Jeanne Chavez reflects on 37-year officiating career

The unsung heroes of tennis are the officials who dedicate their time to calling fair matches. With November serving as Officials Appreciation Month and Nov. 10-16 Officials Appreciation Week, it is a great time to celebrate our USTA Heart of America officials. That includes Jeanne Chavez, who works hard to maintain the integrity of the sport.

Chavez, 80, is an award-winning official who started her career in 1987 after her neighbor helped get her involved in calling matches. Chavez was recently selected for the 2024 USTA Heart of America Officials' Distinguished Service Award.

“I don’t have a tennis background; I would say this is unusual and not the norm as I think most officials are former players of the sport,” Chavez said. “I had actually planned to learn to play tennis, but there was a White Badge official living in St. Joseph, Bob Butler, who is now deceased, who recruited me to pursue officiating.

“And so I did. It became obvious rather quickly that my tennis future was probably in officiating and not playing!”

In her 37 years of officiating, Chavez has amassed an impressive resume. She started her career at an exhibition match in Omaha between tennis icons Michael Chang and Jim Courier. She was the head referee for the USTA Pro Circuit event in St. Joseph for many years.

Chavez has also called hundreds of USTA tournaments and has officiated several WTT pro matches across St. Louis, Springfield and Kansas City. In addition to all of that, she’s served as an official at many NCAA Division I, II and III National Championship tournaments as well as the Big 12 National Championships.

At present, Chavez continues to call college matches and serves as the head referee for the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Boys and Girls State Championships. After a storied career, Chavez recognizes the need for more officials, and she shared some advice and encouragement for those interested in pursuing officiating.

“For anyone wanting to become an official, and we certainly need them, the USTA has a website which guides them through becoming an official,” Chavez said. “If they know someone in officiating, I’m sure that person would be happy to help them as well.

“Officiating offers lots of opportunities, and an official can decide how involved they choose to be. Some choose to do it part-time, and others choose to pursue it full-time. Your own schedule and availability can (help you) determine just how far in officiating you are able to go.”

Officiating is calling! Learn more about becoming a tennis official by clicking here.