March 2008 -- I'm always looking for new ways to entice non-tennis-playing members onto the courts. Tennis - for the health of it! SM seems like a great way to do this. I have some ideas, but what would you suggest as a means of promoting this initiative for USPTA?
Since USPTA introduced
Tennis - for the health of it! in January, I've had many members ask me about it. It's our newest public relations initiative in our overall campaign that focuses on "Who We Are" as USPTA and USPTA Professionals.
Tying together the messages of health and fitness and "Who We Are" is very easy. We are, after all, the tennis delivery force that provides any and all types of tennis programs. They may be structured, fitness-based events and just plain fun activities for our facility members or the public. It's important that you use your tennis expertise to promote the message that tennis is good for you and that you can deliver the programs to help your customers get fit and healthy.
There are many ways to make the health and fitness connection as we deliver tennis to the masses. As outlined in my January column, you can choose to promote the physical or psychological reasons to play tennis - or both.
For example, if you want to entice a group of seniors to take lessons, you might provide information on how tennis can increase bone strength and density and, therefore, combat osteoporosis.
Or, you might decide to target young kids and their parents by promoting tennis as a way for children to get some much needed exercise. Everyone knows childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions and that most school-age children don't get enough exercise in school-run physical education classes. Tennis lessons and activities offer great ways to help prevent and conquer obesity while at the same time teaching sportsmanship and teamwork.
The great thing about tennis is that it can be tailored to meet anyone's fitness needs, from those of the very youngest players to the oldest and for everyone in between. Don't forget the junior programs, adult clinics and league opportunities and a mix of all of these for every age, gender and playing level at your facility. Anyone who wants to improve his or her health through tennis can do it with the programs you provide to your clients on a daily basis. It's up to you to promote tennis as a means of getting fit and staying healthy.
Not only is USPTA the largest group of deliverers of tennis, we've also got programs - developed especially for us - that give us the perfect opportunities to highlight our sport and our profession.
The first one that comes to mind is USPTA's Tennis Across America™. This year we celebrate the 19th anniversary of this program and it presents us with the perfect chance to spread the news about tennis and fitness to people at our clubs and within our communities.
Here's how you can do it. Schedule a free clinic to kick off the spring and summer tennis seasons. If you're at a private facility, invite golf and fitness members - and anyone else who hasn't tried tennis. If you can invite the public and have the capacity to host a large group, that's great too! Of course, you can include current tennis clients. Start your free clinic with an introduction about tennis and its health benefits. Use the "Why play tennis?" list that was published in the January
ADDvantage or go to USPTA's Web site and click the
Tennis - for the health of it! link to see another copy. You can even print it off and make copies for your clinic participants.
While it will be difficult to go into details about all of the reasons, select a few of the reasons based on your audience. If you've got lots of fitness and golf members, elaborate on the great cross-training benefits tennis can deliver that will help them in their other athletic pursuits. If you're speaking with a group of working mothers who have little time to get exercise, you might discuss how tennis can help them control stress and get an aerobic workout at the same time.
From here, you'll know what to do. Provide instruction based on their skill level and try to get them hitting some balls. Use some fun drills to get them running a little. When the lesson winds down, review what you've told the group and invite them to come back for more tennis fun and fitness.
You can find a program guide that includes an outline for a clinic and some other ideas on our Web site in the "Quick Links" box and then under "Tennis Across America."
If you want other program ideas, just log into the members-only area of the USPTA Web site and click on the tab for "Programs." These include USPTA Little Tennis
®, USPTA Junior Circuit™, USPTA Adult Tennis League
SM, USPTA Member-Beginner Guest and USPTA Lessons for Life™.
There you have it. Good luck with your programs. As USPTA members, we've got the materials and resources to promote
Tennis - for the health of it! and some wonderful programs through which to deliver tennis and the message.
Send questions to jgroppel@LGEPerformance.com.
