2021 Yearbook & Spring Serve

TABLE OF CONTENTS USTA Missouri Valley Information President & Executive Director's Message....................................................................3 Board of Directors.................................................................... 4 District Presidents/Committee Chairs ........................................ 5 Section Staff............................................................................. 6 At Your Service Provider Resources....................................................................7 Adult Resources................................................................... 9-10 Junior Resources............................................................... 11-13 Community Resources............................................................14 Districts Heart of America............................................................... 16-17 Iowa....................................................................................... 19 Kansas.................................................................................... 20 Missouri................................................................................. 22 Nebraska.................................................................................24 Oklahoma........................................................................ 26-27 St. Louis................................................................................. 28

Annual Conference Recap..................................................................................... 29 Hall of Fame.................................................................... 30-31 Section Awards.................................................................. 32-33 Junior Sportsmanship..............................................................33 Adult Tournaments NTRP Qualifiers.....................................................................34 2021 Adult Tournament Schedule...........................................34 Serve - Spring 2021 Cover and Table of Contents............................................. 37-38 2021 Events Calendar.............................................................39 Spotlight On 2021 Board....................................................... 40 Bring It On....................................................................... 41-43 Hudlin’s Hidden Legacy..........................................................43 Quarantine Crew.............................................................. 44-45 Net Notes.......................................................................... 46-47 2020 Year in Photos......................................................... 49-51 District Inserts.........................................................................52

Click here to request a printed copy of the yearbook USTA Missouri Valley 4121 W 83rd Street | Suite 108 Prairie Village, KS 66208 913-322-4800 888-368-8612 toll free 913-322-4801 fax Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

USTA National Office 70 West Red Oak Lane White Plains, NY 10604 914-696-7000 USTA Home of American Tennis 10000 USTA Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32827 844-872-8667 USTA Customer Care 800.990.USTA (8782) customercare.usta.com

Digital Publications The 2021 USTA Missouri Valley Yearbook was produced digitally with a limited print run. This publication, as well as previous yearbooks and every issue of Serve is available online in digital format free of charge.

Distribution of the Yearbook The USTA Missouri Valley Yearbook printed copy is available upon request. A limited number are available at no cost.

Please email info@movalley.usta.com to receive your copy.

Mailing Address Changes To change your address, please contact USTA Customer Care at the phone number or email address listed to the left, or log into your member account at USTA.com.

Correspondence - Advertising Reproduction The USTA Missouri Valley Yearbook is a publication of the USTA Missouri Valley. All correspondence regarding the editorial material should be directed to the Missouri Valley office (c/o Marketing Director). The USTA Missouri Valley may grant permission to reprint any and all articles published in the Yearbook unless copyrighted by a third-party, upon written request. No photographs and/or logos may be reproduced without the written approval of the USTA Missouri Valley.

2021 Yearbook Staff Contributors Emily Steinwart Jamie Hansen Manon Eilts Mary Buschmann

Mission Statement The mission of the USTA Missouri Valley is to promote and develop the growth of tennis. United States Tennis Association Missouri Valley is a not-for-profit organization covering a five-state region of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma, as well as parts of Illinois. USTA Missouri Valley has more than 21,000 individual members and 300 organizational members. USTA Missouri Valley offers recreational and competitive tennis for all ages and abilities.

Non-Discrimination Statement In accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, no person, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, shall be excluded from, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the USTA Missouri Valley. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against should write to USTA Missouri Valley, c/o Executive Director Mary Buschmann.

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ADA Statement In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the USTA Missouri Valley strives to provide quality recreational programs to individuals of all abilities. If you, or anyone you know has a disability and would like more information on the accessibility of our programs or any facilities in our section, call toll-free at 888-368-8612. We would like to work with you to continue to improve program and facility accessibility. Also, please contact us if you experience difficulty or have concerns about gaining access to any of our programs or facilities. If you have specific questions or concerns about programs, please contact the Executive Director, Mary Buschmann.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2021 will be a year of change and adaptability for USTA Missouri Valley.

This year we are committed to improving how we communicate and serve our tennis community.

Whether you are a player or provider, our focus is on how we can grow tennis in general, not just traditional USTA programming. This transition will involve many enhancements including but not limited to; a new platform for tournaments, an updated USTA.com, new rankings platform, coaching education modules, and by mid year, a new USTA app. There will be many opportunities within your community to participate in various training and education sessions. Your voice is important and feedback paramount. We want to hear from you, promise to listen and care about your needs as we grow tennis together!

With 2020 behind us, let us look forward to celebrating our wonderful, safe, and naturally socially distant, sport in the year ahead.

Embracing innovation is the key to change. As we look to grow the game outside our traditional venues, we are committed to supporting new ideas for play opportunities to both youth and adults.

We have not lost sight that tennis is fun! As such, the introduction of play to everyone should be based on their ability, skill level, and schedule. Let’s be creative together and redefine how we play the game. Whether one day events, engaging match play, or social gatherings where we can meet new friends, just remember, as we progress together through the pathway of your choice, we promise the USTA is committed to being your partner.

We couldn’t continue to grow and achieve these goals without strong, committed leadership and providers to guide us. A huge thanks to our fabulous and passionate volunteers and providers for continuing to support our communities in growing the game! Our volunteers help fuel our momentum. Our providers offer outstanding play opportunities. We have so many ways for everyone to get involved and help shape the future of tennis in USTA Missouri Valley.

Please contact your local CTA, NJTL or our district and section office to get involved. If you are already serving, please be intentional about identifying future volunteers and providers in your community and help them get connected.

Mary Buschmann Executive Director & CEO

Let’s embrace trust in our team as we continually inspire each other to be passionate and respectful while listening, asking questions, and offering solutions; let’s share our successes and challenges as we envision the big picture and prepare to change and adapt to fulfill our mission.

We will work together to attract, engage, and retain a new generation of diverse tennis participants. We will strive for excellence in our delivery system to provide an exceptional consumer experience.

Join us as we celebrate the wonderful successes and moments of 2020 amid a truly unusual year and look forward to an exciting and rewarding year of change and growth in 2021!

Jason Mathes President

Working Together,

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2021-22 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Jason Mathes jdm3105@gmail.com 314-324-6648

First Vice President Steve Henry okctenniscenter@att.net 405-226-1722

Vice President Bill Towler btowler1959@gmail.com 405-590-5260

Vice President Rich Slivocka rslivocka@missionhillscc.com 913-722-5405 Ext: 150

Secretary Chris Carey chriscarey2017@gmail.com 816-679-1771

Treasurer Beth Causey brcausey@gmail.com 314-322-8911

Immediate Past President & Delegate Lisa Minihan lisa.m.minihan@gmail.com 405-417-7357

Presidential Appointee to the Board Alex Lee alexl17@aol.com

USTA MISSOURI VALLEY PAST PRESIDENTS 2019-20 2017-18 2015-16 2011-14 2009-10 2007-08 2005-06 2003-04 1999-2002 1997-98 1995-96 1991-94 1989-90 1987-88 1985-86 1981-84 1979-80 1977-78 1975-76 1973-74 1971-72 4

Lisa Minihan Larry Haugness Stuart Dusenberry Scott Hanover Shelley George Richard M. Perry Kevin Nebergall Verne Weber Pam Sloan Dave Riley Barbara Fackel Jodie Adams Mervyn Webster Richard F. Haitbrink Steve Gerdes Joy Rodenberg Leigh Strassner Don Gardner Carl A. Simonie Francis Baxter Wilmer Rompf

Edmond, Oklahoma Springfield, Missouri Atlantic, Iowa Kansas City, Missouri Iowa City, Iowa Enid, Oklahoma Cedar Rapids, Iowa Omaha, Nebraska Kansas City, Missouri Tulsa, Oklahoma Rock Island, Illinois Springfield, Missouri Wichita, Kansas Overland Park, Kansas Omaha, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska St. Louis, Missouri Wichita, Kansas Kansas City, Missouri Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Des Moines, Iowa

1969-70 1967-68 1965-66 1963-64 1961-62 1958-60 1956-57 1946-55 1945 1941-44 1940 1938-39 1937 1927-36 1921-26 1920

Marvin P. Richmond John L. Brown Jack E. Buss S.E. Freund O.B. Martin T.H. "Curly" Vaughan Herbert Thomas Jr. Dr. Keedy Campbell Russell C. Hadden Monroe C. Lewis Wilbur F. Coen, Jr. Davison Obear Dr. Frank E. Dickneite Joseph W. Ivy C. Drummond Jones, II James M. Craven

Kansas City, Missouri Omaha, Nebraska Des Moines, Iowa St. Louis, Missouri Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Winfield, Kansas Little Rock, Arkansas Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri

DISTRICT BOUNDARIES

In which district do I live?

Iowa District - All of Iowa (except Pottawattamie County), as well as Rock Island County in Illinois

Nebraska District - All of Nebraska, as well as Pottawattamie County in Iowa St. Louis District - 10 Missouri counties (Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Perry, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Genevieve, St. Louis, Warren and Washington; parts of Illinois within a 30-mile radius of St. Louis City Hall

Kansas District - All of Kansas except those counties in the Heart of America district

Missouri District - All of Missouri, except those counties in either the Heart of America or St. Louis districts Oklahoma District All of Oklahoma

Heart of America District - Seven Kansas counties (Atchison, Doniphan, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte); and 10 Missouri counties (Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Cass, Clay, Holt, Jackson, Nodaway, Platte and Ray)

DISTRICT PRESIDENTS USTA Heart of America Deborah Fabrizius littlesade@hotmail.com

USTA Kansas Kate Foss ustakate@gmail.com

USTA Nebraska Heather Blumel heatherblumel@gmail.com

USTA Iowa Jack Wardell jwardell20@aol.com

USTA Missouri Mallory Weber webermalloryl@gmail.com

USTA Oklahoma Mary Jo Tasker maryjotasker@gmail.com

USTA St. Louis John Kelly kellyjohnf15@gmail.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Adult Play Terry Jackson - tcj857@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Scott Howes

Community Play Alex Lee - alexl17@aol.com Staff Liaison: Lindsay Hall

Junior Play Larry Newton - larry_new@msn.com Staff Liaisons: Tara Williams

Adult League Regulations Michelle Oquin - oquin@ustaoklahoma.com Staff Liaison: Alyssa Stelmach

Diverse & Inclusive Community Outreach Glenn Pelecky - gpelecky@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Jaren Glaser

Officials Verne Weber - aweber10s@aol.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann

Adult Tournament Regulations Scott Hanover - ptcguy@yahoo.com Staff Liaison: Scott Howes Audit Commitee Dwayne Campbell - dcamp1970@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Tonya Kaup Awards Stuart Dusenberry - sddins62@yahoo.com Staff Liaison: Manon Eilts Coaches Commission Chris Smith - csmithbluehillscc@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Marissa Moment Brown

Grievance John Kinsella - john.kinsella241@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann Hall of Fame Judy Dippold - dipper20@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Manon Eilts Junior Competition Regulations Simon Norman - simon@genesishealthclubs.com Staff Liaison: Noah Bortnick

Personnel Lisa Minihan - lisa.m.minihan@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann Nominating Lisa Minihan - lisa.m.minihan@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann Sanctions & Scheduling Arlene Frye - lenetennis@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Marissa Moment Brown

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SECTION STAFF

USTA Missouri Valley Staff (Top row L-R): Marissa Moment Brown, Emily Steinwart, Mary Buschmann and Michael Marotta. (Second row L-R): Noah Bortnick, Scott Howes, Beth Azan, Alyssa Stelmach, John Terpkosh and Laura Puryear. (Third row L-R): Tonya Kaup, Lindsay Hall, Manon Eilts and Kara Heim. (Fourth row L-R): Tara Williams, Jaren Glaser, Becky Riggs and Jamie Hansen.

