2023 Midwest Awards

Each year, USTA Midwest honors dedicated individuals and organizations for their service and support of the section’s mission to grow, develop and service the sport of tennis.

2023 Fall Award Winners

 

Family of the Year Award

 

This award is presented to the family in the USTA Midwest Section that has contributed the most toward tennis through the years. The family members are all involved in tennis serving their local area or district in promoting and perpetuating the development of tennis on all levels.

 

2023 Recipient: Vens Family (Northwestern Ohio District)

 

Tennis has always been a passion for the Vens family from one generation to the next. Kasey (father) grew up playing national father/son tournaments with his dad, Keith, before playing for the University of Toledo. While Nicall (mother) has played for various local interclub teams in Toledo for more than 20 years. Their son Isaac (17) made the quarterfinals of the Ohio State High School Tournament in singles (DI) and has ranked inside the Top 20 for the Midwest. Landon (15) has ranked inside the Top 50 nationally and has competed all over the country. Elise (13) made the Top 100 in the nation for girls 12s and loves traveling to play at tournaments. All three kids enjoy singles and doubles, and they have represented their district (USTA Northwestern Ohio) for the Team Cup and the Midwest for the Battle of the Mississippi. The Vens family is passionate about growing the game and getting better every day.

 

Stanley Malless - District Diamond Service Award

 

This award is presented to a volunteer for distinguished service in his or her district. The award especially honors the individual who has contributed to the development of tennis programs from the grassroots up for five years or more. Stanley Malless, who has contributed a great deal to tennis from the grassroots to the national level, was President of both the USTA Midwest Section and the USTA.

 

2023 Recipient: Jason Stanislaw (Chicago District)

 

Jason is a versatile figure in the tennis world, having coached, played and managed new tennis programs from the ground up. Jason’s objective was to travel across the United States and contribute to the growth of tennis everywhere, but after family brought him home to Chicago, that is where he would make his biggest impact. A philosophy Jason lives by, that you can address change best if you are, “in command of the ship,” was proven true when he was able to save Forest View Racquet and Fitness Club in Arlington Heights, Illinois from being turned into a soccer facility. Jason has also helped junior athletes, some of the best players in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and set them on their path to college tennis. Being passionate in all realms of tennis and having connections with hundreds of individuals has led Jason to many leadership positions. He became the General Manager of the three-sport Centennial Recreation Complex and has served on the Board of USTA Chicago since 2014. Jason continues to make a difference in both parks and club tennis. 

 

Mel Bergman - Section Diamond Service Award

 

The USTA Midwest Section's most prestigious award, the Mel Bergman Award, is given in recognition of continuous and distinguished service to the USTA Midwest Section in an unselfish, dedicated manner for 10 years or more. Mel Bergman, an extremely dedicated volunteer, was a President of the USTA Midwest Section who served on the USTA Executive Committee.

 

2023 Recipient: Ethel Parker (Northwestern Ohio District)

 

Ethel has been dedicated to making big strides in tennis and her career. As a retired neurosurgery first assistant/scrub for 35 years, she has published studies and been a crucial part of many successful cases. With a high-pressure career, Ethel showed resilience and continued to make a difference in tennis and in her community. Finding time for recreational tennis in USTA League, captaining USTA women's teams, founding Parker’s Tennis Camp in the parks and being named a National Senior Olympian in mixed doubles. Her awards and impact give just a glimpse into who Ethel is. Ethel Parker is proud to receive this award as she has seen tennis from so many different angles. She was the Past President of USTA Northwestern Ohio and currently serves on several boards and committees. She is currently Vice President of Friends of Ottawa Park and is on the Jermain Park Board where she will be coordinating the daily schedules and equipment rental services for tennis and pickleball during the 2024 season. She also serves on the USTA Midwest Diversity Committee and is a Delegate-at-Large for the section. Ethel is making waves in the tennis community and continues to grow the game.

 

Awards Presented Earlier this Year

 

Cap Leighton – Teaching Professional Award

 

This award recognizes the tennis teaching professional who contributes to tennis in his or her community beyond his livelihood. This person gives freely in promoting involvement in tennis for players of all levels and ages and assists in developing tennis programs and promoting participation.

