Local Providers Stay Strong During COVID-19

This year, we’ve seen many of our local providers step up to the challenges of COVID-19 and find ways to keep play going on our courts.

Sara Rasmussen, director of Riverside Tennis Center in Wichita, has been working hard to continue hosting regular lessons and events.

“We’ve been working on programming and adjustments that needed to be made with the restrictions in place,” Rasmussen said. “We were shut down for about two and a half months, so we were lucky that we had about two weeks to get things ready before the facility opened back up.”

Junior Team Tennis Coordinator Janet Glaser worked alongside Rasmussen to create a JTT format that followed protocol at every level.

“It got to where we would get everything set up and then have to change it the next day, and the next day… and it just became a little crazy,” Glaser said. “We worked with Riverside very closely because they were already working with the CDC, the state of Kansas, the city and the county… so we had to follow everyone’s guidelines.”

The Topeka Tennis Association has also been hard at work preparing to host tournaments at Kossover Tennis Center.

“Alternate courts have been used and benches restricted,” said Bob Keeshan, TTA president. “On July 11-12, Kossover hosted the Sunflower Games with 79 adult contestants and 82 junior contestants. We didn’t have any problems other than the hot weather.”

USTA Kansas appreciates everyone who has been working hard to keep local tennis rolling this year.

All of the providers mentioned in this article were USTA Kansas 2019 award winners. Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their dedication to tennis? Nominate them for a 2020 district award by Sept. 15.