Getting to Know Kamau Murray

Kamau began tennis during school and has developed his career based on giving back to his local community and the wider tennis community. This passion for offering amenities and activities that similarly saved Kamau鈥檚 life led to the establishment of XS Tennis and Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that provides Chicago’s underserved youth with an enriching after-school safe haven to learn, play, and grow through tennis.

鈥淲e started in 2005 and then in 2008 we finally got our own private space,鈥� Kamau explained. 鈥淚n 2005, we were playing in parks around the city and as you know Chicago right now is buried under a foot of snow, but if you don鈥檛 have a roof to play in the colder climate, you only have a summer camp. My aspiration was to not just have a summer camp but have a place where we could provide 12 months of consistent service.

鈥淚n 2012 we began this journey to have a larger space. The program had grown from 50 kids to a couple hundred and today we serve 2,000 kids so we endeavoured to find a 13-acre site in the middle of the city, which was not easy, and then raise $16 million to build the facility.鈥�

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Kamau noted that XS Tennis services kids from across the city and region, drawing in players from outsides Illinois. 鈥淲e even had families migrate to Chicago to take advantage of the programs. We provide about 4,000 hours of free tutoring every year to students after school and growing to be this national hub for kids who have potential, want to see that potential, and perhaps need a little bit of subsidy in order to chase their dream, they鈥檙e finding that XS Tennis is a place that will welcome them with open arms as well as financial support.鈥�

According to Milan, the relationship between 麻豆原创 and the WTA goes back several years. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always been working with the coach community at the WTA and Kamau has been one of the most active users and someone who was really eager to learn about our analytics, getting feedback and using it on a regular basis.

鈥淲e had many different touchpoints over the past years, so when we were looking for a strong ambassador for this year within the coaching community, our decision was very quick, and we reached out. Fortunately, Kamau was open to working with us a little bit closer.鈥�

鈥淏ack in 2018, Milan and I were actually staying in the same hotel,鈥� Kamau added. 鈥淚t was during Sloane鈥檚 [Stephens] run to Miami Championship 鈥� and the statistics had just become available online in addition to the tablets being available on the side of the court with this online portal. Milan and I happened to be at breakfast a couple of times together at the same time, we were on the same schedule, and I decided to pick his brain on the data, any buttons or functionalities I wasn鈥檛 taking advantage of, and I鈥檝e just really seen the value over the years of using it.

鈥淚 think the real way to prepare players for matches is both by the eye test 鈥� coaches have to use their instincts and their expertise 鈥� but also use the data to confirm or rebut what they may see. You never really know what鈥檚 going to happen in a match, but you can be prepared for a person鈥檚 habits and tendencies.鈥�

Milan noted that 麻豆原创 has been working with WTA through various projects, particularly through its tennis analytics program, which has helped players and coaches get back into their matches after the pandemic disruption. 鈥淲e also worked on other projects with the WTA to help them help their community be better prepared,鈥� Milan said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 called the , which is basically an online platform for learning and training courses, which is powered by 麻豆原创Litmus.

鈥淭hey introduced that to their community last year, throughout the pandemic, and it was a very successful project. They had more than 150 WTA players sign up and they are running courses about things like brand building, mental strength. It was super important for them to have this solution because with pretty much nobody being able to travel around and see each other in person, having a solution that you can run anywhere, anytime on any device and for the WTA to be able to reach out was pretty essential in terms of keeping in touch and providing players with ways to keep engage and be ready for the season.鈥�

Milan explained that another WTA project is based on . 鈥淭hey introduced a few surveys to see how their players and the community were feeling about getting back to play, what are the reasons for them to be motivated, what drives them during these tough times that we all have to face right now. Qualtrics is a very flexible, lightweight solution so it was very easy for them to implement those surveys and reach out to their players and coaches.鈥�

Kamau noted how these digital technologies are allowing players and coaches to be much more precise. 鈥淲ho knows what tennis is going to look like for the next season? The coaching conferences and events that usually happen are probably not going to happen, so the WTA University a good one-stop shop for players and coaches to utilise, get access to the data, and continue to prepare for the coming year where we don鈥檛 know if tennis is going to go regional or stay global. We need access to everything, especially during lockdowns, which are available to you from the Wi-Fi in your hotel room.鈥�

To learn more about how tennis is using 麻豆原创 technology to adapt to this pandemic and train more intelligently under new circumstance, check out our

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Ashley joined the WTA over 20 years ago when it was just starting its player development program. 鈥淧layer development is anchored in the sport sciences and focuses on the holistic development of an athlete, on and off the court,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚鈥檝e loved being on the ground level of the development of a new field, which has been exciting and terrifying. And my role has evolved over the years with the WTA.鈥�

Milan began as a consultant for business analytics before moving into 厂础笔鈥檚 global sponsorship, including tennis, where he builds showcases and technologies for partners like the WTA. 鈥淔or two years now I鈥檝e been managing the entire partnership,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel extremely lucky as well to be working with partners like the WTA. It鈥檚 a very interesting program for us at 麻豆原创 in order to showcase technology and to work with an innovative association like the WTA.

