Section 1 of 19

About you

This helps us follow up if we have questions, and stays internal.

Your name

Your role

How long have you been involved with the racquets program

Which program do you follow most closely

Tennis Platform tennis Both equally Other

Section 2 of 19

The outgoing director

Be specific. This is what actually shapes the next hire.

Overall impression of their tenure

What worked well

What didn't work

Specific situations help more than general impressions

How responsive were they to members and the committee

Very responsive Somewhat responsive Rarely responsive Not responsive

How would you rate their on-court teaching

How should the next director's time and ability be weighted

Industry-wide, leadership ability now typically outweighs personal teaching or playing ability in hiring decisions

Leadership and business ability matter far more Both matter about equally Teaching and playing ability still matter most Not sure

Any concerns about conduct or professionalism

Leave blank if none

Section 3 of 19

Communication

How the department talked to the people it serves.

Communication with members

Excellent Good Fair Poor

Communication with the committee or board

Excellent Good Fair Poor

How communication actually happened

Email Club app or platform Bulletin board or signage Text or group chat Newsletter In person only, mostly word of mouth

Specific communication failures or gaps

Missed announcements, confusion about schedules, last-minute changes, anything that comes to mind

Section 4 of 19

Staff

The assistant pros and teaching staff, not just the director.

Quality of teaching staff overall

Staff turnover or morale issues you noticed

Any coverage problems

Cancelled lessons, no-shows, gaps in staffing during busy periods

How well the director managed and supported staff

Would the club support formal leadership titles for assistant pros, to help with retention

e.g. head pickleball professional, junior tennis coordinator. Staff burnout and lack of advancement is the industry's biggest retention challenge right now

Yes, actively support this Open to it, not currently doing it No Not sure

Section 5 of 19

Tennis programming, by season

Spring, summer, and fall each have their own rhythm. Answer whichever you know best.

Spring tennis

Summer tennis

Fall tennis

Biggest gaps across the tennis season as a whole

Section 6 of 19

Platform tennis

If this doesn't apply to your club, check the box below and move on.

Doesn't apply, we don't currently offer platform tennis

Fall platform tennis

Winter platform tennis

Biggest gaps in the platform tennis program

Section 7 of 19

Pickleball

If this doesn't apply to your club, check the box below and move on.

Doesn't apply, we don't currently offer pickleball

How pickleball is currently run

Dedicated courts, shared with tennis, drop-in vs. programmed play

Participation levels and member interest

Biggest issues with the pickleball program

Court time conflicts with tennis, noise, scheduling, anything else

Section 8 of 19

Padel

If this doesn't apply to your club, check the box below and move on.

Doesn't apply, we don't currently offer padel

How padel is currently run

Participation levels and member interest

Biggest issues with the padel program

Section 9 of 19

Capital projects

New courts, renovations, added sports, clubhouse work, anything on the horizon.

Any capital projects planned or being discussed for the next few years

New courts, renovations, clubhouse upgrades, adding pickleball, padel, or platform tennis

What role should the new director play in capital projects

Lead the planning and execution Support and provide input, not lead Minimal to no involvement Not sure, depends on the project

How important is prior capital project or facility development experience

Essential Nice to have Not important

Anything else about capital plans the next director should know

Section 10 of 19

Retail and pro shop

Merchandising is part of the job at most clubs, worth sizing up on its own.

How the pro shop is currently run

Club-owned, director-operated, commission-based, staffing

Quality and selection of retail offerings

How important is retail or merchandising experience in the next hire

Essential Nice to have Not important

Should pro shop performance factor into how the director's success is measured

Yes, significantly Somewhat No, keep it separate Not sure

Section 11 of 19

Junior programs

Regular season and summer camps are often run differently, worth separating.

Junior program during the regular season

Summer junior camps specifically

Enrollment, quality, feedback you've heard from parents

What's missing in junior development

Section 12 of 19

Industry involvement and continuing education

How connected the director should be to the sport beyond this one club.

