One Platform Strategy Slots are Running Out! They are first come, first serve, so you don’t want to miss having your one-hour time with a CourtReserve Trainer!
-
Special Rates at the Marriott Hotel blocks are also filling up fast!
-
Interactive Workshops: Participate in hands-on workshops that delve deep into the features and functionalities of the CourtReserve platform, such as kiosks, waivers, player self-check-in, and more! Acquire time-saving tips, explore new tools, and unlock the full potential of our software to streamline your administrative processes.
-
Networking Opportunities: Connect with professionals from across the country who share your passion for operational excellence. The conference provides a supportive environment for networking, collaboration, and sharing best practices.
-
Sneak Peek into the Future: Be among the first to learn about upcoming enhancements and cutting-edge features in the CourtReserve platform. Your feedback will directly impact the development roadmap, ensuring that our software meets your evolving needs.
To secure your spot at the CourtReserve Catalyst User Conference, Simply CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR SEAT if you have any questions or require assistance, email sales@courtreserve.com.
PPR ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SELKIRK
New Partnership to Offer Exclusive Benefits to PPR Members to Further Grow the Sport of Pickleball
Hilton Head Island, SC — Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), the world’s leading pickleball certification and education organization for instructors, and Selkirk Sport, the leading Pickleball equipment manufacturer have entered into a partnership agreement. The 3-year agreement will bring exciting benefits to the 6,500+ PPR members and further grow the sport of pickleball.
Certified PPR members are eligible for exclusive benefits on Selkirk Sport products, including discounted prices on Amped paddles, and Vanguard paddles. And to truly help grow the sport, PPR members have access to a Neo paddle package for beginners. This gives pros a deep discount on paddles they can use as “loaner” paddles for new students trying out the sport. Members will have access to special offers through a member portal on the PPR website.
“This is a win-win for both PPR and Selkirk,” said Hemel Cosme, Chairman of the PPR Board. “Partnering with a leading brand such as Selkirk is important for PPR members who work hard to grow the game of pickleball. We are thrilled with the benefits Selkirk will be providing PPR members.”
"We are excited about this strategic partnership with PPR," said Mike Barnes, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Selkirk Sport. "We believe that this partnership will allow us to further our mission of promoting and advancing the sport of pickleball. By aligning ourselves with a world-class organization in PPR, we can provide significant benefits to our shared community and continue to foster the growth of the sport."
TICKETS FOR 2023 CYMBIOTIKA SAN DIEGO OPEN PRESENTED BY RESMED WTA 500 TOURNAMENT TO GO ON SALE MONDAY, JULY 31 AT 10 A.M. (PDT)
Women’s Professional Tennis Event to be Played Sept. 9-16 at Barnes Tennis Center
It's a dream come true for every tennis fan who's not willing to travel to the US Open and pay obscenely high ticket prices. Travel to San Diego, watch 16 of the top 20 women including last year's winner Iga Swiatek, and have a jolly good time with the money you saved paying civilized rates for tickets. And in San Diego, they mean it when they state it's "America's Finest City." I know. I've lived there for 17 years!
During the Cymbiotika San Diego Open, the tournament venue at Barnes Tennis Center will feature an intimate Stadium Court with a capacity of 2,500 and Stadium 2 with 500 seats. So you know, there's probably not a bad seat in the house!
Ticket prices range from $25 per day for General Admission seating during Qualifying Rounds on the opening weekend to $275 for VIP seating on the North Baseline for the Doubles and Singles Championship on the final day of the tournament. Tickets can be purchased on SeatGeek.com which can be accessed through the official tournament website at https://wtasdopen.com/. Session tickets start at $40 ($80 for the Finals).
I'm going! Who wants to meet up and have a great time in San Diego? We could also win (or lose) some money on the last day of the Del Mar Races (Sep 10), do the Annual Artwalk in Carlsbad (Sep 9-10), visit the Old Town San Diego Fiestas Patrias (Sep 16), or go to the Sycuan Indian Pow-Wow (Sep 8-10).
CHANNEL YOUR INNER BARBIE
AND SHOP NOW!
