Cardio Tennis is Latest Addition to USTA’s Programs Focused on Growing the Game
Posted: August 21, 2019 in Suppliers
USTA
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Earlier this year, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) reached a mutually beneficial agreement to transition ownership of Cardio Tennis to the USTA. Both sides are extremely excited about the existing and future potential of Cardio Tennis as a growth and retention tool.
“The USTA is positioned to provide additional support to existing and future providers. We believe the USTA can drive the advancement of Cardio Tennis at this stage of its life cycle,” said Jolyn de Boer, TIA Executive Director.
“We are thrilled to be adding Cardio Tennis to our lineup of programs that support the growth of the game throughout the United States. Today, exciting, engaging and effective group exercise options have become a necessity in the arsenal of current fitness-focused consumer,” said Craig Morris, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. “Cardio Tennis is well-positioned to introduce the fitness consumer to the health and wellness benefits of the tennis lifestyle, and we look forward to ensuring the growth of this brand for years to come.”
Cardio Tennis will now be housed in the newly created “Program Development” department of the USTA, under Community Tennis. Program Development, led by Elliott Pettit, was created to focus specifically on non-competition products that are designed with an enhanced directive to introduce the game in innovative ways to new and existing markets. (i.e., Schools Tennis, Adult Social Play).
Overseeing the growth and direction of Cardio Tennis will be Michael Harper. Harper was hired in July 2019 and is charged with supporting and developing the product domestically, while working with our international partners to create a culture of collaboration to allow for the most effective contribution to the growth of the game in the US and abroad.
Harper is a USPTA and PTR certified professional with over a decade of experience in the tennis industry. He has served in various capacities from Tennis Service Representative and performance coach to Tennis Director and Business Owner. Harper has been a part of the TIA’s Global Cardio Tennis training team since 2009.
Under the leadership of Michele Krause and the TIA, the Cardio Tennis program has seen tremendous success, with participation growing steadily year over year, becoming one of the fastest growing fitness products in the country, according to the Physical Acitivity Council Participation Report (from 2008 to 2019).
“The USTA and TIA would like to commend Michele on her tremendous work with Cardio Tennis,” added de Boer and Morris. “She has been a tireless advocate for health and fitness and her passion for these areas truly helped grow Cardio Tennis to what it is today.”