How important is it that the director stays active in the racquets industry

Very important, should be visible in the industry Somewhat important Not important, focus should be on-site Not sure

What that involvement should look like, if any

Associations like USPTA, PTR, RSPA, or US Squash, conferences, certifications, networking

Will the club support continuing education and certifications

Yes, budgeted and encouraged Case by case No formal support Not sure

Any expectation that the director contributes back to the industry

Speaking, mentoring, committee involvement, anything like that

Would the club consider a compensation premium for completing the DORS program or an equivalent leadership certification

DORS (Director of Racquet Sports), now offered through the University of Florida, is becoming an industry standard. Some clubs pay a $10,000-$20,000 premium for it

Yes Possibly No Not sure

Section 13 of 19

Marketing, technology, and member experience

The parts of the job that aren't about court time at all.

How technology is currently used for booking, communication, or programming

Apps, club management software, whatever's in place today

How important is marketing experience in the next director

Essential Nice to have Not important

How important is technology or software experience

Club management platforms, booking apps, member communication tools

Essential Nice to have Not important

Member experience pain points that better technology could actually solve

What a great member experience looks like to you for this racquets program

Section 14 of 19

Events, leagues, and teams

Tournaments, socials, league play.

How well events and tournaments were run

Attendance and participation trends

Team culture

Captain support, balance between competitive and social players

Team participation numbers, growing or shrinking

Section 15 of 19

Member experience and culture

What you actually hear, not just what leadership sees.

General sentiment you hear from other members

Most common complaints

Does the racquets program's culture match the rest of the club

Do you believe racquet sports are a meaningful driver of new member acquisition at your club

At some clubs, up to 40% of new members cite racquets as their primary reason for joining

Yes, a major driver Somewhat Not really Not sure

How would you rank the racquets department's importance relative to other departments

Golf, food and beverage, and so on

The most important department at the club Among the top two or three Important, but not top-tier Not sure

Section 16 of 19

Compensation philosophy

Not asking for numbers here, just how you think it should be structured.

Is the current structure closer to the traditional model or the modern model

Traditional: low base, high teaching commission (often 60-70%). Modern: higher base, reduced personal teaching load, bonuses tied to department growth

Traditional, low base and high teaching commission Modern, higher base and growth-based bonuses A mix of both Not sure

How should the director's pay be weighted going forward

Mostly guaranteed salary Balanced mix of salary and lesson or program revenue Mostly performance or revenue-based Not sure

Thoughts on how lesson revenue splits should work

What should a bonus be tied to, if anything

Check all that feel relevant

Growth in program participation Growth in racquet sports revenue Growth in team or interclub participation Member satisfaction scores Completing certifications or launching new initiatives

Should the director get a team-based incentive tied to assistant pros' teaching commissions

This is meant to encourage the director to develop and share opportunities with the wider staff, not just protect their own lesson book

Yes No Not sure

Anything else on comp structure worth flagging

Section 17 of 19

Tenure expectations

Long tenures used to be the norm in this industry. That's shifted. What do you actually want here.

What's the ideal length of stay for the next director

2 to 3 years 4 to 6 years 7 to 10 years 10+ years, this is a long-term hire Not sure, the industry has shifted

Why, and what does that mean for how this search should be run

A short-tenure expectation might change what you prioritize versus a decades-long hire

Section 18 of 19

Looking ahead

What the next hire actually needs to hear.

What must change with the next director

What must NOT change

Qualities or experience you want most in the next hire

Any dealbreakers

Section 19 of 19

Anything else

Last one.

Anything not covered above that you want the search to know

Submit

Send this in

This goes straight to Misitrano Consulting, not to the rest of the committee.

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Committee Feedback

About you

The outgoing director

Communication

Staff

Tennis programming, by season

Platform tennis

Pickleball

Padel

Capital projects

Retail and pro shop

Junior programs

Industry involvement and continuing education

Marketing, technology, and member experience

Events, leagues, and teams

Member experience and culture

Compensation philosophy

Tenure expectations

Looking ahead

Anything else

Send this in

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