Competitive threats rarely arrive out of nowhere. More often, they come from places you know well. That was the reality the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) faced in mid-2025 with the launch of USTA Coaching—a new initiative from the sport’s most powerful governing body, backed by significant resources and national visibility. For decades, the relationship between the USTA and the RSPA had been complementary.

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.