2022 Yearbook & Spring Serve by ustamissourivalley

2022 YEARBOOK MISSOURI VALLEY

TABLE OF CONTENTS USTA Missouri Valley Information

President & Executive Director's Message.................................3 Board of Directors & Past Presidents........................................ 4 District Boundaries & Committee Chairs .................................. 5 Section Staff............................................................................. 6

Annual Conference: A Look Back at the Celebration.......... 29 Hall of Fame: Class of 2021 and full list of members........ 30-31 Section Awards.................................................................. 32-33 Junior Sportsmanship..............................................................33

At Your Service Provider Resources & Serve Tennis........................................ 7-8 Junior Tennis Resources....................................................... 9-11 Adult Tennis Resources.......................................................... 12 Community Tennis Resources.................................................13 Section Grants.........................................................................14

USTA League Section Champions.................................. 34-38 NTRP Qualifiers................................................................. 39

Districts Heart of America............................................................... 16-17 Iowa....................................................................................... 18 Kansas.................................................................................... 20 Missouri................................................................................. 22 Nebraska.................................................................................24 Oklahoma........................................................................ 26-27 St. Louis................................................................................. 28 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

Serve - Spring 2022 Cover and Table of Contents............................................. 41-42 2022 Events Calendar.............................................................43 Nick Taylor Moves On........................................................... 44 Spotlight on Rich Slivocka..................................................... 45 Black History Month..............................................................46 USTA Junior Team Tennis Mixes It Up in 2022......................47 Adult & Junior SectionTournaments................................. 48-49 District Presidents Q&A........................................................ 50 New Section Staff................................................................... 51 Net Notes.......................................................................... 52-53 2021 Year in Photos......................................................... 54-56 District Inserts.................................................................. 60-67

Digital Publications The 2022 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. 2022 Yearbook Staff Contributors Mary Buschmann Mark Collins Manon Eilts Victoria Moore Emily Steinwart

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 18,000 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. 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. 2

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Welcome to 2022, a year which is destined to be marked by transformation fueled by technology, a post pandemic recovery, and our continued commitment to placing our mission, “growing the game”, at the center of all we do. As an organization we continue to invest in new enhancements to the Serve Tennis technology platform for tournaments, continued updates to USTA.com, continued updates to the new rankings platform, and enhanced, improved coaching modules that we look forward to bringing to your community. Over the past two years, a silver lining of the ongoing pandemic has been a robust increase in the numbers of individuals playing tennis. Growing the game is what we are all about and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome new players to the sport. This translates into supporting new ideas and play opportunities for both youth and adults, in addition to focusing heavily on establishing partnerships with our local Parks and Recreational Communities. Both are at the center of our plan to attract and retain existing players, providers, schools and coaches as we strive to create a diverse tennis community. Tennis is fun! 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, please 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 passionate volunteers and providers for continuing to support our communities in growing the game!. 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. 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 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.

Jason Mathes President

Join us as we look forward to an exciting and rewarding year of innovation, growth and engagement in 2022! Working Together,

Mary Buschmann CEO & Executive Director

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 Alex Lee alex117@aol.com

Deborah Fabrizius, President USTA Heart of America littlesade@hotmail.com

Brenton Kuchan, President USTA Iowa kucherab@waterlooschools.org

Kate Foss, President USTA Nebraska ustakate@gmail.com

Mallory Weber, President USTA Missouri webermalloryl@gmail.com

Mike Willman, President USTA Nebraska mikewllmn@aol.com

Mary Jo Tasker, President USTA Oklahoma maryjotasker@gmail.com

John Kelly, President USTA St. Louis kellyjohnf15@gmail.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

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

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

1973-74 1971-72 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

Francis Baxter Wilmer Rompf 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

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Des Moines, Iowa 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)

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

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

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

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

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Outreach Kim Hughes Gill - bkjassociates2@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Jaren Glaser

Personnel Lisa Minihan - lisa.m.minihan@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann

Adult Tournament Regulations Scott Hanover - ptcguy@yahoo.com Staff Liaison: Scott Howes

Grievance John Kinsella - john.kinsella241@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann

