USPTA Announces "Tennis-for the Health of It"

Dr. Jack Groppel announced at the recent United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Florida Division Convention in Delray, FL, that "Tennis- for the health of it!" is the USPTA's new public relations initiative going forward. Groppel referred to the slogan as, "The umbrella phrase for the industry," suggesting that illuminating the link between tennis and health should be a primary objective of Tennis Professionals. Given the state of American health, or lack there of, it is not surprising that the USPTA would move in this direction.

US Healthcare Costs Grow
Data compiled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) indicate that US national healthcare expenditures grew by more than $600 billion between the years 2000 and 2005. If we go back a bit further, those data show that national healthcare expenditures grew by more than $1.2 trillion from 1990 through 2005.

US Healthcare Trending in Wrong Direction
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in its Executive Summary of Health, United States, 2007, "In recent years, progress in some areas has not been as rapid as in earlier years, or trends have been moving in the wrong direction." Essentially, it is no secret that Americans are becoming less, rather than more, healthy despite all of our knowledge and resources.

Sport Scientist, Groppel, Touts Tennis for Health
As a world-renowned author and speaker on the subject of sport science and human performance, a USPTA Master Professional, and Honorary Chairman of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Sport Science Committee, Groppel is as well positioned as anyone to address the links between tennis and health. At the convention, Groppel alluded to 34 specific reasons why playing tennis on a regular basis enhances physical, mental, and overall health. These reasons form the foundation of the USPTA's initiative to spread the word that, in addition to recreational element of the game, tennis can burn more calories than other popular activities such as rowing, hiking or golf (click link for source).