2024 USTA Missouri Valley Annual Conference Recap

The Power of Tennis was celebrated throughout the 2024 USTA Missouri Valley Annual Conference, which took place Dec. 5-7 at Sheraton Overland Park Hotel in Overland Park, Kan.

In addition to engaging speaker sessions, committee meetings and a Red Ball Tennis social, two individuals were inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame and more than 30 awards were handed out to recognize excellence on and off the court.

The conference culminated with the playing of the 2024 USTA Missouri Valley End of Year video, which highlighted some of the section’s top sights and sounds. Jennifer (Hopkins) Dent and Susan True were officially enshrined as the 146th and 147th members of the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame. You can view Dent’s Hall of Fame video here and True’s Hall of Fame video here.

Awards for players, providers and leaders were given out, with the full list of award recipients available here. Jason Mathes was USTA Missouri Valley President Alex Lee’s selection for the President’s Award, and Mathes was surprised with the recognition during the meeting of the association and board.

Scott Hanover—who again emceed the Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Celebration—was on the receiving end of a surprise award of his own. Hanover was announced as the Racquet Sports Industry (RSI) magazine High School Coach of the Year. He joined Edmond Center Court (Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year) as the USTA Missouri Valley’s "Champions of Tennis" that were announced in RSI's January 2025 issue.

The annual conference kicked off with Mary Buschmann, USTA Missouri Valley CEO and executive director, sharing the conference’s theme was celebrating the Power of Tennis. Artwork created by St. Louis native Chelsey Farris—who designed the 2024 US Open’s theme art—was sprinkled throughout conference programming and signage. Buschmann included some of the 16 theme art elements (bolded below) in her remarks.

“We celebrate with our communities through our diverse and inclusive programming,” Buschmann said. “We certainly bring the energy and entertainment to our fans as we focus on the fun. We are experiencing the growth of tennis by inspiring healthier people and communities everywhere. We will continue to encourage social play and respect the traditions of our sport.”