U.S. Davis Cup Winner: Red Clay Tennis Courts, Says RCUSA
Harbor Springs, MI (PRWEB) February 20, 2014 -- RedClay USA announces its choice as the biggest winner of this month’s U.S. vs U.K. Davis Cup tie: The Americans’ idea to play it on European red clay. It was a coming-out party for red clay tennis in America.
The U.S. team chose clay over the typical American asphalt hard court, and specifically picked European red clay (used almost exclusively outside the U.S.), not the green clay commonly associated with U.S. country club tennis.
Known affectionately to U.S. players as European “red dirt,” the court choice is a significant moment in U.S. tennis history. A foreign court surface, basically nonexistent in the U.S., is the chosen court for America’s biggest team tennis event.
“This is the perfect time to capitalize on the Davis Cup thinking, and build on it…use this red clay match as a flash point for the public to be made aware of where American tennis can, and must go. Turn a single temporary red clay court into permanent courts across America, just like Europe,” says RCUSA CEO Brian Osterberg, “Every teaching pro I’ve ever spoken to thinks the timing is right.”
“Seeing red clay on TV for such a high-profile event underscores RCUSA’s goal: Create the first American generation of “RedClay Moms and Dads”, taking their kids to play in “the dirt” for clean safe (non-contact) fun,” says Osterberg, “The next soccer-like wave of youth participation can sweep across America.”
Schools and public parks are perceived as the most natural place to ingrain red clay as a new family tradition.
Note: With both the U.S. President and the iconic Joe Namath recently questioning football’s sensibility, now is a good time to consider alternative youth sports. RCUSA believes football is being looked at very critically, and it is time to institute red clay tennis as a new family-orientated lifetime sport.
The Davis Cup choice is an apparent affirmation for RCUSA and its initiative to push American sport on to red clay. RCUSA also asserts red clay was chosen over green clay as a practical matter because of the superior appearance on TV, adding to audience appeal.
Robbie Wagner, of Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center of Long Island, N.Y. agrees. “Playing on red clay is what’s missing in U.S. tennis, and we’re going to change that.”
RWTTC is among the first clubs to consult with RCUSA to transform RWTTC into a full-scale international training center and global destination for America's red clay tennis and culture.
Wagner is working with Osterberg to position his club at the forefront. “We want to produce America’s next champions with our shift to red clay, including for example Alexa Graham, a top U.S. junior in our program. A new Wagner complex underway for late 2014 opening adds twelve more courts giving Wagner's a total of 25 red clay courts, the largest centralized group of red clay in the U.S.
“Contrarily, adding 100-year old European red clay courts now means Wagner will have the right tools for teaching cutting-edge modern tennis in New York,” says Osterberg, “Davis Cup helped crack open the door to national attention for red clay, and we’re going to push it wide open.”
RCUSA is currently focusing on finalizing a title sponsor for its developing RCTV Network broadcast facility and the public membership drive for the first RedClayClub (.org).
RCUSA LLC consults clubs, organizations and resorts in adding competitive RedClay Tennis assets, mixing financial involvement from public, private and corporate sponsors.
RCUSA is the leading organization promoting the advancement of RedClay Tennis in America and an authoritative voice for introducing traditional European red clay courts to serve a venerable "new" family sport.
Contact: Brian Osterberg, CEO RCUSA LLC
560 Woodhill Rd., Boyne Highlands
Harbor Springs, MI 49740 ph: 231 622 3692
brianosterberg(at)redclayusa(dot)com
Brian Osterberg, RCUSA, +1 (231) 622-3692, [email protected]
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