Racquet Fuel provides insights into the best practices and innovations of racquets industry business leaders. Co-hosts Kim Bastable, Director of Professional Tennis Management at the University of Florida, and Simon Gale, Director of Racquet Sports at the USTA National Campus, help racquets leaders in your ability to grow the game and to improve the experiences you offer to both your staff and players by talking to industry leaders, including USTA executives, authors and innovators. If you are on a career path in racquet sports or already a racquets business leader and you want to stay up to date on ideas and innovations in racquets industry business and leadership, this podcast is for you. Presented by the Athlete+ Podcast Network at the University of Florida Institute for Coaching Excellence.
What does it take to lead 22 clubs, manage 250 pros, and grow the game of tennis across the country?
In this episode, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Mike Woody, Vice President and National Director of Tennis at Genesis Health Clubs, to dive into his remarkable leadership journey. From his early days as a tennis instructor to becoming a key industry leader, Mike shares powerful lessons on growth, rel...
If we have a shortage of pros and an abundance of positions in the racquets industry, why must you make your resume stand out? The reason is because the employer is still seeking the best person for the position. In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale give their opinion on how you can make the best first impression - one that will almost guarantee getting you to the top of the interview pile. They sha...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale tackle one of the most critical yet nuanced aspects of leadership: communication. From creating role clarity to fostering open dialogue, Kim and Simon share practical strategies for improving team communication and empowerment. With alarming Gallup data showing that half of American workers feel unclear about their job expectations, they emphasize why leaders mus...
In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale have an engaging conversation with Mike Barrell about the evolution of racquet sports, particularly the impact of pickleball and padel on traditional tennis. Mike brings over 20 years of experience in the tennis industry, sharing his unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities presented by these complementary sports.
They discuss the economi...
In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Butch Staples to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing the tennis industry today: staff retention and development. Butch brings decades of experience as a coach and leader, sharing his perspective on how we can better support and develop our teams to keep talented young pros in the industry.
They explore the fears that hold many le...
In Part 2 of our Hiring series, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Michael DiRaimondo on the Racquet Fuel Podcast to tackle the complexities of hiring international tennis professionals. Michael, a Certified Tennis Pro, Club Owner, and Immigration Lawyer, brings his deep expertise to the conversation. They discuss the challenges of hiring international applicants, who are often highly desired and needed in the indus...
In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale discuss the similarities and differences between golf and tennis, particularly in terms of the work realities of golf pros and tennis pros. They are joined by Anthony Vitale: Director and Coach of Athlete Development for the PGA of America. He shares his background and role at the PGA before they discuss the difference between touring pros and teachin...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, host Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Dave Konecky, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at the USTA, to explore the challenges and emerging trends in hiring leadership roles within the tennis industry. Together, they explore the industry's talent shortage, the significance of cultural fit, and the power of behavioral questions during interviews. They also discuss best practices f...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale interview Jo Wallen, the General Manager of the National Campus at USTA, about her journey to leadership. They discuss the importance of learning from others and the path to leadership. Jo shares her story of starting in tennis at a young age, transitioning from playing on the Pro Tour to coaching and club management, and eventually landing her current role...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale discuss the critical role of communication in leadership. They share the alarming statistics regarding employee understanding of expectations and the importance of clarity and empowerment in communication. The conversation covers handling sensitive topics, the significance of written communication, effective meeting strategies, and the necessity of clear task dea...
In this re-run episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale continue their conversation with Dr. Tim Elmore; a thought leader, author, and researcher, founder of the non-profit Growing Leaders. Elmore shares about the social media battle between generations that brought him to write his newest book, “A New Kind of Diversity.” Simon and Kim provide Tim with some racquets-industry challenges regarding age diver...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale speak with Dr. Tim Elmore: a thought leader, author, and founder of the non-profit, Growing Leaders. Elmore shares about the social media battle between generations that brought him to write his newest book, “A New Kind of Diversity." He discusses the generational gap of “kids these days” and where it really started, and how we need to be working together t...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, which originally aired July 21st, 2023 - hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale continue the conversation with Chris Gale for the second part of the Gale brothers story. They discuss various broad topics such Prince Woodie, Ash Barty's cricket game and first jobs. They delve into the definition of leadership and the responsibilities that come with it, highlighting the importance of work-life bal...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, which originally aired July 14th, 2023, hosts Kim Bastable speaks with brothers Simon and Chris Gale. Originally from Perth, Australia they both have a unique pathway to becoming a Director of Racquet Sports: Chris at the River Oaks Country Club and Simon at the USTA National Campus. They share their “sliding door moment” that introduced them to having a career in tennis, the changes they’v...
In this episode, Kim Bastable re-interviews Alejandra Suarez, one of the owners of North Texas Racquet Club, to discuss the leadership successes and challenges they have faced in their first summer of operation. They cover topics such as guided open play, organizing events, dealing with weather challenges, and staffing issues. Alejandra shares insights on how they have adapted and learned from these experiences, emphasizin...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale speak with Joe Curto, the owner of Yonkers Tennis Center in Westchester County, New York. Curto speaks about the highs and lows of of the last 37 years of Club ownership, providing insights into the past and present journey into the role, transitioning from the day-to-day to delegation, what it takes to be a good leader, the people who make the difference, ...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale speak with Jason Allen. He is the Program Director for the USTA’s exciting new two year university like apprenticeship program, aimed at cultivating both on-court and off-court management skills essential for a thriving career in the racquet sports industry. This innovative program, led by Simon and Jason, offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to brid...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale speak with Craig Morris, the USTA's Chief Executive for Community Tennis. Morris provides updates and insights into the USTA's plans and initiatives for addressing challenges in the recruitment and hiring of leaders in the racquets industry. He also shares his personal journey from tennis player to coach and leadership development and offers mentorship advi...
In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale engage in conversation with veteran industry leader Chuck Gill. Together they explore how Chuck intentionally navigated his career, setting personal goals in his learning and development to enable him to reach career longevity and success in all of his roles. As someone who has worked as a Director in many types of racquets facilities, Chuck gives some insi...
Tracy Almeda-Singian, a former professional tennis player, is now the Senior Director of Sports Marketing at St Jude Children's Research Hospital. She shares her pivotal story about transitioning from a Head Professional and Director of Events at a tennis club to jumping into the corporate world of marketing. While in various roles she has learned many lessons about personal branding, social media, and networking. So why d...
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