A Look Back: Building a Sustainable Tennis Business - Lessons from Australia’s Victorian Tennis Academy

What does it take to build a tennis academy where both players and coaches have room to grow?

We’re taking a look back at this Racquet Fuel conversation with Tina Keown and Jack Glennane, directors of the Victorian Tennis Academy, to revisit the leadership choices behind a thriving, people-first tennis business. Joining hosts Kim Bastable and Simon Gale, Tina and Jack share how they manage four venues and 24 courts just minutes from the Australian Open grounds. Their approach has helped VTA become one of Australia’s leading tennis organizations and earn multiple Tennis Australia awards, while creating meaningful opportunities for the people who make its success possible. The conversation explores VTA’s seven-tier career pathway for coaches, its shift toward more sustainable employment models, and the role of culture and long-term planning in retaining talented staff and delivering exceptional player experiences. Tina and Jack also reflect on their progression from casual coaches to directors, sharing lessons from balancing daily operations with the demands of leadership and growth.

Whether you manage one facility, oversee several locations, or lead a racquet sports department, this episode offers practical insight into developing strong teams, empowering coaches, and creating a sustainable workforce. Take another listen and explore what it means to move from working in your business to leading its future.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why hiring for values first helps build stronger coaching teams
• How creating a clear career pathway can turn coaching jobs into long-term professions
• Why the tennis industry often loses coaches to other industries—not competing clubs
• How owner-operators can balance day-to-day operations with long-term leadership
• The importance of empowering staff with ownership and leadership opportunities
• Why investing in professional development and education helps retain great coaches
• How diverse programming—from court hire to adult leagues—creates a more sustainable business model

Resources & Mentions:

• Victorian Tennis Academy — Multi-location tennis academy based in Melbourne, Australia
• Tennis Australia  — Learn more about what Australia has to offer for the racquet sports world

Hosts:

• Kim Bastable — Professor of Practice and UF Director of Racquet Sports Management
• Simon Gale — USTA Senior Director of Racquet Sports Development

Guests:

• Tina Keown — Director, Victorian Tennis Academy
• Jack Glennane — Director, Victorian Tennis Academy

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 and join the next generation of directors shaping the future of the game.

Learn more here:

Personal Brand Management for the Racquets Industry — UF PBM
Course 1: Facilities, Operations, Marketing & More — UF DORS 1
Course 2: Leadership, Management & Finance —  UF DORS
       - Course 1 completion is required for Course 2.

What is Racquet Fuel?

Racquet Fuel provides insights into the best practices and innovations of racquets industry business leaders.

Co-hosts Kim Bastable, Director of Professional Tennis Management at the University of Florida, and Simon Gale, Senior Director Racquet Sports Development at the USTA National Campus, help racquets leaders in your ability to grow the game and to improve the experiences you offer to both your staff and players by talking to industry leaders, including USTA executives, authors and innovators. If you are on a career path in racquet sports or already a racquets business leader and you want to stay up to date on ideas and innovations in racquets industry business and leadership, this podcast is for you.

Presented by the Athlete+ Podcast Network at the University of Florida Institute for Coaching Excellence.