IS THE USTA LEADERLESS RIGHT NOW?

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR USTA CEO MIKE DOWSE

Mr. Dowse, you've been at the helm of the USTA for a while now. How are things going for you? You're happy because tennis is growing? Good for you, sir. However, may I remind you that the USTA is the beneficiary and not the cause of this tennis boom?

Although, I think the growth of tennis is the least of your problems right now. Let me tell you what's going on as we see the USTA right now from out in the trenches of grassroots tennis. I am fully aware, of course, that the opinions of outsiders such as myself are not necessarily valued much at the USTA. But, you can use my ideas 100% if you like. I have no problem with that. 

Growth during a Pandemic may be a treacherous promise

I'm sure you have read the New York Times article titled "The Pandemic Drove People to Tennis and golf. Will they keep playing?" dated March 11. The writers' central question is: "How to retain newly hooked participants when other recreational options are available again?"

Craig Morris (USTA CEO Community Tennis) said there was no silver bullet to retention in the article. I beg to differ and you as an avid reader of TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS, have probably read my position on that subject. It's really not that difficult but executives like Morris who are used to throwing money at ideas without properly researching them, don't have a creative enough mind to see that. 

Create some excitement

Wow. The "e" word. Excitement. Not something you regularly associate the USTA with. But can you think of the last US Open pre-pandemic? Did you hear all those little voices during the 2019 Arthur Ashe Kid's Day? Yep, that was big-time excitement. Or, have you ever seen Emma Doyle conduct a clinic with a large group of kids? Yes, that's excitement, too. I'll give you one more example. When Roger Federer faces a crowd and won't leave unless the last person got his autograph or a selfie with him despite his handlers trying to pull him away, that's exciting.

I know I'm repeating myself but you have to create excitement out there in the vast land of the free and home of the brave. You want to hear people of all ages, 5-95, say "I WANT TO TRY THAT TENNIS THING. LOOKS SO COOL AND IS HEALTHY EXERCISE." Craig Morris may be a nice guy but he is not exciting. You need other people to do this for you. Ambassadors. Hire Emma Doyle and a bunch of others and let them create the excitement. It's really not that difficult. It appears that Emma has more ideas and fun in her little pinkie than all the executives at Lake Nona together!

I can see your question: How on earth can I fund that effort and pay Emma? I'm glad you asked, Mr. Dowse. That's really easy. You know what's coming, right?

Shut down that darn Player Development circus. (And while you're at it, defund Net Generation)

There you go, $23Mio+ right off the bat. Don't worry about all those pros losing their jobs. If they are good, they'll find new ones. Some of them could also become USTA Ambassadors. And if Martin Blackman is as good as everybody says, make him CEO Community Tennis. No? And don't listen to your executives who will lose face and maybe more when you shut down PD. Repeat after me, "I couldn't care less!"

You owe it to the American taxpayer and to your members and to a million kids that would love to play tennis but can't afford it that you put that money into areas that actually grow tennis. Is that so hard to understand? And I bet you if you do that, you'll discover a few Grand Slam winners over time. That only works if you don't look for them like a deer in a headlight.

I could come to Lake Nona and help you. I would line up every non-essential staff member and test their excitability level from 1-10. Everyone under 5 or 6 needs to go.

I have to once more talk about your CEO Community Tennis, Mr. Dowse. I am told that he tends to listen to people on the inside rather than us out there in the field. And you know what? I'm also told he's only getting lip service from these people. When he asks people on the inside what they think of Net Generation, they respond by telling Mr. Morris what he wants to hear, not what they really think. My contact at Lake Nona says, "He then uses that information to justify keeping it going.  'People love it' is what he is able to say, when in fact people ignore it and do their own thing." 

Our survey of a few months ago has clearly shown what most tennis professionals in this country think about Net Generation. And what do you have when you don't get the buy-in of our readers? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Boondoggle.

OU HAVE TO CLEAN HOUSE, MIKE.

GET RID OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT PERFORMING, NOT ADDING VALUE TO THE USTA AND THE TENNIS ECOSYSTEM, AND WHO ARE WASTING MONEY THAT'S NEEDED AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL!

That's all, Mr. Dowse. I hope y'all have a good May there at Lake Nona.*

*I often think about how many inner-city kids can't have a tennis court available to them because you guys needed a showcase of 100 beautiful courts in paradise and wasted hundreds of millions on Player Development with no end in sight. I suggest reading Gary Horvath's article "No Opportunity Without Access in Tennis" this month for clarification.