USTA funding supports National Park and Recreation Month programs

July is National Park and Recreation Month, and many communities throughout USTA Southern are celebrating by hosting tennis events. From junior clinics to adult league matches to spontaneous meetups, public tennis courts provide a welcoming venue to enjoy the sport at all levels.

USTA Southern has approved 156 grants out of 168 applications this year, an increase of more than 100 applications from last year. The applications have come from every state in the section, which is projected to give out about $50,000 for National Park and Recreation Month. Across the section, USTA Southern will host more than 20 Red Ball league and community play days, creating fun opportunities for both new and veteran players to enjoy tennis on their local park courts.

"We believe the road to 35 million players by 2035 goes through parks.” said Isaac Pearlstone, USTA Southern Manager, Parks & Schools. “Public parks are the heart of the growth of grassroots and community tennis in the United States and the Southern Section."

The Jefferson Parish Parks & Recreation Department in metro New Orleans has 40 events planned throughout July. Local liaison leader Kerri Becker helped secure $14,000 in funding to enable parks to host a tennis-related activity nearly every day for players of all ages and abilities at 10 local parks.

“Kids are off for the summer and parents are trying to find activities to expose to their kids,” Becker said. “Having these free activities can be a lifeline for them. Tennis is an expensive sport, but it is the sport of a lifetime. It teaches you time management, working with a team strategy, as well as a healthy lifestyle. You can play it at a young age, and you can play it at an old age.”

Becker has spent years trying to expose more people in southern Louisiana to tennis. During National Tennis Month in May, she helped secure grant funding for the Jefferson Parish Parks & Recreation Department to host 17 free events where individuals could learn to play tennis. That included funds from USTA Southern and USTA Louisiana.

“Tennis has brought so much joy into my life, and I have made such amazing lifelong friends through the sport that I want to share that,” Becker said. “I am good at being bossy. It's my superpower to organize and being able to help bring tennis to others is very rewarding for me.”

Snellville, Ga., presents unique programs

The Snellville Parks and Recreation Department in Snellville, Ga., has several events planned for this month at Briscoe Park, including a “Squid Games” activity featuring various on-court competitions and the construction of two mini-tennis courts on nearby softball fields during a car show to give players a clay-court-like experience.

“I think it's important to have these events during Park and Recreation Month because it brings together people from all walks of life with our community,” said Snellville Parks and Recreation Department Program Coordinator Meghan Meehan. “We serve a very diverse population; we have adults and kids of all ethnicities, and these events cater to everyone. It brings everyone together to learn tennis and celebrate tennis no matter what level they are.”

Meehan and Anthony Evans, the lead tennis instructor at Briscoe Park, are grateful for the USTA’s continued support in providing grants that enable them to provide tennis activities for the community.

“It's very helpful because parks and recreation departments have small budgets, especially a city park like ours,” Meehan said. “The grants are an amazing help to us, whether it's as little as buying practice balls or possibly giving different types of scholarships for people that maybe want to play and can’t afford it. We really appreciate the partnership with USTA.”