Bocce, Budgets, and the Business of Member Experience

Season 26, Episode 24 - Shaun Boyce, Bobby Schindler

Tom Ruth and Katie Ruth are the first married couple to join the GoTennis podcast, and they run racket sports programs ten miles apart on Hilton Head Island. Katie is the Director of Racket Sports at Moss Creek, and Tom is the Sports Center Director at Long Cove Club. They break down what it takes to run a tennis and pickleball program inside an HOA, where every amenity loses money and the real job is proving your department deserves its share of the budget.

Key Topics

• The first husband and wife pair on the GoTennis podcast, running HOA racket programs ten miles apart
• How Tom and Katie get real feedback from members, beyond the annual survey
• Why no amenity at either club makes money, and what that means for budget conversations
• The debate over private lessons: inefficient drain or necessary member experience
• How to justify a growing racket budget when golf still comes first
• Katie and Tom's answers to our signature question, king and queen of tennis

Keywords: Tom Ruth, Katie Ruth, Long Cove Club, Moss Creek, Hilton Head tennis, HOA racket sports programs, director of racket sports, tennis club budget, pickleball club management, club member experience, GoTennis podcast, ARA, American Racket Sports Association

Sound Bites: "The more money you touch, the more money you make." "We are in the feelings business." "For fifteen hundred dollars, Tom will wear his pants."

Full YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/-CtH5498sXs

King of Tennis Video Tom: https://youtube.com/shorts/8uceq2Yt0fk?feature=share

Queen of Tennis Video Katie: https://youtube.com/shorts/dqXstT8ne3E?feature=share

are Private Lessons worth it: https://youtu.be/rkVksyQ1A_A

Contact Our Hosts

• Shaun Boyce, RSPA: shaun@americanracketsportsassociation.com | https://americanracketsportsassociation.com/
• Bobby Schindler, RSPA: schindlerb@comcast.net | https://letsgotennis.com/windermere
• Geovanna Boyce: geovy@regeovinate.com | https://regeovinate.com/
• GoTennis Website: https://letsgotennis.com/

Learn more about the Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award we (the GoTennis! Podcast) won from USTA Georgia: https://letsgotennis.com/captivate-podcast/gotennis-podcast-wins-the-marc-kaplan-media-excellence-award/

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Note: swap in the YouTube link once you have it. Let me know if Tom or Katie have a club website or LinkedIn you want added as a "Learn more about" link.