 

2023 Recipient: Mark Bey (Chicago District)

Of Mark Bey's many shining achievements, here is a quick mention of some: Mark formerly served as the tournament director for USTA Chicago's Boys 16s District Championships. For 19 years, he has coached for Chicago's Super Excellence Program, and he is a two-time National Cities Team champion boys' coach. Mark has led teams to the boys' Davis Cup championships and the girls' Baird Cup championships. He's coached eight players to the #1 USTA national ranking, 11 to ATP/WTA rankings and 17 former students toward NCAA individual championship participation, including two national champions. Bey also mentored the retired Bryan brothers as a former assistant coach. Bey was inducted into the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Midwest Division Hall of Fame in 2017. Mark was the recipient of the 2022 USTA Chicago Coach of the Year Award.

 

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Frank Dowling – Outstanding Umpire Award

This award recognizes a person who has displayed outstanding attributes as an umpire in the USTA Midwest section for at least five (5) years.

2023 Recipient: Connor Nowosatka (Northeastern Michigan District)

Connor became the Northeastern Michigan District Chair of Officials at age 19. For the past three years, he has embraced, guided and supported district officials and tournament-goers at all levels. From community events, such as the grand re-opening of the Garber Tennis Courts, to professional WTA matches, Nowosatka has been instrumental in creating a well-informed and professional group of officials. His volunteerism is year-round which he tackles with intent and purpose. He recently completed the Center of Excellence training for Referee, an experience not many are chosen for, which entitled him to a trip to Orlando, Florida's National Tennis Center! As a rising senior at Central Michigan University, Nowosatka will be completing a summer internship at XALT Energy in his field of mechanical engineering. The section is thrilled that Nowosatka brings such knowledge, skill and dedication to our courts. 

 

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Helen Shockley – Junior Female Player Award

This award recognizes an outstanding 16 or 18-and-under age division female player from the section for the highest standards of tennis accomplishments, character, conduct, sportsmanship and amateurism. 

 

2023 Recipient: Chase Boyer (Central Indiana District)

 

Chase Boyer is an active leader in various clubs and organizations at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville, Indiana as well as with the city's NJTL chapter and CTA. Boyer led her high school tennis team to multiple team championships and has earned individual accolades including All State honors. In 2022, she was selected by her peers to serve as team captain, and over the past year, she has spent most of her spare time giving back to others. With Evansville's NJTL and CTA, she has displayed selflessness, patience, compassion and teamwork. Boyer also volunteers as an Incognito Instructor; the organization provides anonymous tutoring to students in need, without the negative stigma of tutoring. She is tremendously self-motivated and at the same time, has the desire to better the lives of those around her.

Boyer shows a high level of community involvement and will continue to grow as a person and player as she continues her education and playing career at Indiana University.

 

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League Volunteer Award

This award recognizes the USTA League Volunteer that has provided leadership and has made a significant contribution to the growth and enhancement of USTA League play within their district and the USTA Midwest section. 

 

2023 Recipient: Marion Thompson (Chicago District)

 

Marion Thompson has been a captain in the Chicago District since 2010. In 2021, after year-end ratings were run and Thompson's new rating no longer allowed her to play on the teams that she had captained for years, Marion continued to captain several teams even though she could not participate as a player on them. Without Marion's dedication to the league program and the love of the game, many others may not have been given the opportunity to continue to play.

 

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National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Chapter of the Year Award

This award recognizes the outstanding NJTL Chapter in the USTA Midwest section that has demonstrated continued excellence in recreational tennis. The USTA Midwest section NJTL of the Year Award criteria includes quality of on-court programming, quality of off-court programming, interaction with the local parks and recreation departments and contributions to the local community.

 

2023 Recipient: Dublin Tennis Outreach Program (Ohio Valley District)

 

Dublin Tennis Outreach Program, or Dublin TOP, is a young organization, both in terms of the organization itself and its volunteers. They are completely high school student-led with a 100% volunteer policy. The concept is "bigger kids" help the little kids. Dublin TOP was founded in 2019 by William Sun (now a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University) and has since grown to have more than a dozen students on its leadership board. They help guide the tennis development of children in grades K-5 in Dublin, Ohio and surrounding communities. The group is growing rapidly. In the past few years, they have created school district partnerships in six cities, including Tennessee, and offer year-round, free tennis lessons for more than 1,200 underprivileged kids. Dublin TOP provides younger students with tutoring twice a week with high schoolers volunteering to help K-5 students with their homework and class materials. 