Cruise Control Gear writes, "Check out our Pleated Skort in new color, Azalea Pink. You'll not only look fantastic, but you'll love how comfortable you are." SHOP NOW! Pink Power!
AT THE NET PODCAST
Instagram: Frederik Fetterlein
Great fun with the wonderful
🇩🇰 Mr. Frederik Fetterlein today, #live from #thechampionships @wimbledon #london
1st set: Growing up in Denmark as a ⚽️ footballer and 🎾 tennis player.
2nd set: Wimbledon outlook…. Being there now, and as an @atptour player in the #nineties
Coaching tennis now, in #copenhagen
Wimbledon Gentlemen’s and Ladies Singles favorites.
3rd set: #hygge #music #memories #films #documentaries @netflix #breakpoint
FF’s love for @yonex_tennis
AT THE NET PODCAST
Instagram: Roscoe Tanner
Laughs, stories, hot takes and expert
analysis from the incredible
@roscoetannerofficial rtanner300@gmail.com
is how you get lessons
and specialty clinics with this legend.
1. @wimbledon
2. @usopen and @daviscup
3. Friendships with Pancho Gonzales and Arthur Ashe!
What a guy. Thankful to know him, and spend a second wonderful
episode with Mr. Roscoe Tanner.
Roscoe. Such a legend. Highlight for me was to have his daughter
chime into the comments.
AT THE NET PODCAST
Instagram: Leslie Banks
Wonderful, touching, and boundless guest tonight. Leslie Banks!
I. Tennis in Ohio, Idaho, and TX.
2. Becoming a coach for a non profit in AZ. Running a truly exceptional foundation in @servethefutureaz
3. Banks Shots with Leslie and CB!
VIDA TENNIS PODCAST
Scott McCulloch
Tune in to the Vida Tennis podcast for a new episode with Scott McCulloch, the powerhouse President and COO of Cliff Drysdale Tennis and Peter Burwash International!
VIDA TENNIS PODCAST
Will Boucek
Check out our latest episode featuring Will Boucek, the mastermind behind the Tennis Tribe and host of the Doubles Only podcast.
DOUBLES ONLY PODCAST
Will Boucek
Check out the latest episodes of Will Boucek's, Doubles Only podcast.
VIDA TENNIS PODCAST
Bill Patton
Tune in for a brainy conversation with Bill Patton from brainsports.coach! Bill has over 35 years of tennis coaching experience at different clubs, public facilities, and high school tennis teams.
LITTLE STARLIGHT PODCAST
Andrea Jaeger
Check out the latest announcement by Andrea Jaeger
PARENTING ACES PODCAST
Lisa Stone with Gemma Coles
The latest episode is titled, "Shuffle Up Your Tennis Training ft. Gemma Coles." Lisa takes a look at a new way to help players get in their fitness training on or off the court.
PARENTING ACES PODCAST
Lisa Stone with Fabian Spiess
In this week’s podcast, we revisit the idea of virtual academic learning and do a deep dive into a program based in the UK called Minerva Virtual Academy.
THE COACHING PODCAST
Emma Doyle with Dan James
Business Coach #138: Dan James - What's your ultimate impact?
Coach Dan James and Emma Doyle have a remarkable connection: both of them transitioned from being tennis coaches to becoming highly accomplished corporate coaches.
THE COACHING PODCAST
Emma Doyle with Vicky Huyton
Track & Field Coach #137: Vicky Huyton - Questions are the Answer.
Join us on The Coaching Podcast as we welcome our esteemed guest, Coach Vicky Huyton, the founder, and visionary behind the Female Coaching Network.
THE COACHING PODCAST
Emma Doyle with Allan Sicard
Leadership Coach #136: Allan Sicard - Create environments for committed people to thriveAllan Sicard is an Author, Podcaster (The Courage to Lead), Leadership Coach, Speaker, and Former Police Commander.
THIS & THAT
Weekend Wellness Retreat This Summer!
