Articles & Reflections

Featured case studies

Three applied RSMA projects connect participant experience, public access, and staff development to specific operating decisions. Jordan Park is a fictional academic planning model; the proposed pilots and measures below are recommendations, not claimed results.

Adult Tennis 101: Designing the Confidence to Start

A four-session beginner pilot with a clear next-step handoff, coach and court safeguards, and measures for confidence and return participation.

From Court Time to Community: A Public-Facility Retention Strategy

A five-stage participation plan that connects low-barrier entry to sustained play while protecting free public court access.

Coach Development as a Customer-Experience Strategy

A practical onboarding, observation, and feedback system that links coaching quality to the player experience without reducing staff evaluation to a single metric.

More reflections

Creating a Welcome That Lasts

A player’s first experience should reduce intimidation, build confidence, and create a clear path to return. That experience starts before the first ball is hit: knowing where to arrive, what to bring, and which session fits their experience.

A dependable welcome is something a team can practice. Greet participants, introduce the coach, explain the session, and give beginners an achievable first activity. Notice who is standing apart, who needs an equipment explanation, and who may be hesitant to ask a question. Clear routines give coaches more room to respond to the person in front of them.

The session should close with an invitation that makes sense for that player. Name a suitable next class or social-play opportunity, explain how to join, and follow up through the facility’s approved channels. A friendly goodbye matters; an understandable next step makes returning easier.

Leadership application: Review first-session feedback and return participation together. If people enjoy a clinic but do not come back, examine scheduling, placement, pricing, and follow-up before assuming they have lost interest.

Parks Make Us Better People

Accessible courts and thoughtful programming can give people a place to build healthier habits, relationships, and belonging. A public facility serves experienced competitors alongside beginners, families, and neighbors who simply want somewhere to play.

Access requires daily operating choices. Free court time needs to remain visible and usable as organized programming grows. Staff should be able to explain how public play and paid instruction fit together, help a newcomer find an appropriate starting point, and offer a clear route for questions or accommodation requests.

The Jordan Park academic model treats community access as a planning commitment. Reserving public courts, coordinating outreach with schools and recreation partners, and providing introductory opportunities give that commitment practical form. Revenue can support organized services, while the schedule protects space for informal participation.

Leadership application: Review who is participating, who returns, and what barriers people report. Use that information alongside revenue and court utilization when deciding which programs to expand or change.

From Sampling to Belonging

The best programs help people move from trying an activity to becoming part of a community. The pathway in this portfolio: Learn → Play → Belong → Stay offers a way to plan those transitions with intention.

Learning begins with an appropriate challenge and encouragement. Playing gives developing skills a purpose through rallies, games, and friendly competition. Belonging grows when participants recognize other players, feel welcome in a group, and know there is a place for them even when their goals differ. Staying depends on the experience remaining useful, enjoyable, and accessible as life changes.

A pathway needs clear connections between programs. Coaches can recommend a suitable next group, introduce compatible playing partners, and explain what a league or social session involves. Customer-service staff can support the handoff with accurate information and dependable follow-up.

Leadership application: Track movement between program stages as well as registrations. Look for points where participants stop returning, ask what made the transition difficult, and adjust the invitation, timing, or support.

Explore how these ideas inform the Business Plan and the staff-development systems on the Leadership page.

How to evaluate these proposals

1. Problem: Identify the participant or operating need and the limits of the available evidence.

2. Decision: Compare feasible alternatives and explain the recommended approach.

3. Delivery: Assign staff time, court capacity, safety responsibilities and funding before launch.

4. Evaluation: Define the cohort, calculation, data source and review period; report sample size and missing data.

5. Reflection: Explain what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain and what the next test should change.

Each case study separates its proposed design from achieved outcomes. Supporting portfolio links are provided on each article. There are no claimed Jordan Park pilot results.

Return to the Capstone reviewer roadmap · Review KPI definitions · Review the proposed implementation sequence