What happens when a former top-100 player takes her competitive mindset and applies it to managing over 350 event days at the USTA National Campus? In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Grace Min—a former WTA top-100 player who retired in 2024 and quickly transitioned into her role as Event Manager at the USTA National Campus. Grace shares how she’s adapted her player mindset into leadership, the surprising similarities between competing on tour and managing large-scale events, and what every director can learn about communication, adaptability, and feedback. Her story is both inspiring and practical for anyone managing programs, tournaments, or teams in racquet sports.

What You’ll Learn

• Why adaptability—learned on tour—may be the most valuable skill in event management
• How to balance fundamentals (scheduling, officiating) with “elevators” that make events memorable
• The role of feedback loops and after-action reports in improving events year over year
• The challenge of moving from giving feedback as a player to receiving it as a manager
• Why effective communication is essential when leading high-performance teams
• How mentorship and process-oriented thinking can help directors avoid burnout
• Grace’s simple mantra for events (borrowed from her coach): Win the last point

Episode Highlights

• Grace’s decision to pivot from playing to management after injury and why events, not coaching, felt like the right fit
• The striking similarities between training for tournaments and planning events
• Why the “pressure is a privilege” at the National Campus and how her team manages expectations
• The unexpected joy Grace found in team camaraderie after years in an individual sport

Connect

• Grace Min – LinkedIn
• Hosts:
  • Kim Bastable – LinkedIn
  • Simon Gale – LinkedIn

Learn More & Get Certified

Racquet Fuel is powered by the University of Florida’s Director of Racquet Sports Certificate Program, the industry’s leading education for current and aspiring racquets leaders. Explore our self-paced online courses—Personal Brand Management, Operations & Programming, and Leadership & Finance—and join the next generation of directors shaping the future of the game.

👉 Learn More & Enroll Here

From four clients in a garage to a 15,000-sq-ft hub with 500+ members, Jon Rowley shares the playbook racquet clubs can use to grow with standards, systems, and heart.

In this Racquet Fuel episode, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Jon Rowley, founder and “Chief Exercise Officer” of a thriving Kansas City fitness community. Jon’s journey (from moonlighting trainer in Chicago to leading a 500-member operation) mirrors the realities club leaders face: hiring for culture, avoiding burnout, and turning standards into belonging. If you’re building a modern racquets department or club business, Jon’s blend of operational discipline and people-first leadership is a masterclass in sustainable growth.

What You’ll Learn

• Culture you can feel: The simple values (“Work hard. Be kind.”) and everyday standards (no hats/shirts-on, no profanity) that create psychological safety and professionalism.
• Hiring that sticks: Why having candidates take a class reveals fit under light pressure, and how hiring from within preserves culture.
• Upskilling smartly: A practical education model—baseline certs plus ~$2K/year per coach for horizontal learning (e.g., women’s health)—that deepens service without bloating budgets.
• Leader on the floor: How staying in the trenches keeps your ear to members and your team, while still steering long-term vision.
• Delegation that works: Moving from “I’ll just do it” to training others—accepting the short-term time cost to win back hours forever.
• Business model guardrails: How operations, bookends, and clear systems prevent burnout and make the role attractive as a real career.
• Community > classes: Turning daily workouts and lessons into life-improving habits that keep people coming back.

Connect

Guest – Jon Rowley
• Website: https://www.2020fit.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-rowley-23688020/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2020.fit/

Hosts
Kim Bastable – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-bastable-uf/
Simon Gale – https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongaletennis/

Learn More & Get Certified (UF DORS)

Level up your racquets leadership with the University of Florida Director of Racquet Sports Certificate Program—three self-paced online courses designed with today’s club realities in mind:

• Personal Brand Management (open now - use code RF25 for $25 off for a limited time)
• Course 1: Operations & Programming (open now - use code RF100 for $100 off for a limited time)
• Course 2: Leadership & Finance (coming soon)

Learn more and START TODAY!

What does it really take to turn a life on the court into a sustainable career in racquet sports?

