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INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD
Real-world perspective on strategy, growth, competitive pressure, and leadership under constraint. No theory. No recycled frameworks. Just lessons from the work — and what actually holds up when decisions carry real consequences.


The Racquet Sports Industry Finally Has Real Compensation Data
For as long as I can remember, racquet sports professionals have negotiated compensation based on what the last person made, what the club thought was fair, or what a GM heard at a conference. That just changed. The American Racket Sports Association published the first independent compensation benchmark for racquet sports professionals — built entirely on verified IRS 990 filings. Not surveys. Not estimates. Sworn public disclosures from nonprofit clubs that are legally requ
May 202 min read


The U.S. Racquet Sports Market Looks Different When You See the Global Data
The 2026 global racquet sports participation data is out. Here's what it actually means for tennis, padel, and pickleball operators, investors, and brands navigating the U.S. market right now.
Apr 277 min read


The Global Padel Ecosystem Is Being Built Right Now — International Padel Cluster Names First U.S. Partner
The International Padel Cluster just named its first U.S. International Development Partner. Here's why that matters — and what it means for American companies serious about where padel is headed.
Apr 213 min read


The International Padel Cluster Makes It Official
The International Padel Cluster has appointed Mike Knowles of Inside the Lines Advisory as U.S. International Development Partner — one of the first two partners appointed globally.
Apr 161 min read


What 81,000 People Told Anthropic — And What It Means If You Run a Racquet Sports Business
Anthropic interviewed over 80,000 people across 159 countries about what they want from AI — and what they fear. HR leaders are citing it. Educators are citing it. Nobody in racquet sports has touched it. Here's what it means for the decisions you're making right now.
Apr 104 min read


Courts Don't Create Demand: The Pickleball Facility Marketing Problem Nobody Talks About
Most pickleball operators are over-built on courts and under-built on brand. The operators who win the next five years will treat pickleball facility marketing as seriously as they treat site selection and construction.
Apr 75 min read


Racquet Sports Club Marketing: The Event Didn't Sell Your Club. What Got Them There Did.
A great Thursday night social is one of the most powerful tools a racquet sports club has. But events alone aren't a racquet sports club marketing strategy. Here's what most clubs get wrong — and what the best ones do differently.
Apr 23 min read


Inside the Lines Advisory: Navigating the Growth Challenges in Racquet Sports
I went to RacquetX 2026 with a thesis. The floor confirmed it. Here's what five thousand people and three days taught me about the real problem in racquet sports right now.
Mar 164 min read


The Participation Paradox: Why Racquet Sports Membership Growth Isn't Keeping Up With Player Demand
Racquet sports participation is up. Membership isn't following. Here's why most facilities have a demand strategy problem — not a marketing problem.**
Mar 92 min read


Scaling a Challenger Brand in a Commodity Category — Without Sacrificing Margin
Scaling a challenger brand inside a commodity category isn’t about making more noise. It’s about protecting differentiation while expanding reach. Here’s how disciplined positioning and integrated execution drove +15% dollar growth on the most profitable product line in the portfolio — without sacrificing margin.
Feb 253 min read


Why Clarity, Discipline, and Accountability Matter More Once the Real Work Begins
Most strategies don’t fail in the room where they’re created. They fail under execution pressure — when priorities collide, resources tighten, and accountability is tested.
Feb 183 min read


Racquet Sports Rebrand: Rebranding a 97-Year Institution Under Competitive Pressure
Rebranding is never just a marketing exercise—especially when the organization has nearly a century of history and a membership base that cares deeply about how things have always been done.
That was the situation at the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) when we undertook a full enterprise rebrand from the USPTA to the RSPA—one of the most important transitions the organization had faced in decades.
Feb 45 min read


Modernizing the Front Door Without a Budget — Rebuilding Trust, Conversion, and Member Value from the Ground Up
There’s a moment every organization hits where the problem isn’t strategy — it’s infrastructure.
That was the case at the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) when I took a hard look at two foundational systems that touched nearly every member and prospect: the website and the Career Center.
Both were critical. Both were underperforming. And neither had meaningful budget behind them.
Feb 43 min read
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