Providing a little taste from the All England Club is a great way to incorporate Wimbledon into member events, but it doesn’t have to stop at breakfast. The two-week event is our sport's equivalent to the NCAA’s March Madness, the NBA playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Finals. Take advantage of it.

Over the last two summers, I have been part of “Breakfast at Wimbledon” event and each summer I wonder why more events aren’t offered. Don’t wait until the last weekend to get your members involved and excited about this most significant time of the year.

Here are some ways to wow your members during Wimbledon:

• A Wimbledon draw party puts the 'fun' in fundraising
  Royal Melbourne Country Clubin Long Grove, Ill., where I currently teach, sells raffle tickets leading up to Wimbledon. Each ticket corresponds to a line in the draw and members can buy as many tickets as they want.. On the Saturday night prior to Wimbledon, we have a tennis twilight event followed by dinner. At dinner the drawing positions are pulled at random and each member then draws the amount of tickets they purchased. With each draw line, each member has at least one player to follow and cheer for throughout the tournament. The member whose player wins Wimbledon receives a free racquet of his or her choice.
  Advantage: This is great fundraiser ( $5 per ticket or "3 for $10") that gets the members involved at the club and interested in the tournament.
  
• "Wimbledon" tournament and viewing keeps kids engaged
  This next event comes from a fellow Ferris State alum in Birmingham, Mich. As the director of junior tennis at Orchard Lake Country Club, Lincoln combines match play and Wimbledon. On the first day, the kids play in matches just like the professional players over in England. When they are not playing, they are upstairs having snacks and watching the tournament. Wimbledon matches are played constantly throughout the day. It is a great alternative when the kids are not playing. As simple as this may sound, the involvement of kids is one of the most important aspects of running a club.
  Advantage: The earlier they start enjoying playing tennis and watching tennis the smaller turnover rate you can expect when you start competing with other sports that may interest them.
  
• Run a "historic" Wimbledon tournament for adults
  As a former Professional Tennis Management student, I was involved in many student-run tennis events. Since we were not at school during the summer we would organize a Wimbledon type event during the semester. The historical matches, all-white attire and general atmosphere are unforgettable. Use the two-week tournament to bring some of these things to your club. Schedule a tournament for juniors, men and women. Specify an all-white clothing rule and wooden racquets (if possible). If your club has grass courts--great--if not, clay or hard will do. All of these Wimbledon touches may not be possible, but do your best.
   Advantage: This is a great way to bring Wimbledon to your club and to create social yet competitive play.

Please share your ideas by leaving comment a below.