LOB-STARS HONORED WITH NATIONAL AWARD FOR ITS ADAPTIVE TENNIS PROGRAMMING

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept. 6, 2019 – The USTA today announced that Lob-Stars Program of Hanover, Mass., was awarded the 2019 USTA National Adaptive Tennis Community Service Award. The USTA annually bestows this recognition upon a program or program leader that has demonstrated continued excellence, dedication and service in tennis for an adaptive tennis community. Lob-Stars and its program lead, Lucy Dickman, were honored at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Sept. 2. 

The Lob-Stars program has been running for 22 years at the Emilson YMCA. The Lob-Stars are the South Shore YMCA’s Special Olympics Tennis Team, providing an inclusive tennis program for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, with a focus on the strengths and abilities of each individual athlete. ADVERTISEMENT The program ensures all athletes are welcomed and there is no limit to the number of athletes who can participate. Currently, the participating athletes are between the ages of 14 to late 60s, and range from beginners to advanced, (1.0-3.5).

“We’re thrilled to honor Lob-Stars and its remarkable team for their outstanding dedication and commitment to their athletes,” said Craig Morris, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “Lob-Stars has done an extraordinary job creating a program where inclusion is at the forefront, teaching their athletes skills that will help them succeed on and off the court.”

The USTA Adaptive Tennis National Community Service Award was established in 2003.  To qualify for a program award, the program must have been in existence for a minimum of three consecutive years and be either a registered USTA Adaptive Tennis program or have a USTA Adaptive Tennis affiliation.  To qualify for an individual award, the recipient must have worked with an Adaptive Tennis program for a minimum of three consecutive years.

The USTA Semi-Annual Meeting and Conference bring together USTA Leadership, national staff, national committee members and section volunteers and staff in pursuit of the USTA mission: To promote and develop the growth of tennis. Along with leadership and committee meetings, the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting provides education opportunities for all attendees to develop and enhance their personal and professional skills and learn new ways to promote the game of tennis.

###

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 655,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.