History

RSPA (formally known as USPTA) HISTORY SHOWS GROWTH OF A PROFESSION

On September 23, 1927, a small group of tennis professionals gathered in an upper-story room of the Spalding building in New York City. Their mission: to bridge the gap between the amateur ranks and a respectable career as a tennis professional.

Little did they know their plan would materialize into today's United States Professional Tennis Association, a worldwide organization of nearly 12,000 teaching professionals dedicated to promoting the sport and raising the standards of their profession.

FIRST SERVES

Among the pioneers at that initial planning meeting were George Agutter, the first head professional at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y.; James Burns; William Croker, head professional at Longwood Cricket Club in Boston; Ed Faulkner; Henry Geidel; Paul Heston; Walter Kinsella; Frank Lafforgue; Harry McNeal; James Reid; H.L. Richards; Vinnie Richards; Harvey Snodgrass and Charles Wood.

They met to organize a national body that would work to further the best interests of the game of tennis, especially through the professional players and instructors of the sport. Although tennis was introduced to the United States in 1874, it was not until the years following World War I that tennis became popular enough to warrant professional instructors, and the majority of these instructors were located on the East Coast.

When the group emerged from its first meeting, the Professional Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA) of the United States was born. The group sent out the following notice to all recognized tennis professionals: "For some time there has been a very strong feeling among lawn tennis professionals that there is a need for some organization to protect and promote their interests, and to assist them in obtaining a proper and recognized status in the tennis world. A meeting was held on September 23 and it was decided to form an Association...An initiation fee of $10 will be charged to all new members. Dues are to be $5 annually.

"An executive committee has been elected and a constitution adopted. It is the desire of this executive committee to have all tennis professionals of accepted standards become members of this Association. As one of these, you are cordially invited to fill out the enclosed application blank for membership."

PRO ACTIVE

As the years passed, America's greatest tennis players and teachers belonged to the PLTA, including Jack Kramer, Tony Trabert, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Pancho Segura, Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Frank Parker, Vinnie Richards, Bruce Barnes, Welby Van Horn and Alex Olmedo. As early as the 1940s, the organization also began to attract famous women members, including Pauline Betz Addie, Alice Marble and Sarah Cooke. These women and men were the cream of the tennis crop, and their professional tours captured the imagination of thousands of fans around the world.

During this period, the PLTA membership was limited primarily to the eastern United States. The association offered few benefits other than a membership directory, annual meetings and an opportunity to meet others in

the profession.

In the late 1940s, membership increased to more than 200 of the nation's top professionals. The group added benefits such as a job placement service, two meetings a year and a model professional contract for members

to use with their clubs.

In following years, the PLTA acquired an official song, "I'm in the PLTA now!," and members were involved in three movies, "Topflite Tennis, Great Moments of Great Matches with the World's Greatest Pros;" "Tennis by Contrast, Comparative Games of Riggs, Budge, Perry, Stoefen and Tilden;" and "Mixed Troubles," a tennis comedy starring Mickey Rooney, Walter Pidgeon, Pauline Betz and Sarah Palfrey Cooke.

In 1957, the association changed its name to the United States Professional Lawn Tennis Association (USPLTA). Membership grew to more than 550 professionals in eight geographic regions under the presidency of

William Lufler in the early 1960s.

The open tennis explosion in 1968 brought professional players into their heyday, and the industry grew by leaps and bounds. The first national Certification Exams were administered in 1969 under then President Jack Barnaby, modeled after those already in use by several of the association's divisions. Over the years, it was molded under the direction of George Bacso, USPTA's former director of certification and academies, into the extensive exam it is today.

The establishment of professional standards through the Certification Exam caught the attention of teaching professionals interested in a tennis career path, and membership began to grow. During the 1960s and early '70s,

USPLTA expanded west and added its last eight divisions. It made its final name change to USPTA in the early '70s.

BUILDING A PROFESSION

A World Headquarters building was just a dream in the formative years of USPTA. The records of the association's earlier members were stored in shoeboxes at the home of USPTA's first executive director.

In 1990, USPTA took the next step in its development as an association. It purchased a two-story office building in Houston to house its World Headquarters. The fully computerized, state-of-the-art USPTA offices brought member services to an even higher level. USPTA's ownership of the building continues to serve as a source of financial stability, in addition to building member pride in the organization.

Over the years, the national office has moved from Huntsville, Ala., to The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort near Sarasota, Fla., then Saddlebrook Resort near Tampa, Fla., Houston, TX and finally to Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla.

From 1974 to 1981, the membership increased from 1,000 to 2,500. It has since leaped from 2,500 to nearly 12,000 members.

As the number of members grew, so did the number of membership benefits. Today, USPTA offers numerous publications, on-court liability insurance, sports marketing events, extensive continuing education, prize-money

tournaments, influence with club owners and managers, a national public relations program and a variety of product packages, to name a few.

Some of the most successful teachers, coaches and players joined USPTA's membership ranks throughout the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Some standouts include Arthur Ashe, Nick Bollettieri, Vic Braden, Peter Burwash, Mary

Carillo, Cliff Drysdale, Chris Evert, Vitas Gerulaitis, Jack Groppel, Tim and Tom Gullikson, Billie Jean King, Jim Loehr, Dennis Ralston, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith, Fred Stolle, Bill Tym and many others.

In the early 1980s, the women members organized, their numbers began to grow, and they acquired stronger leadership roles. Kathy Woods served as the first woman president of the association from 1994-1996. Minority

professionals also became more involved in the tennis profession and USPTA formed multicultural committees at the divisional and national levels.

In 1981, the Japan Professional Tennis Association invited USPTA and Fred Stolle to conduct a tennis academy in Tokyo and became the first foreign tennis organization to join USPTA. Other allied associations USPTA has worked with include the Asociacion de Profesores & Instructores de Tenis de Mexico, A.C., the British Professional Tennis Coaches' Association and the Tennis Coaches of South Africa. USPTA's membership now boasts representatives from nearly 60 countries.

There have been many changes in the association and in the tennis industry since September 23, 1927. New racquets, new pro stars and new teaching methods continue to touch millions of tennis enthusiasts worldwide. Nevertheless, one constant remains the dedication of thousands of USPTA teaching professionals who continue to shape the way people learn and play the game.

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