Join OnCourt OffCourt's own Kalindi Dinoffer, mindfulness and yoga teacher (MindfulKalindi.com), along with her husband Josh Warren, MS, LMT (NeuroMuscularBalancing.com) for a transformative Plant-Based Summer Weekend Wellness Retreat in Lamoine, Maine near the ocean and Acadia National Park from August 18-20, 2023. This 3-night retreat has space for just two couples, ensuring an intimate and personalized experience.
Learn more
AP: Formed to combat Olympic sex abuse, SafeSport center is struggling 6 years after opening
The case involves almost everything a victim of sexual harassment would be desperate to avoid. Dozens of emails and multiple requests for follow-up interviews about a traumatizing episode. Bickering over legal fees. Documents with dense legalese and no conclusive answers about the outcome of the three-year-long case. “At the end of the day, they didn’t even investigate,” the female curler said of her 2020 complaint about sexual harassment at her Colorado curling club filed with the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Read the full article here.
Green-dot Ball Means Tennis for All
Brett Bothwell (Owner of BOLT Sports) says, "Green-dot tennis balls allow for beginners to immediately have fun and engage in point play. The tennis alternative to pickleball." Read the full article here.
USTA Florida Hosting All-Female Coaching Workshop
The 2-hour training will be on August 5 at the Gooding Todero Academy in Lake Nona. It will teach participants about wheelchair tennis, Love to Learn, Love to Play, and Love to Roll. Sign up here.
WILSON releases Shift v1, adding to its leading assortment of performance tennis racquets
Wilson is announcing its newest racket franchise, Shift. Developed within WILSON LABS, Wilson’s storied innovation arm, the racket went through a three-phase testing process incorporating feedback from key athletes and consumers across the globe.
Video: https://youtu.be/JxNXUkAAD8s
Boost 2023 results with AI, customer retention & more
Liz Hirsch/Taylor-Made-Advertising offers 2 more free webinars:
Supercharge Your Sales Growth—Sales Strategies That Work!
8/2/23 Online Webinar 1:00-2:00 pm PST
6 Month Marketing Check-Up—Get my 2023 Marketing Checklist!!
8/9/23 Online Webinar 1:00-2:00 pm PST
Synthetic Grass Overlays
NGI reports, "Our grass tennis surfaces play medium to fast, are easier on the joints, and are ideal for all-court play. Athletes enjoy less strain on joints due to the cushioning effect these surfaces provide." More information here.
ATP Financials for 2022 (from Sportsbusiness.com)
-
Income at ATP Media, the ATP Tour’s international media rights sales and broadcast production arm, dipped slightly in 2022 due to the non-recurrence of an insurance payout for the cancellation of the Shanghai Masters but the main revenue streams were up slightly.
-
ATP Media Holdings Limited registered a total income of $150.9m (€136.7m) last year, down from $160.6m in 2021.
-
Insurance cover of $10.3m was paid out in 2021, SportBusiness understands, but was not available last year despite the cancellation. The Shanghai event was not held between 2020 and 2022 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
-
Broadcast revenue rose by three per cent to $135.6m in 2022 despite the devaluation of the Euro and British pound sterling against the US dollar.
-
However, streaming revenues derived from Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) fell by 26.5 per cent to $11.1m due in part to what ATP Media described as post-Covid guarantees made in 2021 to incentivise event staging.
Tennis coach arrested for sexual assault of a child in Fort Worth
Fox 4 reported July 26: Fort Worth police arrested a 43-year-old tennis coach George Dennis II accused of sexually assaulting a child. He was arrested last week. Police said Dennis has worked as a private tennis coach in the north Fort Worth area with The Big G Tennis Group.
TENNIS TRAVEL
Sep 12-17 Davis Cup Matches in Croatia (Teams from the USA, Croatia, Finland, Netherlands)
JTCC's Ray Benton says, "We are supporting Frances Tafoe and the Davis Cup team with this trip in September. We think the team deserves to have U.S. fans and I believe this is the only trip being offered. I would be most appreciative for any exposure you can provide so we can have a bunch of noisy fans behind our team."
