I didn't see this posted anywhere else:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_y...sopen-kantariancompensation&prov=ap&type=lgns
Could the timing of the release be any worse for the USTA? Time for renewals...
I just got this:
No. 199-2009
U.S. TENNIS PARTICIPATION TOPS 30 MILLION PEOPLE
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 25 YEARS
2009 USTA/Tennis Industry Association (TIA) Study Shows Growth
In All Age Groups and Ethnicities
Participation up 12% vs. 2008 and 25% since 2003
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., November 17, 2009 – The USTA and TIA announced today that tennis
participation in the United States topped 30 million players for the first time in more than two
decades. The annual survey of 6,000 Americans showed that tennis participation grew in all
age groups under the age of 50 and within all ethnicities. With 30.1 million people hitting the
courts, tennis participation has grown 12% over 2008 and climbed 25% since 2003. The survey
is conducted annually by the Taylor Research Group on behalf of the Tennis Industry
Association (TIA) and the USTA.
New players comprised 7.1 million of the total, and the majority of tennis players consider
themselves “regular players” (14.8 million). Though 15 of the 17 USTA sections were affected
by record rainfall in the spring, total play occasions surpassed 560 million for only the second
time in more than 20 years. The greatest percentage growth in participation was in players 1217 which grew from 15.7% of the total participants in 2008 to 20.5% of the participants in 2009.
“The USTA continues to work closely with the entire tennis industry to grow our game, and we
are extremely gratified that our collective efforts have generated such strong growth,” said Lucy
S. Garvin, USTA President and Chairman of the Board. “We continue to strive to make tennis
easier to learn and more fun to play, and this commitment has led to millions of more Americans
playing the game. I am proud of our network of sections, states/districts, and community
programs who have worked so hard to increase participation.”
“Over the past several years, we’ve strived to make the game more accessible, particularly at
parks and schools across the country,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community
Tennis, USTA. “Combine this with the health benefits of tennis, and you get surging interest in
the sport.”
“The TIA (industry) and the USTA have been focused on growing participation since the mid 90s
and this is the result of a consistent and sustained effort that is now paying dividends,” said TIA
President Jon Muir. “Our ongoing challenge is to continue to build our frequent player base, the
economic lifeline for the sport.”
The TIA/USTA survey results include:
• Total participation broke the 30 million mark in 2009 (a 12% increase to 30.1
million, against 26.9 million in 2008).
• New players reached 7.1 million (up 19.5% from 5.9 million in 2008).
• Regular Players, those playing 4 to 20 times per year, increased 26% to 14.8
million players in 2009.
-2
• Participation in 2009 is up in every major ethnic group, but especially among
African Americans (+19%) and Hispanics (+32%)
• Age groups comprising the greatest percentage of players are:
o 12-17 years at 20.5% of the total (more than 6 million players)
o 18-24 years at18.4% of the total (more than 5.5 million players)
o 6-11 years at 16.25% of the total (4.9 million players)
• Tennis is doing a better job at retention with continuing players up 6.3% to 16
million
• Former players rejoining to the game is up for the third year in a row, with nearly
7 million coming back to tennis
The TIA/USTA results compare favorably to other recent research released from industry
organizations over the past 12 months. In the 2009 Sports and Fitness Participation Report
conducted by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), results showed tennis
was the only traditional sport to enjoy growth in grassroots participation.
###
About the USTA
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and
developing the growth of tennis at every level --from local communities to the highest level of the professional game.
A not-for-profit organization with 730,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and
operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open
Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the
U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup,
Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA philanthropic entity, USTA Serves, provides grants and
scholarships and through tennis, helps underserved youth and people with disabilities to improve academics, build
character and strive for excellence. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
About the TIA
The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is THE unifying force in the tennis
industry bringing together competitive companies to work collectively to promote and grow the sport. The TIA works
closely with the USTA and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation.
Core TIA activities include Participation Research, Consumer and Trade Research and the Growing Tennis System.
For more information, please visit TennisIndustry.org or GrowingTennis.com.
For more information, contact:
Tim Curry, Director, Corporate Communications, USTA – (914) 696-7077;
curry@usta.com
Jolyn de Boer, Executive Director, TIA – (843) 686-3036 ext. 222;
jolyn@tennisindustry.org
