Growing the Grassroots: The USTA's Community Tennis Development Workshop and Impact Conference

In the reach-out to providers, Vahaly talked about USTA Coaching. “Coaches are the delivery system of our sport, and for too long we weren’t doing enough to support them,” he said. “We know that when players find a coach that they love, they are more apt to stay in our sport.”

He also mentioned the larger investment into tennis facilities. “In past years, we were only spending $1 million to $1.5 million. We’re now spending over $20 million to improve facilities. We now have data … when people see new courts, they want to get out there and play. We’re putting more dollars into our ecosystem,” Vahaly said.

The conference also was bolstered by the recent good news on the participation front (see page 26), with more than 27.3 million players as of year-end 2025, a sixth consecutive year of participation growth. Along with that, there were increases in “core” players and play occasions, in addition to key tennis participation gains for diverse populations.

“The momentum behind our sport and our organization is real, and it belongs to each of you,” he concluded. “You’re making tennis feel welcoming and accessible. Tennis is absolutely stronger than ever. What we’re doing matters. I’m incredibly proud to be in this with you.”

And the Foundation supports a new initiative—Community Impact Hubs, which currently enables 10 NJTLs to expand by adding family tennis, before and afterschool programming, coach recruitment and training, and expanded court access. “The projection is by the end of 2027, we’ll reach 630,000 young people and adults through [the Community Impact Hub] program,” Ehrlich said.

A highlight of the weekend was a conversation with Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, the co-founders of “Realize the Dream,” moderated by L.A. Times journalist LZ Granderson. Realize the Dream is a national initiative that calls on people to turn small moments into acts of service that strengthen community and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., promoting positive change through service and volunteerism. 

The organization has a goal of reaching 100 million hours of service by Dr. King’s 100th birthday in 2029, and the USTA Foundation has pledged 800,000 service hours by the end of this year in support of that goal. “Dad was very concerned about building community,” said King III. “Sports has the capacity to bring people together.”

The Impact Conference/CTDW agenda included general sessions on attracting entry-level adult players, moderated by Simon Gale, the USTA’s Senior Director–Racquet Sports Development; building a “best in class organization,” with USTA Chief People & Culture Officer Henry Lescaille; and “Data-Driven Advocacy for Community Impact,” with Patrick Briaud, USTA Managing Director–Tennis Advocacy. 

“Reimagining Coaching” was presented by Megan Rose, USTA Coaching Managing Director and Head of Business Development, who outlined three key priorities for 2026: Recruiting new coaches under 35 years old; having 20 percent quarterly active users across the USTA Coaching ecosystem; and signing up 12,500 coaches in the USTA Coaching community.

“So many people have come up to me and said the CTDW was the best thing the USTA did,” added Ted Loehrke, the USTA Managing Director–Head of Section Partnerships. “So, we’re happy to bring this back.” Plans for future conferences are being discussed.

“This conference gave me a better understanding of how to serve and makes me appreciate who I’m serving, and what I’m doing to serve,” said Jennifer Guiles Robinson of the Ron James Youth Tennis Program, an NJTL in Florence, S.C. “It’s about more than tennis; it’s about advocacy and impact.”

“I always try to come back with ideas I can implement,” noted Richard Evans of the Lake Travis Tennis Association in Texas. “This has given me great ideas, and the interaction with peers is outstanding.”

A discussion with USTA Eastern Executive Director & CEO Amber Marino and U.S. Army aviation officer Rumeal Lewis, an NJTL alumnus, covered the impact of NJTLs and this sport. “It’s not just about tennis,” Lewis said. “It’s about everything else. I remember some of the times I played tennis, but I remember all the interactions from the people more than anything. It’s important to focus on the people aspect.”

“I definitely second that,” added Marino. “It’s about the ordinary stuff. This is why I love the sport. Get to know the people, get to know your community. When you can build that community support, it just makes a huge difference.”