Nominating Lisa Minihan - lisa.m.minihan@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Mary Buschmann

Audit Commitee Dwayne Campbell - dcamp1970@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Tonya Kaup

Hall of Fame Judy Dippold - dipper20@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Manon Eilts

Sanctions & Scheduling Arlene Frye - lenetennis@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Marissa Moment Brown

Awards Stuart Dusenberry - sddins62@yahoo.com Staff Liaison: Manon Eilts

Junior Competition Regulations Simon Norman - simon@genesishealthclubs.com Staff Liaison: Beth Azan

Coaches Commission Chris Smith - csmithbluehillscc@gmail.com Staff Liaison: Marissa Moment Brown

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

SECTION STAFF

USTA Missouri Valley Staff (Back row L-R): Laura Puryear, Tara Williams, Mark Collins, Michael Marotta, Alyssa Stelmach and Jaren Glaser. (Second row L-R): Becky Riggs, Manon Eilts, Marissa Moment Brown, Tonya Kaup, Kara Heim, Beth Azan and Lindsay Hall. (Front row L-R): John Terpkosh, Mary Buschmann, Scott Howes and Emily Steinwart. Not pictured: Laura Jager, Victoria Moore and Tab Stout.

Beth Azan Manager - Junior Competition 913-322-4832 bazan@movalley.usta.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alyssa Stelmach Manager - Adult Leagues 913-322-4829 astelmach@movalley.usta.com

Mark Collins Digital Content Producer 913-322-4827 mark.collins@movalley.usta.com

Laura Jager Coordinator, Community & Competition 913-322-4852 laura.jager@movalley.usta.com

Tab Stout Office Administrator 913-322-4845 tab.stout@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

John Terpkosh TSR - USTA Iowa 913-967-9926 jterpkosh@movalley.usta.com

Victoria Moore Digital Content Producer & Graphic Designer 913-322-4838 victoria.moore@movalley.usta.com

Tara Williams Community Tennis Manager 913-302-5901 williams@movalley.usta.com

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

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

Provider Resources MARKETING GENERATOR Providers who are Safe Play approved can access the Marketing Generator Page. Create your own professional marketing materials, such as banners, flyers, postcards and more. Scan the QR code for step-by-step help getting started.

COACHING

Find the Marketing Generator on marketinggenerator.usta.com

You’ve already got the love for the game. We’ll 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.

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

You Make Tennis Happen - Leonora King / USTA 7

Serve Tennis

AT YOUR SERVICE

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 customer care team by scanning the QR code to the right with your phone’s camera.

Serve Tennis / USTA

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.

Scan the QR code for more on the Junior Pathway.

The use of ball colors changes as skills improve through the USTA Net Generation Junior Pathway. The journey 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. 9

Junior Tennis Resources

AT YOUR SERVICE

Let’s Tennis - Cultivation by Quentin Williams / USTA

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.

USTA and the Junior Tennis Competition Journey / USTA 10

AT YOUR SERVICE

Junior Tennis Resources JUNIOR TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE simplified USTA Junior 2022 A Ranked Events Comparison

Tournaments structure took effect in January 2021! The 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

Level 6

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1 - Gold Ball

Event Duration

Up to 1 day

Up to 2 days*

Up to 3 days

Up to 4 days

3+ days

4+ days

Geographic Level

District

Section

Section/National

National

USTA MV Draw Formats

Singles •Round robin •Compas draw Doubles •Single elimination

Singles w/doubles play •Round robin •FIC QF •Compass draw Doubles - Single elimination Doubles Only •Round robin •FIC QF •Compass draw Team •Dominant Duo

Singles w/doubles play •Round robin •FIC QF •FIC 16 •Compass draw Doubles - Single elimination Doubles Only •Round robin •FIC QF •Compass draw Team •Dominant Duo

Singles •32 FIC R16 Doubles •Single Elimination Team •Dominant Duo

Singles •32 FIC 16 Doubles •Single Elimination

•Round robin •Compass draw •Team format •Curtis Consolation •Feed-in championships

