Rebecca Falkner Axelrod named executive director of USTA Heart of America
March is Women’s History Month, and we’re excited to make a historic announcement about an outstanding woman returning to our district. Former collegiate tennis player Rebecca Falkner Axelrod has been named executive director of USTA Heart of America!
Originally from Kansas City, Rebecca is excited to return to her roots as she hits the ground running in her new role. “I’m very excited to come back to KC,” she said. “It’s a full-circle moment, since I started playing tennis in this district and now I am in charge.”
Rebecca has dedicated much of her life to growing the game of tennis and is a champion for adaptive sports in her role on the USTA National Adaptive Committee. She has master’s degrees in Sports Administration and Leadership from Augustana University and in Sports Law and Business from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
While she was in the Phoenix area pursuing one of her degrees, Rebecca was active with nonprofit ACEing Autism, where she serves on the Board of Directors, and Programs for After School Success, or PASS, for short. Rebecca’s focus on philanthropy recently earned her the 2023 USTA Southwest Community Tennis Volunteer of the Year Award.
In her new role as executive director, Rebecca plans to dedicate her efforts toward growing the game of tennis in our district through several different avenues. “I’m excited to continue growing and advocating for the sport through leagues, tournaments, [diversity, equity, and inclusion] DEI, juniors, community development, and more.”
Please join us in welcoming Rebecca back home to Kansas City and USTA Heart of America! We’re thrilled she’s decided to join us, and we can’t wait to see the impact she makes on tennis in the communities we serve.
To learn more about Rebecca Falkner Axelrod, please read this article from USTA National.
Related Articles
-
![Visit the National Title Triumph page]( "A USTA Heart of America 18 & Over mid tri-level team captained by Bryan Willis captured the national championship in San Diego.")
National Title TriumphApril 13, 2026Team Willis turned early adversity into dominance, winning district and section titles before a perfect run at the USTA Tri-Level National Invitational in San Diego. Read More -
![Visit the Officiating with Purpose page]( "Jody Holsinger is a USTA Heart of America certified official and the district's vice president of adults.")
Officiating with PurposeApril 09, 2026Official Jody Holsinger shares how tennis supported her through cancer recovery, strengthened her health and deepened her commitment to giving back. Read More -
![Visit the Partners in Play page]( "Candace Asbell and her husband, J.D. Asbell, compete in husband-and-wife tennis events together.")
Partners in PlayMarch 05, 2026Candace Asbell discovered a new level of competition when her husband joined her on the court, leading to shared travel, friendships and memorable husband-wife tourneys. Read More
Sign up for our Newsletter
Download the USTA App