Beth Azan Office Administrator 913-322-4845 bazan@movalley.usta.com

Lindsay Hall Community Play Manager 913-216-5143 Hall@movalley.usta.com

Laura Puryear TSR - Oklahoma 913-967-9147 puryear@movalley.usta.com

Noah Bortnick Manager - Junior Competition 913-322-4832 nbortnick@movalley.usta.com

Jamie Hansen Digital Content Producer 913-322-4827 jamie.hansen@movalley.usta.com

Becky Riggs Schools Tennis Organizer - Oklahoma 918-999-5502 riggs@movalley.usta.com

Marissa Moment Brown Director of Community Tennis 913-322-4822 brown@movalley.usta.com

Kara Heim TSR - Nebraska 913-967-9452 heim@movalley.usta.com

Mary Buschmann Executive Director & CEO 913-322-4824 mbuschmann@movalley.usta.com

Scott Howes Manager - Adult Play 913-322-4821 howes@movalley.usta.com

Emily Steinwart Communications Coordinator Digital & Graphic Design 913-322-4838 steinwart@movalley.usta.com

Manon Eilts Marketing, Communications & Membership Director 913-322-4826 eilts@movalley.usta.com

Tonya Kaup Finance Director 913-322-4823 kaup@movalley.usta.com

Jaren Glaser TSR - Heart of America & Kansas 913-967-9929 glaser@movalley.usta.com 6

Michael Marotta TSR - Missouri & St. Louis 913-967-9833 mmarotta@movalley.usta.com

Alyssa Stelmach Manager - Adult Leagues 913-904-2852 astelmach@movalley.usta.com John Terpkosh TSR - Iowa 913-967-9926 jterpkosh@movalley.usta.com Tara Williams Community Tennis Manager 913-302-5901 williams@movalley.usta.com

WE ARE...

Whether you’re a parent, provider or player, learn more about how we are

a member-based organization that is service driven to grow and develop the game of tennis.

...AT YOUR SERVICE

Serve Tennis & Provider Resources WHAT IS SERVE TENNIS?

Our number one priority is to help you make your tennis programs or business more successful. Access live demos and consulting sessions, or reach out to our new customer care team by scanning the QR code to the right with your phone’s camera.

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AT YOUR SERVICE

Serve Tennis & Provider Resources MARKETING GENERATOR USTA also offers a Marketing Generator for providers to assist with event and program promotions. From flyers to fence banners, posters to postcards, there’s a template ready to be customized to your event.

Scan the QR code for step-by-step help getting started.

Visit usta.com/tennisservicecenter to get access and start creating your materials.

already got the love for the game. We’ll COACHING You’ve give you the ideas, activities and tools you need to

help your students improve their games and you advance your programs. Players and aspiring players turn to coaches to learn the basics of tennis, refine their swings, fine-tune their serves and advance their skills as they continue their development and personal pursuit​​of our lifetime sport.

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Scan the QR code for resources, training and professional associations.

AT YOUR SERVICE

Adult Tennis Resources USTA LEAGUE Adult competitive tennis league for players of all skill

levels that is organized into three age groups - 18 & over, 40 & over and 55 & over. It’s a great way to stay active, improve your game, and meet other players in your area.

SOCIAL TENNIS Adult social tennis provides casual play opportunities for players of all skill levels. Whether you are looking for a multi-week program, a half-day event, or just an hour of fun, there is an Adult Social Tennis program that fits your schedule.

WHEELCHAIR The USTA is dedicated to providing top-flight programming and

developmental opportunities to wheelchair athletes of all ages and backgrounds.

From wheelchair-specific events, to NTRP Adult Tournaments and USTA League play on the able-bodied side, there are more opportunities to play tennis than ever before.

Scan the QR code for more information about the adult tennis opportunities on these pages.

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AT YOUR SERVICE

Adult Tennis Resources ADAPTIVE Tennis provides many benefits for adults with cognitive and physical disabilities, including hand-eye coordination, balance, mobility, strength and fitness. It builds self-confidence, social skills and

functional independence. Tennis provides inclusive opportunities for adults with disabilities and creates friendships for a lifetime.

Missouri Valley holds adult tournaments in our five-state area for every age ADULT TOURNAMENTS USTA and skill level, on clay, hard, and grass court surfaces. Play a section tournament

for your chance to qualify for National Championships!

NEW TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION TOOL Tournament and program registration for both adults and juniors is now available at playtennis.usta.com/tournaments.

Search by location, date or play level and get on court today!

Get help with tournament registration by scanning the QR code to the left.

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AT YOUR SERVICE

Junior Tennis Resources WHAT IS THE USTA NET GENERATION JUNIOR PATHWAY? It is your child’s journey until they are 18 years old through our youth tennis products under the American Development Model. The USTA’s ADM offers a comprehensive framework for providers, coaches, athletes, and parents. By growing friendships, improving skills, and maximizing the potential of players at all levels, this framework will keep more participants playing our sport for a lifetime.

Within the Net Generation Pathway, players ages 11 and over can move freely within the products that fit their age, ball color and skillset. Players ages 10 and under move through the pathway using the Net Generation PlayTracker.

WHAT PRODUCTS ARE OFFERED UNDER THE USTA NET GENERATION JUNIOR PATHWAY? INTRODUCTION TO TENNIS Tennis in Schools/PE (See below) Tennis 101

TENNIS IN SCHOOLS

TEAM COMPETITION USTA Team Challenge USTA Junior Team Tennis

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION USTA Junior Circuit USTA Junior Tournament

Whether you’re teaching tennis in a P.E. class for the first time or looking to continue your coaching passion with middle and high school teams, the USTA has the resources you need to be successful on and off the court. Scan the QR code for Schools Tennis resources.

The use of ball colors changes as skills improve through the USTA Net Generation Junior Pathway. The pathway is not a linear progression - for example, players can play in Junior Circuit Events or Junior Team Tennis at the same time that they are participating in Junior Tournaments.

Scan the QR code for more on the Junior Pathway.

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AT YOUR SERVICE

Junior Tennis Resources

NET GENERATION PLAYTRACKER The new Net Generation PlayTracker will help parents and players navigate their development progress, replacing the current stars and trophies system. Now, players will collect points on an engaging PlayTracker after playing in USTA Team Challenges, USTA Junior Team Tennis, and USTA Junior Circuit tournaments.

The Net Generation PlayTracker is for players aged 5-10 and their parents to track progress at USTA competitive events, all in one place. Using the American Development Model (ADM) framework, players and parents will learn more about the recommended development pathway and earn digital incentives along the way.

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AT YOUR SERVICE

Junior Tennis Resources NEW JUNIOR TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE

2021 RANKED EVENTS COMPARISON 2021 RANKED EVENTS COMPARISON

A new, simplified USTA Junior Tournaments structure took effect in January 2021! The new structure utilizes seven levels of events, ranging from Level 7 (Intermediate) to Level 1 (National Championships) and a universal ranking system that distributes points consistently across the country.

Level 7 Event Duration Geographic Event Duration Level Geographic Level Recommended Skill Level Recommended Skill Level Ball Colors BallDraw Colors Formats Draw Formats

Scoring Formats Scoring Formats

Level 6

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1 - Gold Ball

Up7to 1 day Level Up Section/District to 1 day

Up6to 2 days* Level Up Section/District to 2 days*

Up5to 3 days Level Up Section/District to 3 days

Up4to 4 days Level Up Section to 4 days

3+3days Level Section/National 3+ days

3+2days Level National 3+ days

Section/District Intermediate

Section/District

Section/District

Section

Section/National

National

Intermediate ** **robin • Round • Round robin with • Round robin playoff • Round robin with • Compass draw playoff • Team format • Compass draw

4+1days Level - Gold Ball National 4+ days National National Championships

National Championships • Round robin • Round robin with • Round robin playoff • Round robin with • Compass draw playoff • Team format • Compass draw

• Round robin • Round robin with • Round robin playoff • Round robin with • Compass draw playoff • Team format • Compass draw

• Round robin • Round robin with • Round robin playoff • Round robin with • Compass draw playoff • Team format • Compass draw

• Round robin • Round robin with • Round robin playoff • Round robin with • Compass draw playoff • Team format • Compass draw

• Round robin

• Round robin

• Compass • Round robin draw • Team format • Compass draw

• Compass • Round robin draw • Team format • Compass draw

• Curtis Consolation • Curtis Consolation • Team format • Team format • Feed-in • Feed-in • Curtis Consolation • Curtis Consolation championships championships • Curtis Consolation • Curtis Consolation • Team • Feed-in • Curtis Consolation • Team format format • Team format • Team formator • Team format • Feed-in • Feed-in modified feed-in • Feed-in or • Feed-in or • Feed-in or championships championships • Curtis Consolation • Curtis Consolation • Feed-in or • Curtis Consolation championships modified feed-in modified feed-in modified feed-in modified feed-in • Feed-in or • Feed-in or • Feed-in or championships championships championships championships modified feed-in modified feed-in modified feed-in • First match • First match • First match championships championships championships consolation consolation consolation • First match • First match • First match • Voluntary consolation • Voluntary • Voluntary consolation consolation consolation consolation consolation • Voluntary consolation • Voluntary • Voluntary • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak consolation • Short sets (first to 4 consolation sets sets sets sets (3rd set is 10-point sets games) • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 tiebreak • Short sets (first to 4 • Best 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 sets • Best 2 of 3 short sets (3rd set is 10-point sets sets sets sets sets games) (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is 10-point • Best 2 of 3 short sets (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is a 7 point tiebreak) • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 sets • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 sets • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 sets • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 sets 2 of 3 sets • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 short sets (3rd set is 7-point • Besttiebreak) (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is 10-point • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 short sets (3rd set is 10-point (3rd set is a 7 point • Best 2 of 3 short sets • Best 2 of 3 short sets tiebreak) • Best 2 of 3 short sets tiebreak) • Best 2 of 3 short sets tiebreak) • Best 2 of 3 short sets tiebreak) • Single set (first to 6 (3rd set is 7-point tiebreak) tiebreak) (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point • 8 game pro-set games) tiebreak) 2 of 3 short sets 2 of 3 short sets • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 short sets • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 short sets • Besttiebreak) • Besttiebreak) 2 of 3 short sets • Besttiebreak) • Single set (first to 6 • Best pro-set 2 of 3, 10-point (3rd set is 7-point • Timed matches (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point (3rd set is 7-point • 8 game games) • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set tiebreak games tiebreak) tiebreak) tiebreak) tiebreak) tiebreak) • Bestmatches 2 of 3, 10-point• Best 2 of 3, 10-point • Timed (doubles only) (doubles only) (doubles only) (doubles only) (doubles only) • Singlegames set (doubles • 8 game pro-set tiebreak games • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set • 8 game pro-set tiebreak • Best 2 of 3, 10-point • Singleonly) set (doubles • Singleonly) set (doubles (doubles • Singleonly) set (doubles (doubles • Singleonly) set (doubles (doubles • Singleonly) set (doubles (doubles only) (doubles • Match 10-point • Single set (doubles tiebreak games only) only) only) only) only) tiebreak (doubles • Single set (doubles • Single set (doubles • Single set (doubles • Single set (doubles • Single set (doubles only) • Match 10-point only) only) only) only) only) only) tiebreak (doubles only)

* A Level 6 event may last up to 3 days based on court availability and section discretion ** Sections have the option for green ball play for 12s divisions only * A Level 6 event may last up to 3 days based on court availability and section discretion ** Sections have the option for green ball play for 12s divisions only

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AT YOUR SERVICE

Community Tennis Resources TENNIS IN THE PARKS Recognizing the importance of public parks in the long-term health and growth of the sport, this initiative provides resources designed to help establish, grow and sustain tennis programming in public parks across the nation.

COMMUNITY TENNIS ASSOCIATIONS (CTAS) are not-for-profit, volunteer-based organizations supporting programs that grow the game of tennis.

Scan the QR code above for more info about community programming.

THE NATIONAL JUNIOR TENNIS & LEARNING (NJTL) is a network of nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free orlow-cost tennis and education programming to under-resourced youth within the section.