Here is the official press release from JTCC:
JTCC TO HOST AN INTERNATIONAL TRIP TO SUPPORT TEAM USA AT THE DAVIS CUP IN SPLIT, CROATIA
COLLEGE PARK, MD – JTCC is excited to offer a once-in-a-lifetime trip to join the United States team at the Davis Cup Group Stage finals in Split, Croatia September 12-17. The trip will support JTCC’s mission to provide Tennis for Everybody while giving tennis fans the chance to cheer on JTCC Alumni Frances Tiafoe and USA Team Captain Bob Bryan (honored at the 2023 JTCC Gala) as they take on teams from Finland, Croatia and the Netherlands.
The travel package includes:
-
Five nights at the luxurious Le Meridian on the shores of the Adriatic Sea
-
Premium tickets to all three matches seated directly behind the USA Team
-
Transportation to and from the stadium for each match
-
Group welcome dinner
-
Chance to meet the USA Team
-
Exclusive USA Team branded merchandise
Matches are scheduled on Wednesday, September 13 against Croatia, Thursday, September 14 against the Netherlands, and Saturday, September 16 against Finland. Each match day features two singles matches and one doubles match. Guests have a full free day on Friday, September 15 to explore the many beautiful sites in and around Split. Airfare is not included, but guest are recommend to fly in on Tuesday, September 12 and flying out Sunday, September 17.
The packages cost is $3,000 per person for double occupancy. Fifty percent of the cost supports JTCC and is a charitable deduction. People interested in attending should act fast as spots are limited. You can reserve your package by emailing Briana Walsh at bwalsh@jtcc.org.
WHAT: Trip to Split Croatia for the Davis Cup Group Stage Finals
WHEN: September 12-17, 2023
WHO: JTCC
Frances Tiafoe
Bob Bryan
Davis Cup Team USA
Ray Benton, CEO, JTCC
Kathleen Horvath, Chairperson of
Board of Directors, JTCC
WHERE: Split, Croatia
About JTCC: JTCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to transforming lives in the communities it serves through sport and education by providing Tennis for Everybody. The organization was founded in 1999 to provide high-performance premier tennis instruction to motivated junior players in pursuit of college scholarships. Since JTCC’s founding, over 300 alumni have earned more than $24 million in athletic scholarships and financial aid to top colleges including Harvard, University of Virginia, Howard and Williams.
In 2009, JTCC broadened its mission to “Tennis for Everybody”, a commitment to making the sport and its benefits accessible to all, regardless of age, ability and financial situation. As a result, the organization launched the Neighborhood Youth Outreach (NYO) program to bring grassroots tennis and education to youth in underserved areas of Washington, D.C., a low-cost beginner adult tennis program, and free, weekly adaptive tennis clinics for wheelchair athletes, Special Olympians, and military veterans.
PICKLEBALL TRAVEL
Nov 29 - Dec 3 International Pickleball, Havana, Cuba
Elite Tennis Travel challenges you to be part of the 1st International Pickleball tournaments in Havana, Cuba. All levels are welcome. Be part of Team USA at this event. Come to Havana for a unique and vibrant tennis and cultural experience.
TENNIS TRAVEL
Book Your Fall Escape to The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
The Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center on the grounds of The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara features 4 Har-Tru clay courts. The hotel features:
• 6 restaurants and dining outlets available on-property
• 3 Infinity-edge pools
• Massages and spa treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara Spa
• Golf, water sports, nature preserves, and other family activities
Tennis Camp and Amenities:
-
Individuals & Couples - 1.5 hour group lesson and 1-hour private lesson per person per day
-
Groups/Team (3 Person minimum) - 3-hours of private group instruction per day
-
Luxurious accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
-
Complimentary game-matching services
-
Unlimited court time before and after camp based on availability
Fitness Center Access (steam room, sauna, hot tub, pool and workout facility)
For more information email or call 1-866-397-4040.
THUMBS UP OR DOWN?
Thumps up for John Embree’s team for putting what looks like a dynamite World Conference together. (See ADDVANTAGE MAG)
Thumbs down for John Embree’s team for posting WC23 logos and descriptions with images without ever mentioning the date.
Thumbs up for the USPTA for putting a fine slate of board members together.
Thumbs down for the USPTA for only putting two women on a slate of 9.
