Aaron Harris focuses on recruiting more Southern officials
USTA Southern leads the USTA’s 17 sections in the number of Officials. Still, the USTA Officiating Department’s goal of expanding tennis was recently bolstered by hiring an Officiating Growth Manager for the nine-state section.
Starting in April, Aaron Harris’s goal is to find new Officials throughout the section. A nine-year veteran of tennis Official work, Harris recounts how tennis has always been a fixture in his life.
“When I was growing up, we had one TV in our house, and so when Wimbledon came on, my mom was always watching. I asked, ‘Can I watch cartoons?’ I was nagging her. Eventually, I just started to like tennis. We had a court right next to our apartment. So, I just started hitting and then it went to lessons and then tournaments.
“I went to Georgia Gwinnett College and played there for two years,” he explained. Georgia Gwinnett is the NAIA powerhouse, recently winning its tenth consecutive men’s and fourth straight women’s national championship.
“In college. I was looking for a summer job. I knew how to play tennis. So, I thought officiating was something that could be easy for me. What's funny is that even though I played tennis. I didn't know many of the rules.” He added that most recreational and tournament players know how to keep score, but not the ins and outs of the rules.
Harris’s advancement up the officiating ranks has been impressive. In Fall of 2022, he was selected for the USTA Chair Umpire Center of Excellence followed by the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships later that year. In 2023 he went on to work on the USTA Pro Circuit as a Chair Umpire and the NCAA Division II & III Championships in Orlando, Fla.
“Over the years I started just doing more and more. I learned how to do chairs then I started doing college chairs. So, each year, it's been a gradual progression, and I've been very grateful for that because I feel like I wasn't rushed into anything.”
Harris explained that his first month working in his new position has opened his eyes to the USTA organization, especially in his section. In addition to a sectional chair of Officials – Donna Mille in Memphis, Tenn. – each state has its own chair of Officials. Additionally, USTA Southern staffers Adam Dalton and Kelly Hesketh work directly with Officials.
“The Southern Section felt a bit overwhelming at first, with the number of states, the different offices, and the number of employees at each office … but once you understand how everything is set up, it starts to make sense. I have been overloading my brain a bit by learning so many names in the past month.
The USTA Officiating Department set up a meeting attended by Harris and other Officiating Growth Managers who work in other sections.
“I think that's been very helpful because I thought I would be figuring out everything on my own.”
He also mentioned the difference in officiating culture now versus when he started back in 2015.
“We’re more flexible now, more inviting. So, I think that has been a great change for me. Now I can recruit people knowing I'm bringing them into a positive environment, and we are aware of the needs of different people.”
There is a concentration of tennis Officials in states like Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
“I'm excited to learn more about the officiating culture in states like Kentucky or Louisiana and figuring out strategies to recruit new Officials.” He added Arkansas and Mississippi are other states where growth is needed.
One marketing strategy he foresees making a difference is implementing sign-up bonuses for new Officials and a referral program for current ones.
“I think there’s a great opportunity to recruit high school and college athletes, that’s how I got started. Some of these could even turn out to be full-time officials”
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