Entry Fee

Set by District

Outdoor $75 Indoor $105 Outdoor $110 Indoor $100

Set by National

Participation Fee

Set by District

$10

N/A

USTA MV Scoring Formats

•Best 2 of 3 short sets (3rd set is 7-point tiebreak) •Single set (first to 6 games) •Short set (first to 4 games) 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all

Singles Main •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) •Short set (first to 4 games) 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all Singles Consolation •Short set (first to 4 games) 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all Doubles with Singles •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all Doubles Only Tournaments •Best 2 of 3 tiebreak sets •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) •Short set (first to 4 games) 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all

Singles Main •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) •Best 2 of 3 Short Sets w/ a 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all Singles Consolation •Best 2 of 3 Short Sets w/ a 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) Doubles with Singles •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all Doubles Only Tournaments •Best 2 of 3 sets •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) •Best 2 of 3 Short Sets w/ a 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all

Singles Main •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) Singles Consolation •Indoors - Best 2 of 3 Short Sets w/ a 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all •Outdoors - Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point match tiebreak) Doubles •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all

Singles Main •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point match tiebreak) Singles Consolation •Indoors - Best 2 of 3 Short Sets w/ a 7-point tiebreak at 4 games all •Outdoors - Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point match tiebreak) Doubles •8 game pro-set w/ 7-point tiebreak at 8 games all

Singles •Best 2 of 3 tiebreak sets •Best 2 of 3 sets (3rd set is 10-point tiebreak) •Best 2 of 3 short sets (3rd set is 7-point tiebreak) Doubles •8 game pro-set •Single set

Recommended Skill Level

USTA MV Ball Colors

*A Level 6 may last up to 3 days based on district discretion **Green ball play for 12s division only in Level 7

2021 USTA Junior Tournament Structure / USTA 11

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, Scan the QR code above for more info about these adult tennis opportunities.

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!

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.

ADULT TOURNAMENTS USTA Missouri Valley holds adult tournaments throughout our five state area for every age and skill level, on clay, hard, and grass court surfaces. Play a section tournament for your chance to qualify for National Championships!

TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION TOOL Tournament and program registration for both adults and juniors. Search by location, date or play level and get on court today!

Scan the QR code above for the full 2022 section tournament schedule.

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.

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

USTA - Parks and Recreation / USTA

COMMUNITY TENNIS ASSOCIATIONS (CTAS) are not-for-profit, volunteer-based organizations supporting programs that grow the game of tennis. THE NATIONAL JUNIOR TENNIS & LEARNING (NJTL) is a network of nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free or low-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.

WE ARE...

Let’s find you a grant.

• SERVING UP TENNIS GRANT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

USTA MISSOURI VALLEY OFFERS MULTIPLE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES 2022 Grant Deadlines: - Friday, February 18 - Friday, April 15 - Friday, July 15 - Friday, August 26 - Friday, October 21 Scan the QR code to learn more about available section and district grants.

b lE

i n g 50 YE rat A

- USTA Member Organizations - CTA’s - NJTLs - Tennis on Campus team or club - Schools and/or School Districts - Park and Recreation Facilities / Departments - Boys and Girls Clubs - YMCA/YWCA

• GROW THE GAME GRANT FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

- USTA Net Generation Junior Pathway - USTA Team Challenges - USTA Junior Team Tennis - USTA Junior Circuit Events - Programs for Millennials (18-40 age group) - Local Adult Leagues & Tournaments - Local programs that serve diverse communities - USTA Adaptive and/or Wheelchair programming

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HEART OF AMERICA OFFICERS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Richard Kohn 816-820-0136 rinaner007@gmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sheila Goins 913-660-5199 ustaheartofamerica@gmail.com

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

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

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Tracey Johnson 913-515-0991 tdjlaw@hotmail.com VICE PRESIDENT - ADULTS Marianne McGrath 913-579-3885 mmcgrath300@gmail.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Marcia Jacelone 913-710-8934 mjacelone333@gmail.com Amy Fangman 913-219-8406 playtenniswest@gmail.com