Thumbs up for Rich Slivocka for updating USPTA members on the search process for the new CEO and explaining they found the agency best suited for that task
Thumbs down to Rich Slivocka for not mention who that agency is.
Thumbs up for the PTR for putting on another big convention in San Diego.
Thumbs down to the PTR for not telling us where in San Diego.
Thumbs up for HEAD’s hotseat video short with Sasha Zverev.
Thumbs down for HEAD’s hotseat for promising tough questions but then asking about hairdos and favorite songs instead of “With so much potential, how come you never won a Grand Slam?”
Thumbs up for the US Open declaring in most advertising material how family friendly they are.
Thumbs down for the US Open requiring children over 2 years of age to buy a full adult ticket.
"TENNIS PUNEET" TWEETED
After reading Christopher Johnson's article about Ben Rothenberg in grandslammagazine.com
Tennis writer Ben Rothenberg has called Women’s Tennis Association founder Billie Jean King a cynical capitalist seeking money from Saudi Arabia. He also lambasted WTA players for lacking star power and “dropping the baton” by going absent or quitting… Here's the article.
TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS QUIZ
Ken Solomon, CEO of The Tennis Channel, last month unsubscribed from Tennis Club Business because
1. We don't write enough about his new favorite sport, Pickleball.
2. He has enough problems with low TC revenues and we're not exactly toeing the line.
3. He is embarrassed realizing we know the TC situation better than himself, his Board, and all executives.
WE CAN IMPROVE OUR MESSAGING
It’s time to pursue some long-overdue changes
Tradition is a double edge sword. It can be a strong foundation for consistency, but also a barrier to creative innovation. Tennis struggles with that conflict at every turn. This conflict is likely the reason tennis is fighting for its status and position in relation to other mainstream sports. Look closely, and you will note that almost every other mainstream sport has adjusted to being more broadcast friendly, thus sending a new message to their fans proving they want their attention and loyalty. Read the full article here
THE NYT AND THE USTA, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE.
By Javier Palenque
By now many of you may have read the news that the NYT is closing its sports desk, they sent a memo that said the following: “We plan to focus even more directly on distinctive, high-impact news and enterprise journalism about how sports intersect with money, power, culture, politics, and society at large,” they said in the memo. “At the same time, we will scale back the newsroom's coverage of games, players, teams, and leagues.” This is of course very significant for tennis, the USTA, and the only product the USTA has, which is the aging US Open. Read full article here.
TENNIS: END OF THE BIG THREE ERA?
By Martin Armstrong on STATISTA
"Alcaraz Halts Djokovic's Grand Slam March"
As the Wimbledon final began yesterday, Novak Djokovic was on the verge of equaling three significant records: Most consecutive Wimbledon titles (five), most Wimbledon titles in total (eight) and most Grand Slams including the pre-Open era (24). Spain's 20-year-old world number one Carlos Alcaraz had lofty ambitions of his own, though, and ended up beating the Serbian 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in a thrilling match at the All England Club. Read full article here.
WTA RELEASED STATEMENT AMID ZVONAREVA DEPORTATION FROM POLAND
By Balasz Virag on Tennis Infinity
Former World No. 2 on the WTA Tour, Vera Zvonareva was deported from Poland on Saturday after she was denied entry to the country. The WTA has another problem on its hands, and this one will be tricky to handle. The Tour has been dealing with some tricky situations lately, starting with the news of Saudi Arabia wanting to buy into the sport. WTA Chief Steve Simon denied any talks with the country even though reports indicated that contact was established.
THE OTHER RACQUET SPORT - PLATFORM TENNIS
If you are not a platform tennis player (or teacher), give it a try! It is similar to tennis, easy to pick up, and challenging to master.
The sport ranks high on the social and fun scale.
For the past year, pickleball, padel, platform tennis, and tennis have built on the success that began when COVID-related policies caused people to be attracted to outdoor racquet sports. This brief discussion will highlight the achievements of the APTA, PPTR, and platform tennis community over the past season. Read the full article
-
Shout-Out to Carlos Alcaraz for Giving us one of the most exciting tennis matches ever at this year's Wimbledon.
