USTA, PBI team up to grow tennis participation in the U.S.

The USTA and Peter Burwash International (PBI) have joined forces with the aim of continuing to grow the sport of tennis throughout the United States, with particular focus on attracting younger players.

State-of-the-art coaching tools and programming will be provided to PBI by the USTA, including access to the USTA’s Net Generation and adult suite of programs and apps, in order to enhance PBI’s current youth and adult offerings.

Net Generation is the USTA’s youth tennis brand, designed to get more kids ages 5-to-18 playing the sport. Through a smartphone app, coaches and players can connect on practice activities, feedback and skill assessments at the click of a button.  PBI coaches also will gain access to USTA coaching curriculums, which include video lesson plans and activities, to bolster their lesson plans.

“Partnering with PBI will help support our mission of growing tennis by providing access to high-quality programs and instruction at some of the finest tennis club and resort locations across the U.S.,” said Michael Dowse, USTA Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director. “The PBI network has some of the most stringent education and training requirements for their professionals, and their dedication to providing exceptional service is well-recognized throughout the industry. We’re very proud to have them as an ally.”

PBI’s President René Zondag expressed his excitement about the partnership with the USTA. “’Tennis for Life’ has always been PBI’s trademark,” Zondag said. “Since [PBI’s] founding in 1975, we have introduced tennis to millions of people. More importantly, we have managed to keep them in the game, giving many a sport for life. The USTA’s Net Generation initiative offers a great opportunity to introduce youth to tennis and offers teaching professionals additional resources to keep them educated and informed. Partnering with the USTA and supporting Net Generation aligns perfectly with our goals.”

As part of this new partnership with the USTA, all PBI tennis professionals located in the U.S. will engage in and support the USTA’s Net Generation youth brand by registering, creating a coaching profile and becoming SafePlay compliant to help parents find a safe, high-quality tennis coach for their children.

“We are excited that PBI will be utilizing Net Generation in their youth programming,” said Craig Morris, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. “The Net Generation curriculum will support local coaches as they strive to deliver a fantastic on-court experience for kids across the country.”

The USTA and PBI also will collaborate on ways to attract even more adult players to the sport through a range of new competitive and social leagues, tournaments and team events, and by piloting new initiatives combining fitness and tennis programming.