GRANTS Tennis opportunities at the most grassroots level are critical to keeping the sport vibrant and growing. USTA and USTA Missouri Valley offer a variety of grants to help grow the game of tennis in many ways.

Scan the QR code to learn more about available section and district grants.

OFFICIALS Give back and help grow the game of tennis through Officiating.

Officials play an integral role at tournaments at all levels from local community

events to professional events by ensuring fair play and sportsmanship. They serve as a Roving Umpire, Line Umpire, Referee or Chief Umpire. Give back to the game of tennis by becoming a USTA Certified Official.

WE ARE...

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Scan the QR code to learn more about officiating opportunities.

Camp WIN offers a fun, safe and encouraging environment where girls are introduced to a variety of sports and fitness activities over a week all while learning key lessons from WIN for KC’s Live Active curriculum. High School girls serve as Team Captains. Instructors and coaches come from local universities, colleges and other area organizations.

NEW in 2021! In anticipation of required social distancing needs and other safety precautions, Camp WIN will be held in smaller sessions across multiple sites throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area during June. Each site will have a limited number of campers (max 50) along with captains and a smaller camp staff and will take place daily at four locations per week. presented by

Get registered at CAMPWIN.org For information about funding or applying for Camp WIN scholarships, email slankford@sportkc.org

Four different session dates and a variety of locations!

June 7-11 June 14-18 June 22-25 June 28-July 2 Camp WIN Details: Camp Cost $275 – Lunch, snacks and all camp materials provided.

Camp Runs 9AM–4PM daily, Monday–Friday Early drop off at 7:30 AM provided for an additional $25/camper.

HEART OF AMERICA

OFFICERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sheila Goins 913- 660-5199 ustaheartofamerica@gmail.com

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Jaren Glaser 913-967-9929 glaser@movalley.usta.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Richard Kohn 816-820-0136 rinaner007@gmail.com

PRESIDENT Deborah Fabrizius 913-424-9299 littlesade@hotmail.com

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Tracey Johnson 913-515-0991 tdjlaw@hotmail.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Elizabeth Barnes 816-509-7061 eibarnes826@icloud.com

Kim Hanson 913-486-4978 kimlhanson@me.com

Efren Mojica 913-706-2854 usna93@gmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT - ADULTS Marianne McGrath 913-579-3885 mmcgrath300@gmail.com

Mary Eichenberg 303-946-2960 maryceichenberg@gmail.com

Kirk Lambright 913-486-8326 sklambright@gmail.com

Thiago Santos 316-993-9366 tsantos@genesishealthclubs.com

VICE PRESIDENT - JUNIORS Stacie Turtledove 214-629-5748 turtledovetennis@gmail.com

Michelle Gifford 479-280-0052 mmgiff@hotmail.com

Terry Miller 913-341-8209 ttm10s@aol.com

TREASURER Cassidy Mears 913-488-8669 cassidymears@gmail.com SECRETARY Jackie Gehrke 816-868-4719 jackieg@kc.rr.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS ADULT COMPETITION Marianne McGrath 913-579-3885 mmcgrath300@gmail.com

GRANTS Clark Richardson 913-522-8474 wrichardson@shb.com

NET GENERATION Katie Miller 610-413-6403 kmiller@genesishealthclubs.com

AWARDS Kim Hanson 913-486-4978 Kimlhanson@me.com

Paul Knoflicek 913-402-8212 pknoflicek@yahoo.com

OFFICIALS Cheryl Lady 816-363-4553 ctlady929@gmail.com

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Marcia Jacelone 913-710-8934 mjacelone333@gmail.com Amy Fangman 913-219-8406 playtenniswest@gmail.com Cassidy Mears 913-488-8669 cassidymears@gmail.com

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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION TBA

HALL OF FAME Scott Hanover 816-656-5540 ptcguy@yahoo.com JUNIOR COMPETITION COORDINATOR Stacie Turtledove 214-629-5748 turtledovetennis@gmail.com JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS COORDINATOR Rod Zerni 913-269-6607 rzerni@homesteadcc.com

TENNISLINK ADMINISTRATOR Pat Sibenaller 816-916-5889 pat.usta@gmail.com VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Peggy Parrish 913-322-1276 hoavolunteercoord@gmail.com

ADULT LEAGUE COORDINATOR Terry Miller 913-341-8209 ttm10s@aol.com

ADULTS 55+ Marianne McGrath 913-579-3885 mmcgrath300@gmail.com

MIXED DOUBLES 40+ Deborah Fabrizius 913-424-9299 littlesade@hotmail.com

ADULTS 18-39 Marcia Jacelone 913-710-8934 mjacelone333@gmail.com

ADULTS 65+ Barbara Meigs 913-269-2003 bgmeigs@yahoo.com

TRI-LEVEL Jody Holsinger 913-269-3962 jody@aspenwealth.com

ADULT 40+ Terry Miller 913-341-8209 ttm10s@aol.com

MIXED DOUBLES 18+ Jackie Gehrke 816-868-4719 jackieg@kc.rr.com

Kathy Loepp 816-718-2419 kateloepp@gmail.com

Shawna Froesch Adult Sportsmanship Award (Female) Andi Wolfe

Hall of Fame Inductees Karen Bunag Susan True

2020 AWARD WINNERS Above and Beyond Awards • Pam Kopplin • Overland Park Racquet Club • Thiago Santos • Tribute Tournament Organizers • USTA Heart of America Junior Council Outstanding Contributor to USTA Tennis Youth Programs Amy Fangman Outstanding Contributor to USTA Leagues Jody Holsinger Kathy Loepp

Shawna Froesch Adult Sportsmanship Award (Female) Dylan Geick Stephanie Waterman Junior Sportsmanship Award (Male) Sean Nguyen Stephanie Waterman Junior Sportsmanship Award (Female) Ally Turtledove

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17

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IOWA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mark Blume 319-400-8857 usta.iowa@gmail.com

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE John Terpkosh 913-967-9926 jterpkosh@movalley.usta.com

OFFICERS

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

PAST PRESIDENT Kathy Anderl 319-396-7060 ganderl@mchsi.com

10 & UNDER TENNIS/ JUNIOR COMPETITION Tom Jennings 515-201-7474 tomtennis101@gmail.com

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Brenton Kuchera 319-296-5933 kucherab@waterlooschools.org

ADULT COMPETITION Michael Shires 319-351-5683 A1tennisperform@hotmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT Jennifer Smith 515-988-3135 jflemingsmith@yahoo.com

ADULT LEAGUES Jan Koder 515-223-3074 iowa-usta@hotmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT Cindy Klebe 563-506-5901 cindyrtklebe@msn.com

COLLEGIATE & PERSONNEL Brenton Kuchera 319-296-5933 kucherab@waterlooschools.org

TREASURER Mary Greer 319-400-0045 maryelizabethgreer@gmail.com

SUPPORT STAFF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & NOMINATING Cindy Rasche 563-249-3132 crasche333@gmail.com DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Sue Nelson 309-738-8774 sanelson614@gmail.com GRIEVANCE Tom Wolle 319-721-8314 twolle@simmonsperrine.com

AWARDS Fred Pedersen 319-530-6422 fred-pedersen@uiowa.edu

SECRETARY Chris Amelon 319-325-7706 cramelon@msn.com

PRESIDENT Jack Wardell 712-792-1000 jwardell20@aol.com

HALL OF FAME Kevin Nebergall 319-329-3748 nebergall@live.com

ACCOUNTANT Kelly Drake 319-354-6295 kdrake.tennis@gmail.com ADULT LEAGUE COORDINATOR Jan Koder 515-223-3074 iowa-usta@hotmail.com ADULTS/MIXED/SENIORS Dana McBratney 636-222-0705 iowa55mixed@gmail.com JUNIOR COORDINATOR Faith Bliss 641-799-9872 faithblissusta@gmail.com

RECREATION Brian Daoust 712-249-6685 daoustb@shenandoah.k12.ia.us UMPIRES (OFFICIALS) Donna Farley

319-331-4999 farleys@southslope.net

2020 AWARD WINNERS Adult Players of the Year Rachel Morgan and Debbie Mackaman Adult Recreational Player of the Year Lori Thomas Inaugural Barbara J Fackel College Scholarship Award Kaylee Camp Sofia Sackett Donna Farley Outstanding Official Ellie Herman

Facility of the Year Waukon Parks & Recreation Junior Players of the Year Daniel Lu (Male) Allison Szalay (Female) Membership Organization of the Year Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Center Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Wartburg Adult Tournament

Outstanding Community Tennis Association River City Tennis Association Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Ellen Cram

Outstanding Diversity Achievement Milica Oliver Outstanding High School Coach Amie Villarini

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Thrive Tennis Academy

Outstanding Junior Tournament Club Kids for a Cause Tennis Family of the Year Caro Family

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Malica Oliver

USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer Johnson County League

Junior Sportsmanship Girls 10s Myra Punekar Girls 12s Mirka Punekar & Gabi Fleming Girls 14s Lily Holland Girls 16s Allison Szalay Girls 18s Caroline Mascardo Boys 10s Ari Harwani Boys 12s Parker Holland Boys 14s Brady Frye Boys 16s Quinn Monson Boys 18s Eli Young

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KANSAS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Becky Samaniego 316-706-5808 ustakansasdirector@gmail.com

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Jaren Glaser 913-967-9929 glaser@movalley.usta.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS ADULT LEAGUES Amy Mathew 630-272-8022 USTAKansasDLC@gmail.com

JUNIOR COMPETITION Simon Norman 316-634-6111 simon@genesishealthclubs.com

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CO-CHAIRS Ron Thompson 316-681-1273 RonT702@yahoo.com

OFFICIALS CO-CHAIRS John Seal 620-778-2289 netjts0@gmail.com

Grady Landrum Grady.Landrum@gmail.com

J.K. Patel 785-228-2529 Jipatel@wcnoc.com

GRANTS Connie Robertson 785-249-9410 crobertsonustamv@aol.com

PRESIDENT Kate Foss 316-993-4013 USTAKate@gmail.com

DISTRICT SUPPORT STAFF DISTRICT LEAGUE COORDINATOR Amy Mathew 630-272-8022 USTAKansasDLC@gmail.com JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS COORDINATOR Janet Glaser 316-733-0610 janetglaser70@gmail.com LEAGUE SCHEDULER - ADULTS Myron Pushyk 316-634-6111 mpushyk@genesishealthclubs.com YOUTH PROGRESSION COORDINATOR TBA

Distinguished Service Bob Keeshan, Topeka Event of the Year Community National Bank 46th Annual Tennis Classic Tournament, Independence High School Coach of the Year Jane Posch, Parsons Junior Emerging Player of the Year - Female G14 Anna Jittawait (Andover) G18 Kira McGrown (Wichita)

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PAST PRESIDENT Ron Wherritt 316-260-8956 316-648-5140 RonW117@aol.com FIRST VICE PRESIDENT/ ADULT COMPETITION Joel Phelps 785-822-2091 jphelps@srhc.com SECOND VICE PRESIDENT/ JUNIOR COMPETITION Simon Norman 316-634-6111 simon@genesishealthclubs.com SECRETARY Ken Brown 620-331-0814 kbrown@indycc.edu TREASURER Archie Macias 316-651-7933 archie@maciastaxservice.com DIRECTOR Aaron O’Donnell 620-506-7023 odtennis@hotmail.com

2020 AWARD WINNERS Adult Recreational Player of the Year Don Eccles, Topeka

OFFICERS

Junior Emerging Player of the Year - Male B14 Paul Jittawait (Andover) B18 Frank Reyes (Wichita) Junior Sportsmanship Awards Boys 12s Andrew Chan (Wichita) Boys 14s Adam Everett (Winfield) Boys 16s Drew Friesen (Andover) Boys 18s Shaemus Cowan (Wichita) Girls 12s Mia Jaramillo (Wichita) Girls 14s Elise Richardson (Augusta) Girls 16s Emma Richardson (Augusta) Girls 18s Sophia Majors (Wichita)