JUNIOR CIRCUIT COORDINATORS Jared Ward 479-659-2493 jcwards@yahoo.com

Cassidy Mears 913-488-8669 cassidymears@gmail.com

Alexis Czapinski 785-840-6258 alexis.czapinski@gmail.com

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 OFFICIALS Cheryl Lady 816-363-4553 ctlady929@gmail.com TENNISLINK ADMINISTRATOR Pat Sibenaller 816-916-5889 pat.usta@gmail.com VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR TBD

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

Adult Player of the Year - Male Anthony Perkins Lenexa, Kansas

Junior Player of the Year - Female Sydney Fuger Kansas City, Missouri

Outstanding Junior Tournament USTA HOA - Level 2 - G16 Gladstone, Missouri

Adult Player of the Year - Female Michelle Gifford Overland Park, Kansas

Emerging Jr Player of the Year - Male Christian Clough Leawood, Kansas

Outstanding Official Janet Crawford Kansas City, Missouri

Adult Player - 4.0 & Below - Male Jacob Beck Kansas City, Missouri

Emerging Jr Player of the Year - Female Shannon Finn Pleasant Hill, Missouri

Shawna Froeschl Adult Sportsmanship - Female Elizabeth Jarvis Lenexa, Kansas

Adult Player - 4.0 & Below - Female Chriss Shoup-Duntz Overland Park, Kansas

Member Organization Jayhawk Tennis Center Lawrence, Kansas

Community Service Excellence Shashank Nautiyal Saint Joseph, Missouri

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament USTA HOA 65s Invitational Overland Park, Kansas

Stephanie Waterman Junior Sportsmanship Female Bryson Langford Leawood, Kansas

Distinguished Service Helen Elliott Olathe, Kansas

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Stephanie Waterman Foundation Kansas City, Missouri

2021 AWARD WINNERS

Event of the Year Bracket of Death Shawnee, Kansas Facility of the Year Genesis Health Clubs (KCRC) Merriam, Kansas High School Coach Daniel Berkland Kansas City, Missouri Junior Player of the Year - Male Cooper Woestendick Olathe, Kansas

Outstanding Contributor to USTA Tennis Youth Programs Jared & Christy Ward Lawrence, Kansas Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Tennis John Stroede Kansas City, Kansas Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program Willy DeVilchez Overland Park, Kansas

HEART OF AMERICA

LEAGUE COORDINATORS

Tennis Family of the Year Chris Smith Family Leawood, Kansas Volunteer of the Year Arlene Frye Leawood, Kansas Junior Sportsmanship Winners Girls 10 - Kynsey Smith Girls 12 - Ava Beltran Girls 14 - Shelby Smith Girls 16 - Sydney Fuger Girls 18 - Greta Stechschulte Girls 18 - Bryson Langford Boys 10 - Varun Garikipati Boys 12 - Anish Poojari Boys 14 - Micah Ward Boys 16 - Russell Lokko Boys 18 - Matthew Crossland

IOWA

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

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

SUPPORT STAFF

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

ACCOUNTANT Kelly Drake 319-354-6295 kdrake.tennis@gmail.com

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

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

ADULT COMPETITION Ann Simons-Burnett 515-451-1374 andrean-simons@uiowa.edu

ADULTS/MIXED/SENIORS Dana McBratney 636-222-0705 iowa55mixed@gmail.com

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

JUNIOR COORDINATOR Faith Bliss 641-799-9872 faithblissusta@gmail.com

AWARDS Mike Conlon 515-360-9196 conlonm@wdmcs.org COLLEGIATE & Nick Petaros 563-321-0451 nick.petaros@gmail.com COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Cindy Rasche 563-249-3132 crasche333@gmail.com

PAST PRESIDENT Jack Wardell 712-792-1000 jwardell639@gmail.com

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

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Jennifer Smith 515-988-3135 jflemingsmith@yahoo.com DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Sue Nelson 309-738-8774 sanelson614@gmail.com

