Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

There isn`t anything at all preventing so-called minority groups from playing tennis. It isn`t a sport for "the wealthy." Sailing is a sport for the wealthy, or horse racing.

We could just as easily say that basketball is a sport for the poor, and the lack of majorities in professional basketball is troublesome. Will there ever come a time when wealthy suburban white folks will be interested in basketball? If so, how would be market such a sport to them?

The reason "advantaged" (as opposed to disadvantaged) kids play tennis is because they grow up in an environment where their parents and peers are focused on expanding their experiences. They`re told to go out into the world and diversify, learn things, try things out to see if they like them.

More often than not, in poverty environments, people are struggling just to stay alive---to survive. They don`t have time to do "as many" things. That doesn`t mean they can`t pick and choose what it is they`d like to try. A tennis racket isn`t any more expensive than a basketball, and you can string a jumprope between two trees to make a net.

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There`s a huge difference between stating a fact that tennis is a sport for the wealthy, versus talking about the sense that tennis is perceived as such a sport. When you`re dealing with perceptions, you`re also dealing with subjective feelings.

As to your statement that tennis is unpopular in the US, I`d take issue with that. All we`d have to do is research the annual revenues of the tennis industry. Are they as high as basketball? Probably not...but I thnk they`re likely more than a few dollars. :-)

The bottom line is that trying to start a business to attract minority groups (ethnic groupings) toward a product/service they`re not interested in is going to be a problem.

I think this would be better as a nonprofit business idea than a for profit.  I have considered doing the same thing in the past.    

Check out the NJTL

yea it makes since for the USTA to have it but i dont know of that many other orgs like this that are profitable ....I say go the nonprofit route!