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Topeka Tennis Association, Topeka Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Sara Rasmussen, Wichita Outstanding Contributor USTA League Bob Bundy, Topeka Outstanding Official John Seal, Pittsburg USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer Janet Glaser, Wichita

DIRECTOR Beth Fischer 785-770-2098 bethrichardsot@yahoo.com DIRECTOR Sheila Checotah 316-646-0898 schecotah2000@yahoo.com DIRECTOR Nick Schulte 316-648-6393 schultenick@gmail.com

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21

MISSOURI

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Heidi Smith hsmotennis@gmail.com

PRESIDENT Mallory Weber 417-874-2904 webermalloryl@gmail.com

DISTRICT SUPPORT STAFF

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Michael Marotta 913-967-9833 mmarotta@movalley.usta.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

OFFICERS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Glenn Pelecky gpelecky@gmail.com FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Larry Huitt lhuitt1957@gmail.com

ADULT & LEAGUE COMPETITION JUNIOR COMPETITION Courtney Nesbitt

SECRETARY Amy Mathew amymichael12@icloud.com

OFFICIALS Steve Webb swebb@springfieldmo.gov

TREASURER Bill Lingenfelser WBL@Makeenenergy.com AT-LARGE Rhonda Kaissi rkaissi5@gmail.com

ADULT & JUNIOR COMPETITION COORDINATOR Courtney Nesbitt courtneytime2grow@outlook.com

Kyle Wartick kwartick@springfieldmo.gov

FINANCIAL ADVISOR Lori Hunt lhmotennis@gmail.com

USTA MISSOURI LEAGUE LOCATIONS Contact Courtney Nesbitt

2020 AWARD WINNERS Community Service Excellence John Marquart Jefferson City League Captains of the Year Lori Hunt Springfield Julie Swain Columbia Junior Players of the Year Girls 12 - Kate Kimes Girls 14 - Jenna Lin Girls 16 - Maggie Lin Girls 18 - Mirra Manolov Boys 12 - Marcus Sha Boys 14 - Zuhayr Khan Boys 16 - Joshua Kim Boys 18 - Joshua Wilde

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Junior Sportsmanship Awards Girls 14s - Prathyankara Premkumar Girls 16s - Aparna Sivaraman Girls 18s - Emma Casey Boys 12s - Joseph Coder Boys 14s - Eric Holland Boys 16s - Ian Ding Boys 18s - Caden Lingenfelser

Branson Columbia Jefferson City Joplin Springfield

Cooper Tennis Complex USTA Outstanding Tennis Facility of the year 2016

ParkBoard.org/Tennis

SpringfieldLasers.com

23

NEBRASKA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lisa Thomas 408-290-5931 lisathomasusta@icloud.com

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Kara Heim 913-967-9452 heim@movalley.usta.com

PRESIDENT Heather Blumel 402-699-3393 hblumelusta@gmail.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS ADULT COMPETITION Tracy Wright 402-968-4972 tracy.a.wright@gmail.com

HALL OF FAME Verne Weber 402-682-5862 vaweber10s@aol.com

NOMINATING Justin Bigsby 402-721-8069 mrjbigs@gmail.com

AWARDS Chaz Kuper 402-981-3839 chaz@lkwfirm.com

JUNIOR COMPETITION Justin Bigsby 402-721-8069 mrjbigs@gmail.com

OFFICIALS Carol Hodges cbhodges@gmail.com

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Jason McFarley jmcfarley@hotmail.com

LEAGUE COORDINATOR Kay Merkel 402-669-5808 kaymerkel@ymail.com

TOURNAMENT Larry Newton 402-326-3484 larrynewton@cox.net

OFFICERS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Justin Bigsby 402-721-8069 mrjbigs@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT Mike Willman 402-547-9613 day 402-727-9048 night mikewllmn@aol.com SECRETARY Kevin Heim 402-441-7095 kevin@woodstenniscenter.com TREASURER Ryan Johnson angst_ink@yahoo.com

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Tammy Hill tamtennis18@aol.com

2020 AWARD WINNERS Adult Player of the Year (4.5 & Above) David Neese

Junior Tournament of the Year Omaha Jr Holiday Open &UnState

Outstanding Diversity Achievement Lily Lautenschlager

Adult Player of the Year (4.0 & Below) Shelly Patrick

Media Excellence Woods Tennis Center

Tennis Family of the Year The Ulrich Family

Distinguished Service Kevin Heim

Member Organization of the Year Genesis Westroads

Facility of the Year Woods Tennis Center

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Cornhusker State Games

High School Coach of the Year Chase Petersen & Chris Holder

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Lincoln Tennis Association

Junior Female Player of the Year Bianca Rademacher

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Jason McFarley

Junior Sportsmanship Awards Girls 10s - Pearl Stempson Girls 12s - Piper McCormick & Emma Heacock Boys 12s - Rowan Lunning & Max Kline Girls 14s - Grace Greenwald & Corrine Barber Boys 14s - Jack Dombrowski Girls 16s - Eunice Cho Boys 16s - Clark Rue & Kirby Le Girls 18s - Anna Schmillen & Clare Pachy Boys 18s - Connor Barrett & Grady Works

Junior Male Player of the Year Zachary Kuo

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program Talor Wain

Junior Female Emerging Player of the Year Isabella Zhang & Circe Tallman

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Junior Male Emerging Player of the Year Julian Gabel & Karthik Jella

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Mike Saniuk

25

OKLAHOMA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR David Minihan 405-312-5252 minihan@ustaoklahoma.com

COMMUNITY TENNIS MANAGER Casey McKenzie 918-688-4408 mckenzie@ustaoklahoma.com

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Mary Jo Tasker 918-694-5445 maryjotasker@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Bill Towler 405-590-5260 btowler1959@gmail.com

QUADRANT REPRESENTATIVES NORTHWEST QUADRANT Carmen Bond 405-850-5458 cbond@oktennis.org

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Laura Puryear 913-967-9147 puryear@movalley.usta.com

SCHOOLS TENNIS ORGANIZER Becky Riggs 918-999-5502 riggs@movalley.usta.com

SOUTHWEST QUADRANT Rodney O’Dell 405-921-7543 rodney.odell@gmail.com NORTHEAST QUADRANT Peter McCorkle (Tulsa) 918-830-0698 peter.mccorkle@gmail.com SOUTHEAST QUADRANT Dawna Johnston 610-308-0435 dawna_johnston@hotmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT - ADULTS Peter Pappas 405-413-1382 petertpappas@yahoo.com VICE PRESIDENT - JUNIORS Eric Wedemeyer 405-627-0792 ewedemeyer1@cox.net TREASURER Dwayne Campbell 580-603-0490 dcamp1970@gmail.com SECRETARY Emily Pomeroy 405-317-2611 emily@okmta.com

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

26

Adult Competition Peter Pappas 405-413-1382 petertpappas@yahoo.com

District League Coordinator - Tulsa Michelle Oquin 918-381-6690 oquin@ustaoklahoma.com

Junior Competition Eric Wedemeyer 405-627-0792 ewedemeyer1@cox.net

Awards Rodney O’Dell 405-921-7543 rodney.odell@gmail.com

Diversity & Inclusion Emmy Tigert 405-315-3822 emmy@firstserveokc.org

Nominating Bill Towler 405-590-5260 btowler1959@gmail.com

Budget & Finance Dwayne Campbell 580-603-0490 dcamp1970@gmail.com

General Counsel/Grievance Charles Laster 405-273-2910 charlielaster@sbcglobal.net

Officials Dean Richardville 918-671-7208 drichardville@cox.net

Collegiate/League Coordinator Adults OKC Metro Marc Claude 405-640-9638 cell claude@ustaoklahoma.com

Grants Laura Puryear 913-967-9147 puryear@movalley.usta.com

Sanctions & Scheduling Bill Riggan 405-650-6076 wmriggan@att.net

Hall of Fame Richard Perry 580-242-5848 Richard.M.Perry@sbcglobal.net

Adult Player of the Year (4.5 & Above) Lee Crowley

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Greens Country Club Hearts for Hearing Open

Adult Player of the Year (4.0 & Below) Megan Tulloch

Outstanding Community Service Judy Fenner

Distinguished Service Jim Shaughnessy

Outstanding Community Tennis Association First Serve OKC Foundation

Event of the Year Meet Your Match: Childhood Cancer Pierce Phillips Charity

Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Michelle Oquin

Facility of the Year Racquet and Health 91 Female Junior High Performance Player of the Year Emma Staker Female Emerging Junior Player of the Year Eloise Nasr Male Junior High Performance Player of the Year Omar Oudeh Male Emerging Junior Player of the Year TJ Shanahan Member Organization of the Year Hidden Trails Country Club

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Jenny Marcos Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Mariah Burke Outstanding Diversity Achievement Tony Mullican Outstanding High School Coach Mary Hudson Outstanding Junior Tournament L6 USTA Oklahoma BG12-18 Oakwood Summer Open

Outstanding Junior Team Tennis Organizer Brad Lund Outstanding Official Becky Riggs Tennis Family of the Year The Clark Family Junior Sportsmanship Boys 10 - Parrish Swanson Boys 12 - London Koehn Boys 14 - Ray Smith Jr. Boys 16 - Trenton Kanchanakomtorn Boys 18 - Cole Knutson

OKLAHOMA

2020 AWARD WINNERS

Girls 10 - Hope Gempel Girls 12 - Laila Wong Girls 14 - Quinn Leos Girls 16 - Carrington Hessen Girls 18 - Aubrey Bailey Hall of Fame Inductees Skip Griese David “Krunch” Kloberdanz

USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEYJTT 27

ST. LOUIS

OFFICERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mary Vassar 314-432-3990 314-341-8371 cell director@ustastl.com

PRESIDENT John Kelly 314-956-7660 kellyjohnf15@gmail.com

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Michael Marotta 913-967-9833 mmarotta@movalley.usta.com

DISTRICT STAFF

DISTRICT SUPPORT

ADULT LEAGUES Jill Kunkel 314-432-3990 leagues@ustastl.com

JUNIOR CIRCUIT Toni McDonald 314-249-9986 10U@ustastl.com

FINANCIAL MANAGER Carobeth Kelly 314-432-3990 financial@ustastl.com

MIXED LEAGUES Connie Weiss 618-207-5542 mixed@ustastl.com

JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS LEAGUES Toni McDonald 314-249-9986 JTT@ustastl.com

LEGAL ADVISOR Andy Glaser 314-446-4259 aglaser@sandbergphoenix.com

ADULT 40+ LEAGUES Severine Huchet 314-201-9024 40plus@ustastl.com JUNIOR COMPETITION Carobeth Kelly 314-432-3990 juniors@ustastl.com

ST. LOUIS ASSOCIATION OF TENNIS OFFICIALS (SLATO) John Kelly - President 314-956-7660 kellyjohnf15@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Beth Causey 314-322-8911 brcausey@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT - JUNIORS Noel Quevreaux 314-616-0798 noel@sunsettenniscenter.com VICE PRESIDENT - ADULTS Ryan White 205-936-3285 ryanlandonwhite@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Mary Owens-Hudson 314-479-2511 mhud615@gmail.com SECRETARY Beth Kelley 217-494-1285 beth.kelley618@gmail.com TREASURER Hiroo Motwani (618) 363-4300 hiroo@motwanifoindation.org

2020 AWARD WINNERS Adult Tournament of the Year USTA Missouri Valley NTRP 18+ Championship Adult Players of the Year Ryan White Severine Huchet Adult Recreational Players of the Year Joseph Hawkes Judy Staroscik Distinguished Service Scott Stinson Facility of the Year Forest Lake Tennis Club

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Family of the Year The Roger Horton Family

Judy Dippold Junior Players of the Year Akash Rajan Lily Walther Junior Emerging Players of the Year Ethan Laycob Kaitlyn Callaway Junior Team Tennis Organizers Emily Cimarolli Media Excellence Scott Marion, Edwardsville Intelligencer Member Organization Dwight Davis Tennis Center

Outstanding Community Tennis Association East St. Louis Community Tennis Outstanding Contributors to USTA Leagues Bill Schlueter Sue Blake Outstanding Contributor to Youth Programs Dan Batchelor, St. Louis Country Club Outstanding High School Coach Doug Smith, St. Joseph’s Academy Outstanding Junior Tournament USTA Missouri Valley Level 3 #1

Outstanding Official John Kelly President’s Award John Kelly Youth High Performance Excellence Paul Lucas, Forest Lake Tennis Club Junior Sportsmanship Awards Boys 10 - Timmy Curran Boys 12 - Avi Patel Boys 14 - Owen Kizer Boys 16 - Colton Hulme Boys 18 - Amit Kadan Girls 10 - Emma Oesch Girls 12 - Angela Chen Girls 14 - Skye Madatali Girls 16 - Flora Eidson Girls 18 - Khayli Buckles

2020 ANNUAL CONFERENCE The 2020 USTA Missouri Valley Annual Conference, hosted December 1-2, was unlike any other conference we’ve had.The USTA Missouri Valley community was connected digitally rather than face-to-face and was a culmination of our centennial celebration in 2020.

