Our Story
National Association of Tennis Playing Executives is our company name and the Co-founders are Scott, Mal and his long-time friend, Alfonso Camerlingo. Alfonso and Mal met through tennis about 20 years ago Over the years, tennis has remained a big part of their lives.
Alfonso and Mal have a mutual friend, David Belknap, who stages an annual tennis event in Texas called the Belknap Cup. Simply put, the Belknap Cup simulates the experience of a tennis player participating in an actual professional tennis event starting with getting a player’s packet and ending with a trophy presentation followed by the awards dinner. In between, there is an announcer, sound system and music, an umpire in the elevated seating tower, radar gun, entertainment, on court interviews, roving photographer, souvenir booths, cheering crowd, flags and banners, etc.
Alfonso always comes back to TX to play in this event, and we typically play an informal match involving other friends the day after the event. Recently while Mal and Alfonso were talking, Alfonso shared his love for all aspects of tennis and expressed a desire to do something beyond just playing that would be meaningful and positively impact other players and the advancement of the game. This caused Mal to reflect further on his remarks which sparked an idea: Why not combine the opportunity for tennis playing business owners and executives to join in a group and get all the array of services and benefits of being in our peer executive group. Then inject a heavy dose of tennis starting with at least half of the post monthly meeting presenters from the tennis community – highly regarded teaching professionals, tennis specific fitness experts, teachers of the mental side of the game, racquet manufacturers, etc. The ultimate topper for the members is the opportunity to participate with other members in the Belknap Cup event that extends from a Thursday to Sunday afternoon.
Actually, there will be two Belknap Cup events – first in Texas in the fall of 2022 and the other in Florida in the spring of 2023. Planning is also underway for a pro-am charity event on the Thursday which will pair host club members and local teaching professionals. This event will be called the Belknap Classic.
To the best of our knowledge there is no other organization comparable to the National Association of Tennis Playing Executives.