In the biological world, ecosystems are dynamic and interconnected communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms. They coexist and interact, shaping the balance and health of their surroundings. The earth is full of many different ecosystems, each with unique living organisms that have adapted to specific conditions. Ecosystems exist in a precarious balance of harmony.
In the early 20th century, wolves were hunted and eradicated from Yellowstone National Park. They were perceived to be a threat to livestock and public safety. However, once the wolves were gone, the elk population in the park exploded. The elk overgrazed the willows and aspen trees, reducing crucial vegetation. The survival of many other species that depended on those plants was jeopardized. All of this occurred because people in power did not understand the ecosystem at all.
The sport of tennis is also an ecosystem. There are various formats of play. There is extreme diversity in the competitors. Performance levels exist on a wide spectrum. The motivations for why people play tennis are highly individualized. A healthy tennis ecosystem would provide an opportunity for many different types of tennis players to engage with the sport.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that the tennis ecosystem in the United States is very healthy at the moment. That may be a minority opinion. In fact, I am positive that there are highly influential people in and around the organization charged “to promote and develop the growth of tennis” that believe the sport is doing quite well.
This weekend I am examining the fringes of the tennis ecosystem. I want to explore what will eventually happen if critical elements that have been dismissed as inconsequential are allowed to collapse completely.
This weekend will also bring some philosophical ruminations on what it means “to promote and develop the growth of tennis.” A large part of the existential crisis for the sport is a lack of understanding of what constitutes a healthy ecosystem at all. Sometimes people do the wrong things with the best of intentions. After all, no one was “team wolf” during the eradication of that species from Yellowstone, but in retrospect, that was a mistake.
The origin of the performance management truism “you get what you measure” is uncertain. However, the accepted principle behind the phrase is that metrics profoundly impact human behavior. I have a related cynical personal mantra, “I can defeat any metric.” Measuring success is essential… and fraught with peril. Measuring the wrong things yields wrong results.
The biological ecosystem in Yellowstone has been on the road to recovery once wolves were reintroduced into the ecosystem. The presence of that predator controlled the elk population, reducing the overgrazing of willow and aspen trees. The vegetation rebounded, and other species that depended on those plants are also recovering.
It is time for the tennis ecosystem to also start down the road to recovery. However, before that happens, an understanding of the problem is essential. The highly influential people in and around the organization charged “to promote and develop the growth of tennis” need to accept that change is a necessity.
I will start things off with this basic idea: We must start taking better care of the tennis ecosystem.
- Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in Yellowstone, Brodie Farquar, Yellowstone National Park Trips, June 30, 2021.
I couldn’t agree more!