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FROM THE PREZ By Gwen Ramras<br />
NET NOTES<br />
Thanks for being a <strong>USTA</strong> member and giving the gift of tennis<br />
‘T<br />
is the season to give thanks and we would like to say THANK<br />
YOU to each and every one of you for your membership in the<br />
<strong>USTA</strong>!<br />
Not only do you enjoy benefits such as TENNIS magazine or SMASH<br />
magazine for juniors and have the opportunity to participate in the many<br />
tennis programs we offer such as <strong>USTA</strong> League and Jr. Team Tennis but<br />
you support the sport in <strong>com</strong>munities throughout Oregon, Washington,<br />
Idaho, British Columbia and Alaska. A portion of every single <strong>USTA</strong><br />
membership <strong>com</strong>es back to our Pacific Northwest Section to help us build<br />
and offer more tennis in our area.<br />
Did you know there are one, three and five year <strong>USTA</strong> memberships<br />
available? The longer the membership period, the more money you save.<br />
If you join for five years, the fifth year is free! It’s easy to see all the special<br />
<strong>USTA</strong> membership offers by going to www.pnw.usta.<strong>com</strong> and clicking on<br />
Membership. Give the gift of membership and help introduce tennis to<br />
your friends and family.<br />
U.S. tennis participation tops 30 million for<br />
fi rst time in two decades<br />
he Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and <strong>USTA</strong> have announced that tennis participa-<br />
T<br />
tion in the United States topped 30 million players for the fi rst time in more than two<br />
decades. Th e annual phone survey of 6000 Americans showed that tennis participation grew<br />
in all age groups under the age of 50 and within all ethnicities. With 30.1 million people hitting<br />
the courts, tennis participation has grown 12 percent over 2008 and climbed 25 percent<br />
since 2003. Th e survey is conducted annually by the Taylor Research Group on behalf of the<br />
TIA and <strong>USTA</strong>.<br />
New players <strong>com</strong>prised 7.1 million of the total and the majority of tennis players consider<br />
themselves “regular players” (14.8 million). Th ough 15 of the 17 <strong>USTA</strong> sections were aff ected<br />
by record rainfall in the spring, total play occasions surpassed 560 million for only the second<br />
time in more than 20 years. Th e greatest percentage growth in participation was in players<br />
ages 12-17 which grew from 15.7 percent of the total participants in 2008 to 20.5 percent of<br />
the participants in 2009.<br />
“Th e <strong>USTA</strong> continues to work closely with the entire tennis industry to grow our game<br />
and we are extremely gratifi ed that our collective eff orts have generated such strong growth,”<br />
said Lucy S. Garvin, <strong>USTA</strong> President and Chairman of the Board. “We continue to strive to<br />
make tennis easier to learn and more fun to play, and this <strong>com</strong>mitment has led to millions<br />
of more Americans playing the game. I am proud of our network of sections, states/districts<br />
and <strong>com</strong>munity programs who have worked so hard to increase participation.”<br />
“Over the past several years, we’ve strived to make the game more accessible, particularly<br />
at parks and schools across the country,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive,<br />
Community Tennis, <strong>USTA</strong>. “Combine this with the health benefits of tennis and you get<br />
surging interest in the sport.”<br />
“Th e TIA (industry) and the <strong>USTA</strong> have been focused on growing participation since the<br />
4 TENNIS TIMES WINTER 2009/10 � www.pnw.usta.<strong>com</strong><br />
I would also like to say thanks to our staff at the <strong>USTA</strong> Pacific Northwest<br />
(<strong>USTA</strong>/PNW). When you pose questions or have a need, they are there. We<br />
have a terrific group of talented people who love the game and you can see<br />
many of their happy faces next to their columns in Tennis Times. They are<br />
led by our Executive Director, Bill Leong. Bill works diligently to maximize<br />
our resources and provide the leadership for our <strong>USTA</strong>/PNW crew.<br />
On behalf of your Board of Directors from all across our section, Ernie<br />
Hartzog (Portland), Ron Tan (Spokane, Wash.), Tony Menke (Yakima,<br />
Wash.), Richard Snyder (Gig Harbor, Wash.), Mike Temple (Portland),<br />
Mike Naumes (Medford, Ore.), Karen Dunlop (Seattle), Peter Jackson<br />
(Vancouver, British Columbia) and Allen Clendaniel (Anchorage, Alaska),<br />
we send warm wishes for Happy Holidays to you and yours.<br />
And if you are lucky enough to receive the gift of a new racquet for the<br />
holidays, please consider donating your old one to your local Community<br />
Tennis Association or neighborhood program. It will truly be a gift that<br />
keeps on giving. �<br />
mid 90s and this is the result of a consistent and sustained eff ort that is now paying<br />
dividends,” said TIA President Jon Muir. “Our ongoing challenge is to continue to build<br />
our frequent player base, the economic lifeline for the sport.”<br />
Th e TIA/<strong>USTA</strong> survey results include:<br />
� Total participation broke the 30 million mark<br />
in 2009 (a 12 percent increase to 30.1 million as<br />
<strong>com</strong>pared to 26.9 million in 2008).<br />
� New players reached 7.1 million (up 19.5<br />
percent from 5.9 million in 2008).<br />
� Regular players, those playing 4 to 20 times<br />
per year, increased 26 percent to 14.8 million<br />
players in 2009.<br />
� Participation in 2009 is up in every major<br />
ethnic group but especially among African Americans<br />
(+19 percent) and Hispanics (+32 percent).<br />
� Age groups <strong>com</strong>prising the greatest percentage of players are:<br />
� 12-17 years at 20.5 percent of the total (more than 6 million players).<br />
� 18-24 years at 18.4 percent of the total (more than 5.5 million players).<br />
� 6-11 years at 16.25 percent of the total (4.9 million players).<br />
� Tennis is doing a better job at retention with continuing players up 6.3 percent<br />
to 16 million.<br />
� Former players rejoining the game is up for the third year in a row with nearly 7<br />
million <strong>com</strong>ing back to tennis.<br />
Th e TIA/<strong>USTA</strong> results <strong>com</strong>pare favorably to other recent research released from<br />
industry organizations over the past 12 months. In the 2009 Sports and Fitness Participation<br />
Report conducted by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA),<br />
results showed tennis was the only traditional sport to enjoy growth in grassroots<br />
participation.<br />
Section honors 2009 Hall of Fame<br />
inductees and award winners<br />
Th e <strong>USTA</strong> Pacifi c Northwest (<strong>USTA</strong>/PNW) recognized its 2009 Hall of Fame inductees<br />
and award winners during a luncheon held in their honor at the Bellevue Club<br />
in Bellevue, Wash., on December 5.<br />
Th is year’s <strong>USTA</strong>/PNW Hall of Fame inductees include Trish Bostrom of Seattle,<br />
Frank Inn of Medford, Ore., and the late Wayne Sabin. Th e award winners include<br />
the following:<br />
Outstanding Jr Event: 2009 ARBY’s NCW Jr. Champs & Challengers, Wenatchee RAC<br />
Outstanding Sr Event: 2009 Salem Summer Classic, Salem Tennis & Swim Club<br />
Tournament Director of the Year: Jim Rankin, Tualatin Hills Tennis Center<br />
Media Excellence: Corey Voegele, Wenatchee World<br />
Senior Women’s Service Award: Judy Aw, Bellevue<br />
Senior Men’s Service Award: Jerry Crimins, Milwaukie, Ore.<br />
<strong>USTA</strong> League Captain of the Year: Don Craig, Olympia, Wash.<br />
[ Continued on page 11 ]