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

GRIEVANCE Tom Wolle 319-721-8314 twolle@simmonsperrine.com

VICE PRESIDENT John Pletchette 515-468-1176 johnpletchette@gmail.com

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

SECRETARY Brian Dahlstrom 309-236-5474 b.dahlstrom@mchsi.com

NOMINATING/PERSONNEL Jack Wardell 712-790-1904 jwardell639@gmail.com

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

RECREATION Brian Daoust 712-249-6685 daoustb@shenandoah.k12.ia.us UMPIRES (OFFICIALS) Lindsay Bates 402-201-4349 lindsay.henjum@gmail.com

2021 AWARD WINNERS Distinguished Service Donna Farley Facility of the Year Marshalltown Court Complex Membership Organization of the Year Adaptive Sports of Iowa Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Mississippi Valley Open

Outstanding Community Tennis Association River Cities Tennis Association Outstanding Junior Tournament Midlands Junior Open Junior Sportsmanship Girls 10s Francie Hinch Girls 12s Ella Steffensmeier Girls 16s Anna Current Girls 18s Abby Struble

Boys 10s Cullen Heckencamp Boys 12s Hayden Kunert Boys 14s Aryan Harwani Boys 16s Haden Taylor Boys 18s Zachary Johnson

There’s a place in college tennis for you! Varsity Tennis There are more than 2,000 men’s and women’s programs across Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JUCO. On average and depending on the program, most college tennis teams carry between 8–12 members.

Wheelchair Tennis Collegiate Wheelchair Tennis strives to advance the growth of wheelchair tennis, to encourage individuals with disabilities to pursue a college education, and to give students with physical disabilities an equal opportunity to compete.

USTA Tennis On Campus (Club Tennis) USTA Tennis on Campus offers a community for players of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, to compete in a fun, low-pressure setting. Scan the QR code to find out if your college or university has a TOC Club!

Plus, support your local college tennis programs and attend a match this season!

USTA.COM/COLLEGE

KANSAS OFFICERS

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

PAST PRESIDENT Ron Wherritt 316-260-8956 316-648-5140 RonW117@aol.com FIRST VICE PRESIDENT/ ADULT COMPETITION TBA 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

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

DIRECTOR Sheila Checotah 316-646-0898 schecotah2000@yahoo.com

YOUTH PATHWAY COORDINATOR Whitney Richardson 913-574-7431 whitwilson89@gmail.com

DIRECTOR Nick Schulte 316-648-6393 schultenick@gmail.com

2021 AWARD WINNERS Adult Recreational Player of the Year Jean Boardman, Salina

Junior Emerging Player of the Year - Male Jack Judkins, Wichita

Distinguished Service Aaron O’Donnell

Junior High Performance Player of the Year - Female Reagan Boleksi, Wichita

Event of the Year McAdams Tennis Open, Wichita Facility of the Year Andover Public Schools Tennis Complex High School Coach of the Year Kathy Schulte, Wichita Junior Emerging Player of the Year - Female Annabelle Aldrete, Wichita

Junior High Performance Player of the Year - Male Daniel Harkin, Manhattan Junior Sportsmanship Awards Girls 12s Ada Tantemsomboon, Wichita Girls 14s Clara Hocker, Wichita Girls 16s Jackie Ackerman, Wichita Girls 18s Aleta Souphanh, Wichita

Boys 12s Peter Hobson, Wichita Boys 14s Carson Bachrodt, Wichita Boys 16s Eli Blankenship, Wichita Boys 18s Drake Lowe, Winfield Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Sunflower State Games,Topeka Outstanding Community Tennis Association Topeka Tennis Association, Topeka Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Sara Rasmussen, Wichita

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Gary Shipp, Topeka Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Marcel Miasato, Wichita Outstanding Diversity Achievement DeAnn White, Wichita Outstanding Junior Tournament Sunflower State Games,Topeka Outstanding Official J. Patel, Topeka USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer Janet Glaser, Wichita

MISSOURI OFFICERS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Glenn Pelecky gpelecky@gmail.com INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Leslie Echols lemotennis@gmail.com

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TBA

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

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Larry Huitt lhuitt1957@gmail.com SECRETARY Amy Mathew amymichael12@icloud.com

DISTRICT SUPPORT STAFF

TREASURER Bill Lingenfelser WBL@Makeenenergy.com AT-LARGE Rhonda Kaissi rkaissi5@gmail.com Kyle Wartick kwartick@springfieldmo.gov