The conference culminated on night two with the unveiling of the 2020 USTA Missouri Valley Highlights Video. This year-end video looked different than in years past, but it told a wonderful story of how the tennis community rallied together, whether on the court or at home.

The conference began at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1 with the Meeting of the Association and Open Board Meeting. The USTA Missouri Valley committees and districts shared their 2020 highlights and key initiatives for 2021. President Lisa Minihan and Executive Director Mary Buschmann gave their reports. We passed the gavel from our outgoing President, Lisa Minihan, to our incoming President, Jason Mathes, and announced our new board.

The conference continued on Wednesday, December 2 at 6:00 p.m., with the Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Celebration emceed by Past President Scott Hanover.

The event kicked off with a look back at USTA Missouri Valley’s 100 years of tennis history.

Dan Apted, Jane Hines and Kevin Nebergall were proudly inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame. Congratulations to these three for this incredible tennis accomplishment!

A highlight of the event was when the 30 USTA Missouri Valley 2020 Award Winners were recognized during the program.

USTA Missouri Valley is grateful for all of those who’ve supported the section through the strangest year yet and looks forward to what 2021 has in store.

Click on each Hall of Fame inductee photo to view their induction videos.

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2020 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Dan Apted’s name has been a staple in the St. Louis tennis community for decades. Apted comes from a strong tennis heritage from his tennis enthusiast father, Steve Apted, and Dan carries that legacy to this day as he continues to serve players at Dwight Davis Tennis Center and Creve Coeur Racquet Club with humility and kindness. Apted continues to pour his blood, sweat and tears into the club to carry on the marvelous family tennis legacy and create a standout tennis club environment. This hard work was recognized in 2013 when Creve Coeur Racquet Club received the Member Organization of the Year award from USTA St. Louis. In 2003, Apted joined the Dwight Davis Tennis Center Board of Directors and took over facility management one year later. Since then, he has selflessly served the facility at all levels, whether by providing staffing or personally scrubbing kitchen floors. Under his leadership, Dwight Davis Tennis Center has grown exponentially financially and been recognized for multiple awards. Apted continues to donate court time, food, events, and more for dozens of local charities, provide scholarships for juniors through his club, and selflessly share the love of tennis with many in St. Louis.

Jane Zukaitis Hines has been instrumental to the growth of the Omaha tennis community and a strong champion for adaptive tennis across the section and even nationally. She has grown the game of tennis in many roles, with her tennis resume including playing, teaching, coaching, administrating, fundraising, and promoting tennis. The former #1 Nebraska singles and doubles ranked junior brought home multiple state titles and played an impressive college career at the University of Hawaii. The highly accomplished junior high performance coach has made a huge impact coaching, teaching and directing tennis for nearly 50 years, as well as using her marketing and website skills to promote the game in big ways, serving for decades as volunteer webmaster, e-newsletter creator, curriculum writer, and so much more. Hines has been involved in many committees, workshops, meetings, and events at every level, from local to national, even serving as the Chair of the USTA Adaptive Tennis National Committee (2011-14). Through all her experience, she has brought a genuine emphasis and care for adaptive tennis players, especially through the Tennis Buddies program. The list of ways Hines has involved herself in local tennis is never-ending; her passion for bringing diversity and inclusion into the tennis community is unmatched.

Kevin Nebergall has spent the greater part of his life growing the game of tennis in the state of Iowa and beyond. He has represented his tennis community well as an accomplished coach, dedicated volunteer, three-time USTA Iowa President (1990-94; 2013-16), and USTA Missouri Valley President (2005-06) among many other roles.Though Nebergall has served USTA Iowa in every way imaginable, his service extends past the Iowa borders as he has served the section at many levels, including USTA Missouri Valley Vice President (2001-02), First Vice President (2003-04), and President, and served nationally on four different committees and as a volunteer coach at the US Open Arthur Ashe Kids Day. Nebergall’s work is highlighted by an emphasis to include those from diverse backgrounds into the tennis community, joining the USTA Missouri Valley Diversity Coaches Corporation to better serve multicultural youth and working to share tennis in unique venues all over the section in order to bring tennis to new communities. Since retiring from Kirkwood College in 2013, Nebergall has only continued to give back more to the tennis community. He continues to serve on multiple committees between the district and national level, as a volunteer coach, and remains an active leagues participant.

30

USTA MISSOURI VALLEY HALL OF FAME MEMBERS 2020 Daniel Apted....................................... St. Louis, Mo. Jane Zukaitis Hines...............................Omaha, Neb. Kevin Nebergall...........................Cedar Rapids, Iowa

2007 Barbara Fackel*..................................Rock Island, Ill. Ken Flach*............................................ St Louis, Mo. Bob McKinley.........................College Station, Texas

2019 Kilmeny Waterman Connor...... Overland Park, Kan. Craig Sandvig.............................University City, Mo. Pamela Sloan..................................... Stockton, Calif.

2006 Dave Freeborn.........................................Tulsa, Okla.

Jay Louderback................................South Bend, Ind. Terry Miller............................... Overland Park, Kan. Dave Riley...............................................Tulsa, Okla.

Russell Warner........................................Tulsa, Okla.

2018 Ken D. Brown............................ Independence, Kan. Fred Johnson*..................................Kansas City, Mo. Mark Platt.............................................Clayton, Mo. Pat Purcell........................................... St. Louis, Mo. Kim Reser......................................... Springfield, Mo. 2017 Buff Farrow..........................................Wichita, Kan. Francis P. Lemery...................... Overland Park, Kan. Richard M. Perry..................................... Enid, Okla.

2016 Bob Bates................................... Prairie Village, Kan. Mark Johnson.................................. Henryetta, Okla.

Wilbur Jones.......................................Shawnee, Kan. 2015 Richard Hudlin*.................................. St. Louis, Mo. Cornelia Salmon-Robertson............. Lecompton, Kan. Mark Rosewell................................... Maryville, Mo. Verne Weber........................................ Bellevue, Neb. 2014 Steve Gerdes..........................................Omaha, Neb. Jim Klousia....................................... Springfield, Mo. Ken Veney.......................................Sydney, Australia 2013 Ron Cobb............................................ St. Louis, Mo. Kevin Hedberg...................................... Topeka, Kan. Joe McGuire....................................Kansas City, Mo. Doug Smith......................................... St. Louis, Mo. Bruce Vosburg*......................................Omaha, Neb. 2012 Judy Dippold....................................... St. Louis, Mo. Micki Schillig Feldmann.................. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Edmund Serrano*................................ St. Louis, Mo. Meredith Geiger Walton..................... Humble, Kan. 2011 Rex Coad..............................................Wichita, Kan. James “Buddy” Fields*..........................Wichita, Kan. Janet Thomas Griffith..............................Tulsa, Okla.

Jane Pratt*............................................ St. Louis, Mo. Kim Steinmetz...................................Florissant, Mo. 2010 Charles Doughty, Jr.* .......................... Wichita, Kan. Tommy English ..................... Oklahoma City, Okla.

Paul Lockwood ................................. Norman, Okla.

James Wadley ................................. Stillwater, Okla.

2009 Nick Taylor ......................................... Wichita, Kan. Skip Walther .................................... Columbia, Mo. Sheldon Weiner*............................... Rock Island, Ill. 2008 Gayle David Bradshaw......... Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Patricia Graham*.............................Kansas City, Mo. Steve Prosser......................................... DeSoto, Kan. Leigh Strassner*.................................. St. Louis, Mo.

1996 Harold "Buck" Balzer............................. Buhler, Kan. Justina Bricka...................................... St. Louis, Mo. Kate Cushing*.........................................Tulsa, Okla.

Ted Drewes*........................................ St. Louis, Mo. Phillip L. Edwards............................... St. Louis, Mo. 1995 Jodie H. Adams................................ Springfield, Mo. Carol Hanks Aucamp.......................... St. Louis, Mo. Mary Ann Eisel Beattie....................... St. Louis, Mo.

2005 John Allen Been................................ Houston, Texas Dr. Harry Clifton Burrus*........... Winter Haven, Fla. Jacque Croft.............................. Overland Park, Kan. Richard Mechem......................Fredericksburg, Texas Frank A. Thompson Jr.*....................... St. Louis, Mo.

1994 Wray Brown........................................ St. Louis, Mo. Earl "Butch" Buchholz Jr. ......................... St. Louis, Mo. Beverly K. Buckley........................Des Moines, Iowa Joy Rodenberg...................................... Lincoln, Neb. Mervyn Webster*..................................Wichita, Kan.

2004 John Bregin........................................ Merriam, Kan. Don Dippold....................................... St. Louis, Mo. Don Gardner*.......................................Wichita, Kan. Ken Lidie*........................................... Bellevue, Neb. Su Oertel.............................................Decorah, Iowa

1993 C.J. Hixon...............................................Tulsa, Okla.

Wally Smith................................... Ponca City, Okla.

Dave Snyder....................................Kingwood, Texas

2003 Bill Brown............................... Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Cliff Buchholz.............................. Fort Collins, Colo.

Bob Green...................................Atlantic Beach, Fla. Nancy Pearce-Jeffett*............................. Dallas, Texas Phil Landauer....................................... Hillard, Ohio 2002 Patsy Rippy-Bond...................................Sandy, Utah William Davis...................................Seminole, Okla.

Ralph Hart, Jr...................................... St. Louis, Mo. Bill Rompf............................................Newport, R.I. Mary Norwood-Rompf........................Newport, R.I. 2001 Junior Coen.....................................Kansas City, Mo. Dick Gilkey....................................... Edmond, Okla.

Gene Land..............................Oklahoma City, Okla.

Gerry Perry....................................... Springfield, Mo. Don McNeil....................................Chickasha, Okla.

2000 Marilyn Mueller*................................. St. Louis, Mo. Louis Gerdes*........................................Omaha, Neb. Ollie Gresham.........................................Tulsa, Okla.

Homer Robinson*...................................Tulsa, Okla.

Dr. Bryce Young............................Hilton Head, S.C. Judy Levering................................Hilton Head, S.C. 1999 David Bryant...........................Oklahoma City, Okla.

Dr. George Milton..............................Emporia, Kan. Cliff Price................................................Tulsa, Okla.

J. Hal Surface Jr................................Kansas City, Mo. Dr. Steve Wilkinson*......................... St. Peter, Minn.

1998 W.E. Steve Broadie..............................Wichita, Kan. Dr. Donald Klotz*.............................Iowa City, Iowa J.C. Louderback...........................Arkansas City, Kan. Jim Reed............................................. Winfield, Kan. S.L. Shofner........................................ Prescott, Ariz.

1992 Jack Buss*......................................Des Moines, Iowa Lucile Davidson.......................... Independence, Mo. Ed Doane.............................................. Tustin, Calif.

1991 Clarence Dyer......................................Durant, Okla.

Ward Parker Family............................. St. Louis, Mo. Tom McSpadden............................. Muskogee, Okla.