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, longtime tennis pro, club owner, and author Greg Moran joins hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale to unpack 40 years of experience in a single facility, and the powerful lessons that came with it.

From starting as a ball boy to building one of Connecticut’s most successful clubs, Greg shares how intentional leadership, early financial planning, and a commitment to professionalism shaped his long career. He also opens up about his own mistakes, including spreading himself too thin and failing to delegate, and offers clear advice for anyone wanting to stay in this profession for the long haul.

If you've ever wondered how to create a fulfilling, sustainable life in racquet sports (or how to mentor others to do the same) this conversation is a must-listen.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to lead yourself before leading a team
• Why many teaching pros hit a wall—and how to avoid it
• The critical difference between coaching and being a racquet sports professional
• How to build confidence in junior pros through gradual leadership experiences
• What Greg would do differently if he could start over
• Why thinking long-term is key to both financial and professional growth
• The unseen cost of ignoring physical wear-and-tear in racquet sports careers
• How to inspire your team through example, not just instruction

Resources & Mentions

• Books by Greg Moran
• Jorge Capestany's TennisDrills.tv: https://www.tennisdrills.tv
• Referenced quote from Joe Curdo: “If you don’t have a sense of humor in the tennis business, you’re never going to last.”

Learn More & Get Certified

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader in racquet sports? Start your journey TODAY with online courses on racquet sports leadership:

• Personal Brand Management for the Racquets Industry - START TODAY 🎁 Use code RF25 for $25 off for a limited time
• Course 1: Facilities, Operations, Marketing & More in the Era of Multiple Racquet Sports - START TODAY 🎁 Use code RF100 for $100 off for a limited time
• Course 2: Leadership, management & finance For the Racquets Leader - COMING SOON

What if your greatest coaching lesson came off the court?

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale sit down with Emma Doyle: tennis coach, keynote speaker, and expert in emotional intelligence, to explore what it really takes to coach with impact, whether you're leading athletes, employees, or entire teams.

Emma shares her remarkable journey from teenage coach in Australia to global thought leader and business coach. She opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped her career including burnout, reinvention, and finding her voice during COVID... and the frameworks she now uses to train leaders in Fortune 500 boardrooms and racquet clubs alike.

With humor, heart, and contagious energy, Emma shows us how coaching is a title AND a way of leading that centers on empathy, curiosity, and action.

Whether you’re a club director, department manager, or aspiring coach, her insights will challenge and inspire you to listen deeper, lead better, and unlock the potential in those around you.

By the end of this episode, you'll learn:
- How coaching cultures can elevate performance and reduce disengagement
- Why the best leaders ask better questions instead of giving all the answers
- How to empower others through curiosity, not control
- The mindset shift needed to lead people, not just programs
- Why the phrase “next time” might be your most powerful coaching tool

Whether you're building a business, managing a team, or coaching on court, this conversation will equip you with practical tools and perspective for becoming the kind of leader people want to follow.

🔗 Connect with Emma Doyle on LinkedIn or at CoachEM.cc
🔗 Watch her TEDx talk: "Unleashing Female Potential"
🔗 Explore her podcast: The Coaching Podcast

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the racquets industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

What happens when you bring together startup ambition, big-event expertise, and a deep commitment to human connection? You get RacquetX: an experience designed to connect every corner of the racquet sports industry.

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale talk with Robyn Duda, the founder and creative mind behind RacquetX. With a background in designing global corporate events, Robyn saw a gap in the racquet sports space: no centralized experience for connection, collaboration, and future-focused growth. So, she built it.

This conversation unpacks the real challenges and vision behind building an industry-first event from the ground up—complete with indoor courts, live programming, and an unshakable focus on belonging. Robyn shares what it’s like to lead with vulnerability, navigate the unknown, and reshape how racquet sports professionals come together to move the industry forward.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the racquet sports industry needed something like RacquetX—and what makes it different
• The real challenges of launching a startup within a traditional industry
• What goes into creating meaningful experiences that connect diverse sectors
• How leadership, risk, and emotional honesty shape powerful innovation
• What clubs, coaches, and brands are craving when it comes to the future of community

Whether you're a club director, brand leader, coach, or entrepreneur, this episode will expand how you think about progress in racquet sports—and how bold ideas turn into movement.

