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Racquet Tech Publishing
Taking Your Tennis On Tour: The Business, Science and Reality of Going Pro
By Bonita L. Marks, PhD
Thousands of players try to make it on the men's tennis pro circuit every year—yet the majority of them do not know how to turn their pro tennis dream into a sound business venture. The player is thrust into the position of being his own coach, travel agent, financier, sports agent, lawyer, and accountant. Amidst all that, he must find the time to stay in shape and practice to win tennis matches. Chapter by chapter, this book guides players, coaches, and parents through the nuts and bolts of turning pro. This book will help you:
- Make the college-to-pro transition
- Create a sponsorship package
- Market yourself
- Keep your sponsor (and you) happy
- File taxes correctly
- Be your own personal trainer
- Develop your business plan
- Understand a sponsorship contract
- Avoid sponsorship and touring nightmares
- Manage yourself successfully
Stories and insights from former and current pro players and coaches make this book a must-have for any aspiring tennis pro.
Bonita L. Marks, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Marks' research has been published in such notable journals as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, and Medicine and Science in Tennis. Her research has also been featured in a variety of media including the New York Times, MSNBC, NBC World Radio News, Shape, and Men's Health.
CONTENTS
PART 1: THE ROAD TO THE PROS
Chapter 1. The College Route to the Pros
Surviving College
Does An Outstanding College Tennis Career Predict Your Pro Future?
Life after College and Tennis
PART 2: THE SCIENCE OF GOING PRO
Chapter 2: Physical Toughness
Sports Success: Born or Bred?
Conditioning: You Really Must "Just Do It"
Your Energy Systems
Training Specificity
How Do You Measure Up?
Muscular Endurance
Chapter 3: Nutritional Toughness
You Are What You Eat
What Should You Eat?
Your Basic Competition Meal Plan
Red Flag: The Dehydration Road to Cramping
Supplements: Help, Hype, or Horror?
Chapter 4: Mental Toughness
So You Were a College Super-Star: Now What?
Cultivating Discipline: The Making of a (Successful) Tennis Pro
Handling Match Stress: Learning from Losing
Handling Personal Stress: The Match Marches On
PART 3: THE BUSINESS OF GOING PRO
Chapter 5: Develop Your Business Sense
Can You Fire Your Family?
The Taxman Cometh
Philanthropy
Chapter 6: Financial Planning
Financial Wizardry: What's in Your Wallet?
Budget Planning
Chapter 7: Your Sponsorship Plan
Types of Sponsorships
Selling Yourself: Creating Your Tennis Sponsorship Packet
Whom To Approach?
Coming to Terms with the "No" Word
Don't Violate NCAA Gifting Rules
The Progress Report
About Corporate Support
Successful Sponsorship: Life of Brian
Your Sponsorship Packet Worksheets
Chapter 8: Sponsorship Contracts
Evaluating Your Sponsorship Contract
The Parties
Definitions
Promotional Rights and Exclusivity
Terms of the Contract
Renewals
Payment Options
Multiple Sponsors, Assignment, and Indemnity
Termination
Sample Sponsorship Agreement (Contract)
Revised Original Contract
Renewal/Addendum to a Contract
Chapter 9: Do You Need a Sports Agent?
When You Are Good Enough, They Will Come
Where Are the Agents?
Agents Listing
PART 4: THE REALITY OF GOING PRO
Chapter 10: Matchmaking
Choosing Your Matches
Tournament Resource Directory
Hotels
Train, Plane, or Automobile: Can You Get There from Here?
Currency Conversions
Weather and Other Stuff That Will Mess with Your Mind and Your Game
Looking for a Few Good Men—Choosing Doubles Partners, Training Partners, and Coaches
The Coach Dilemma
Chapter 11: Travel Toughness
Futures Travel: The School of Hard Knocks
Jet Lag
Less Is More
Body-checking
Don't Drink the Water
Medical Stuff
In the Players' Own Words: The Best and Worst Aspects of Circuit Life
Do Blonds Have More Fun?
When Good Players Go Bad
Chapter 12: Knowing When to 'Hang it Up'
The Decision
Chapter 13: Looks Like You 'Made It'
Knowing When You've 'Made It'
Looks Like He 'Made It'
Did They 'Make It'?
References and Additional Reading
Index