Kid Clubs

Wouldn’t you like your own personal rooting section? Don’t you think all players should have them? Well, the Porsche Grand Prix stop this week on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has unveiled a fantastic new “fan-friendly” innovation. Each player in the tournament will have her own kids’ fan club for the entire tournament. 8 kids from local tennis clubs will form a fan club for each player. The kids will be given tickets to see all “their” player’s matches. The kids are encouraged to design supportive signs to cheer on their player, and there will be prizes awarded to the 3 most creative fan clubs during the finals on Sunday. These fan clubs mean that local kids are directly involved in the tournament. Players can connect more closely with the local community and inspire the kids even more than by participating in a clinic, etc. And, of course, the tournament and women’s tennis get some positive PR for their efforts. Unlike on-court coaching, this “fan-friendly” innovation doesn’t change the character of the sport. It simply unites young kids who play tennis with their idols! What a great idea!