-
Shout-Out to the Australian Open where Children aged 3-14 may purchase a Kids Ticket. Kids tickets are $10.00 each.
-
Shout-Out to the French Open, where children under 6 years old can enter the stadium for free.
-
Shout-Out to the Wimbledon Championships where children 5 years and under are not required to have a ticket.
-
Booooooh to the US Open where children over the age of two are required to buy a full adult ticket at obscenely high cost.
-
Shout-Out to Emma Skingley and Andy Dowsett for putting a really interesting ChatGPT program together.
-
Shout-Out to Patrick Mouratoglou for being a visionary by establishing the first Mouratoglou Tennis Center in Bejing, China.
-
Shout-Out to Vernon Gettone (photo) for doing his part in the world of tennis ball recycling. (See his LinkedIn post below)
"We are delighted to contribute our used tennis balls to GreenShoesUSA, an organization that provides half-cut tennis balls to schools and other institutions. These balls are placed under chairs and desks, reducing floor maintenance, creating a quieter environment for teachers and students, and are easy to install. Additionally, a percentage of the donated balls goes to The Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee. A big thanks to Sharon Nowick for picking up the tennis balls for these worthy causes."
ELEVATING PLAYER ENGAGEMENT
By Ashley Owens
In tennis and pickleball clubs, driving player activity is crucial for success. To achieve this, clubs can harness the remarkable potential of CourtReserve’s Organized Play, Player Matchmaking, and League modules. By utilizing these powerful tools, clubs can create a more social atmosphere, foster healthy competition, and boost revenue. This blog will explore how these modules can revolutionize tennis and pickleball clubs, emphasizing the compelling reasons for their adoption.
TENNIS PROS BEWARE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SCAMS
A stern warning for our readers
MY HISTORY WITH SCAMMERS
In 2005, while living in San Diego North County (Encinitas) and having my own little digital imaging business while working as a community tennis organizer, I came across an emailed "job offer" that made me suspicious. Some foreign guy wrote he needed someone to fulfill the money part of orders he received through eBay. I engaged him in conversation and quickly learned a few things about his operation. He was based in Ukraine and scammed eBay buyers out of millions by pretending he was selling something valuable but didn't really possess those products.
How did he do it? He said he employed about 20 hackers in his office. One of their targets: Dormand eBay Power Sellers with high positive feedback scores. They hacked those accounts and with the login and password, they did the "eBay Photo-Only" scam.
Here's an example of how that works: They put up a photo of a rare electric guitar they didn't have and sold it to the highest bidder, let's say for $5,000. Then they told the second bidder that the first backed out of the deal and sold it again to that person. And so forth.
Their biggest problem: Those scammed buyers could not find out that the money went to the Ukraine. So they needed U.S.-based middlemen to collect the money for them, deduct a high commission(20% at least) and send it on via Western Union to the scammers in Eastern Europe.
Finding those middlemen with the allure of easy money wasn't too difficult for them. The challenge was keeping them because the scammed buyers went to the cops. After just a few transactions, the FBI was able to locate the middleman and it was over. Big trouble for those middlemen, of course. They burned a lot of people that way.
When I realized what was going on, I reported it via the FBI's cyber crime reporting portal but only got a generic reply. So I persisted and got in touch with the FBI's San Diego office. An agent called me back and invited me to a meeting in his office. During that meeting, I learned that he headed a task force trying to take down my Ukraine guy. He told me that I had gotten more information about this guy than the entire task force had and asked me to stay on and work with them to take him down. I learned that they did a similar operation with another Ukrainian scammer a few years earlier and were able to work with Ukrainian police to storm his office and book him.
For the next 8-9 months I worked with them and engaged my villain in more and more conversations where we learned how he also scammed people out of "eGold" for instance. Every month, the FBI paid me between $500 and $1,000 for my services. Always in crisp new $50 bills they called "drug money." It was fun for me and, since I was single at the time, I didn't mind the personal danger I could have been in.
