Is It Safe to Play Tennis During Corona Pandemic?

Is It Safe to Play Tennis During Corona Pandemic?

Is It Safe to Play Tennis During Corona Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a sudden halt to nearly all of our social and recreational activities which include most outdoor sports. SOPs and social distancing rules discourage gatherings and limit social interaction; as a result there are only a handful of sports and other physical activities left for the general population to turn to.

It is hard to come up with a sport that hasn’t been affected by the pandemic and people are uncertain about which sports can be played safely and how. Tennis has long been a very popular and much-loved sport, but how safe is it in the current situation?

tennis corona safety

Tennis Corona Safety: Is it safe to play tennis during the corona pandemic?

The short answer is that yes, it’s safe to play tennis during COVID-19 as long as proper precautions are taken. These guidelines could vary from area to area so it is necessary to check local information sources and keep yourself updated. Club authorities should ensure that all the people on the premises are following the safety guidelines mandated by the government.

The primary reason that tennis is considered to be safe is that it is a non-contact sport and doesn’t require that the players be in proximity unlike other sports such as rugby or soccer. There is a low risk of transmission as long as proper distance (6 feet) is maintained on the court and other SOPs are carefully followed.

General Covid-19 safety guidelines to follow

The USTA (United States Tennis Association) formed an advisory medical committee that provided a list of precautions that should be taken into consideration while playing tennis. These include:

For Tennis Players:

  • Do not play if you came into contact with an infected person within the last 14 days or are exhibiting symptoms commonly associated with coronavirus
  • Arrive as close to the time you have to be there as possible and do not engage in unnecessary social interaction before and after the game
  • Wear a mask when not playing and avoid touching gates, benches and fences
  • Keep a distance of 6 feet between yourself and other players and do not shake hands or high-five each other
  • Partners should coordinate to ensure that they maintain physical separation while playing doubles
  • Avoid touching the tennis balls directly and do not share playing equipment
  • Bring your own towels, water bottles and food items
  • Sneeze or cough into a tissue paper or cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve
  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer before and after playing
  • Avoid using the locker room and changing area. Instead, leave directly after playing and shower and change at home.
tennis corona safety

For Tennis Clubs:

  • Encourage staff, coaches, players, visitors and spectators to follow general COVID SOPs
  • Limit the number of people allowed indoors
  • Keep disposable face masks, hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes at hand
  • Rearrange the furniture so that visitors aren’t in close proximity to each other and distance is maintained
  • Assign specific time slots to players that do not overlap so that the facility doesn’t get overcrowded at any time
  • Make sure that safety protocols are being followed as per the local government’s instructions
  • Prop open doors so that people can pass through without touching the doorknob or handle
  • Ensure that the premises is well-ventilated
  • Install signs regarding safety guidelines as well as hand sanitizer stations at frequently visited spots inside the facility
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces, equipment and personal gear according to CDC guidelines
tennis corona safety

Indoors vs Outdoors Tennis

Tennis is regarded as a safe sport to play during this pandemic because it is usually played in the open air and does not require that the players come into close contact. This is particularly beneficial because Corona virus spreads through respiratory droplets and can be transmitted from an infected person to those who are standing close by.

With regards to indoor tennis, some might speculate that the risk of transmission increases due to the closed space. However, the general consensus right now is that indoor tennis is safe as long as proper safety measures are taken. These might be stricter than the rules outlined by the club or local authorities for outdoor tennis.

 

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Tennis during Covid

To reduce the risk of transmission of Corona virus, it is essential to avoid social gatherings and follow physical distancing rules which means that it is difficult to play most sports safely. Consequently, this has affected the sales and revenue of companies associated with the production and distribution of sports equipment, with one exception— tennis.

It may be surprising for many that according to statistics, sales of tennis rackets have gone up considerably and the number of tennis players (compared to previous years) has increased as well. This could be due to the fact that tennis is a relatively safe sport to play with a low risk of transmission, in fact, the New York Post has ranked it as one of the top activities that are safe to do. So the outlook on tennis corona safety is quite positive.

