Joseph “Joe” Vessecchia is a former Quick Base account executive pursuing an MBA in finance at the University of Rochester. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan. In his free time, Joseph Vessecchia enjoys hiking and playing tennis.
Tennis and hiking are two outdoor activities that experienced a surge in participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions. According to the Tennis Industry Association’s Quarterly USA Wholesale Equipment Census, entry-level racket sales increased 40.9 percent during the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same time in 2019.
The United States Tennis Association also reported more than 10 percent of all Americans played tennis during this period, which represented nearly a 50 percent relative increase from Q3 2019. Almost 3 million of these participants were first-time players.
Similarly, more than 8 million Americans went hiking last year compared to 2019, according to the Outdoor Foundation’s most recent outdoor participation report. Considering April to June of 2020, the amount of day hikes logged in the US was up 8.4 percent from the same time period in 2019. Overall, the Outdoor Foundation noted more than a 52 percent increase in outdoor participation in 2020.
Joseph Vessecchia 