1990 Francis Baxter.................................... Edmond, Okla.

Earl H. Buchholz Sr.*............................. Sedalia, Mo. Charles D. Cunningham.........................Tulsa, Okla.

Bill Price.............................................. St. Louis, Mo. Len Prosser......................................... Merriam, Kan. 1989 Gerald Perry*.................................... Springfield, Mo. 1988 D. Keedy Campbell.........................Kansas City, Mo. Harris Coggeshall..........................Des Moines, Iowa Marvin P. Richmond*.........................Leawood, Kan. T.H. "Curly" Vaughan*....................... Winfield, Kan. 1986 Dwight F. Davis*................................. St. Louis, Mo. Charles McKinley............................... St. Louis, Mo. *Deceased Please help us keep our list current. If you know of a member who has passed away, please email communications@movalley.usta.com.

Deadline to submit USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame nominations is July 31.

Nominations are kept on file for five years and can be updated at any time.

Visit usta.com for nomination criteria and form or contact Judy Dippold at dipper20@gmail.com.

1997 Lucien Barbour*................................. Winfield, Kan. Frank Ward.............................................Tulsa, Okla.

Anna Guerrant......................................Gilbert, Ariz.

Dick Johnson*....................................... Ballwin, Mo. Nora Prosser....................................... Merriam, Kan.

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2020 AWARD WINNERS Adult Player of the Year, 4.5 & Above

Facility of the Year

High School Coach of the Year

Junior High Performance Player of the Year (Male)

Ryan White St. Louis, Missouri

Forest Lake Tennis & Swim Club St. Louis, Missouri

Doug Smith St. Louis, Missouri

Omar Oudeh Tulsa, Oklahoma

Junior Emerging Player of the Year (Male)

Junior Emerging Player of the Year (Female)

Member Organization of the Year

T.J. Shanahan Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Eloise Nasr Nichols Hills, Oklahoma

Dwight Davis Tennis Center St. Louis, Missouri

Outstanding Community Tennis Association

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis

Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance

USTA Missouri Valley NTRP 18+ St. Louis, Missouri

East St. Louis Tennis Association St. Louis, Missouri

Bob Bundy Topeka, Kansas

Paul Lucas St. Louis, Missouri

Outstanding Contributor Youth Tennis

Outstanding Diversity Achievement

Outstanding Official

USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer

Mike Saniuk Omaha, Nebraska

Tony Mullican Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

John Kelly St. Louis, Missouri

Janet Glaser Wichita, Kansas

Junior High Performance Player of the Year (Female)

Emma Staker Sand Springs, Oklahoma Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament

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Tennis Family of the Year

Distinguished Service

President’s Award The following awards were also presented, but are not pictured: Outstanding Junior Tournament Omaha Holiday Junior Open (Bennington, Nebraska)

The Clark Family Tulsa, Oklahoma

Kevin Heim Lincoln, Nebraska

Adult Player of the Year, 4.0 & Below - Dylan Geick (Overland Park, Kansas)

Mary Buschmann Overland Park, Kansas

JUNIOR SPORTSMANSHIP Boys 10s

Boys 12s

Boys 14s

Boys 16s

Boys 18s

Timmy Curran Collinsville, Illinois

Avi Patel St. Louis, Missouri

Owen Kizer St. Louis, Missouri

Trenton Kanchanakomtorn Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Amit Kadan St. Louis, Missouri

Girls 10s

Girls 12s

Girls 14s

Girls 16s

Girls 18s

Hope Gempel Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Angela Chen St. Louis, Missouri

Skye Madatali St. Louis, Missouri

Flora Eidson St. Louis, Missouri

Aubrey Bailey Claremore, Oklahoma

For full awards history, please visit usta.com and click on USTA Missouri Valley History.

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2020 NTRP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS 18 & Over 3.0 Men’s Singles........................................ Jeff Sykes 3.0 Women’s Singles.................................. Ali Wilson 3.0 Women’s Doubles........... Erica Rosen-McGinnis & ................................................................... Tara Frate 3.5 Men’s Singles........................................Kevin Cue 3.5 Men’s Doubles............... Terry Neal & Greg Smith 3.5 Women’s Singles.......................................Judy Yi 4.0 Men’s Singles............................. Brent Henderson 4.0 Men’s Doubles................. Carl Weiss & Kyle Jobe 4.0 Women’s Singles...................... Angela Muzzarelli 4.0 Women’s Doubles........... Patricia Fry & Sue Percy 4.5 Men’s Singles..................................Peter Gunther 4.5 Men’s Doubles.. Dragos Enea & Aaron Amburgey 4.5 Women’s Singles............................Dana Metzger 4.5 Women’s Doubles.. Susan Nunez / Erica Peterson 5.0 Men’s Singles...............................Drake Schreiber

50 & Over 3.0 Men’s Singles...................................Uma Madhira 3.5 Men’s Singles......................................Chris Stone 3.5 Women’s Singles........................ Theresa Roberts 3.5 Women’s Doubles ...Cathy Hurst & Angel Krishna 4.0 Men’s Singles...................................Dennis Myers 4.0 Women’s Doubles.. Julie Kinsella & Kim Bradfield 4.5 Men’s Singles................................. Duane Strader

2021 SECTION ADULT TOURNAMENTS USTA Missouri Valley 5’s, 0’s & Open Outdoor Championships April 30 - May 2 • Level 4 Kossover Tennis Center - Topeka, Kansas USTA Missouri Valley Family Championship May 14-16 • Level 4 Kossover Tennis Center - Topeka, Kansas USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP Outdoor Championships June 4-6 • Level 4 Dwight Davis Tennis Center, St. Louis, Missouri USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP Outdoor Championships June 11-13 • Level 4 Plaza Tennis Center, Kansas City, Missouri

USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP Outdoor Championships August 6-8 • Level 4 Kossover Tennis Center - Topeka, Kansas USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP Outdoor Championships August 13-15 • Level 4 Dwight Davis Tennis Center, St. Louis, Missouri USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP Indoor Championships September 3-5 • Level 4 Overland Park Racquet Club, Overland Park, Kansas USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP Outdoor Championships September 17-19 • Level 4 Plaza Tennis Center, Kansas City, Missouri

USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP Outdoor Championships June 25-27 • Level 4 Kossover Tennis Center - Topeka, Kansas USTA Missouri Valley 18+ Outdoor Championships July 2-5 • Level 4 Dwight Davis Tennis Center, St. Louis, Missouri USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP Outdoor Championships July 23-25 • Level 4 Plaza Tennis Center, Kansas City, Missouri 34

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SERVE Spring 2021

it ON USTA Missouri Valley embraces its diversity & inclusion mission

The USTA Missouri Valley publishes Serve three times per year, focusing specifically on the members and events in the section.

All material copyright USTA Missouri Valley, unless otherwise noted.

Spring 2021

Table of Contents

Your feedback is welcomed.

USTA Missouri Valley 4121 W 83rd Street I Suite 108 Prairie Village, Kansas 66208

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usta.com info@movalley.usta.com

(913) 322-4800 (888)368-8612 Toll Free

(913) 322-4801 Fax

Hudlin’s Hidden Legacy

Quarantine Crew

facebook.com/USTAMissouriValley twitter.com/USTAMoValley instagram.com/USTAMoValley Mary Buschmann Executive Director Manon Eilts Marketing, Communications & Membership Emily Steinwart Communications Coordinator Graphic Design and Digital Media Jamie Hansen Digital Content Producer For questions about your USTA membership, please contact USTA Customer Services at 1-800-990-USTA or www.customercare.usta.com

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FEATURES

39

2021 Calendar of Events

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40

Spotlight On: 2021-22 Board of Directors

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41

Bring It On:

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Diversity & Inclusion is a section-wide effort

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Hudlin’s Hidden Legacy: Hudlin influenced St. Louis tennis and Arthur Ashe

Quarantine Crew: How

one woman found solace in tennis during the pandemic

Net Notes: News and

Highlights from Around the Section

2021 EVENTS AND MEETINGS Event

Date

USTA Missouri Valley Adult 5’s, 0’s & Open Outdoor Championship USTA Missouri Valley Family Championship Omaha Memorial Open (MoKanNeb Series Event) USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship L4 USTA Missouri Valley #4 ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP & Open Indoor Championship Jayhawk Open (MoKanNeb Series Event) ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit L3 USTA Missouri Valley #1 USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship KC Plaza Open (MoKanNeb Series Event) USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship Springfield Lasers World TeamTennis Season L4 USTA Missouri Valley Team #1 ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit Battle of the Mississippi L2 Intersectional ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit USTA Missouri Valley Junior Team Tennis Section Championship USTA Missouri Valley 65+ Section Invitational USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship Wichita Steve Broadie Mid Continent Open (MoKanNeb Series Event) L4 USTA Missouri Valley #5 USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championship I USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championship II USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championship III USPTA Missouri Valley Division Annual Conference USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP & Open Indoor Championship L4 USTA Missouri Valley #6

April 30 - May 2 May 14-16 May 28-30 June 4-6 June 4-6 Week of June 7 June 11-13 June 11-13 Week of June 14 June 17-20 June 25-27 June 25-27 July 2-5 July 11-25 July 10-12 Week of July 12 July 15-18 Week of July 19 July 20-22 July 23-25 July 23-25 July 24-25 July 24-26 August 5-8 August 6-8 August 13-15 August 19-21 August 26-28 August 28-29 September 3-5 September 4-6

USTA Missouri Valley League Mixed Section Championship I USTA Wheelchair Tennis Championships USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship USTA Missouri Valley League Mixed Section Championship II USTA National Men, Women & Mixed 30’s Hard Court Championship USTA Missouri Valley Tennis on Campus Fall Invitational 15K Men’s Transition Tour L3 USTA Missouri Valley #2 15K Women’s Transition Tour L4 USTA Missouri Valley #7 Tri-Level League Section Championship Mixed Doubles 55 & Over 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 & 9.0 Invitational USTA Missouri Valley Annual Meeting L4 USTA Missouri Valley #8

September 9-12 September 13-19 September 17-19 September 23-25 October 1-3 TBA Week of October 25 October 30-November 1 Week of November 1 November 6-8 November November/December December 2-4 December 11-13

Location Topeka, Kansas Topeka, Kansas Omaha, Nebraska St. Louis, Missouri Multiple Locations Wichita, Kansas Kansas City, Missouri Lawrence, Kansas Tulsa, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Topeka, Kansas Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri TBA St. Louis, Missouri Norman, Oklahoma Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Edmond Edwardsville, Illinois Tulsa, Oklahoma Overland Park, Kansas Kansas City, Missouri Wichita, Kansas St. Louis, Missouri & Edmond, Oklahoma St. Louis, Missouri Topeka, Kansas St. Louis, Missouri Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Tulsa, Oklahoma & Topeka, Kansas Kansas City, Missouri Overland Park, Kansas Multiple Locations Omaha, Nebraska St. Louis, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Topeka, Kansas Kansas City, Missouri TBA Norman, Oklahoma Multiple Locations Norman, Oklahoma Multiple Locations TBA TBA Olathe, Kansas Multiple Locations

USTA.C om /USTAm iSSoUri V Alley for eVenT deTAilS SPRING SERVE 2021 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

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Spotlight on...

2021-22 USTA Missouri Valley Board of Directors

My love for this game runs deep because it has always been generous to me. I play for the thrill, I watch to sustain it, and I teach my boys to play because I can’t think of a better way to supplement their education and spiritual journey as they become men. Serving as a volunteer has always just felt like the right thing to do. The game has given me so much, I’d be foolish not to share it with as many people as I can. - Jason Mathes, President

Tennis has created an amazing community and many unique opportunities for me and family. Volunteering allows me to give back and try to make that community a special place for other families as well.

I am thankful for all that USTA Missouri Valley does to grow the game! - Lisa Minihan, Immediate Past President & Section Delegate

I so enjoy giving back to the game of tennis that has provided me so many wonderful experiences, friends, and travels. I cannot imagine a life without tennis. My hope is through volunteering and serving on various committees that we are leading in a way that tennis will have a positive impact on others lives as well. - Steve Henry, First Vice President I have played tennis for approximately 20 years picking up a racket in my 40s and getting hooked!

