WHY DOES THE USTA NEED TO LEARN THE THEORY OF CHANGE TO IMPROVE TENNIS PARTICIPATION IN THE USA?

By Javier Palenque

Theory of Change is a rigorous yet participatory process whereby groups and project stakeholders identify the conditions they believe must unfold for their long-term goals to be met. If the USTA board intended to increase participation at all levels, it would use this theory to change what has not worked and apply it as a solution to a pressing problem, which is the lack of participation in the sport. These conditions are modeled as outcomes and arranged graphically in a causal framework. The methodology used to create a Theory of Change is also usually referred to as the Theory of Change

Like any good planning and evaluation method for social change (this is hard for the USTA to accept, you see rather than improve and increase tennis participation at all income levels to improve the lives of kids, the board and its executives continue to promote only the idea of the US Open and the creation of an American champion for the sole purpose of entertainment for Wall Street types). It is very hard to fit into that simple mindset how tennis can be used to change America for the better if a holistic approach to using tennis as a social change tool is not used or even conceived. Theory of Change requires participants to be clear on long-term…