USTA New England Announces 2024 Annual Award Winners

Six Individuals and Organizations to be Honored at Tennis Weekend in November

 

WESTBOROUGH, MA - USTA New England is pleased to announce its six annual award winners to be honored at Tennis Weekend on November 9 in Natick, MA. Bennington ACES, Middlebury Indoor Tennis/Addison Community Athletics Foundation, Paul Gagliardi, Georgia Ahlers, Grace Gerber and Sophia Correnti were selected for their dedication to growing and promoting tennis in their local area.

 

“We’re excited to celebrate our 2024 award winners at Tennis Weekend. These individuals and organizations go above and beyond to better their tennis communities and we’re grateful to have them representing New England,” said USTA New England Executive Director and CEO, Lindsey Keeler.

 

Award winners are first nominated by peers and then selected by the USTA New England Awards Committee. 

 

NJTL Chapter of the Year - Bennington ACES (Bennington, VT)

 

Bennington ACES is dedicated to providing tennis and educational opportunities to underserved youth in the Bennington area. Through partnerships with local schools and community organizations, the program offers high-quality enrichment and age-specific tennis instruction at no cost.

 

Led by Executive Director Sandy Foster, the program began with a small group of students in 2017 and quickly expanded to include year-round activities, including a full-time summer camp with free meals, tennis equipment and field trips.

 

By combining tennis with academic and wellness initiatives, Bennington ACES empowers youth from low-income families, helping them succeed academically and develop healthy, fulfilling lives, all while making Bennington a more vibrant community.

 

Diversity Champion of the Year – Georgia Ahlers (Bowdoinham, ME)

 

Georgia Ahlers is committed to promoting tennis worldwide, dedicating 12 hours a day to running programs at the Central Lincoln County YMCA as well as local elementary and high schools.

 

As Racquet and Paddle Sports Director at the Y, she leads the ACEing Autism program, teaches lessons, leads clinics, runs a stay-and-play program for preschoolers, and so much more.

 

Her efforts have contributed to the CLC Y earning USTA New England’s 2018 Community Tennis of the Year Award and 2022 NJTL of the Year award. Georgia also received this year’s Maine Tennis Association Diversity Champion award.

 

In her free time, Georgia works with Tennis Without Borders, where she has traveled to Africa and South America to teach tennis and art to underprivileged children.

 

Georgia loves what she does, and thanks to her respect and acceptance of different cultures, ages and abilities, she is able to naturally bring tennis to all.

 

Good Sport of the Year – Grace Gerber (Shrewsbury, MA)

 

Grace Gerber exemplifies what it means to be a gracious tennis competitor. Always positive and polite, she treats everyone with respect—peers, coaches, parents, and staff alike.

 

During her time playing high school tennis and USTA tournaments, Grace consistently displayed good sportsmanship, complimenting opponents on their shots and encouraging her partners through challenging moments on the court.

 

In addition to her competitive spirit, Grace is also generous with her time. She recently spent a Saturday leading a junior demonstration at the USTA Eastern Massachusetts High School Coaches Workshop. Throughout the workshop, she also supported fellow junior players, helping them feel comfortable both on and off the court, while participating in a variety of activities.

 

Grace is a 2024 graduate of Worcester Academy and is currently attending Johns Hopkins University.

 

Junior Community Impact Award - Sophia Correnti (Bedford, NH)

 

Sophia Correnti is an extremely talented player on the court and goes above and beyond off the court to make the world a better place. She has been a volunteer coach for City Tennis – NH, a program offering affordable tennis instruction to children from families with limited means. Sophia’s involvement deepened this past winter when she initiated a racquet donation drive, collecting more than 40 racquets from nearby tennis clubs to donate to the program.

 

Sophia also volunteers for Fueled by Kids, a local organization that provides food bags to more than 900 students in the Manchester School District, and as a student ambassador at the Derryfield School, where she is currently a senior.

 

On the tennis court, Sophia is a standout athlete, captaining the Derryfield girls’ team to a 2024 state title. She has reached the state finals twice in singles and three times in doubles.

  

Junior Provider of the Year - Paul Gagliardi (Branford, CT)

 

Paul Gagliardi has made significant contributions to the Branford Tennis community, including coaching the boys’ high school tennis team, serving as the Tournament Director for a variety of USTA tournaments in town and running several successful programs.

 

Paul gives high school players the opportunity to enhance their teaching skills and experience by hiring them as assistant coaches and organizers for many of these programs.

 

As a coach, Paul always focuses on more than just results and creates an atmosphere of learning, enjoyment and the opportunity to be part of a team.

 

Organization of the Year - Middlebury Indoor Tennis/Addison Community Athletics Foundation (Middlebury, VT)

 

David and Eleanor Ignat built Middlebury Indoor Tennis (MIT) and opened the tennis facility in 2001. They operated the club as a family business for many years, but as they approached their second retirement, they wanted to ensure that their facility would be available to the community for years to come. To do so, they partnered with the Vermont Community Foundation to create the Addison Community Athletics Foundation (ACAF).

 

The ACAF’s mission is to make tennis more accessible to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds in Addison County – particularly children and teens.

 

Through the partnership, both the MIT and ACAF are able to give back to the community through a number of programs and initiatives, including offering free programming at the club to Middlebury youth, running introductory programs in the elementary, middle and high schools, and providing free court time for high school tennis during the preseason or inclement weather.

 

A local staple, MIT hires high school and college students to run and assist a variety of programs, offers reduced youth and affordable adult membership fees and provides scholarship support to both youth and adults.    

 

To learn more about the USTA New England awards, click here.

 

About USTA New England

USTA New England, one of 17 regional sections across the country that comprise the United States Tennis Association (USTA), is a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and developing the growth of tennis and increasing participation in the sport in New England by offering quality recreational and competitive programs for people of all ages and abilities. For more information, visit www.usta.com/newengland.