In this episode Alec has an honest conversation with a good friend, and former student, who picked up tennis as an adult and just played his first USTA league match — covering the awkward first swings, gear mistakes, the intimidation factor, and what league play is actually like from the inside. If you've been on the fence about starting tennis later in life, this one's for you.

What does it actually take to run a tennis club? Not the version from the RSPA certification manual , the real one. In this solo episode, Alec draws on his time managing Evergreen Tennis to pull back the curtain on the job nobody fully explains until you're already in it.

From the illusion of the "head pro" role to the revenue conversations most clubs are too uncomfortable to have, Alec covers the unglamorous realities of club operations with honesty and specificity. He breaks down why programming, not court time, is the real product, why one toxic staff member can unravel years of culture-building, and why the member who complains is actually your most valuable one. He also shares the churn signal almost nobody tracks, the pro shop myth that needs to die, and what real member loyalty actually looks like.

This is the episode for every head pro or director who's ever stood alone in a room with a problem and no manual. And for every assistant coach, club owner, or industry professional wondering why their club feels stuck.

In this episode Alec and Brian debate whether NIL has given way to an inevitable end to college tennis programs or if NIL is highlighting an issue in college athletic departments that has been going on for decades.