JUNIOR COMPETITION COORDINATOR Courtney Nesbitt nesbittcourtney91@gmail.com

ADULT LEAGUE COORDINATOR Leslie Echols lemotennis@gmail.com

FINANCIAL ADVISOR Lori Hunt lhmotennis@gmail.com

Adult Sportsmanship Awards Laurie Everett Columbia

Junior Male Recreational Player of the Year Chace Corbin Chillicothe

Kelly Hayes Ozark

Junior Sportsmanship Awards Girls 12s - Kaylee Doran, Osage Beach Girls 14s - Megan Wilde, Jefferson City Girls 16s - Lily Delk, Jefferson City Girls 18s - Sanhiya Baskar, Jefferson City

League Players of the Year Donna Hoffmann Versailles Hee-Sun Kim Ozark

ADULT & LEAGUE COMPETITION Leslie Echols lemotennis@gmail.com JUNIOR COMPETITION Courtney Nesbitt nesbittcourtney91@gmail.com

2021 AWARD WINNERS

Event of the Year City Kidsfest Jefferson City

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Boys 12s - Han Seo, Springfield Boys 14s - Joseph Coder, Brookline Boys 16s - Joshua Kim, Springfield Boys 18s - Caden Lingenfelser, Willard Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Ann Vogel Springfield

OFFICIALS Steve Webb swebb@springfieldmo.gov

USTA MISSOURI LEAGUE LOCATIONS Contact Leslie Echols Branson Columbia Jefferson City Joplin Springfield

NEBRASKA OFFICERS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Heather Blumel 402-699-3393 hblumelusta@gmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lisa Thomas 408-290-5931 lisathomasusta@icloud.com

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

PRESIDENT Mike Willman 402-547-9613 day 402-727-9048 night mikewllmn@aol.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@gmail.com

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

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT John Rademacher 308-440-1112 johnprademacher@gmail.com SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Matt Lunning 515-371-1931 mlunning@unmc.edu SECRETARY Kevin Heim 402-441-7095 wtcheim@gmail.com TREASURER Ryan Johnson

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Tammy Hill tamtennis18@aol.com

2021 AWARD WINNERS Adult Players of the Year (4.5 & Above) Colin Buckley & Julie Obear

Junior Male Emerging Player of the Year Dex Saniuk

Outstanding Diversity Achievement Joe Meyers

Adult Players of the Year (4.0 & Below) Becky Svatora & Stephanie Theis

Junior Tournament of the Year L5 Boys & Girls 12-18s in Fremont

Outstanding Official Noelle Wegiel

Adult/Senior Tournament of the Year Holiday Tourney

Media Excellence Andrea Gallagher

Tennis Family of the Year The Thomas Family

Distinguished Service Larry Newton

Member Organization of the Year Genesis Westroads

Facility of the Year Miracle Hill & First Serve Tennis Center

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Omaha Tennis Association

High School Coaches of the Year Robert Weber & Shelly Patrick

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis Tammy Tegler

Junior High Performance Female Player of the Year Ratna King

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Program Talor Wain

Junior Sportsmanship Awards Girls 10s - Addison Blumkin Girls 12s - Reeya Chundury Girls 14s - Pujitha Mudhelli Girls 18s - Sydney Schroeder Boys 10s - Ben Lowes Boys 12s - Wilson Yan Boys 14s - Micah Cortinas Boys 16s - AJ Shefsky Boys 18s - Andrew Nelson

Junior High Performance Male Player of the Year Alex Liu Junior Female Emerging Player of the Year Circe Tallman

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Mike Saniuk

Have you checked your USTA Member Profile lately? • • • • • •

Do you have a new e-mail address? Is the phone number listed your primary number? Have you moved recently? Were you married and have a new last name? Do you have a new contact at your club or organization? Are you getting monthly e-newsletters about local play opportunities?

Scan the QR code to receive local news.

Chances are, your USTA Member Profile is outdated if you’re not receiving regular communication from USTA by mail or e-mail. To receive section, district & other regional news, log into your profile on USTA.com to update your “Notifications” under “Stay Current.” Go to customercare.USTA.com to update your profile. You may also contact USTA Customer Care for assistance by calling 1-800-990-USTA(8782).