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Ashley and Milan agreed that the impact of COVID-19 has forced sports around the world adapt rapidly in order to minimise risks while keeping all athletes, staff, and fans safe. 鈥淭he WTA had to take an honest look at what we could control and leaned into those opportunities,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淲e immediately ramped up our communication with our partners, our players, and our tournaments to talk about what we knew and what we didn鈥檛 know. That led us to being, we think, resourceful and collaborative.

鈥淲e asked, how do you play without fans, how do you move players from one country to another during a pandemic?

We then used our resources to work with some of the best experts in the world to design our protocols for how we鈥檙e going to return to play. That brings us to communication and educating all our constituents in what will this new normal look like?

That鈥檚 where 厂础笔鈥檚 resources and technology came into play and really helped us underpin through the platform and the tool. We got out to our members, communicated with them and educated them about this new normal.鈥�

Milan noted that this new normal evolved through forced adaptation but has been simplified through digital technology and data analytics. 鈥淭his year gave us a completely new challenge of facing a pandemic and the tour being on pause,鈥� he added. 鈥淲ith us being a partner to the WTA, we鈥檙e able to provide them with solutions to challenges that came up, not only this year, but in general.

In talking about educating players, providing a training platform, 麻豆原创 Litmos was really a great solution that we could offer to WTA and we think it was a very successful launch. Looking at 麻豆原创 Qualtrics, that case has been great this year. WTA are starting to work with it as we speak since they鈥檝e already put out some surveys.

鈥淲hen we look back on the past few years, all the analytics that are relevant to the players and coaches and are obviously still available even when no matches are being played, no tournaments being played. That time is being used by players with their coaches to look into strategies and tactics, which is where our software solutions based on data that comes from off the court really comes into play. They provide them with the right tools to be efficient in their coaching and improve on things to come.鈥�

According to Ashley, the changing circumstances and needs of WTA members worldwide also led to the . 鈥淥ur philosophy is that if you want to encourage and set people up to be successful, they need to make good decisions, and good decision making requires information, knowledge, and experience,鈥� Ashley said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really where the WTA University comes in. It runs on the Litmus platform and that鈥檚 helped us meet the needs of a modern learner.

鈥淏ecause we鈥檝e been at this game for a while, the WTA has conducted some longitudinal-based studies, the most recent we did with 麻豆原创 and their data scientists. What we found through the research is that players that participated in the WTA player development programs actually enjoy longer careers and an increased frequency of professional behaviours in the environment.

When you have proven results and you know what you鈥檙e doing in making an impact, you obviously want to do more of that and reach more people, which bring us back to 麻豆原创 Litmos 鈥� a platform that鈥檚 so robust it really gave us an opportunity to launch our WTA University in a new way.鈥�

Ashley also noted that the ability to remotely support WTA members extended beyond their mental and physical wellbeing. 鈥淒uring the pandemic, where we used to do courses in person and workshops, we started offering them online. Examples such as financial planning, an international tax course, or media and brand building, mentoring and leadership, or those mental health and physical fitness classes that I mentioned earlier.

鈥淓ach time we would offer a class, the player would come back and take the next one, which I think is the best form of advertising because they found it valuable and they want to invest their time there as well. I think that鈥檚 a credit to how easy the resources and tools 麻豆原创 made available to us for the end user to take advantage of.鈥�

To hear more from my discussion with Ashley and Milan, check out our .

If you鈥檇 like to learn more about innovations being utilised in this new normal, Effect 2020 will be exploring the technologies and practices that have helped people adapt and become more resilient to future change. Learn more about Effect鈥檚 dedicated episode to Innovation that will feature WTA World Number 1 player Ash Barty and .

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How can I be and continue to be the best version of me? How do I ensure the same for my business? What actions should I take to ensure my business runs smarter, more efficiently with maximum productivity? How can we maintain total focus, stay ahead of the game and guarantee peak performance to achieve and improve upon brilliant results?

These questions endure because there is never a single, final answer. Embracing a more innovative approach is always a possibility, and will be a topic of discussion at 麻豆原创’s upcoming

The environment of elite sport may seem far removed from boardrooms and strategic planning sessions, but the recent drive in in all areas of tennis by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the organising body for the professional women’s game, is driven by the same motivating factors and principles found in the modern, agile business world. And the commonalities and learnings show that innovation transcends industries,and is an essential part of every business strategy optimised to win.