Listen to hear how one person’s clarity of vision—and willingness to do the hard work—is reshaping how the racquet sports world shows up and connects.

Connect with Robyn Duda at TheRacquetX.com
Connect with Kim Bastable on LinkedIn
Connect with Simon Gale on LinkedIn

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the racquets industry? Visit our website to learn more!

What does it actually take to build a thriving racquet sports facility in today’s fast-moving market? And what’s just hype?

In this episode of Racquet Fuel, hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale are joined by Eric Loftus, an expert court builder and board member of the American Sports Builders Association. With more than 50 years in the tennis and racquet construction industry, Eric shares what he’s seeing on the ground—and where the court construction world is headed next.

They explore the real economics behind pickleball and padel, the growing pains of a booming market, and why many clubs are struggling to master the land, logistics, and legislation that come with trying to “add a few courts.” Whether you're a facility leader, investor, or simply trying to keep up with trends, this episode offers clarity in a rapidly evolving landscape.

By the end of this episode, you'll learn:

✅ Why post-COVID demand transformed racquet sports, and what that means for club infrastructure
✅ The real costs, challenges, and misconceptions around building courts for padel and pickleball
✅ Why “build it and they will come” doesn’t work without community and quality instruction
✅ How clubs can avoid the biggest mistakes in court planning, compliance, and construction
✅ What the rise of padel in Europe tells us about the future of U.S. racquet sports facilities

Whether you're managing a country club, building from scratch, or looking to future-proof your programs, this episode breaks down what’s really happening in racquet sports construction, and what comes next.

Connect with Eric Loftus on LinkedIn and at Northeast Padel
Connect with Kim Bastable on LinkedIn
Connect with Simon Gale on LinkedIn

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the racquets industry? Visit our website to learn more!

If we have a shortage of pros and an abundance of positions in the racquets industry, why must you make your resume stand out? The reason is because the employer is still seeking the best person for the position. In this episode of Racquet Fuel, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale give their opinion on how you can make the best first impression - one that will almost guarantee getting you to the top of the interview pile. They share tips and insights on highlighting your achievements, how to effectively communication your qualifications to potential employers, how to discuss compensation (or not), and the dos and donts for recorded video interviews.

By the end of this episode you'll know:
- How to make a good first impression before an interview
- Ways to make cover letters stand out
- The difference in achievements and tasks in your job history
- How long a resume should be
- Professional ways to address compensation
- Dos and donts for video submissions

... and the secret to get to the TOP of Simon Gale's interview pile.

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the racquet sports industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!

What happens when a key person on your team tells you they’re leaving—and you're the one who has to figure out what comes next?

In this episode of the Racquet Fuel Podcast, Kim Bastable and Simon Gale explore the emotional and operational challenges that come with losing top talent. Simon shares his real-time experience managing the departure of a trusted team leader and walks through the decisions, reflections, and strategies he's using to guide his team through a critical transition.

From the first gut reaction to the long game of hiring right, this episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how strong leaders respond to sudden change—with clarity, care, and a willingness to reimagine what the team needs next.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How to navigate the emotional weight of losing key personnel
✅ Why clear communication with staff is essential during transitions
✅ The importance of re-evaluating job roles instead of copy-pasting old ones
✅ How external perspectives and internal feedback shape a better hiring process
✅ Why rushing the hire can hurt more than waiting
✅ How delegation, collaboration, and culture protect teams during leadership gaps
✅ How change becomes a chance to reflect, grow, and build something better

Whether you’re facing this challenge now or preparing for it in the future, this episode is a practical and honest look at leadership in action.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to manage change without losing momentum - AND for a $40 off code for the NEW Personal Branding for Racquet Sports Professionals Course!

Looking to become a more confident, competent, and clear business leader with a lifelong career in the industry? Become a Certified Director of Racquet Sports. Visit our website to learn more!