I had two different doubles partners during my college tennis career.  Both were lefties and I am a righty, giving us forehands down the middle.  We weren’t the Bryan brothers but we did OK for our level of competition.  We beat some very strong teams we had no business beating and were contenders two years in the NESCAC tournament.  I brought a good serve and volley game to the partnership.  I was quick at net and pretty athletic, which helped me put a lot of pressure on the opponents’ returns. My return however was terrible, and opponents came to recognize that I missed two out of three and the one I got in was usually just a chip that was easy to put away.  Thankfully, my doubles partners had excellent returns and they single-handedly kept us in most return games.  With college tennis being no-ad scoring we always had a chance.  Overall, our complementing strengths paved the way for a lot of success, and this helped not just us but the whole team.

I share this because Har-Tru has a new partner in the business world and I see an analogy here.  We recently signed an endorsement deal with the USPTA to become their Official Supplier of ball baskets, teaching carts and ball mowers (more on that here) and I believe we will be make an outstanding team.  Our HOAG line of teaching carts is the most durable in the industry, thanks to having the best casters on the market.  We also have an awesome ball mower with a patented, anti-jamming mechanism that never locks up no matter how many balls you run over.  We need to gain exposure for both products and to capture feedback that will help us strengthen our game (making awesome products) and our brand. 

The USPTA brings just the strengths we need.  It is an organization of more than 14,000 highly-respected, dedicated, and knowledgeable, industry experts.  They are innovators who are looking for products and ideas that can help them be the best they can (that’s where we can help!).  They are life-long learners who embrace new ideas and continuing education. They love the sport and are ever willing to share feedback we need to improve our product offering.  The organization is strong and deep and they are well networked and collaborative, which will help spread the message about what we have to offer.

Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.”  It is just the first set in our partnership with USPTA but excitement is high, and I am very confident that this will be mutually beneficial to both parties.  But much like the success my doubles partner and I had benefited the whole team, I believe this partnership will create ripples that benefit the broader industry.  Those ripples will include additional funding for education, product that will be used to teach and develop new players, and the design and development of new products and programs that enhance the game and the playing experience.  These will all be catalysts for the growth of our sport. 

I sure am glad we chose the right partner!