TennisPlay and Stay

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TennisPlay and Stay
Increasing participation world-wide
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Manufacturer support

• Vital for the success of the project
• Involved in Intro To Tennis meetings
• Updated throughout the 4 years

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Issues discussed

• Specifications
• ITF Approval
• Terminology

• Identification
• Court size
• Racket size

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Ball Quality

• Concern over existing products
• Consistency of properties between brands
• Brands not meeting specifications
• Are the specifications appropriate?
• Systematic laboratory-based market test

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Are specifications appropriate?

• Play test
• 21 brands
• National Association experts, beginner adults,
  young children

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Are specifications appropriate?

• Play test
• 21 brands
• National Association experts, beginner adults,
  young children

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Are specifications appropriate?

• Play test
• 21 brands
• National Association experts, beginner adults,
  young children

In general, balls within existing specifications
were preferred over those outside/in various
specifications
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Conclusions

• Specifications should be introduced into ITF
  Approval
  
• Existing (FFT) specifications retained
• ITF approval scheme for introductory balls
  introduced in 2005

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Specifications
Stage 2 and Stage 1 laboratory tests
Specifications amended to allow balls to be the
same size as standard ball
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Specifications
Stage 3 existing laboratory tests
inappropriate Group of experts evaluate brands
by play test Year 1 all brands evaluated go
ld standard brands selected Year 2 brands co
mpared to gold standards
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Identification scheme
Common identification scheme preferable
Complications 3 sub-types Variety of ball con
structions
Existing schemes
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Identification scheme
Tests at LTA centres Starter players and coache
s
Standard protocol
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Identification scheme

• Stage 3 red and yellow all red (except cut
  foam balls)
  
• Stage 2 orange and yellow yellow with orange
  dot
  
• Stage 1 green and yellow yellow with green dot

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Terminology

• Transition
• Mini-tennis
• Starter

Modified Slower Softer
Low compression
Introductory
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ITF recommended terminology
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Ball/court matching
Orange/Stage 2 50 slower and ideal for starter
players of all ages
Green/Stage 1 25 slower and ideal for an
introduction to the full court
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Terminology

• Most other nations now using red, orange, green
  to describe the balls
  
• FFT considering changing to this terminology to
  support the project

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Other introductory equipment issues

• Court sizes
• Net size
• Rackets

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Court size
Orange/Stage 2 18 metre/60 ft court
Green/Stage 1 full court
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Racket size

• Match racket and ball to help make the game
  easier to play.
  
• Particularly important for junior players.
• 16 inch (bat), 17 inch (43 cm),
• 19 inch (48 cm), 21 inch (53 cm),
• 23 inch (58 cm), 25 inch (63 cm),
• 27 inch (68 cm).

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Promotion and distribution

• Dave Miley

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Promotion of the Balls

• Needs
• Convince federations and coaches to use the
  balls
  
• Educate parents/prospective players to use the
  balls
  
• Get balls used in competition
• Improve the distribution direct to coaches and
  through retailers, and so
  
• increase the size of the market

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Marketing and communication

• Tennis Manufacturers
• Incorporate Play and Stay message into marketing
  material
  
• Use contracted players to help promote the
  programme
  
• Use ITF stamp of approval As recommended by the
  International Tennis Federation

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Promotion and distribution

• Help promote the balls
• Promote all manufacturers making the balls
• Already purchasing and distributing many balls
  free to 100 less developed nations
  
• In addition, ITF will help nations/coaches to
  purchase balls where they arent yet available

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www.tennisplayandstay.com
www.tennisplayandstay.com
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Promotion and distribution

• Web page with all of the logos of the companies
  making the balls
  
• Link to their website
• One page where they can display their products on
  our web site/list of suppliers
  
• All treated the same

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Other ideas/considerations

• Other ideas to promote the ball
• Other ways for the ITF and the major nations to
  work with the manufacturers to increase tennis
  participation worldwide

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Strong ITF guidelines

• Equipment (ball, court, racket)
• Important for retailer to link recommended ball,
  racket and court size to players
  
• Message on rackets and balls

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Challenges

• Limited space on ball cans for message
• Getting retailers to stock the balls
• Little/no facility for on-line sales direct to
  coaches

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Measuring success

• Ball sales is the best measure
• Ball sale figures are available in 16 of the
  nations
  
• Can the ITF help to gather the sales figures in
  the other 23 nations?
  
• Provide ITF (and manufacturers) with a good
  measure of how tennis is doing

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Manufacturer support

• Support is vital
• Want to increase the market for red, orange and
  green balls
  
• which could impact sales of other tennis
  products
  
• ITF and the Nations welcome suggestions on what
  we can do in addition
  
• Follow-up meeting with manufacturers tomorrow

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TennisPlay and Stay
Increasing participation world-wide