2023 ITA NAIA National Indoor Championships Bring Big Competition to Overland Park

The 2023 ITA NAIA Men’s and Women’s National Team Indoor Championships rolled through Overland Park Racquet Club in Overland Park, KS, earlier this month to much excitement–and it was made possible with a grant from USTA Missouri Valley awarded to Kansas Wesleyan University tennis coach, Josh Molino.

Last year, Molino applied for the grant in hopes to bring the NAIA Indoor Championships to Kansas for the 2023-2025 season. A lot of manpower goes into running and promoting events of this size, so the grant would be necessary to pay for things like facilities’ fees, prizes, hospitality, and a whole lot more. USTA Missouri Valley was thrilled to help Molino bring a tournament of this magnitude to Kansas, and awarded him the grant.

“We’re really excited to have this opportunity  to host the inaugural NAIA National Indoor Championships,” said Molino. “I’m so grateful the ITA chose us and especially grateful to USTA Kansas and USTA Missouri Valley. [The grant] helped us with things like player gifts, and USTA Kansas helped with hospitality, so that grant helped make the player experience that much better.”

The NAIA showcases college athletic talent from smaller schools–talent often overlooked in favor of larger, Division I colleges and universities–so hosting the National Indoor Championships is a great way to offer players to highlight their skills on the court. Molino agrees: “It’s a great opportunity to showcase talent in the Missouri Valley section.”