2022 USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Award Winners Announced

There is no shortage of incredible individuals and organizations doing great things for tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Section. Each year, USTA Mid-Atlantic honors those who are uplifting, supporting, and going above and beyond for tennis in the region through our Section Annual Awards program. 

The Mid-Atlantic tennis community nominated outstanding individuals and community providers for the Annual Section Awards and those who exemplify the guiding principles of Community, Character, and Well-being under the “USTA Mid-Atlantic Creates” theme. 

More than 110 nominations poured in during the three week nomination period, each sharing inspiring stories of  tennis leaders of all ages in the Mid-Atlantic Section. The commitment to the sport from individuals, providers, and the facilities in the Section has not gone unnoticed. After careful review USTA Mid-Atlantic introduces the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Creates Award winners who continue to make an impact on and off the court. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic Creates...

Community Champion Award: David Thompson has organized many USTA Mid-Atlantic League teams in Columbia, Maryland and other areas. He has organized a group of 100 tennis players every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to play and have fun on court. Not only that, David has captained several teams simultaneously, and was known to always have fun on the court. David was a tennis fanatic; his energy was electric and his personality filled up a room. His impact in the community goes far beyond the tennis court.

Provider Champion Award: Gabby Hesse is the Head of Wheelchair and Adaptive tennis at JTCC in College Park, Maryland. She is on a mission to ensure tennis is a fun and enjoyable game for every type of player. In 2021, Hesse took the initiative to bring a USTA National instructor to JTCC and have all staff become wheelchair certified instructors so that wheelchair and adaptive tennis could be integrated into all programming. Hesse is bringing tennis to everyone and ensuring all have the ability to fall in love with the sport. 

Youth Leader Award: Daniel Lim is an active player, volunteer and overall tennis enthusiast from Richmond, Virginia. He participates in high-level USTA tournaments, is a member of the varsity tennis team at Freeman High School, and is currently a 2022 USTA Mid-Atlantic high school ambassador. As a way to spread his love for tennis among youth in his community, he created a week-long non-profit tennis camp called the Wild Mavericks Tennis Camp. This program launched during the pandemic as a way to bring tennis to more people, but it is now a staple in the community and is continuing to introduce more players to tennis during the summer months, keeping them active and engaged through the sport. 

Adult Leader Award: Amy Cahoon goes above and beyond when it comes to captaining USTA League teams. She exudes positive energy and is instrumental in welcoming new players to the sport across Maryland, D.C. and Virginia as she captains 9 teams across all areas of the Section. Amy has great sportsmanship, love for the game, and continues to lead by example across all of the teams that she captains. When her team gets out on the tennis court her advice to them is to “have fun and make friends.” Her passion for tennis is infectious and she continues to foster community connections on and off the court.

Tennis in the Classroom: Zachary Carr is a mentor and coach to the Woodson High School Boys tennis team in Fairfax County, Virginia. He prides himself in teaching his players positive character traits that they can use on and off the court. In his nomination a piece of advice Coach Carr gave to his team was shared: "winning a match is good, but it's not everything. It's about how you represented yourself, your school and your family. You may be done playing tennis after 4 years, but character is carried through your whole life."  His focus is to mold people into good tennis players while ensuring everyone exudes good sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork in other areas of life also. 

Coach of the Year: Jahan Kashani is growing tennis in Mclean, Virginia for all youth players that are interested in the sport. Coach Jahan provides inclusive programming for kids age 7-14 that emphasizes making them better players and people. He is deeply dedicated to the players he interacts with, and always goes above and beyond on and off the court. He is a positive influence on the next generation of tennis greats in the Section. 

Congratulations to all the winners. The 2022 USTA Mid-Atlantic award winners will receive their award and recognition at Citi Open on Wednesday, August 3. 

To stay up to date on these award winners and all things tennis in the Mid-Atlantic make sure to follow USTA Mid-Atlantic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the Section and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.