Tennis also mobilizes many different parts of the body and provides a good workout especially when other options for exercise are limited during the pandemic. And being a highly popular sport, tennis courts and equipment are readily available everywhere. All these factors combined make tennis an ideal choice for those who are fed up with staying at home and want some fresh air and vigorous physical activity.

So, is it safe to play tennis during the corona pandemic? Pretty much, as long as proper safety precautions are taken and the guidelines provided by local or state authorities are kept in mind.

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Tips & Tools For Scheduling Your Tennis Trainer Courses

Tips & Tools For Scheduling Your Tennis Trainer Courses

Tips & Tools For Scheduling Your Tennis Trainer Courses

If you’re a tennis enthusiast and have your own tennis club to manage, then finding the right tools for scheduling your tennis trainer courses is imperative to your business. There is nothing worse than overbooking timeslots unless you’ve managed to double book your court! This can all be avoided when using a court reservation system. But it isn’t just about going virtual; it’s also about managing your club in a smart and productive way. It’s like having everything you need in one place and easily accessible for all your members or clients.

Pyramide Tournament - Example 2

Best Tips for Managing Your Tennis Club

You finally did it; you were able to put your passion for tennis into action by creating a tennis club that allows other people to enjoy the sport as much as you do.  

However, you may have underestimated the amount of time it takes to keep things organized and make sure that all your reservations are recorded accordingly. 

You may have started with just pen and paper, but if your business is growing leaps and bounds, it might be time to get tech-savvy!  

Here are our top tips for managing your club:

  • If you don’t already have a website, now is the time to get one! Having a website allows your clients or members to access all the pertinent information about your club. It can list your hours of operation, contact details, and even the option to schedule tennis lessons. 
  • Once you have a website, you’ll want to add a plugin like Court Reservation. This will allow all your members access to your schedule and gives them the ability to pick and choose a time that works best for them.    
  • Don’t underestimate the power of social media! If you aren’t actively on a few different platforms, then now is the time to do so. This can help build engagement and bring awareness to your club. We’re sure having more clients is at the top of your list. 
  • You also need to consider a weekly or monthly newsletter. Sending out an email campaign is a useful tool for managing your tennis club. It informs your members or clients of any upcoming events or newsworthy announcements.
  • Try to incorporate some member quality information that highlights some of your guests. Announcing winners from a tournament is a sure-fire way of building excitement around your club. 
  • Consider putting a suggestion box in your club; include a link for it in all your emails that goes to your website. Allowing people to voice their opinions about your club enables you to see where people are both happy or disappointed. It’s the easiest way to put out a fire before it spreads any further. 

With all the tips listed above, you should be able to get your tennis club on the right track – or court in this case! However, we want to stress how vital your tennis training sessions’ reservations are to your business. 

We suggest checking out the plugin designed to make your scheduling simple and professional looking. It has all the benefits needed to bring your club to the next level.    

What is Court Reservation?

Court Reservation is effective software that allows you to manage your tennis court bookings online. It was created to bring simplicity to tennis club owners or small sports field operators. 

You can easily set up a productive online court reservation system within minutes when you use Court Reservation, even if you were using an old school calendar method previously. 

The integration is smooth and painless, and you’ll be up and running in no time!

Here are some examples of all the tools you’ll have access to: 

– Managing Events 

Scheduling or blocking times for an upcoming event is super easy with this software. You’ll be able to schedule tournaments, training sessions, and any other events with the click of a few buttons. 

– Reservation Management 

Any member can create or modify their reservations with the reservation table tool. Whatever available timeslots are incorporated is exactly what the user will be able to choose from. No more double-booking reservation timeslots!  

– Customization 

Customizing your reservation table has never been easier (see figure 2)! Just choose what you want your calendar to look like on your existing website and choose your custom reservation types. It’s that simple. 

tools scheduling tennis courses

Figure 1: General Settings

tools scheduling tennis courses

Figure 2: User Interface Settings

How Do These Tools Work?

