Connecting off the court

Mesh Tennis is a new social networking site just for tennis players, connecting the tennis community online. The website lets tennis players find other players of their own skill level, in their own area. It also lets players record scores and matches, review tennis gear, schedule events and read the latest tennis news. Becoming a member is free. Groups can be formed for club teams, school teams or doubles. Another smart feature is a Google Maps mash-up, which lets members add court locations, using different coloured markers for hard, clay and grass courts. Very useful for travelling players who’d like to find somewhere to play. Mesh Tennis was started by Chris Keller, an IT project manager who wanted to find more players to hit the courts with. The community is still growing, mainly by members inviting friends, and is currently only geared towards US players. Niche social networks create prime online advertising space. One for Dunlop, Head or Wilson to sponsor? And if you’re an avid tennis player outside the US, why not team up with Mesh’s founder to bring the concept to the rest of the world? Oh, and if tennis is NOT your thing: another 101 or so sports could do with their own web 2.0-style networks, if not every hobby, topic or possession that gets people going (like…cars! Check out: MySpace for cars.)