Public Courts Vital to Tennis Success

Parks and schools are vital to the success of tennis, as over 70 percent of tennis is played on public courts located in parks and schools. Public courts allow tennis to become more accessible to all groups of people.

The USTA Missouri Valley’s Tennis Service Representatives and Community Tennis staff work hard to support our public tennis courts, build relationships with providers, and promote more accessible tennis in our local communities. 

You can spot these staff members supporting tennis in schools and public parks in our section’s state Parks & Recreation Association and SHAPE America/AAPHERD conferences.

Our staff will be educating teachers on Net Generation and how the curriculum aligns with SHAPE America curriculum, making school providers aware of the resources the USTA has made available to schools and offering fun games and prizes at SHAPE/AAPHERD conferences within our section.

A few of these conferences will be at Des Moines Valley High School on June 15-16, the University of Kansas in Lawrence on October 28-30, and at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark on November 12-15. 

The Tennis Service Representatives will be found supporting the parks & recreation side of tennis throughout the year as well, as they will be found giving presentations, handing out prizes, and engaging with their audiences at Parks & Recreation Association conferences across the section. 

Three of these conferences are coming up quickly, with Kansas taking place on February 11 in Topeka, Missouri falling on February 19 in Lake Ozark, and Iowa on March 23 in Cedar Rapids. 

At these conferences, attendees can get more information about Net Generation and other junior play opportunities, tennis court maintenance, Community Tennis Associations, and more assets that the USTA Missouri Valley can introduce to help public parks flourish. 

For questions about tennis in schools, contact Lindsay Hall at hall@movalley.usta.com. For questions about tennis in parks, contact John Terpkosh at jterpkosh@movalley.usta.com. To learn more about what else a Tennis Service Representative can do to make tennis more accessible in your district, contact Tara Williams at williams@movalley.usta.com.