Feb 1, 2013
Welcome to the Fair Play Tennis junior tennis development blog. This blog will be a place for us to discuss the nightmares, success stories, interesting news, and opinions in the world of junior tennis. It also will be a place for me, Charlie Ellis, CEO and co-owner of Fair Play Tennis, to share my journey through the world of junior tennis development and to discuss issues I wasn’t able to when working for corporations or large privately owned entities.
Private clubs, camps, and individual pros (some with big names) all over America are clamoring for your tennis dollar, many without any genuine concern for your needs and desires. Some are very good operators; good in the sense that they are sincerely trying to help people with their wellness. These entities are interested in being solvent, but not necessarily in milking people for everything they’ve got.
Other companies are less than upstanding. As an employee of some of those organizations, I was used as a tool to bamboozle parents into thinking that only if they spent more money could they provide what was best for their children. I had to be silent as to the real reasons the company wanted to charge them high prices and charm them with our sometimes mediocre staff. Again, I want to emphasize that some were great organizations operated by caring owners and managers. But, for others, I know the tricks of their trade.
Less-than-reputable tennis pros and organizations will listen to you talk about your child and then say absolutely anything to get your money. For example, a tennis director may recommend a clinic or class that forces your child to participate during a time slot that he needs to fill, but that is not really a fit for your child. Your local pro may tell you how many lessons your child needs to take to get good, using lessons (and your money) as a means to do what your child really should be doing on their own. Furthermore, they will tell you how great an athlete your child is – regardless of their true ability – so you will like them and keep coming back. I know how these tactics work, because in many instances I was forced to adhere to this model.
Through the platform of Fair Play Tennis, I can now finally speak the truth about these tactics and help you avoid spending money in the wrong places. With the challenges to get to the next level, it is worth getting the right information to accomplish your goals. I hope you keep coming back here to find the right path for your child and their tennis future.