Starting out as a 3.0, progressing to 3.5 and momentarily experiencing a 4.0 level, I have been very lucky to compete in Leagues, district playoffs, section championships and two opportunities at USTA Nationals. While playing is all encompassing

with respect to the game and the amazing people that I have met I was always happy to volunteer in any way that I could. I appreciate the amazing opportunities and friendships that I have made on and off the court. - Beth Causey, Treasurer

I love to play tennis for the joy of it! I also enjoy the competition, the friendships, and the opportunity to use my skills, knowledge, and passion for the game to serve others.

- Chris Carey, Secretary 40

Over the past 13 years I have served in a number of volunteer leadership roles for the USTA. In addition to my role on the board, I serve as the Vice Chair for the USTA National Committee on Diversity & Inclusion and Past President of USTA Oklahoma.

Volunteering for the USTA allows me to give back to the game I love while bringing my 35 years as CEO of multiple companies to the experience.

- Bill Towler, Vice President

I give back as a teaching professional and now by working on the board to continue to grow this great game that has given me so much. I’ve spent the majority of my tennis life in USTA Missouri Valley and I’m extremely excited to be on the board and try to affect change from the inside. I love this game and all that it can bring to every player!

- Rich Slivocka, Vice President

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Bring it On

By Jamie Hansen

Tennis is still sometimes viewed as a “countr y club sport.” It’s a perception the USTA has worked hard to change. USTA Missouri Valley has also worked to make tennis more accessible to those who may have never considered picking up a racquet.

But there is so much more work to be done.

Tennis has certainly seen a rise in popularity since players like the Williams sisters and more recently, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens burst onto the scene. There are many ways tennis can reach out to the community to find the next star - or get youth to play beyond the junior level.

Jaren Glaser, Tennis Service Representative of USTA Kansas and staff liaison to the Community Outreach Committee for USTA Missouri Valley, said bringing programs to youth in under-resourced communities is just one part of making tennis more inclusive.

“We must find a way to be more invitingl to all and continue to shape our offerings to fit the multi-faceted needs and wants of our potential consumers,” she said.

Tennis should be about creating community. Tennis has the opportunity to bring together so many different types of people who can help build diverse communities, which is important to not only the sport of tennis but to society as a whole. Bringing people together through a shared love of tennis helps to emphasize our similarities instead of remaining siloed in our differences.”

For Alex Lee, Secretary/Treasurer of the USTA Missouri Valley Foundation and President of McAdams NJTL (National Junior Tennis & Learning) in Wichita, Kan.,

helping juniors see there is opportunity to play tennis after completing high school is one way to help bridge the gap.

Lee is also a member of the USTA Collegiate Pathway Committee.

“We need to do more to move our juniors toward college tennis after the juniors. We don’t promote playing on a college tennis team for our juniors,” Lee said. “We promote USTA Tennis On Campus but not the real college tennis experience.”

Glaser and Nick Taylor, members of the USTA Missouri Valley Community Outreach Committee agree.

Taylor is a gold medal tennis Paralympian who has worked to bring tennis to diverse populations in Kansas, including wheelchair tennis. He said sports like basketball and football are often viewed as more accessible and considerably less expensive - and hence, yield more play opportunities for youth. Continuing work to change this perception, Taylor said, is one way to bring more people to tennis.

“We need to work to continue to lower the perceived barriers of entry for people to be involved in tennis, especially from diverse backgrounds.” Taylor said.

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Bringing the game to community centers and introducing kids to opportunities like Junior Team Tennis (JTT) can provide that exposure. But it can start even earlier than that - finding ways to show parents and kids how to begin with the Net Generation Pathway - can bridge the gap even further.

“Junior Team Tennis has brought in a great group of kids to the fold from all different schools and Jaren Glaser (peach shirt) and Alex Lee (red shirt) with volunteers at a Net Generation Kids Day during the backgrounds. The kids in the Wichita Tennis Open in 2019.

JTT leagues have become friends and formed connections with people that they might not have met otherwise thanks to the program’s model of accessibility and its inclusive culture created by coordinators,” Glaser said. “I love it for that. JTT is not club-based or cost prohibitive so it brings a lot of different kids into tennis. It builds friendships. I believe that kind of community development is hugely important.”

Lee said more inclusive programming and bringing tennis to diverse communities need to continue to be a priority.

He said the future of tennis just might depend on it.

“We are doing an okay job but, just okay. Like the commercial, just doing okay is not good enough,” Lee said. “If we don’t push hard, some other sports will, and tennis will fall behind.”

Before COVID-19, one major event bringing young, diverse populations to see tennis in the Wichita area is the Wichita Tennis Open. Glaser and Taylor, who help organize the Pro Circuit event, said youth days and inviting children to meet and have clinics during the tournament - to see professional players on the circuit firsthand - is a great opportunity for youth to see what’s possible with the sport.

Cas Rat ey zla f f

Plans are underway for the tournament in 2021, but large scale events like a youth day or clinics are still up in the air due to the pandemic. In years prior, such clinics would bring nearly 400 local youth to the tournament.

But while large scale events may be the best chance for many diverse populations to learn about the game, Taylor said sometimes programming with low turnout can be a blessing in disguise.

He mentions one such event nearly 12 years ago - a wheelchair programming event - where a single interested player showed up. While organizers may have been slightly disappointed in the turnout, Taylor had a feeling about the person who did attend.

That player? Casey Ratzlaff.

“He (Ratzlaff) is now the No. 1 American wheelchair player and one of the best players in the world,” Taylor said. “Whenever you are doing diversity and inclusion events people are so focused on numbers. Don’t get me wrong, numbers

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are great. But the whole idea if you don’t get everyone to come out at once the effort was not worth it? Maybe quantity shouldn’t always be the focus. You just never know what will happen at that one event, it’s worth it to get Casey alone.”

Hudlin’s Hidden Legacy

By Jamie Hansen Everyone of course knows about Arthur Ashe. And you may also know about Ashe’s connections to St. Louis. Ashe arrived in the area from Richmond, Va. as aspiring AfricanAmerican tennis players in Richmond were not allowed to use the indoor tennis facilities during the colder months.

Enter Richard Hudlin.

Hudlin was a great player in his own right, playing tennis for the University of Chicago from 1926-1928 and serving as captain of the 1928 team. He became the first AfricanAmerican to serve as captain of a tennis team at a Big Ten Conference university.

Nick Taylor, with USTA Missouri Valley Executive Director Mary Buschmann, was honored with the section’s Distinguished Service award in 2019.

Taylor said that single event turned into a huge disabled youth program in Wichita and tennis is a part of it.

Ultimately, tennis should be about ensuring more people develop a love of a game one can play for a lifetime and bringing communities together.

Plus, from a business perspective, it just makes good sense - to tap into markets where there is less exposure.

“Diversity and inclusion is your best business resource,” Glaser said. “Once you get out of high school, a lot of sports are limiting. Tennis is one of those things where you just have to find one other person to play. Or you can even hit the ball against the wall. You can play tennis forever.”

“Tennis should be about creating community...YOU CAN PLAY TENNIS FOREVER.”

He re-established himself in St. Louis, teaching at Sumner High School for 36 years and teaching tennis. He was a trailblazer on the tennis scene - in 1945 filing a lawsuit against the Muny Tennis Association of St. Louis to open public tennis facilities to all players, including players of color. He won the legal battle, thus enabling African-American players to take part in tournaments at St. Louis facilities.

He eventually became president of the Muny Tennis Association and was the first black member of the St. Louis District Tennis Association. But he is best known for his impact as a teacher and coach. He took players like Ashe and Althea Gibson under his wing, as well as Bruce Foxworth and Juan Farrow. Ashe graduated from Sumner and played tennis in St. Louis under Hudlin’s tutelage at the St. Louis Armory, the only indoor facility in the city Ashe was able to use. Because the Armory had hardwood floors, it is believed Ashe became quicker on the court.

Hudlin Park was dedicated in 2018 and is located on Bennett Avenue and Laclede Station Road in Richmond Heights, Mo., next to Hudlin’s former home where Ashe also lived and practiced. The park includes an informational plaque about Hudlin.

A long list of accolades includes the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame (1992), the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame (2015) and the Black Tennis Hall of Fame (2014).

Ashe played tournaments around USTA Missouri Valley while under Hudlin’s instruction. Be sure to visit USTA.com for a wonderful blog post from Sally Sisson-Best detailing USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Famer Bill Brown and family’s experience with Ashe and his18th birthday at the Missouri Valley Championships at Dewey Park in Omaha. Or discover even more by clicking on USTA Missouri Valley History.

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Quarantine As the country realized COVID-19 was turning into a true pandemic and our lives would be hugely impacted, Tami Murphy had stressors coming at her from every which way: navigating virtual teaching, the fear of what could happen to a daughter working in healthcare, another navigating a pregnancy and the pandemic itself.

Those are just a few of the many.

So in the midst of a terrible pandemic, Murphy and a group of four other women banded together to not only improve as tennis players, but build a bond through a sport they love.

It began as the Quarantine Quad but the group added another woman and the Quarantine Crew was born. The start of those days in early spring was playing with a core group of people and being extremely cautious.

“In those early days, I played with the same ladies over and over again. We used Lysol spray on the balls, clorox

wipes on our racquet handles, and Eucalyptus Spearmint stress relieving hand sanitizer on our hands every time we changed sides,” Murphy said.

Murphy said tennis was the only constant in a time with so many unknowns - how her teaching career would ultimately be impacted, her daughter’s health, her own health. Tennis has always been a source of motivation and a way to relieve stress.

With so many unknowns with the pandemic, early on was particularly difficult. Murphy lives with her 25-yearold daughter who would come home from her job in healthcare and have to strip in the garage and go straight to the shower. Murphy’s teaching career was turned upside down, as well - going from teaching in a classroom for two decades to virtual instruction came with worry and a steep learning curve.

Tami Murphy

Entering her 21st year of teaching, Murphy finds herself teaching entirely virtually. Turns out, she has a knack for it.

“When the school closure happened back in March 2020, I was literally losing my mind. I had to relearn how to teach,” Murphy said. “Now, the expectations are continually shifting and the bar sliding, so the stress never eases it seems.”

Now tennis - and that source of stress relief - is as important as ever.

“Tennis is my only release.

Continuing to play tennis with a core group of friends outdoors was critical to releasing stress.”

Thank goodness for the Quarantine Crew.

Murphy said each has their own strength on the tennis court. Additionally, the fun of being around a strong group of women cannot be unmatched - a group of women around the same age and struggling with the same issues in parenthood and navigating working from home or life now without work. Murphy noted there were too many good times to mention them all, but a few live with her always.

Muurphy (back right) and members of her first-ever tennis team after the last match of the season.

44 44

During the warmer months, the crew met mainly at a court in a rural area where at times

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Crew the wind was so strong they could hardly get the ball over the net. Speaking of nets, the crew wanted to ensure everyone could play on those courts, so they teamed up and purchased net straps to make all the courts playable.

And perhaps the most inspiring memory - a rainbow appeared one day. Hopefully that rainbow signified a light at the end of a strange year.

It’s a picture a member of the crew gave Murphy in puzzle form for her birthday.

“Another time we were meeting out there to play and this huge rainbow was over the court. The picture was so beautiful.”

In addition to the priceless memories, the tennis is just plain good. Murphy said all five women bring something different to the game.

“They were awesome because we all had different strengths. Lorisa is so tall and fierce at the net. She had a bullet serve. We all learned how to return it most of the time. Lori had so much spin and slice plus the most experience about how to move about the court in doubles. We all learned how to move as a unit because of her.

Steph was our lefty, so she helped us all to learn how to hit the T on our serve. Leslie had the best and most powerful groundstrokes in our group.

We all learned how to take the ball earlier to avoid that high bounce from her.”

