Going green isn’t just about choosing between paper and plastic, or dragging newspapers to the curb. It’s about bringing the whole earth-friendly initiative into the game, and into the club. And it’s about starting now – not next season, not in the next fiscal year. The eco-friendly philosophy is already working for some of the industry’s heavy hitters. Head has partnered with the environmental charity Cool Earth, which protects the rainforests, something many believe will help counteract global warming. Wilson now uses recyclable materials in its tennis ball cans, and its string and grip packaging is made of 100 percent recyclable materials. Need more convincing? Billie Jean King has pioneered the Green Slam Initiative. Green Slam has the stated goal of raising eco-awareness in the sporting industry in order to help counteract global warming. Prince has already signed on as a partner in the initiative, which kicked off at the U.S. Open. World TeamTennis, another King project, has partnered with FirmGreen, which develops alternate energies from locally renewable sources. MICHAEL MAHONEY It’s not just big names, though – individual clubs and players are making the commitment. Michael Mahoney, general manager of Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago, has implemented green thinking in his club. “Probably like many facilities in this country, our club was built in 1969 – not at a time when people were giving the same attention to the environment as they are today,” says Mahoney. “So what we’ve been focusing on are behavioral changes.” Behavioral change means educating members in the three Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle. Midtown itself has done away with Styrofoam cups and non-recyclable containers in its restaurant in favor of eco-friendly products. The club turns off the lights when courts are not in use, and pays its waste management company to have trash separated after collection. It has also reached outward, working with Chicago’s Gateway Green initiative to sponsor the landscaping and the planting of flowers along a portion of one of the thoroughfares near the club. Some green initiatives are big changes. Some are minor adjustments. Both count. TENNIS Magazine teamed up with Michael Mahoney to create a list of 12 positive things you can do to make your facility – and tennis in general – more earth-friendly. The bonus? They make players happy, and can be profit centers for the club. Are soft drinks and water available? Put containers for empties near the purchase point and near the courts. Or get rid of vending machines; have water coolers instead. Sell refillable sports bottles bearing the name of your club. In April, Mahoney says, Midtown is coming out with reusable hot cups for its members to carry whenever they stop for coffee. Yesterday’s news? If players tend to read newspapers or magazines while waiting for courts, put receptacles for paper near courts and near exits. Think of earth-friendly textiles for the pro shop. About 15 years ago, fleece vests and jackets made of recycled plastic soda bottles hit the market. Today, there are high-end athletic socks with recycled polyester fibers, wicking odor-control fabrics containing reclaimed textiles, and attire made of organic cotton and wool. Having a display of kind-to-the-planet attire can spark sales. At the same time, it showcases the club’s priorities. “I think our members have a sense that they want to be associated and affiliated with something that thinks beyond just running a business,” says Mahoney. “They want to be a part of something that has a commitment to something bigger. People respond very favorably to what they see as the right behaviors.” Get rid of plastic shopping bags. Switch to paper, but ask customers with a single item, “Do you need a bag?” They’ll probably say no. Have a container for used tennis balls. Donate balls to animal shelters, public schools and recreation programs. Putting a sign near the carton explaining ball donations will ensure that they keep coming in. “We donate hundreds of tennis balls to local organizations,” says Mahoney, whose program began after a club member asked what became of balls discarded after games. Have an athletic equipment drive. Talk to recreation and park departments and organizations serving lowincome youth. Many can use donated sporting goods. Encourage players to bring in not just old tennis racquets but baseball gloves and bats, soccer and football equipment, etc. This is also a good opportunity for positive publicity for your club. (Check out Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe, in which the rubber from old athletic shoes – all brands and types – is ground up and transformed into surfaces for tennis courts, soccer fields, running tracks and playgrounds.) Send club news via e-mail. “We’re sending more things electronically,” says Mahoney. “Printing less brochures uses less paper.” Use e-mail, as Mahoney has, to solicit members’ suggestions for recycling and saving energy at the club. Promote the new earth-friendly products in the pro shop, tell how much lower energy bills have been, how many tennis balls were donated to animal shelters, etc. Make restrooms and locker rooms more efficient. Low-flow showerheads and toilets can decrease a club’s water use. “All the products we use in our locker rooms have biodegradable content to them,” says Mahoney. (In e-mail to members, he encourages using fewer towels, which cuts down on washing and drying, and on the amount of detergent needed.) Use native, non-invasive plants in landscaping. If an outside contractor handles weeding and feeding, insist on environmentally safe fertilizers. Incentives for eco-conscious members. Add special parking spaces for hybrid cars or carpoolers, or bike shelters for cyclists. How eco-friendly are your courts? When rebuilding old hard courts, contractors can pulverize and recycle the court base. (This also cuts down on the amount of materials trucked to the site, which saves gas.) For soft courts (clay or fast-dry), underground watering systems conserve water. Newer light fixtures can be more energy-efficient. When updating fencing, go for a lower height to save on the amount of metal in use – or ask a contractor about fencing only behind the baselines and at corners. How about your building? When rehabbing your building, have a specialist do an eco-survey. Can energy-efficient glass be used? Is a more energy-efficient HVAC system needed? “Everything related to ecology has a domino effect,” says Mahoney, whose members have been overwhelmingly supportive of the measures Midtown has taken, and have even suggested many others. “It all starts as an awareness, a concern, a caring about the environment. I really think we’re going to continue to evolve into doing more and more environmentally- conscious things because it’s the right thing to do.”