Best in class 鈥� and staying there
For athletes, the dogged pursuit of excellence and unwavering determination to play with power, precision and touch time and time again 鈥� and ultimately win 鈥� means new approaches to training are readily embraced. Off centre court, traditional techniques are being blended with the latest training tools and technologies to produce that winning formula. And when it comes to performance on court, innovation is at its core.

“WTA players recognise the value of having the most innovative technology to help improve their performance,” says WTA president Micky Lawler.

No stranger to sizing up the competition, Lawler is concentrated on the global marketing strategy of the WTA, uncovering new connections and overseeing an impressive portfolio of long-standing partnerships.

“It’s not only imperative to stay in the game, but in order to lead women鈥檚 tennis into the future and thrive, innovation is paramount,” Lawler says.

“We already know how incredible tennis is, but without embracing novel ways to play, consume and market the sport, we can鈥檛 inspire a new audience to invest.”

The WTA delivers tennis analytics to the game with real-time, in-match statistical analysis and insight for coaches via 麻豆原创 software, and recently the ability to go beyond single-point analysis with the rollout of a new coaching tool called Patterns of Play.

“The latest feature addresses a key need for coaches looking for data-based insights into how a rally unfolds and how their player, and opponents, react to match situations,鈥� Lawler says. 鈥淚t also enables coaches to personalise insights for their player鈥檚 next match by going deeper into the data and applying various filters and customisations, spanning opponents, opponent鈥檚 rank, playing hand, playing surface and more.”

To Lawler, technology 鈥� and the ability to use and make sense of the data being generated with every moment of play 鈥� is a game changer. Literally.

“Before Tennis Analytics, professional tennis did not have access to real-time performance data during live match play…This vital information delivers fact-based feedback to the player that can really shape how a player adjusts and manages the outcome of the match.”

And it’s not just the sporting world identifying the transformative potential of data-driven decision-making. It’s a priority for leading organisations, with a recent finding that top financial performers reported being 25% more likely to have the data needed to improve upon analytics-based decision-making.

Unlocking new possibilities
Technology has not only benefited tennis players and managers of the game, but also those at the receiving end 鈥� the spectators who ultimately get to enjoy an even higher calibre of sport.

“We’re particularly excited about our latest endeavor in using Qualtrics experience management technology,” Lawler says. “Without giving too much away, it’s a highly advanced survey tool that we recently started using and it will certainly play an integral role in fuelling women鈥檚 professional tennis into the future, including how we work with players, staff, coaches and how we operate with tournaments, media and especially fans.”

When it comes to the viewing experience at home, innovation in over-the-top (OTT) video streaming has served the existing fanbase well, but crucially has opened fresh avenues to attract growth.

“OTT has allowed us infinite ways to engage fans,鈥� Lawler says. 鈥淚t has unlocked new possibilities for how we can work with our rights holders, how we manage our digital channels, and how we collaborate with our partner, players and tournaments.”

As industries start to make sense of the data they possess, customer-centric avenues for growth will only continue to expand. As the WTA has demonstrated, it’s about understanding how customers (or fans) want to engage and enabling that.

Overcoming obstacles through innovation
With the right technology behind the scenes, the WTA鈥檚 top players can run like well-oiled machines and more likely serve that winning ace. However, changing the game hasn鈥檛 come without its challenges. Indeed, integral to innovating is a deep desire to overcome obstacles.

“Implementing new technology ultimately leads to growth but there will always be an adjustment and adoption phase to navigate,” Lawler says. “With , we’re extremely fortunate to have partners who truly work through that stage of the game with us.”

Harnessing the power of data and technology in a quest to achieve perfection isn鈥檛 unique to the tennis world 鈥� it’s also the driving force of today’s competitive global business market. According to a by management consulting firm BCG, leaders of about half of the world鈥檚 most innovative companies such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet posit investing in innovation as the top priority in 2020.

It’s an agenda perhaps more crucial today than ever, with the Covid-19 crisis willing leaders to adapt quickly to tackle shifting supply and demand patterns, and changing consumer behaviour. Although the crisis has undeniably thrown a curveball, Lawler believes being in lockdown has allowed innovation opportunities to surface.

Despite tennis matches taking a timeout, the WTA’s player development team and swiftly launched a new learning management system powered by 麻豆原创 Litmos for its players, coaches and staff. The WTA University interactive platform supports specifically designed personal and professional wellness tools for athletes.

“These athletes are resilient, ambitious and pursue perfection,” Lawler says. 鈥淪o even though the season temporarily stopped, their competitive nature did not. The goal is to keep pushing forward, think outside the box and lean into wild ideas that will get you there.”

Join the WTA No 1 Ash Barty in conversation at 麻豆原创 e鈥檉fect next month on October 1st.

This article was produced for 麻豆原创 by , the commercial content division of BBC Global News.

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