Why Ted Meekma Consult

&quote; As a part of the team that founded the first full-time boarding academy for tennis players, I have over 35 years of experience in the business of sports training. I understand the difference between teaching and coaching. I've lived the distinction between instruction and training. I know how to produce world class junior, collegiate, and professional athletes. I've experienced, and significantly contributed to, the evolution of the seasonal camp business into the year round sports academy industry.

But the greatest business lesson I learned while helping to build a one sport tennis academy into the world's #1 multi-sport, training and education, camp and academy business, was not just how to help athletes realize their full potential. Rather, it was how you can build a very successful network of viable business entities around a superb core operation. In my case, the full-time academy was the 'hook' that drove higher margin revenues in the following areas:

• Summer and holiday camps
• Adult sessions and family vacations
• Club income and memberships
• Resort customer traffic
• Real estate sales, rentals and appreciation
• Management fees and commissions
• Academic tuition fees
• Food, beverage and merchandising sales
• Performance training programs
• Sports medicine/therapy services
• Health/wellness spa packages
• Events and tournaments
• Seminars and conventions
• Sponsorship and scholarship support

It's relatively easy to find good sports facilities, and even halfway decent instruction is readily available. Once you've found your own particular sports 'hook', however, the key to making the overall experience an attraction (i.e., profit center), as opposed to merely an amenity (i.e., cost/service center)……is programming. Unique, creative programming that is well-marketed and ideally delivered will drive traffic flow, stimulate repeat business, minimize seasonality issues, and generate direct and indirect sales revenues in so many related areas of business.

-Ted Meekma