The Tool for scheduling your tennis trainer courses were designed with simplicity in mind. You’ll be impressed with its mobile-friendly interface and the option to choose the colors and sizing of your court reservation table.  

Once you have installed the court reservation plugin, the system will automatically send passwords to all your members that you provided a name and email address for in the initial setup.

Depending on what type of court reservation is needed, you’ll be able to create whatever fits your needs for any upcoming events, such as tournaments or private lessons. 

You can have an email notification (see figure 1) sent automatically to your members when they make a reservation. It’s one of the easiest things to set up and probably one of the most effective ways to remind people of any upcoming reservations they made. 

Reservations can be set up in one of the following ways:

  • You can choose the slot format that works best for your club, whether it is a full-hour slot or if you prefer to book every thirty minutes. The choice is yours! 
  • You can choose to set the times that each of your members is allowed to book per reservation. This helps prevent people from booking multiple sessions in one day and then canceling or not showing up.  
  • Your reservation table will be set up to show the upcoming nine days, but you can access more days by simply using the ‘Calendar View’ tool. 
create tennis club website

Conclusion

When choosing to use a tools for scheduling your tennis trainer courses, you are essentially creating a smarter work environment for scheduling all your reservations.

It’s simple and easy to use, every tennis club owner can benefit from the court reservation system. Its innovative design can be customized to mesh with your existing website easily.    

If you want to give all your club members a seamlessly comfortable experience when booking reservations with you, adding this plugin to your website is the best thing to do. 

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What Is A Pyramid Tournament In Tennis?

What Is A Pyramid Tournament In Tennis?

What Is A Pyramid Tournament In Tennis?

Pyramid tournaments in tennis can be a lot of fun and are often a great way to keep people excited about playing the sport. It’s not just about winning or losing; it’s more about seeing how far you can climb the ladder to snag one of the top positions. If you’re curious and wondering, What is a pyramid tournament in tennis? Then this comprehensive article will tell you everything you need to know about playing in a tennis pyramid tournament.
Pyramide Tournament - Example 2

What is a pyramid tournament in tennis?

A tennis pyramid tournament, aka ladder tournament, is a competition that allows tennis players to move up strategically and down a ladder according to their match wins. The player who reaches the top of the pyramid and remains in that spot is declared the winner. 

However, many tennis pyramid tournaments don’t have a set deadline in mind, and they allow these to go on indefinitely. This is a competitive philosophy that keeps members of a club engaged with the game of tennis. 

There is nothing more exciting than seeing your name on a board that continues to go up or, in some cases, down the rungs of the ladder. Either way, it builds hype and keeps players focused on bringing their best game to the court.  

How does a pyramid tournament in tennis work?

In simple form, any player can challenge another player that holds a higher position on the ladder. However, there are many modifications that club owners can implement, such as requiring an opponent to be within a certain range on the pyramid before scheduling the challenge match. 

This prevents somebody at the bottom of the pyramid from bypassing all the players in the middle and going straight to the top player. This concept suggests that a tennis player must earn their position and can only challenge the opponent that holds the current spot above them. 

Depending on how big a tennis club is or how many members decide to participate in the pyramid tournament can determine the challenge’s longevity. This is why most club owners will use scheduling software like Court Reservation to ensure that all the competitions are organized accordingly.   

Pyramide Tournament - Example 1

Example 1: No. 18 can challenge 17 and 16 in his row, as well as the 15, 14 and 13 above him, but not 12 because it is above him on the left.

Pyramide Tournament - Example 2

Example 2: No. 15 can challenge 14, 13, 12 and 11, but not 10 because he is not on the right above him, but on the left.

Standards

There are standards put in place to ensure every tennis player is set to play an opponent in their same skill category. This makes the tournament fair and provides each player an equal opportunity to reach the top of the pyramid. 

