District President Roundtable

Kate Foss, USTA Kansas 

• As a team, USTA Kansas thinks there is a great opportunity to build open the increase in tennis players as a result of the pandemic. Its exciting to see so much interest in the game and we are working to provide more opportunities for players of all levels, and at all types of facilities.
• Maureen Connelly Brinker and Billie Jean King come to mind as tennis players who have inspired me.
• Maureen Connelly Brinker, or Little Mo, was the first woman to win a calendar year Grand Slam. She won the last nine grand slam tournaments she played in ( and she only played in 11!) and retired at 19 due to a horseback riding accident.
  • She also has a foundation named after her. There was a time that there were dozens of chapters across the US and the only one, beside the original one, is in Wichita and I am an active member, currently serving as treasurer.
  • Read a little about her and you will see why she is so inspiring. She was the daughter of a single mother, played on public courts when most pros were coming up from country clubs.
• As for my USTA focus, we will continue to focus on growing tennis through adult leagues and tournaments, and we have a new youth pathway coordinator who is focused on growing the ten and under opportunities. The Junior Team Tennis program continues to grow and we hope to expand to include more parts of Kansas with this terrific program.
• As a team, USTA Kansas thinks there is a great opportunity to build upon the increase in tennis players as a result of the pandemic. It's exciting to see so much interest in the game and we are working to provide more opportunities for players of all levels, and at all types of facilities.

Mallory Weber, USTA Missouri

• Growing up, my parents were always so supportive of everything I wanted to do, but especially in sports. They let me explore all types of sports which exposed me to all types of people and environments. Because of their support and constant encouragement to pursue whatever I set my mind to this allowed me to grow into the person I am today. I'm so thankful that they sacrificed their time and money to allow me to find my passion in tennis. 
• I love that I am in a position that I can help grow a sport I love and a sport that has given me so much. Tennis teaches a person so many skills that are transferable to all aspects of life. The sport of tennis can provide so much joy whether you are a beginning recreation player or number 1 in the world. The sport of tennis has so much to offer and the more people I can expose to this sport and the more people we can keep playing this sport; it will only make our community and district stronger. 
• It's important for qualified and passionate people to have opportunities in leadership positions regardless of gender. Young girls and women have been fighting an uphill battle for equality for a long time. As a woman, it is so inspiring to see strong female role models break down walls in sports dominated by men in positions of power. I'm so grateful for those women who took up that fight years ago because without them I wouldn't be in the position I'm in today. It's crucial for young girls to see people like them in those roles and know that they are attainable.