How Clay Crew brings the tennis community together

Clay Crew is a mobile and web community app that connects tennis players and coaches and promotes sportsmanship through skill-based matches.

The Challenge

Despite the growing interest in tennis in Metro Manila, casual players face several hurdles:

• Finding someone to play with at the same skill level often leads to awkward mismatches or canceled sessions.
• Coaching discovery relies heavily on word-of-mouth or club networks, making access uneven and opaque.
• Coordination is fragmented, happening across Facebook groups, private messages, and spreadsheets.
• Tourists and expats lack access to insider knowledge, making it hard to play during short stays.

These frictions limit play, leave courts underutilized, and make the sport feel less inclusive.

The Solution

Clay Crew is a community-powered tennis app built for casual players. It brings together coaches and players in one simple platform — no club membership or secret handshake required.

Key value propositions:

• Find coaches and book lessons that fit your level and schedule
• Match with hitting partners nearby based on skill level, availability, and location
• Discover hidden courts and connect with clubs more easily
• Centralize tennis conversations — no more digging through comment threads or waiting for a friend’s reply

Insights from User Interview

User interviews revealed a few key insights: players want to filter hitting partners by skill level (e.g., “advanced beginner” or “intermediate”); coaches are looking for a low-friction way to connect with students without going through club networks; and users consistently asked for more clarity around court fees and availability — a priority for the roadmap. There’s also growing interest in local tournaments and events, though most see this as something to introduce once the community is more established.

Mock-ups

Screens

Conclusion

Clay Crew is currently in MVP stage, focused on helping casual players find coaches and hitting partners more easily. We've validated the core pain points, designed a lightweight solution, and started building a tight-knit community.