The tennis pyramid tournament can be designed to accommodate both single and doubles matches. If the club has enough members, they might even have a separate contest for each class based on skill sets

Many players will search their opponents based on rating or skill, and depending on the player’s availability, they may choose to schedule their match as quickly as possible.  

Variations

As we mentioned above, tennis club owners can decide whether to put a deadline on a tournament to declare a winner. Many of these types of competitions are designed to allow players to pick and choose who they want to challenge.

In some cases, more than one tennis club is involved, and players can pick and choose the location they want to play at as well. Most match times are standard unless a mutual agreement was set forth to allow longer match formats. 

Typically these types of events are open to all ages and include both men and women tennis players. However, there could be limitations to how young players can be, and in some cases, a separate pyramid tournament will be established to accommodate the younger generations. 

Ratings and Rankings

In some tennis pyramid tournaments, players are ranked according to their skill level and can only challenge players that are equal to them or above their rating. This helps encourage less skillful players to work on their game and challenge the next level of ranking above them.

This also prevents a player with a higher skill level from challenging another player in a lower-ranking position. This may seem absurd, but you’d be surprised what some players will do for an ego boost.

Are there prizes awarded at some point?

Yes, there are milestones in many tennis pyramid tournaments, such as every three or six months when that phase of a tournament is determined as a ‘final results’ board. In that case, there usually are prizes awarded to the top positions.

After that phase is completed, the next tennis pyramid tournament is started. Different tennis clubs or associations can determine the events’ length and whether or not there will be a final date for the tennis pyramid tournament. 

It isn’t uncommon for these types of competitions to go on for years. They are considered a fun way to enjoy tennis and allow players to compete whenever they desire. 

Some believe that these tournaments are great for morale and keep people motivated to stay physically active. 

How do tennis club owners schedule these types of tournaments?

It can be a rather challenging task to keep a pyramid tournament organized. However, many club owners are turning to software like Court Reservation to make the process much more efficient and easier to schedule.   

When a tennis club owner or organizer uses scheduling software, they are able to:

  • Block off a certain amount of time for each match that doesn’t interfere with their regular scheduling practices.
  • They can modify or delete any match that is disqualified or needs to be rescheduled. 
  • Determine how much time is needed for the upcoming matches in the tournament and schedule the events accordingly. 
  • Notify club members of an upcoming challenge and send them emails for suggested matches from opposing players. 
        create tennis club website

        Conclusion

        We hope this article answered your question about ‘What is a pyramid tournament in tennis?’ with all the details we gave. If so, then you are ready to signup for your first tennis pyramid tournament! 

        If you’re a club owner, you now know what tools are necessary to keep your tennis tournament organized and scheduled without any issues.   

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              How to Onboard More Members to Your Tennis Club

              How to Onboard More Members to Your Tennis Club

              How to Onboard More Members to Your Tennis Club

              Tennis is one of the world’s most popular games, but how do you attract more members to your tennis club? According to Statista, there are over 7000 tennis clubs in England. Plus, the United States is home to over 250,000 tennis courts. So you have a lot of competition to onboard members. There are many American tennis players; over 18 million U.S. citizens play tennis, including 345,000 high school students. There is no shortage of people playing the sport.

              Let’s see How to onboard more members to your tennis club.

              onboard members tennis club

              Use a multi-sport system.

              Numerous tennis clubs that were struggling to gain members decided to implement a multi-sport strategy. You don’t have to use the club purely for tennis; you can use it for hockey, seven-a-side football, seven-a-side rugby, or even basketball. 

              If you’re offering great rates to play various sports, many people will start playing tennis. 

              Having a diverse facility often attracts people to join because they see a wide range of opportunities and events. Choice opens the eyes of those who are unsure, and you may even build a group of tennis players who hadn’t considered playing the game. 

              Build a social media following

              Social media is an entity that many people avoid using when building a business. However, it is one of the best ways to bring eyes to your tennis clubs. Start a Facebook page and target those living in your local community. 

