Beth Causey excited to serve as USTA Missouri Valley president

“It was kind of like pre-Uber. It was crazy,” Causey said. “That was a really good experience. That’s what is so great about USTA: It takes you to places you would never, never think you were going to encounter.”

Identifying Board Objectives

Upon completing her second term as USTA St. Louis president, Causey elected to apply for the USTA Missouri Valley Board of Directors. She served as treasurer then first vice president before her most recent appointment as president.

“I never saw that to be honest. I never saw myself on the board. I can even go back 15 years prior to that, I never saw myself on the court,” Causey said with a laugh.

Causey said she “feels really lucky” the USTA Missouri Valley board features experienced members as well as new personnel with fresh insights. One of the board’s top objectives will be furthering the USTA’s growth strategy of reaching 35 million tennis players by 2035. Causey said creative formats such as Red Ball Tennis will only aid in the USTA achieving its ambitious goal.

“We can’t deny that we grow the game one player at a time,” Causey said. “We’ve got so much data that drills down to a micro level. It’s respecting every player who plays and keeping every player we can.”

Causey said additional focal areas for the board include ensuring all seven section districts remain strong organizationally and with their systems, growing the officiating pool and keeping facilities at the forefront.

“We just have so much talent sitting at the table,” Causey said. “I’m excited because there is a really good energy for these next two years.”

“Tennis gives you so much more than what you’re doing on the court,” Causey said. “You get on a team and right then and there you’ve just met 12 new best friends. These friends are there for your ups and your downs. Tennis gives you so much if you’ve got some issues in your life. It is your answer to working through those things.”

That strong support from the tennis community was particularly evident when Causey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. Causey’s tennis friends drove her to doctor’s appointments and stayed with her during them, provided meals and offered ample encouragement. Causey said her friends “went way above the call of duty,” motivating her to return to the tennis court for good in spring 2012.

“It’s the people I’ve met. It’s obviously the joy on the court. At my age of 67, I’m playing with people I’ve played with for 20 years. … And it’s funny to me, I’ll meet people and I don’t know them well. We’re getting to know each other. The next thing you know, we’re all on a tennis trip together. It’s just amazing.”

Causey is a St. Louis native who returned to the area after attending the University of Illinois in Champaign and beginning her career in Chicago. She additionally earned an MBA from Saint Louis University. Causey spent 22 years as a financial analyst at Anheuser-Busch before starting her own small business as a financial consultant for both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations.

After a 44-year professional career Causey retired in February 2022, with much of her time now dedicated to her family and volunteer efforts. Causey has two daughters, Lauren Evans and Jen Tebeau, as well as three grandchildren. She is excited to continue making an impact on the sport she loves in her new role as section president.

“I see where I can make a contribution, where I can make a difference,” Causey said. “Until you look back, you don’t realize what your body of work was. I didn’t see any of this coming at all. But one thing led to the next.”

To learn more about the 2025-26 USTA Missouri Valley Board of Directors, click here. To view more Women’s History Month stories from across USTA Missouri Valley, click here.