Leslie Echols Named USTA Missouri Executive Director

“I’ve been talking with people in Cape Girardeau, Columbia and Branson. All these areas have a lot of potential. It’s been nice to get to know people from around the state and talk about ways we can bring them more opportunities to play.”

Increasing league and tournament offerings was at the forefront of Echols’s efforts as adult league coordinator. With the assistance of captains such as Ann Vogel stepping up to lead teams, Echols helped the district develop mixed, men’s and flex leagues in addition to fortifying the women’s leagues that have long been USTA Missouri’s staple.

“Leslie stepped in, and she’s made such strides in a short amount of time,” Vogel said. “It’s unbelievable. She truly is a blessing to tennis in our area. She’s so smart. Being a professor at MSU gives her a lot of abilities other people wouldn’t have because she’s used to working with young people all the time.”

Echols also organized adult tri-level tournaments. She was instrumental in the district landing a historic 55 & Over mixed sectional that will take place this November. The playoff will be the first-ever 55+ mixed sectional in USTA Missouri Valley history.

“The growth our district has experienced since I took on the adult league coordinator role has been pretty expansive and very exciting,” Echols said. “The more people who are out there playing, it seems like the more fun everyone is having. People tell me it’s so much more fun to play against people they don’t play with all the time. The more leagues we have and the more diversity in players we have, the better experience it is for everyone.

“One thing we have seen in Springfield for sure is the tennis community has just gotten closer and bigger. People really like being part of that community. The more people we have and bring together, it increases that sense of community and provides better opportunities for players. It’s exciting to see the growth. There’s a lot of personal fulfillment bringing people together to do something they love.”

As Echols transitions out of the adult league coordinator post, she’s looking forward to other individuals in the district having the opportunity to get involved in that vicinity. Echols is seeking to hire an adult league coordinator for Springfield specifically and would love to locate one for Columbia, too, or any other area that demonstrates interest.

Echols said the incentive-based positions allow individuals to make as much of the roles as they desire. She also is searching for a social media specialist to aid with marketing and potentially some junior league coordinators, too. Echols can be reached at lemotennis@gmail.com for more information.

Echols said she had the privilege of working very closely with Smith — who held the executive director role from spring 2019 to January 2022 — for about six months, and the two became good friends during that timeframe. Echols said Smith was excellent at eliminating distractions and focusing on the enjoyment of tennis, which Echols hopes to continue in the executive director role.

“Heidi was an amazing person,” Echols said. “She not only loved tennis, but she loved making it a positive experience for anyone who was involved. That is a remarkable legacy. Those are definitely big shoes to fill because she handled every situation with so much grace. She was just good to people and people were drawn to tennis because she was so positive about it. She was awesome.”