              Instagram is a fabulous business opportunity because you can directly target your clients.  Also, if you’re looking to find people that might help you on a business level, you should utilize Linkedin. 

              In 2021, people avoid using social media to build their brand, but it is essential. Plus, they are free platforms to use. 

              Have an attractive website

              If you have a great website, you can bring severe eyes to your tennis club. Make sure the website is aesthetic and easy to use. Some people try to cut costs and build a website themselves, and if you can create one, that is great. However, if you can’t, you can outsource your website on Upwork and Fiverr. 

              More importantly, your website needs to be SEO optimized. Write tonnes of articles on tennis, and make sure you write articles that provide value. Once your website starts to rank on Google, people will begin to come. 

              You want people to search for tennis clubs in your area, and your club ranks in the top three on google. 

              create tennis club website

              Use emails and newsletters.

              Many business owners fail to utilize the importance of emails and newsletters. You could hire an email copywriter to use words that force the readers to take action and visit your club. 

              If you combine special offers with creative emails, newsletters, and excellent copy, you can attract vast amounts of new members.

              If you have on-going members, you can send offers via email that encourage them to bring their friends along to the club. For example, free day passes for friends and family members of current members. If you’re wondering How to onboard more members to your tennis club, this is a great way to do so. 

              Have special offers

              The importance of a fair offer – as cliche as it may sound – is understated, especially in the tennis club industry. One of the biggest hurdles that many people have when considering taking up tennis as a hobby is the fees required to join a tennis club. 

              If you are not sure that you’ll enjoy playing tennis, you might decide against expensive tennis club fees.

              That is where beginner-free programs can help immensely. Offer new members who are new to playing tennis the chance to start for free. Perhaps a month for free? Whatever it is, the opportunity to get people participating in tennis at your club is always a great way to entice new members to your tennis club. 

              Start a YouTube channel.

              YouTube is vastly under-used by small businesses, but it is an excellent way to gain exposure to your tennis club. Did you know that YouTube is the second-most visited website on the globe? 

              Besides, 37 percent of mobile traffic goes to YouTube, and YouTube has 2 billion users of all ages. Many eyes are on the website, it’s free to use, and you can start creating content that brings eyes to your tennis club. 

              You could start a channel that focuses on necessary tennis skills, expert tennis skills, or even a website on building a tennis club? If you manage to tie your tennis club to your YouTube content – it can be a winning formula for your business. 

               

              Cross-promote with local sports clubs

              Are there lots of gyms, sports clubs, and health clubs in your area? If so, why not find a way to advertise in those clubs? It is an excellent way to your tennis club in front of active people, who are your potential client market. 

              Furthermore, a great spot to find your future is clients at colleges and high schools, with over 345,000 students playing tennis; the potential is massive. 

              Offering special offers to people at these places, including free day passes and free events, is a great idea. 

              Get live radio or TV coverage.

              You might think you need a considerable budget to get on these two forms of media, and you would be right for the most part. However, it is possible to run charity events that line up with the TV and radio stations. 

              TV stations and radio stations are always attracted to a great charity event, and it can bring vast eyes and ears to your tennis club. You don’t always need thousands of dollars to get in front of tens of thousands of people’s ears and eyes. 

              Conclusion

              Tennis is a vastly popular sport, and it always will be. It doesn’t matter where you go in the world; people love playing tennis. It is a sport loved and played by every culture in every corner of the world. 

              If you implement innovative digital marketing strategies, get your offers right, get your pricing right, and create excellent content, people will come down to the tennis club. These strategies are How to onboard more members to your tennis club.

