Board of Directors Spotlight: Bud Schultz
WESTBOROUGH, MA - The USTA New England Board of Directors is made up of Officers, State Delegates, Delegates at Large, President’s Appointees, and recent past presidents. Elected every three years, the board serves as the final authority on all policy matters within the section.
Board members bring a wide range of experience across the tennis community, including players, coaches, officials, administrators, and league representatives, while also representing regions across New England.
Applications for 2027–2029 term are now open, and all interested individuals are encouraged to apply here.
William “Bud” Schultz is a former ATP pro ranked as high as No. 39 in the world. He worked as the longtime Director of Tennis at the historic Longwood Cricket Club and is the current owner and operator of the Cohasset Tennis Club. He also serves as a Delegate-at-Large on the USTA New England Board of Directors.
Bud shares his tennis story below:
Why did you decide to join the USTA New England Board?
Having tennis as a vocation and avocation my entire adult life, it has provided security and personal gratification for both me and my entire family. Joining the USTA New England Board was a way for me to share my life’s experience in tennis and give back to a game that has given me so much!
How did you first get connected to tennis?
I love this question, because it honors my mother and all she did in raising her three children…Short a fourth for a doubles game with her friends, she dragged me to the courts to fill in. Having never played tennis before, you can imagine the embarrassment as a 13 year old of having to go play with your mother and her friends. After an hour, and having lost to my mother, the embarrassment was gone, but a love affair with the game of tennis had begun. I decided I was going to play every day until I could beat my mother. I then set my sights on beating my father. In short order, tennis became the vehicle that would provide a life of experiences that a 13 year old could have never imagined.
What is your professional background?
The entirety of my professional background is wrapped within the tennis industry. I played on the ATP tour for 9 years reaching a career high of 39 in the world and playing in all four of the Majors. I was lucky enough to retire and have the Board of the historic Longwood Cricket Club take a chance and hire me as the Director of Tennis. Over the next 12 years, I helped co-found Tenacity (a non-profit that uses tennis as a hook to get Boston youth to buy into literacy and life-skill development) and also took on the General Manager role at the Badminton and Tennis Club. During that period, I coached and worked with Pam Shriver, Ivan Lendl, and Greg Rusedski, all top 10 in the world. In 2002 my wife, Elaine Cosseboom, and I purchased the Cohasset Tennis Club and have been managing it since.
Bud Schultz spoke at the Facility Owners and Operators Summit in October in Nashua, NH. The event brought owners and operators together to share information and best practices.
How has your expertise helped USTA New England achieve its mission?
USTA New England has a broad and aspirational mission that's centered around growing the game. My experiences in playing at the highest level, helping to build a grass roots tennis/academic program, working at Longwood Cricket Club and running my own club has helped me to see tennis in New England from a myriad of perspectives. These life long experiences have allowed me to engage in conversations with the Board and staff around growing the game and ensuring the foundational structure for growth is in place and strong.
What USTA New England initiative are you most passionate about?
There are two! Finding and creating pathways for supporting the existing coaching community and developing a new generation of coaches for every level of tennis. It's essential to have a broad and diverse coaching community if we're going to see continued growth. Also, the sustainability of existing tennis facilities, particularly indoor, and looking at the potential across New England for growing the number of indoor courts. As we grow the game, we'll need more indoor space to satisfy the increased demand!
What is something you're most proud to have seen accomplished as a USTA New England volunteer?
The creation and launch of the Facilities, Owners and Operators Network and its first summit, bringing owners and operators together to share information and best practices. With the idea that a rising tide raises all boats, USTA New England brought a spectrum of people together in support of the entire industry. This effort will help to insure the health of New England's tennis infrastructure, and in so doing, will help grow the game!
Why should someone consider volunteering as a board member?
Simple...because it's rewarding to give back to a game that has and continues to change lives! It's not an obligation to give back, but it is a privilege!
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