It’s been more than 35 years since Ronald Reagan stated, during his first inaugural address, “Those who say that we’re in a time when there are no heroes, they just don’t know where to look.” We discovered heroes in every state, starting with the determined 69-year-old who won a match at an ITF Pro Circuit event earlier this year in the Alabama town of Pelham, and culminating with the coach who has overcome multiple sclerosis to build a winning program at the University of Wyoming. Their compelling stories of courage, perseverance and achievement demonstrate that the message delivered by our 40th President rings as true today as it did then.
Tennis is a sport for a lifetime; a perfect way to exercise, socialize and compete at any age. Greeting-card sentiments aside, it’s also a business.
No one knows that better than Mike Temple. He and his wife started playing tennis in their hometown of Portland, OR, in their mid-40s as a way to stay active. A “typical 3.5” player, he admits that he has no weapons to speak of on the court, aside from his height.
“They say you can’t teach tall,” the 6’3” Temple says with a laugh.
It turns out that his skills off the court packed the real offensive punch. With decades of professional experience in executive financial roles, Temple began serving as treasurer of the USTA Pacific Northwest in 1999. When he was elected section president nine years later, he made it his mission to shift the focus from membership numbers to grassroots growth and engagement.
In order to convince public facilities to host low-cost tennis programs, Temple worked closely with the section’s executive staff leaders to help create RecTennis, a family-focused, turnkey initiative with little risk to the host facility. Local USTA offices handle the curriculum, equipment, staffing and registration, even sharing residual profits with participating cities.
Since rolling out the program in four cities across two states in the summer of 2014, it has seen exponential growth. This year, RecTennis had over 5,200 registrants participating in 29 cities across eight states, with over 400 (primarily seasonal) jobs created this season alone. In addition to providing over $12,000 in scholarships, the program has contributed nearly $125,000 in court maintenance and facility support.
Other states have taken notice. The USTA Pacific Northwest is assisting Southern California, Hawaii and Tennessee in implementing RecTennis pilot programs.
As the section’s brainchild continues to expand, Temple uses his current role as a USTA sectional delegate to mentor the local leadership, challenging them to “think bigger and go for it, rather than play it safe.”
“All I am is one cog in a great big wheel,” he says. “It’s very rewarding to be able to participate in that.”
Temple’s “go big” strategy is well on its way to impacting the game nationwide. He’s also proven that the business of tennis can create winners all around.