USTA Iowa juniors receive recognition for standout sportsmanship

In collaboration with the Match Tennis App, the USTA Missouri Valley is running an all-new sportsmanship initiative—known as SuperSport—to recognize players who display standout sporting behavior during tournaments. The campaign aims to create a positive tennis experience for competitors of all ages and abilities.

Within USTA Iowa, three junior players—Maiya Phanchantraurai, Addison Latta and Ayers Thorin—earned recognition as local SuperSport winners for 2024.

Phanchantraurai was nominated for SuperSport at a USTA Missouri Valley Girls’ 12s/14s tournament. The nominator said Phanchantraurai was a “great player and very kind.” To read a USTA Iowa story about Phanchantraurai’s father and his love of tennis, click here.

Latta was nominated at a USTA Level 2 Girls’ 12s tournament. Her nominator noted the following: “Addison won the overall sportsmanship award at the Level 2 in Tucson, Arizona.”

Thorin was nominated for SuperSport at a USTA Iowa Boys’ and Girls’ 12s/14s tournament, the Genesis Junior Open. His nominator said the following: “Thorin is always fair and plays hard every single match.”

In addition, USTA Iowa’s AJ Williams won the Sportsmanship Award for the Boys’ 12s division at the USTA Missouri Valley Rally in the Valley Championships in Edmond, Okla. To view a video featuring Williams talking about the significance of sportsmanship, click here. To view a full article about this tournament, click here.

Juniors and adults can win prizes throughout the year as part of the SuperSport tiered award system at both the district and section levels. A grand prize award is given to one junior and one adult with the highest number of qualified nominations from Jan. 1 to July 31. The grand prize is a trip for two to the 2024 US Open. It includes ground pass tickets for two, $800 in airfare, a $500 hotel grant and a $30 US Open Store gift card.

For complete details on the 2024 SuperSport campaign—including a full explanation of how to nominate a player—click here.