USTA Eastern's
Western Region
September 22, 2022

USTA Eastern’s Western Region organizes all USTA tennis programs throughout the Western part of the state of New York. The region extends from as far north as the Saint Lawrence River south to the Pennsylvania state line and west to the Niagara River. It includes the cities of Watertown, Syracuse, Binghamton, Ithaca, Elmira, Corning, Rochester, Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Jamestown. The region is bordered by two of the Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario), and includes the Finger Lakes Region.
The Western Region has one of the seven wonders of the world within its boundaries. Niagara Falls is a hot spot for tourists and visitors from around the globe. In addition, the region is home to the Women's Rights Museum in Seneca Falls and the Corning Museum of Glass. The region also has several professional sports teams from the Buffalo Bills and Sabres to the Syracuse SkyChiefs.
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The Western Region is proud to host two USTA Professional Circuit Events: The LB Futures Tournament at the Tennis Club of Rochester in Pittsford, and the Levene, Gouldin, & Thompson (LG&T) Tennis Challenger at Recreation Park in Binghamton.
News
- Once health and state officials gave approval, Buffalo's Police Athletic League (PAL) began their annual 2020 summer tennis camps for kids. ABC affiliate WKBW Buffalo featured the camps and explained what measures the organization took to keep participants safe. One camper interviewed was very happy to get out of the house. See the full segment here.
- On February 6, 2020, over 2000 students across the Rochester City School District learned about the life and advocacy of Grand Slam champion Arthur Ashe—and received a tennis lesson in his honor. The event—dubbed "Arthur Ashe Legacy Lives Day—was made possible by a partnership between the district, National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapter Conkey Cruisers and USTA Eastern. See media coverage here and here.
- Part of Arthur Ashe Legacy Lives Day included a rap contest, where students could write a rap about the life of Arthur Ashe. The winners of the contest received tickets to the New York Open. New York Tennis Magazine wrote about the kids' experience attending the tournament and meeting tennis legend Nick Bollettieri. See their feature here.
2020 Western Region Eastern Tennis Conference Award Winners
- Tennis Woman of the Year: Adrienne Alteri
- Tennis Organization of the Year: Empire Tennis Academy
- Tennis Family of the Year: The Perry Family
- George Seewagen Award: Debbie Miller
- Clinician of the Year: Laramie Gavin
- Umpire Service Award: Tina Nabinger
- Collegiate Award: Ithaca College
- Western Region Volunteer of the Year: Lydia Varón
Upcoming Events and Workshops
Information will be posted here as it becomes available.
The Western Region Team
Adult League Coordinators, Western
- Fauna Pappalardo (Buffalo, Ithaca and Rochester) - pappalardo@eastern.usta.com
- Jill Pitts (Binghamton and Syracuse) - pitts@eastern.usta.com
Community Tennis Coordinator, Western
- Joe Steger - steger@eastern.usta.com
USTA Western Region Council
Officers:
- Ruthanne Wannop, Director
- Jason Speirs, Vice-Director
- Elise Edwards, Secretary
District Delegates:
- Lesley Wilcox (District 13)
- Marion DeLeo (District 14)
- Lisa Noworyta (District 15)
Committee Representatives:
- Chris Galle (Junior Competition)
- Steve McGary (Diversity & Inclusion)
- Lydia Varón (Adult Competition)
Area Representatives:
- Adrienne Alteri (Watertown)
- Dave Hanzes (Binghamton)
- May Hines (Dryden)
- Marion Nies (Syracuse)
- Anda Perianu (Ithaca)