How did it all end? Just before they were getting ready to fly to Eastern Europe and take the operation down, the FBI dismantled the task force and stopped all activities against this kind of scams. Bummer. But I must admit, I learned a lot about cybercrime and foreign scammers.
FAST FORWARD TO 2023
I recently became aware of another scam on a very popular social media platform that is business oriented: LinkedIn. I'm using LinkedIn every day for connecting with people and have gained over 11,400 followers over time. I use social networking sites a lot for connecting with friends and colleagues. But I'm very aware that like on any website, scammers prowl these platforms for unsuspecting users. So it's not surprising that you always need to keep an eye out for scams.
According to Tripwire (Katrina Thompson "A Guide on 5 Common LinkedIn Scams"), the most popular scams on LinkedIn are
-
Illegitimate Contact Requests
-
Fake Job Offers
-
Phishing and Whaling Ploys
-
Tech Support Ruses
-
Advanced Fee/Inheritance Schemes
You have to know what most of those attempts are designed to do: The scammers want access to your credentials and personal information. While an "Inheritance Scheme" may "only" get the scammer a certain amount of money wired from you, the "Fake Job Offers" ploy is on an entirely different level. Can you imagine what you may have to fill out on a job application? From address to DOB, social security number to maybe even bank account numbers. Good luck getting out of this situation unscathed.
MY RECENT OBSERVATIONS
It started a few weeks ago. I had observed fake account scams on Facebook for years but didn't see a lot of them on LinkedIn until now. And it's always the same M.O. for those cases:
1. A female with a beautiful face, mostly exotic, Asian, asks to connect via InMail. If you are a paid LinkedIn subscriber, you can use InMail to message someone you're not connected to. If you connect with "her" you'll most often reveal your email address. The person will use AI-generated verbiage and has a lot of AI-generated content on their page.
2. If you engage with "her" you will find a lot of discrepancies in regard to employer, residence, etc. All replies will be AI-generated.
3. When you ask too many penetrating questions, the LinkedIn profile will disappear.
2. If you don't ask those questions or connect with "her" on LinkedIn, the next step is that you will be asked to change the mode of communication to WhatsApp. Why? Because the person will now also have your phone number. They're building a profile trying to get as much information as possible until they reveal their scam like enticing you to invest in crypto they don't possess. Insiders call this "the long game."
Katrina Thompson writes on Tripwire: "To protect your account credentials against scammers, make sure that you treat emails and in-platform messages from people you don’t know – and even the ones you do - with caution. Verify requests and message content in multiple places (like an email or Slack) before responding and remember; if your boss wanted to communicate something urgent and work-related, they probably wouldn’t choose an outside social media platform to do it."
Here are two out of dozens of examples of fake accounts contacting me recently.
1. YUNQUING LIU's message made me suspicious from the get-go. First, beautiful, young women don't just send "Hello, I am interested in your information and hope to receive your reply" to an old fart like me. Not happening. You don't even know whether it's a woman at all.
2. Further down in the profile, nothing made sense. Mostly AI-generated nonsense like, "highly successful person with a central idea." Or, "I believe programmers don't want to be good kids."
I reported the profile and it has since been taken down. No doubt the same person has a hundred similar profiles - all set up as "long-game phishing scams."
The other candidate is Shura Robinson. "She" contacted me via LinkedIn message: "I hope this message doesn't interrupt your work, I saw your profile in the circle of people around me. I read your profile and think you're pretty good and look forward to connecting with you and finding mutually beneficial resources."
That message alone is quite suspicious. Further down she describes the real estate lending process. ("Installment payment: After signing the contract, the purchaser will divide the purchase price into several proportions...... and when the house is delivered, the payment will be paid in full.")
The profile disappeared after I reported it. But last week I found it is back with a slightly different name.
WHAT DOES LINKEDIN SAY?
Well, you really have no way of finding out. There is no phone number you can call. You can report a conversation as a scam but their answer will mostly be: "We have checked the profile and it is legitimate." Why? Because they don't have the manpower to really dig deeper into your complaint. The company revealed that there were over 21 million fake accounts detected in the first half of 2022. That's 21,000,000 in 6 months, my friends. Looks like they have dropped the ball and given up on stopping the scammers.