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              Best Marketing Strategies for your Tennis Club in 2021

              Best Marketing Strategies for your Tennis Club in 2021

              Best Marketing Strategies for your Tennis Club in 2021

              Getting the word out about your Tennis Club takes a little creativity and a lot of dedication. Thankfully, there are a number of tried-and-true methods that you may employ to get the ball rolling and start building the membership numbers that you need to survive and to grow. We’ve collected some of the best marketing strategies for your tennis club for you to try and we think that you will be pleasantly surprised. All it takes is a little creativity and the ability to recognize the opportunities in front of you.

              tennis club marketing strategies

              Getting local businesses in on the action

              It is in your best interest to get in touch with your local sporting goods vendors. Since you are running a tennis club you are in a position to send a lot of business their way. They, in turn, can likely offer you a good discount and are quite likely to be willing to help get word of your club around.

              As you develop a good relationship with this business, who knows? They might be willing to donate or heavily discount prize items for competitions that you sponsor or more. Getting them involved with your tennis club just makes good sense.

              Flyers are still popular for a reason

              With your newfound local business friends you’ve got a great way to get your flyers out to the general public. Don’t stop there, however, as there are a number of other places where you can get your flyers or signs out in the public eye.

              Make some friends at your local gym and consider posting information on bulletin boards at local schools. Local parks are another place to spread the word. People who are active frequent these places and will be happy to hear that there is something new they can participate in.

              Offer discounts for younger members

              Creating membership tiers is a good idea and you can always create something special for the younger members, especially the kids. Tennis clinics where they can work on their swing are good and easier to set up than private lessons. After all, you’ve got that club space, so why not take advantage of the free time that is available there?

              Student discounts are also a good idea and you can even make them creative, perhaps offering the discount for new member ‘pairs’. Whichever way you market it, students are web savvy and can really help to get attention for your tennis club. Also, if you’ve got a good thing going then these are members that are going to stick around for a long time.

              A discount now for years of membership? Definitely makes sense.

              Facebook group with Tennis tips videos

              While having a webpage is nice a quick way to get a web presence started is to simply create a Facebook Group for your tennis club. This gives you a way to blog about events, promote socialization, post-training videos, and to take on guest-members to get their curiosity piqued.

              It’s an easy way to get started in developing a web presence and with social media, it is a lot more fun than reading an automatically-emailed newsletter. You can have one of those too, of course, but an interactive medium like Facebook will get you a lot more attention and gives everyone in the club a chance to invite their friends to the group to learn a little more.

              Guest memberships

              Consider marketing a ‘try before you buy’ type guest membership into your tennis club at least once per quarter/4 times per year. You can provide a 1-month guest membership and have a great time of it, offering your standard clinics and socials and letting the outside folks see what they are missing.

              A few ‘Members vs. Guest Members’ tournaments with some of your best members playing can help to show how much prospective members can learn and between this and the socialization the odds are that your membership is going to increase. Give it a try and see for yourself!

              tennis club competitions modes

              Take advantage of Wimbledon

              Hosting Wimbledon-watching events is a great way to get people socializing and to draw some attention to your tennis club. Make sure you’ve got a large TV or maybe even a projector to maximize the viewing experience and lots of good food to go with the fun.

              It’s an easy and quick step from ‘guest’ to ‘member’ and one should never underestimate the drawing power of a good social event.

              Set up a good referral program

              Get your club members to actively refer and recruit by offering incentives, such as discounts, gift cards, or even prizes if you are running a yearly ‘recruiting drive’. Those local businesses are often quite willing to help in the prize department, so it never hurts to ask, but don’t limit referrals to a yearly event.

              Put together a clear plan, print it out, and make sure that your members know. A little motivation can go a long way.

              Don’t let good space go unused

              You’ve got a lot of property associated with your tennis club, why not rent out some of that space when it’s not in use? Rooms that you have free can be used for parties, corporate-sponsored events, and more. Your tennis club can make some good revenue there and all you are doing just maximizing that free space.

              Just a little something to think about

              tennis club food

              Some final advice on marketing your tennis club

              Marketing is a constant challenge but it can be a little easier if you break your year down into quarters and plan which tennis club marketing strategies you will use by quarter. As you find out what works best for you then you’ll develop some marketing standards but don’t forget to mix things up a little.

              Keep it interesting and your membership will keep growing. You can count on it!

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