Tennis Growth Aces the Competition

Best of all, tennis is cheap. You don't have to be a member of an exclusive racquet club to enjoy the sport. Between the thousands of public schools, parks and community centers across the U.S., chances are there's a court in your neighborhood.

"There are low cost/no cost public courts in virtually every community," said Kamperman. "Other than a tennis racket and balls, very little is needed in the way of equipment in terms of expense."

So get involved in one of these current tennis industry initiatives and start reaping the benefits from the sport that offers so much:

Tennis Welcome Centers:? These public and private tennis facilities have led the charge in growing the sport by welcoming new players to the game the right way – through instruction.? The facilities provide well-rounded programs to new and current players of all ages and abilities. On average, each Tennis Welcome Center reports 39 new players, retains 34 players and 82 percent of the centers reported increased revenue from lessons.? Visit TennisWelcomeCenter.com for more information.

USTA Flex Leagues: USTA's new alternative to traditional leagues group players of similar ability together in an organized season that allows players to schedule five to eight matches when it best fits their schedules and at a convenient location. Players sign up online for singles, doubles, or mixed doubles play using the TennisLink system. Players can also track standings, report scores and schedule their matches all on a conventient online interface. Visit USTAFlex.com to learn more.

Cardio Tennis: This program brings new players to tennis by demonstrating the exercise and fitness benefits of the sport.? Cardio Tennis is a fun way to get in shape and lose weight, even for someone who has never played tennis.? In just four years, Cardio Tennis is now offered in over 1,700 facilities nationwide. Find more information about Cardio Tennis at: CardioTennis.com.

QuickStart Tennis for kids: This program is a great way to integrate children – primarily 10 years old and younger - into tennis by using a progressive format to teach basic skills on shorter courts, using smaller racquets, low pressure balls, and modified scoring.? This method will train the next generation of tennis players as the QuickStart format is now being used in almost 1,000 locations across the country! For more information please visit the QuickStart website.

Tennis On Campus: Developed by the USTA to promote and support the expansion of recreational tennis on college campuses.? Either through intramural tournaments and leagues or in a more structured sport club environment, teams compete interscholastically. Tennis On Campus focuses on providing opportunities for the entire campus community, and is currently run on more than 500 campuses across the country, providing organized play for 30,000 participants. For more information about Tennis On Campus please visit: TennisonCampus.com.

No-Cut: This program was introduced to encourage and recognize high school coaches who make a commitment to their schools by not cutting any student who tries out for the team. Since its inception, the USTA's No-Cut program has been embraced by coaches across the country, nearly doubling each year since its inception.? With almost 1,800 coaches now implementing a no-cut philosophy, thousands of students who may have otherwise dropped the sport are now part of a team and competing for their school. Find more information about the No-Cut program on USTA.com.

GrowingTennis.com:?? The national TIA database has more than 20,000 facility listings and contacts that can post their programs and events online at GrowingTennis.com.?? Every month, more than 2.4 million consumer queries are made to these informational postcards on consumer sites including usta.com, tennischannel.com, tennis.com, tenniswelcomecenter.com, cardiotennis.com, quickstart.com and others.?? Visitors and players can also automatically register for programs, events or reserve court time online, saving time and money. For more information please visit: GrowingTennis.com.