We reviewed your report. Here's what we did.
Thanks for reporting Xxxxx Xxxx's message. A member of our Trust & Safety Team reviewed the message and found it does not go against our Professional Community Policies.
We understand this is not the outcome you expected. To ask us to take a second look and for additional options that can help ensure a safer experience on LinkedIn, view your report.
Thank you again for reporting.
But you know now what goes on in Social Media. All other sites have the same problem but you are now on extra alert. Right?
Here's my guideline:
-
In my experience, there are only 3 kinds of people contacting me on LinkedIn: Tennis folks, Sellers, and Scammers.
-
Tennis folks want to connect. Teaching pros, coaches, USTA staff, and vendors. All legitimate and always appreciated.
-
Sellers may be interesting to me, depending on their business. I often say no but sometimes I welcome them.
-
Scammers are relatively easy to detect because nothing really makes sense. Don't engage. Report.
-
Never reveal email, phone number, etc. to someone who is not a connection.
When I worked with the FBI, my Ukraine contact told me about his eGold scam. Wikipedia writes, "e-gold was a digital gold currency operated by Gold & Silver Reserve Inc. (G&SR) that allowed users to open an account on their web site denominated in grams of gold, or other precious metals, and that let users make instant transfers of value ("spends") to other e-gold accounts."
The scammer had developed a Trojan Horse that was able to find the eGold account number and password if an eGold user opened their phishing email with the Trojan Horse in it. His problem: He needed to know for sure if someone was an eGold account holder. So he was always on the lookout for people who gave him the email addresses of those account holders.
Learned something today? Good. Pass it on to your friends and family.
PICKLEBALL CANNIBALIZING TENNIS
Reader J.P. Weber, owner of Tennis Dynamics in Marietta, Georgia, writes:
Tennis people are running Pickleball leagues. Tennis organizations are giving funding and support to the sport of Pickleball. When you see signs up for Pickleball players asking them to come join Pickleball leagues those signs are not put up around softball fields or golf courses or football fields. Those signs are put up right outside of tennis centers by these tennis people who are seeing low-hanging fruit and stealing tennis players from the sport. It is beyond me why tennis organizations are supporting this behavior.
I drove from one side of Cobb to the other side. I think Cobb is biggest county in the state of Georgia. But just wanted to show how pervasive it is at this point here. ALTA - Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association has started a Pickleball league. Why? Because egghead tennis pros spread the rumor that if they don’t help Pickleball then tennis will die. It would not.
I would have no problem if they were sticking the signs outside football, baseball, softball, basketball, or other places like golf courses. But they are not. It’s really very despicable.
OLD FASHION RANKING TOURNAMENT LADDERS, TOO MUCH WORK...
UNTIL NOW!
By Cesar O. Andrade
Most tennis providers offer LADDER programs. Despite their common complaint that Competition Tennis Ranking Tournament Ladders Are Way Too Much Work to Organize and Operate … If They Are So Much Bother, Then, Why Do Ladders? … They have shared with me that, to one degree or another, they see and achieve important motivating benefits that often include... Read the article here
We had 54 readers respond to the July question
"What would you do to grow U.S. tennis if you had $300 million?"
Overall, the opinions were quite interesting
The most hilarious reply came from Akis Paipetis in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China: "So u want our opinions, thoughts etc for free so that YOU implement them and become richer?🌚"
Nice. Let me assure you, Akis, if I had the $300m I wouldn't need to ask you for ideas. But I would put a great group of people together to implement some of MY ideas. And that group would include 10 of the best from the business and from the tennis arena. Sadly, no one from the USTA. 🌚
All 54 replies are listed again at the bottom of our Letters to the Editor page.
TCB Survey August 2023 -
"Are you OK with the high prices for US Open tickets and the fact that children over 2 years of age have to buy full adult tickets? (Optional: Please tell us in the comments whether you're planning to go this year.)"
Do you like our content? If you do so, please consider supporting us. For as little as $1 a month, you can help ensure the long-term future of TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS.
Click here to support and please share this with all the tennis lovers you know.