In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale have an engaging conversation with Mike Barrell about the evolution of racquet sports, particularly the impact of pickleball and padel on traditional tennis. Mike brings over 20 years of experience in the tennis industry, sharing his unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities presented by these complementary sports.

They discuss the economic considerations that are reshaping tennis facilities, the importance of fostering social engagement in sports, and how coaches play a crucial role in building a thriving tennis community. Throughout the discussion, the focus remains on the need for tennis to innovate and adapt while staying true to its core identity.

Episode Highlights:

• How the rise of pickleball and padel presents both opportunities and challenges for tennis
• Economic viability and how clubs can balance costs with offering complementary racquet sports
• Why social engagement is key to retaining tennis players and how programming can support this
• The crucial role of coaches in connecting players and fostering community in tennis
• The 'leaky bucket' problem in tennis retention and how to address it
• Pickleball's success in accessibility and social play - what tennis can learn
• The need for tennis to innovate and compete with pickleball's marketing success

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Butch Staples to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing the tennis industry today: staff retention and development. Butch brings decades of experience as a coach and leader, sharing his perspective on how we can better support and develop our teams to keep talented young pros in the industry.

They explore the fears that hold many leaders back from investing in staff development and how shifting our mindset can create thriving work environments. Butch emphasizes the importance of building genuine relationships and empowering staff—even if it means they eventually move on. The conversation highlights the difference between transaction-based management and relationship-based leadership, focusing on creating cultures where young pros want to stay, grow, and succeed.

Episode Highlights:

• Why investing in your staff is the best decision, even if they might leave.
• How relationships, not money or perks, are the key to retaining talent.
• The role of leadership in empowering staff and creating a culture of growth.
• Why the only thing worse than training your staff and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.
• Practical steps for creating an environment where young pros want to build their careers.

Resource mentioned:
Primed to Perform (a book about building high performing cultures through motiviation)

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In Part 2 of our Hiring series, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Michael DiRaimondo on the Racquet Fuel Podcast to tackle the complexities of hiring international tennis professionals. Michael, a Certified Tennis Pro, Club Owner, and Immigration Lawyer, brings his deep expertise to the conversation. They discuss the challenges of hiring international applicants, who are often highly desired and needed in the industry, yet face a difficult and expensive immigration process.

If you're interested in navigating alternative visa statuses and bringing talented international pros to your club, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

Episode Highlights:

• Pain points managers and club owners have for hiring pros - local and International
• Different types of visas for foreigners
• A pathway to permanent residency for a sports professional
• Pain points due to congressional changes
• Powerful advice for college students looking for permanent residency
• How to find the right Immigration lawyer

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale discuss the similarities and differences between golf and tennis, particularly in terms of the work realities of golf pros and tennis pros. They are joined by Anthony Vitale: Director and Coach of Athlete Development for the PGA of America. He shares his background and role at the PGA before they discuss the difference between touring pros and teaching pros, the changing workweek culture in golf, the certification process for becoming a PGA member, and the compensation model for golf professionals. They also explore the importance of social connections and human relationships in both golf and tennis.

Episode Highlights:

• How we can develop our athletes through supporting our coaches
• What shift has the PGA made for a better work/life balance for pros
• Comparing the career pathway for Golf Pros and Tennis Pros
• How does the golf compensation model work, and what is the structure of it
• When you emphasize HUMAN CONNECTION, what happens?

Upcoming event:

November 4th at 7pm EDT Virtual Director of Racquet Sports Club: Part of the event is free-form networking with other industry professionals, and the other part is an educational discussion with guest speaker, Lew Sherr. Sign up HERE to receive login instructions

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, host Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Dave Konecky, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at the USTA, to explore the challenges and emerging trends in hiring leadership roles within the tennis industry. Together, they explore the industry's talent shortage, the significance of cultural fit, and the power of behavioral questions during interviews. They also discuss best practices for onboarding new hires and clarify the distinction between W2 employees and independent contractors (1099). Throughout the conversation, Dave emphasizes trusting your instincts, the value of virtual interviews, and assessing candidates on the court.

Episode Highlights:

• Strategies for addressing the talent shortage in the tennis industry and fostering growth within your current team.
• Defining cultural fit and how to find it in potential hires.
• Behavioral interview questions that help predict future performance.
• The critical role of onboarding after a new hire.
• Navigating the difficult process of letting an employee go.
• Benefits of hiring tennis pros as W2 employees versus independent contractors.

Resources noted in conversation:
Tim Elmore: Generational Divides ONE and TWO
Book: A New Kind of Diversity by Tim Elmore

Upcoming event:

November 4th at 7pm EDT Virtual Director of Racquet Sports Club: Part of the event is free-form networking with other industry professionals, and the other part is an educational discussion with guest speaker, Lew Sherr. Sign up HERE to receive login instructions

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale interview Jo Wallen, the General Manager of the National Campus at USTA, about her journey to leadership. They discuss the importance of learning from others and the path to leadership. Jo shares her story of starting in tennis at a young age, transitioning from playing on the Pro Tour to coaching and club management, and eventually landing her current role at USTA. They also discuss the challenges of transitioning from an individual sport to a team environment and the importance of humility and surrounding oneself with a strong team. The conversation highlights the need for continuous learning, problem-solving skills, and the ability to navigate complex organizations.

Episode Highlights

• Why continuous learning is essential for growth and success in leadership roles
• What you need when transitioning from an individual sport to a team environment
• How problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate complex organizations are crucial for effective leadership
• What listening to others and valuing their opinions can do to an organization
• How to measure success in leadership

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale discuss the critical role of communication in leadership. They share the alarming statistics regarding employee understanding of expectations and the importance of clarity and empowerment in communication. The conversation covers handling sensitive topics, the significance of written communication, effective meeting strategies, and the necessity of clear task deadlines. They emphasize the need for transparency and the balance between personal and professional communication, ultimately highlighting that effective communication is essential for successful leadership. "Coasting" is not an option in leadership and life happens, which adds to the challenge.

Episode highlights:

• Why a leader's role in communication is crucial to company and team success
• How clarity in roles and responsibilities empowers employees
• Who should prioritize self-care and why
• What it means to adapt as a leader in racquets
• When over-communication can be beneficial in leadership

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

In this re-run episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale continue their conversation with Dr. Tim Elmore; a thought leader, author, and researcher, founder of the non-profit Growing Leaders. Elmore shares about the social media battle between generations that brought him to write his newest book, “A New Kind of Diversity.” Simon and Kim provide Tim with some racquets-industry challenges regarding age diversity in the workplace, and Tim gives tangible tools and tactics we can all use to inspire team cultures and motivate workers from all generations. The episode wraps up a two-part series that offers insights for directors and managers faced with the need to bridge the gap between generations.

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

(Original air date: June 7, 2023)