NOVEMBER 2019 Our advertisers Content this issue Michael Dowse new USTA CEO Rumors in Lake Nona

THIS ISSUE Publisher's Notes - Letters - Facility of the Month - Organization of the Month - Male Pro of the Month Female Pro of the Month - Spotlight Pickleball - Suzanna McGee Fitness - Marsha Friedman PR Trending - Rod Heckelman - Javier Palenque - Roger Stenquist - Rich Neher Feature - Gary Horvath Chris Hagman - Joshua Jacobs - Where Are They Now?

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Dear Readers,

I'm delighted to report that our oldest advertiser, HEAD Racquet Sports, has renewed their ad another year for a record 5th time. I've personally been a fan of HEAD tennis racquets (and PENN balls) for a long time and appreciate their support. Thank you, HEAD.

I'm also delighted to report that we have two new advertisers, NGI Sports, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Oncourt Offcourt, based in Dallas, Texas. NGI Sports, with the slogan "Surfaces that play harder, faster, better. So you can, too" is a leader in tennis, pickleball, track, and many more sport surfaces. You will read about their products in the coming months. Please check out TRENDING for their press release. Welcome, NGI Sports.

Oncourt Offcourt hardly needs an introduction. Founder and president Joe Dinoffer, accomplished author, speaker, and ambassador for all racquet sports, has been featured in TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS numerous times. And last month we were able to report about his daughter Kalindi and her impressive presentation at the USPTA World Conference. Welcome, Oncourt Offcourt.

Michael Dowse new USTA CEO

I must admit I don't know the man. We are connected on LinkedIn and I'm seeing various employers from Wilson to Nike to Suunto North America to Amer Sports and back to Wilson. Obviously an industry veteran. I'm being asked whether he is just another one of those Good Ol' Boys. I don't know, to be honest. Although, would he have been elected otherwise? I would have welcomed someone who is not a tennis veteran, not a 'yes man', but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

My litmus test for seeing how interested he is in positive change:

• Will he hold the Board's feet to the fire and campaign for getting rid of the Good Ol' Boys network of 'yes-men' Board members who are only interested in getting awards and tickets to the President's Box?
  c
• Will he fire incapable managers who have dragged the USTA into abandoning the organization's mission of growing tennis in favor of growing the US open?
  c
• Will he renew the USTA's support of all tennis clubs and all tennis professionals across the United States?
  c
• Will he shut down the ill-fated and totally useless Player Development department, fire everyone, and make the $20-25 million saved per year available to grassroots tennis?
  c
• Will he stop the amazing practice of unnecessarily increasing US Open prize money every year to obscene levels and make the savings available to grassroots tennis?

Good luck, Mr. Dowse. You need it.

Rumors

I heard about a persistent rumor coming out of Lake Nona. Word is that almost the entire camp of top managers (except for one) are eagerly awaiting Gordon Smith's last day at the USTA. Why? Because, according to my sources, the next day many of Smith's initiatives will be reversed, hoping to make Mike Dowses' job a little easier in the coming months. Oh, and they are also hoping for Dowse to smoke the peace pipe with Dan Santorum, so Smith's "...unholy feud with the PTR can be buried." Good Lord!

As I said, these are uncorroborated rumors. But you know what they say about rumors... especially when they seem to make so much sense.

Thank You

I want to thank all our contributors who are sharing their expertise with our readers. We couldn't publish TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS without them. Suzanna McGee, the fittest tennis player I know, is the oldest contributor, and Rod Heckelman has been writing for us and other publications for years, too. Alice Tym and Barbara Wintroub prove their pickleball expertise on the courts and with their medal count every month. New in our lineup are Chris Hagman and Gary Horvath, whose data analyses are mind-blowing, if you ask me. Last, but not least, Javier Palenque, the 'crusader' who shows us that we need to hold the USTA's feet to the fire for many months now. Thank you all!

November Awards

Congratulations to our November award winners: Fitzwilliams Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin, Ireland, our Facility of the Month; The ACE Project in Westmont, Illinois, U.S.A., our Organization of the Month; Daniel Libeskind Rosenbaum in São Paulo, Brazil, our Male Pro of the Month; Margot Carter in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A., our Female Pro of the Month.

I hope you all have a good November and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Rich Neher
Publisher