USTA Missouri Valley celebrates Officials Appreciation Month

Check out these feature stories from across USTA Missouri Valley celebrating Officials Appreciation Month, which takes place annually in November. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a USTA official by clicking here.

🎾 At just 19 years old, Brad Bower is making a major impact in the St. Louis tennis scene as both an official and tournament director. Bower, a sophomore at Mizzou, is often younger than the players competing in the matches he's officiating, but that hasn't deterred him from developing into a well-respected official. Read more about him here.

🎾 It’s rare for a first-year official to receive an award for his or her work, but that's exactly what Kelly Hayes earned when she was selected for the 2025 USTA Missouri Outstanding Official Award. Hayes—who is originally from Colombia and became an official this past March—details why she loves being part of the Missouri tennis community in this story.

🎾 With over 30 years of officiating experience, Tracey Johnson has seen it all in her on-court work, from top-notch junior tournaments to professional matches. Johnson—the 2025 Outstanding Official Award recipient for both USTA Missouri Valley and USTA Heart of America—calls on others to step up and give officiating a shot. Read more here.

🎾 Omaha husband-and-wife tandem Adam and Amy Studts decided to become USTA officials at the same time. Adam—USTA Nebraska's 2025 Outstanding Official award winner—helped pull Amy into tennis in 2019 and the duo plays mixed doubles together, qualifying for nationals in 2022. Learn more about the Studts by viewing this article.

🎾 After a 46-year stint as a high school and college basketball official, Scott Van Beck has worked as a USTA Iowa official for the past four years. He recently umpired a tennis match where his twin sons faced off, which was one of the more memorable experiences of his 50-year officiating career. Read more about Van Beck by clicking here.