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Organization of the Year Award

Established in 1981 and presented annually by each section, this award recognizes outstanding service by a Member Organization its members and to the game of tennis.

 

2023 Recipient: Skokie Tennis Association (Chicago District)

 

The Skokie Tennis Association (STA) has been in existence since 2015 after it was suggested the Village of Skokie could use more recreational sports leagues. The STA is a recreational not-for-profit organization that encourages a fun experience, offering competitive play at a variety of levels. The league also holds off-season, indoor mixers to keep up interest and gain new teams. The league pays a nominal per-player season fee to the Skokie Park District and, in 2017, donated money from the league's treasury to fund children's scholarships for Skokie Park District tennis camps and classes. STA has had players of all ages, ranging from an 18 year old who partnered with his mom, to a spry 87 year old with a wicked drop shot. The Skokie Tennis Association was awarded USTA Chicago's 2022 Organization of the Year Award.

 

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The Bender Family Wheelchair Performance Award

The Bender Family encompasses the dedication and true desire to develop the game of wheelchair tennis. This award recognizes a volunteer, wheelchair player, teaching professional or coach who has made outstanding contributions and has demonstrated excellence in the sport of wheelchair tennis. The recipient has shown evidence of dedication to improving, advancing and promoting wheelchair tennis in their community with the USTA Midwest. 

 

2023 Recipient: Brett Wolff (Wisconsin District)

  
Brett Wolff is the embodiment of courage, ambition and dedication. Wolff has been playing Wheelchair Tennis since 2018 and continues to grow and persevere in the sport he has come to love. Wolff was born with an extremely rare syndrome that affects the bones of his feet, hands and vertebrae. He is determined to show the world that anything is possible! At a young age, he discovered a love for sports while watching the Green Bay Packers NFL team. He had the same name and birth month as quarterback Brett Favre! Wolff spent much of his time volunteering with community sports teams and decided to research Adaptive Sports in Wisconsin. He found tennis and fell in love with the sport right away. When he found out about Adaptive Tennis tournaments he told himself, "Yes! I'm doing this. I've always wanted to be an athlete, compete in a sport and travel around the country. [It's] something I never thought I would be able to do." Wolff is a true champion of the game with excellent performance and poise on the court. He's a terrific doubles partner, having made friends from all over the country, and he's determined to continue competing and improving. "If there's a will, there's a way," says Wolff!

 

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Wallace R. Holzman, Sr. – Junior Male Player Award

This award recognizes an outstanding 16 or 18-and-under age division male player from the section for the highest standards of tennis accomplishments, character, conduct, sportsmanship and amateurism. 

 

2023 Recipient: Rishi Verma (Southeastern Michigan District)

 

Rishi Verma has been a member of the varsity tennis team at Greenhills School for the last four years and served as captain his senior season. It is a role he was selected for unanimously by his teammates and coaches; a role his older brother served five years ago. Verma always puts his team first. His coach says, "It was abundantly clear to teammates and opponents that Rishi was the team's heart." Verma won all of his matches this season, then quickly set about rooting for his teammates, giving them encouragement and energy! His senior record was 29-0, which gave him a career-high school record of 114-2, including four individual regional titles and four individual state titles. More important to Verma, though, were the two team state championships won during his four years. He was a part of the two best teams in school history, which was no coincidence. 

Verma is equally talented as a scholar, currently carrying a 3.83 GPA despite an extremely challenging course load. Verma comes to class prepared and is fully engaged in his learning every day. His classmates and tennis team are better for having him. He continues his tennis career at Swarthmore College, where they will be lucky to have him. 

 

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USTA Midwest Awards Recognition

 

The 2023 Fall Award recipients will be honored at the USTA Midwest Annual Meeting on Friday, January 26, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

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