NEW ENGLAND ORGANIZATIONS TO RECEIVE USTA WHEELCHAIR TENNIS GRASSROOTS GRANTS

Grant Recognizes Organizations That Grow Wheelchair Tennis In Their Local Communities

ORLANDO, Fla., January 22, 2020 – The USTA today announced that four New England organizations were awarded USTA Wheelchair Tennis Grassroots grants. South Coast Wheelchair Tennis Foundation (Attleboro, Mass.), South Shore YMCA (Norwell, Mass.). Spaulding Rehabilitation Network (Charlestown, Mass.) and HSC Community Services, Inc. (New Britain, Conn.), were four of the 33 wheelchair tennis programs nationwide chosen for their support to promote and develop the growth of wheelchair tennis and use the sport to help build stronger, healthier communities. The first USTA Wheelchair Tennis Grassroots grants were awarded in 2008 and since then, the USTA has given more than $650,000 to wheelchair tennis programs across the country. 

Grant amounts were based on each program's existing budget, as well as the future programming needs of the organization. Recipients can use the award to support coaching, court time, equipment, recruitment and events including tournaments and camps.

“The USTA is proud to award these grants to deserving wheelchair tennis organizations in recognition of their commitment in promoting and growing the sport of wheelchair tennis,” said Joanne Wallen, Director Adult Competition, USTA. “These grants are a part of a continued effort to expand programs that support the wheelchair community through tennis and foster growth and success in players.”

The USTA grants are being awarded to the following organizations:

·       Michigan Sports Unlimited (Midland, Mich.)

·       Twos Athletic Club (Toledo, Ohio)

·       Plantation Community Tennis CTA (Plantation, Fla.)

·       CORTA (Columbus, Ga.)

·       Desert Ability Center (La Quinta, Calif.)

·       Mid-Carolina Tennis Association (Rock Hill, S.C.)

·       Spring Rollers LLC (The Woodlands, Texas)

·       HSC Community Services, Inc. (New Britain, Conn.)

·       EXcellence Tennis Foundation (Cincinnati)

·       USTA Florida Section, Inc. (Orlando, Fla.)

·       Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

·       Helen Leonard, Kelly Flouhouse, Taylor Wingate  (Charlotte, N.C.)

·       La Mirada CTA (Norwalk, Calif.)

·       Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports (Tucson, Ariz.)

·       Access Tennis Seattle (Snohomish, Wash.)

·       Athletes with Disabilities Network Northeast (North Wales, Penn.)

·       Spaulding Rehabilitation Network  (Charlestown, Mass.)

·       Western Wake Tennis Association (Cary, N.C.)

·       South Coast Wheelchair Tennis Foundation (Attleboro, Mass.)

·       Dwight Davis Tennis Center (St. Louis)

·       South Shore YMCA (Norwell, Mass.)

·       Clemson University (Anderson, S.C.)

·       Santa Fe Family Life Center (Oklahoma City)

·       Bowling Green Parks and Recreation (Bowling Green, Ky.)

·       City of Santa Clarita (Santa Clarita, Calif.)

·       Utah Tennis Association (Salt Lake City)

·       City of Mission Viejo/Marguerite Tennis Center (Mission Viejo, Calif.)

·       University of Houston (Houston)

·       Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital (Lincoln, Neb.)

·       University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

·       USTA Southern (Peachtree Corners, Ga.)

·       Team Junior Tennis, Inc. (Orlando, Fla.)

·       Michigan State University  (East Lansing, Mich.)

Organizations that are interested in starting a wheelchair tennis program or would like more information about wheelchair tennis can email wheelchairinfo@usta.com.

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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.

To learn more about wheelchair tennis in New England, click here.