By Jamie Hansen

And what does Murphy bring to the group?

Murphy found fitness in tennis, but also solace.

“I guess for me, they’d say I had the most precision,” Murphy said. “They learned to be ready because I could place the ball over the head at the back of the baseline or just over the net with a wicked drop shot.”

“I played and played, taking classes and scheduling pick up games until I could move better. I’m now down to 205, which is still overweight, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “My doubles partners no longer have to cover 70 percent of the court when they are my partner. I can cover my own territory, and sometimes I’m even the one that runs down the ball. People have watched me change physically and have complimented me along the way.

It is motivating.”

Murphy is carrying what she learned from the crew into her local USTA Leagues. She is active in several area leagues - even captaining a team over the summer. The crew ended up making a pretty fierce league team.

Because of the camaraderie of the crew, three of the women ended up playing in USTA Leagues for the first time.

Murphy particularly enjoys playing in flex league offerings.

“I think my favorite league is the flex league because it is less focused on ratings. I’m a 3.5 most days in doubles, but I am barely a 3.0 in singles.T he flex league allows for more options of play,” Murphy said.

Times remain tough. Another daughter is expecting her first child in April Murphy’s first grandchild. Because of the pandemic, the pair can’t see each other often - it’s too risky. But with tennis taking center stage in dealing with all the pandemic and life has thrown Murphy’s way, she knows she can get through it all.

Tennis has been a staple for Murphy in her life, not only during the pandemic, but in her journey towards fitness.

Improving her movement on the court has been a huge motivator in her goals.

She picked up her racquet again after a long absence in 2017 on the heels of a house fire where she lost everything - and was also struggling with her weight.

Tami Murphy, Kim Switzer, Juan Cabrera and Leslie Echols after playing for fun.

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MEET OUR DIGITAL ASSISTANTS In a geographically large section with five states and seven districts, there are many exciting tennis events and stories happening every week. That’s why USTA Missouri Valley has a team of three digital assistants to assist with local content.

NET NOTES - NEWS NEAR YOU

Jerod Fox is the Digital Assistant for USTA Heart of America and USTA Kansas.

Fox started playing tennis competitively in the seventh grade and played tennis at Hastings College in Nebraska.

He resides in Kansas City, Mo.

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ACEING AUTISM CLINIC A SUCCESS Around fifteen people took part in a free USTA Iowa ACEing Autism clinic at Lifetime Fitness in Urbandale on Sunday, Feb. 21. The clinic was put on by the USTA Iowa District and was for any tennis pros and volunteers who were interested in learning about working with people with the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Founder and ACEing Autism Executive Director, Richard Spurling, presented at the event, as well as John Terpkosh, USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Service Representative for Iowa.

For more on ACEing Autism and tennis, contact Jaren Glaser at glaser@movalley.USTA.com.

Andrea Gallagher is the Digital Assistant for USTA Iowa and USTA Nebraska.

Gallagher started playing tennis as a teenager and has loved the sport ever since.

In high school she played both tennis and softball. She resides in Lincoln, Neb. Josh Sellmeyer is the digital assistant for USTA Missouri and USTA St. Louis. Sellmeyer was a standout on the tennis court during college. He has worked as a Junior Team Tennis coach and has led tennis lessons for all ages. He resides in St. Louis.

Got a story idea? Contact us at communications@movalley.usta.com

ACE HUNGER TENNIS TOURNAMENT Close to 100 tennis players from Omaha and Lincoln took part in the Ace Hunger Tennis Tournament December 19-20 to raise donations for the Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha. Local player Sreedhar Marupudi organized the mixed-doubles event and paid for court time at local tennis facilities in Omaha. As a result, $2,000 and 3,000 pounds of food were donated.

“The event was a great example of how the love of the sport can support an even bigger cause - fighting hunger,” said Kim Miksich, one of the participants.

“This event took a lot of time, effort and planning and we are all thankful for such a great inaugural charity tournament!”

Left to right: Danielle Helm (Food Bank of the Heartland), Kim Miksich and Brittni Redding

Scott Slezak, a tennis professional at Happy Hollow Country Club, helped direct the event and served as an emcee. Tennis pros Mike Saniuk and Warren Rohmfeld also helped organize the tournament. Matches were played at Happy Hollow Club and Genesis Westroads. Organizers hope to make this event an annual fundraiser.

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To facilitate the growth of wheelchair tennis at the junior and grassroots levels, the USTA has appointed 13 wheelchair tennis providers in the inaugural Net Generation Wheelchair Ambassador program. Kevin Heim, Executive Director of Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb., has been tabbed as the representative for USTA Missouri Valley.

This group will assist the USTA in fostering the next generation of wheelchair tennis players by collaborating with current providers, creating new programs, and increasing outreach to associations affiliated with adapted sports.

They will also work alongside the organization’s national wheelchair staff and committee to enhance communication across the wheelchair tennis network in pursuit of growing the game.

Heim began working at Woods in 2008 as the Head Pro. In 2009 he added the position of General Manager and in 2010 was named Executive Director. Under his direction, Woods Tennis Center has expanded its wheelchair, club and USTA leagues, partnered with Lincoln Parks & Rec to bring tennis lessons to City Rec Centers and CLCs, and significantly increased its junior tournament participation. He is currently one of 10 USTA Wheelchair Net Generation Regional Providers in the country serving the Missouri Valley section and is a Team USA National Wheelchair Coach assisting with camps and coaching at tournaments around the country.

NICK TAYLOR COMPETES AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

NET NOTES - NEWS NEAR YOU

HEIM TABBED NET GENERATION WHEELCHAIR AMBASSADOR

Nick Taylor was not expecting to go to Australia. The Wichita native has not played in a Grand Slam event since 2015, and had already been informed that the wild card spot for this year’s Australian Open Quad Wheelchair draw would be given to the world’s numbereight player, Rob Shaw. Then, as COVID has shown is possible time and time again, things changed. “(Shaw) sent me a personal message saying that he couldn’t play and that the spot would be opened up,” Taylor said. “About 48 hours later I got the email that they had given me the wildcard spot.”

In the doubles event, Taylor and partner Koji Sugeno advanced to the semis where the team bowed out to American David Wagner and the United Kingdom’s Andy Lapthorne. In singles, Taylor advanced to the quarterfinals.

Exciting as the news was, Taylor was left scrambling. He had just eight days to complete his paperwork, organize travel plans and produce a negative COVID molecular test - a task which was not easy.

Congratulations to Taylor on a great tournament.

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EVERYONE LEARNS. EVERYONE PLAYS. Comprehensive Curriculum For Youth Wheelchair Tennis Adding wheelchair tennis to your programming is a wonderful way to show that tennis is for everyone.

Newly published manuals are designed for any provider—even those with no wheelchair tennis experience.

Nine Net Generation Regional Wheelchair Tennis Experts are available to help you start a program.

Free equipment opportunities available for new providers.

JOIN TODAY AT NETGENERATION.COM OFFICIAL YOUTH TENNIS OF THE USTA

© 2019 USTA. All rights reserved.

2020: The Year in Photos

As we know, it was a year like no other.

A few events took place before the world, and tennis, shut down. Then as people got creative and eventually back on court, we gathered photos that showed how tennis was safely played and enjoyed.

Above and right: USPTA and USTA Missouri Valley teamed up to host a Net Generation workshop in Kansas City in February.

Tennis on Campus Section Championships was one of the last events to take place before the COVID-19 shutdown. Students competed in Des Moines, Iowa, the first weekend in March.

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Left: The USTA launched the “Tennis at Home” iniative in late March as a way to keep tennis players active and connected. NetSet Ambassador Maya Martin of St. Louis, Missouri, was part of a section social media effort to promote the at-home activities. Right: USTA Missouri Valley staff and players from all over the section also took part in the at-home fun!

Below: League players in Lincoln, Nebraska competed safely with distancing and masks in June.

Right: Omaha Tennis Association hosted a Sets and Sanitizer adult event in August.

Above and right: Youth players took part in the Orange Ball Challenge at Harmon Park in Prairie Village, Kansas over the summer.

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Above: Kids participate in the River Cities Tennis Association carnival in Wichita, Kansas.

Left: Missouri High School State Championships were rescheduled and held with safety measures.

Right: Nebraska high school players organized UNState to safely finish off their seasons.

Junior Team Tennis leagues were safely run in several districts. Above: Smiling faces competing at USTA Kansas district championships.

Left: Players showing safe practices during USTA Oklahoma Junior Team Tennis district championships.

Several junior tournaments were also held thoughout the summer. Above and right: Heart of America hosted an L4 junior tournament in September.

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DISTRICT INSERTS

Nebraska Tennis Community, In March 2020, all USTA League play was halted as the pandemic unfolded and we were left wondering when we would be able to play again. Through all the chaos and quarantining of 2020, our tennis community came together, had some fun, played a lot of tennis and helped a lot of families in need.

In early May, Sreedhar Marupudi, a USTA Nebraska player and captain, organized a fundraiser to buy PPE for our Omaha First Responders.

He was able to purchase 3000 masks and they were distributed to our police department and UNMC on behalf of Omaha Tennis Association.

In December, Marupudi organized the Ace Hunger Mixed Doubles Tournament. The tournament benefitted the Food Bank of the Heartland. The tournament donated 3000 lbs. of food and over $2000.00. Marupudi said he hopes to make the Ace Hunger Tournament an annual event.

In June, thankfully, we saw the startup of our USTA 18 and over regular league play with restrictions and safety measures in place. Even though there were no sectional championships Kay Merkel, our USTA Adult League Coordinator, ran district championships to give us more play and make sure we had bragging rights.

Donations from the Ace Hunger

The adult Sets and Mixed Doubles Tournament Sanitizer Tournament was an adult one-day tournament that gave us some Fourth of July fun. There was a lot of successful junior play around Nebraska all summer long. Koch hosted a wide variety of junior tournaments as well as Fremont, Kearney and Lincoln. The year concluded with an adult and junior holiday tournament in Omaha.

It has been a difficult year but overall tennis has been a safe and healthy outlet for so many of us during this crazy time. We have a lot to look forward to this year. We will hopefully be running all of our Players at the Sets and Sanitizer tournament. normal USTA adult and junior match play. Junior play has a lot of upcoming opportunities for newer players such as team challenges, junior circuits and junior team tennis. There also a lot of Level 3 –Level 7 tournaments for more experienced players.

On behalf of the USTA Nebraska Board, Executive Director, league coordinators, tournament directors and myself, we appreciate all your support and service to tennis during this past and upcoming year.

Heather Blumel

USTA Nebraska President

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: APRIL-JUNE 2021 DATE

TOURNAMENT NAME

TYPE

LOCATION

April 18

NE Junior Circuit Koch BG 10 #1 (Orange & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

April 25

USTA Junior Circuit 12-18 #1 (Yellow & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

May 2

Junior Circuit BG10 #2 (Orange & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

May 14-16

L5 USTA NE B12-18/G12

L5

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

May 23

Junior Circuit 12-18 #2 (Yellow & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

May 23

NE Junior Circuit First State Bank, Junior BG10 (Orange & Green) Circuit

Fremont

May 29-30

L6 USTA NE BG12-18 First State Bank

L6

Fremont

June 5-6

L6 USTA NE BG12-18

L6

Kearney (Harmon Park)

June 6

Junior Circuit BG 12-18 #3 (Yellow & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

June 12-13

L6 USTA NE BG12-18

L6

Grand Island

June 12

Junior Circuit BG 10 #3 (Orange & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

June 13

Junior Circuit BG 12-18 #4 (Yellow & Green)

Junior Circuit

Omaha (Koch Tennis Center)

June 19-20

L6 USTA NE B12-18

L6

Kearney (Harmon Park)

June 20

Junior Circuit Harmon Park, BG10 Junior (Orange & Green) Circuit

Kearney (Harmon Park)

June 26-27

L6 USTA NE BG12-18

Lincoln

L6

Visit playtennis.usta.com/tournaments or scan the QR code with your phone camera to register or find more tournaments.