USTA Press Release, March 22, 2019

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced Wednesday that it will partner with Cliff Drysdale Management to work together to continue growing the sport of tennis, especially among younger players.

Supplementing its current youth programs, all Cliff Drysdale-managed facilities and their tennis professionals will receive resources, support and coaching tools from the USTA, including access to the USTA’s Net Generation youth tennis offerings and its adult suite of programs and apps.

Net Generation is the USTA’s youth tennis brand designed to get more kids ages 5-to-18 playing the sport. Through a smartphone app, coaches and players can connect on practice activities, and receive feedback and skill assessments at the click of a button.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with Cliff Drysdale Management to provide exceptional customer experiences and access for new, current and former tennis players across some of the most recognized public tennis centers, tennis clubs and destination resorts in the country,” said  Gordon Smith, USTA Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director.

“Our mission has always been to improve the tennis delivery system in an effort to grow the game,” said Don Henderson, Chief Executive Officer and President of Cliff Drysdale Management. “We’re thrilled to officially partner with the USTA, utilize their resources to support our coaches, help introduce more players into tennis, and retain those players for years to come.”

A recent acquisition by Troon®, the international leader in club management, has provided Cliff Drysdale Management with additional bandwidth, making it one of the largest and most influential deliverers of tennis programming in the country.

As part of this new partnership with the USTA, Cliff Drysdale-managed facilities and teaching professionals will engage in and support the USTA’s Net Generation youth brand by registering and completing a mandatory Safe Play background check.

“We are proud that Cliff Drysdale Management has adopted Net Generation for their youth programming,” said Craig Morris, USTA Chief Executive Community Tennis. “Curriculum linked to the Net Generation app will support their coaches in delivering a fantastic on-court experience for kids across the country.”  

The USTA and Cliff Drysdale Management will also collaborate on ways to attract adult players into the sport through a range of new USTA competitive and social leagues, tournaments and team events.