Series Won, a Platform Tennis Apparel Company

A Conversation about the Platform Tennis Apparel Company

THE OWNER

Ryan Peterson really started playing platform tennis about six years ago. He had picked up a paddle a few times in his youth in Lake Forest, but never thought much about it. He belonged to a club for many years but didn’t get on their courts until a friend said, “You have to play this game.” He was immediately hooked by the game and the camaraderie and felt a twinge of regret for not getting involved earlier. Peterson is now a league player for The Winter Club, moving his way up the Series ranks in Chicago’s CPTC league.

BUSINESS IDEA

Peterson started the Series Won paddle attire company roughly two years ago, “out of sheer selfishness. I’m a gear guy. I like cycling, fly fishing, skiing, and part of what makes it fun is not only the experience but having that hat or shirt that echoes my interests. For platform tennis, I would search online and not find anything that mirrored my love of the game—a hat, t-shirt, gear, whatever. If there was ever a sport that deserves to be noticed, it is paddle, especially with such a rich history and passionate following.”

He then spent months developing what would become the look and feel of Series Won. “Beginning with the company name, it was important to me that it resonated with platform tennis players but also be a little clever. Nothing sounded quite right until melding the words series—the level of play—and one/won—representing the best of the best—together.”

QUALITY

“I took the time to research products and clothing because quality is of the utmost importance to me, like a 100% ring spun cotton t-shirt. I’m a big hat guy, so we had to do hats, and I sourced a hat builder in Ohio that is great. Needlepoint belts are a big thing on the North Shore of Chicago and part of the preppy East Coast aesthetic. I wanted the product line to be diverse, with something for everybody, so we added visors, stickers, koozies, coasters, to our on-court apparel.”

This fall, Peterson reached out to Rhone, an under-the-radar on-court athletic gear company. “We’ve built a great relationship and I purchased quality gear from them. Series Won will continue to connect and collaborate with cool, boutiquey apparel companies.”

DESIGN

“I’m lucky in that my wife graduated with a degree in art and I have access to an in-house graphic designer. I will see something that I think is cool and get inspired, then we will foster that concept into our products. I’m shocked at how long it takes to create and perfect ideas. Nicole’s redesigns blow me away. The bonus is that she is a paddle player, too.”

THE SCORPION

“We were trying to come up with an edgy logo that reflected the speed and agility of the game and had an intimidation factor. The scorpion embodies that, something that strikes and stings before you even know it has happened. Nicole added the paddle to the tail for the perfect finish. It is one of our more popular designs.”

WHAT’S NEXT

“Series Won is not just a diversion for me, it’s bigger than that. We want to be a key part of the paddle community and we want to aid in the growth of the game. We are focused on building relationships with paddle leagues, clubs, and pros. We just recently became a sponsor for the Greater Boston Platform Tennis League and this past fall we co-hosted a benefit Paddle for Alzheimer’s event. If Series Won, as a brand, can help elevate the sport, I’ll be happy about what we’ve accomplished.”

Website is Series Won

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