For National Tennis Month, the updated USTA advocacy handbook helps grow the sport

“Each chapter has been updated by its related volunteer USTA National Committee, along with the appropriate staff departments, so we have the absolute latest information available for those looking to advocate for this sport in their communities,” says Robin Jones of Cary, N.C., the vice chair of the National Advocacy Committee, who spearheaded the handbook revision project. “This handbook serves as an important resource for anyone looking to grow this sport locally, and we’ll regularly update and revise it to keep it as relevant as possible.”

The revised handbook includes sections on: stating the case for tennis in your community; youth play and how tennis is the ideal sport for youth development and education; how to develop your own advocacy project; how to fund an advocacy project; working with the media; business development; public facilities and parks; adaptive tennis and wheelchair tennis; tennis at colleges and universities; Community Tennis Associations; National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters; diversity, equity and inclusion; school and after-school programs; resources from the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services; and much more.

“The Advocacy Handbook provides a clear guide for developing a tennis advocacy plan and gaining support for your project,” says Peter Francesconi of Woodbury, Conn., the chair of the USTA’s National Advocacy Committee. “Robin’s vision and guidance on this project, combined with key advice and work from the many USTA departments and groups to make this as complete as possible, has produced a resource that anyone with an interest in tennis—players, fans, educators, teaching pros, facility operators and owners, retailers, tennis organizations, public park personnel and more—can use to promote and grow this sport in their communities.”

To download this free resource, visit USTA.com/advocacy.