Junior's Got a Brand New Bag

Summary

Lavie Sak, founder of ADV Tennis, returns to ParentingAces to introduce the Jetpack Pro V2 (six-racket bag, $250 retail) and a brand-new backpack ($200 retail), both launched via Kickstarter. The company raised $125,000 in 16 days against a $5,000 goal, including $50,000 in the first 26 hours. The episode walks through the user-research-driven design process, feature innovations aimed at coaches, players, and tennis families, and ADV’s philanthropic commitment to growing tennis in Cambodia.

Guest Background

Lavie Sak is the founder of ADV Tennis, a small tennis gear company that began with the Humboldt Tennis Dampener and expanded into grips, wristbands, fitness kits, and now bags. He coached tennis for eight years, previously based in Atlanta at Universal Tennis Academy. His family is of Cambodian heritage, and the company donates 5-10% of revenue to tennis development in Cambodia.

Key Findings

1. User-Research-Driven Product Development

ADV conducted approximately 70 interviews with coaches, players, and player-parents before designing the original Jetpack Pro, then another 20+ interviews for V2 improvements. Sak describes treating hardware “like software” — iterating with each production run based on structured user feedback. This is notably rigorous for a small tennis equipment company.

2. Design Innovations Solving Real Player Pain Points

The bags address specific problems identified through user research:

• Fence hooks: Bags hang on court fences during play and changeovers.
• Insulated cooler compartment: Fits ice packs, three waters, Gatorades, and snacks. Accessible courtside.
• Separated shoe/sweat compartment: Two-tier design keeps dirty shoes separated from sweaty clothes, with a ventilation pocket.
• Reversible shoulder straps: V2 added the ability to wear the strap on either side, after users requested it.
• Hidden ID slot: Quick-access identification pocket in the shoulder strap for airport travel.
• Handle cover cape: Hidden flap protects racket handles from weather, with a clip system to prevent movement.
• Clipboard/manila folder fit: V2 widened a side compartment after coaches requested it for lesson plans.
• Weather-resistant coating: Polyurethane coating beads water in rain (not fully waterproof).

3. Backpack as Dual-Use School-to-Court Solution

Though not explicitly designed for students, coaches and parents reported the backpack works well as an all-in-one school-to-practice bag — holding books, laptop, shoes, rackets, and snacks. It also fits in airline overhead bins (tested on multiple flights), making it practical for tournament travel families.

4. Deliberate Branding Philosophy — Subtle Over Loud

Sak intentionally kept ADV branding minimal, leaving large blank areas on the bags. He noted that many tennis brands put oversized logos on bags, and that he found this unappealing. The design philosophy: “subtle can be very good.” Academies and clubs buying in bulk can add their own branding to the open space.

5. Crowdfunding as Capital Strategy for Tennis Startups

ADV used Kickstarter to raise risk capital for larger production runs, which bring per-unit costs down significantly. Backers receive 25-30% discounts as a pre-order incentive ($140 backpack / $175 pro bag on Kickstarter vs. $200 / $250 retail). The bags were already in production in Vietnam during the campaign, with May delivery planned — much faster than typical Kickstarter timelines.

6. Philanthropic Tie to Cambodian Tennis Development

ADV donates 5-10% of revenue to tennis development in Cambodia, specifically:

• Buying shoes for junior players at a tennis academy in the province where Sak’s father was born.
• Funding a children’s tennis education book.
• Sponsoring a promising Cambodian player’s travel to regional tournaments in Malaysia and Vietnam.
• Sak noted tennis was stronger in Cambodia pre-war and that the country is rebuilding, seeking coaches and development pathways.

7. Accessory Ecosystem and Bundle Strategy

ADV sells dampeners, wristbands (bamboo charcoal material, thinner than standard, designed from physical therapy wristband), and fitness kits alongside bags. Kickstarter backers receive post-campaign surveys offering discounted add-ons — a funnel strategy that extends customer lifetime value.

Actionable Advice for Families

1. Backpack as travel bag: The ADV backpack fits in airline overhead bins and holds rackets, laptop, shoes, and clothes — a practical option for families flying to tournaments.
2. Court organization: Fence hooks and compartmentalized cooler/shoe storage reduce courtside clutter during long tournament days.
3. School-to-court transition: An all-in-one bag that holds books, laptop, shoes, and rackets eliminates the need for multiple bags during training days after school.

INTENNSE Relevance

• Player identity through equipment: ADV’s subtle-branding philosophy and customizable blank surfaces align with how INTENNSE might think about team-branded gear. A league-branded bag with a player’s team identity — rather than a manufacturer’s oversized logo — reinforces the team-first, player-identity ethos.
• Families-first product design: The bag was designed around family pain points (travel, school-to-court transitions, courtside organization). This user-research methodology mirrors INTENNSE’s families-first philosophy and suggests the kind of equipment partnerships that would resonate with the league’s audience.
• Youth engagement through gear: For junior players, a bag is one of the most visible expressions of tennis identity. INTENNSE team bags could serve as both functional equipment and a belonging signal — similar to how club soccer teams issue team backpacks.
• Small-brand partnership model: ADV’s willingness to let academies and clubs co-brand their bags suggests a potential partnership template for INTENNSE — league-branded equipment from smaller, values-aligned companies rather than major manufacturers.
• Grassroots tennis development: ADV’s Cambodia initiative parallels INTENNSE’s interest in expanding tennis access and building grassroots pathways. The “it takes one player” philosophy echoes INTENNSE’s belief in team environments producing breakthrough individuals.

Notable Quotes

“I really want to ask the coaches and players what they wanted. So roughly, I want to say 70-ish interviews of coaches and parents.”

“I love a lot of tennis brands, but sometimes their brand is really big… I didn’t like that. So one of the principles is subtle can be very good.”

“A lot of parents and a lot of coaches that reached out to me and said that this works really well for their kids because it holds their books, computer, shoes, tennis rackets and snacks.”

“What Peridon and Chi-Chi Pan did for Thailand… he’s single-handedly brought that country a lot of tennis recognition. And I think it takes like one player.”