Longtime tennis industry veteran and industry pioneer Jim Baugh will become the ninth inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame on Sunday, Aug. 24, during the TIA Tennis Forum and Tennis Show.
The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame honors industry leaders who have made a significant impact on the tennis industry from 1960 to present in one of four categories: inventors, founders, innovators, and contributors.
As the founder and CEO of PHIT America, a non-profit education and advocacy organization designed to combat the nation’s inactivity and obesity crisis, Baugh joins tennis legends Billie Jean King and Nick Bollettieri to receive this prestigious honor. He will be recognized during the TIA Forum and Show on Aug. 24. Plaques of Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductees are on permanent display at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R. I.
A resident of Jupiter, Fla., Baugh’s career in tennis began nearly four decades ago when he became an area sales representative for Converse. Since then, he has progressed to be one of the most recognized leaders in the industry.
Throughout his illustrious career, Baugh has taken pride in a commitment to growing the game. When tennis saw participation numbers dwindle in the late 1990s, Baugh – then head of the TIA – launched several new programs to recruit players to tennis. In just over a decade, the sport grew participation by 36 percent.
As President of Wilson Sporting Goods, Baugh helped increase the company’s market share from 14 to 52 percent. He was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2011.
Baugh joins previous TIA inductees Howard Head (2008), Dennis Van der Meer (2008), Alan Schwartz (2009), Billie Jean King (2010), Nick Bollettieri (2011), Howard Gill, Jr. (2013), Walter Montenegro (2013) and Sheldon Westerveldt (2013).