OKLAHOMA OFFICERS

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

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

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

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

VICE PRESIDENT - ADULTS Peter Pappas 405-413-1382 petertpappas@yahoo.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 Lee Crowley 918-527-1782 wxcrawler@hotmail.com NORTHEAST QUADRANT Peter McCorkle (Tulsa) 918-830-0698 peter.mccorkle@gmail.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

SOUTHEAST QUADRANT Dawna Johnston 610-308-0435 dawna_johnston@hotmail.com

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

OKC League Coordinator Kara Hale 512-658-0906 hale@ustaoklahoma.com

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

Awards TBA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Budget & Finance Dwayne Campbell 580-603-0490 dcamp1970@gmail.com Collegiate/League Coordinator Marc Claude 405-640-9638 cell marcaclaude@gmail.com District League Coordinator Tulsa League Coordinator Michelle Oquin 918-381-6690 oquin@ustaoklahoma.com

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

Adaptive Tennis Achievement Jason Vick

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Rally for Rescuers

Outstanding Official Dean Richardville

Adult Player of the Year (4.5 & Above) Brian Diefenderfer

Outstanding Community Tennis Association South Oklahoma City Tennis Association

Tennis Family of the Year The Wood Family

Adult Player of the Year (4.0 & Below) Ky Nichols

Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Bill Towler

Distinguished Service Rob Braver

Outstanding Contributor to Youth High Performance Whitney Ritchie

Junior Sportsmanship Boys 10 - Clark Beard Boys 12 - Lucas Brown Boys 14 - Krishna Bhadriraju Boys 16 - Creed Skinner Boys 18 - Brett Keeling

Facility of the Year Edmond Center Court Female Junior High Performance Player of the Year Gracie Epps Female Emerging Junior Player of the Year Lauren Krise Male Junior High Performance Player of the Year Trenton Kanchanakomtorn Male Emerging Junior Player of the Year Luke Bishop Member Organization of the Year Oklahoma City Tennis Center

Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis Programs Jon Collings

Girls 10 - Scarlett Milner Girls 12 - Allie Dolezal Girls 14 - Samantha Nguyen Girls 16 - Ivy Wilson Girls 18 - Layla Drotar

Outstanding Diversity Achievement First Serve Tulsa

OKLAHOMA

2021 AWARD WINNERS

Hall of Fame Inductees David Minihan Jarin Skube

Outstanding High School Coach Jamie Wheat Outstanding Junior Tournament USTA Girls 16s Section Invitational at RH-91 Outstanding Junior Team Tennis Organizer Randy Painton

USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEYJTT 27

ST. LOUIS OFFICERS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Beth Causey 314-322-8911 brcausey@gmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jill Kunkel 314-432-3990 314-537-2022 cell director@ustastl.com

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

TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TBA

DISTRICT STAFF ADULT LEAGUES Severine Huchet 314-201-9024 leagues@ustastl.com

DWIGHT DAVIS TENNIS CENTER Carobeth Kelly, General Manager 314-362-0177 dwight@ustastl.com

ADULT 40+/55+/65+ LEAGUES Kelly Woods 314-432-3990 40plus@ustastl.com

JUNIOR COMPETITION Jill Kunkel 314-432-3990 314-537-2022 cell juniors@ustastl.com

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

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

DISTRICT SUPPORT FINANCIAL MANAGER Nancy Varner 314-432-3990 financial@ustastl.com

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

VICE PRESIDENT - JUNIORS Noel Quevreaux 314-616-0798 noelqu@gmail.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 Ken Hayden 618-920-8743 kjhay12@yahoo.com TREASURER Hiroo Motwani (618) 363-4300 hiroo@motwanifoindation.org

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

2021 AWARD WINNERS Adult Player of the Year Stefan Nosic

Junior Emerging Players of the Year Schaefer Bates & Meg Nakatani

Adult Recreational Players of the Year Joseph Hawkes & Teresa Durbala

Junior Team Tennis Organizer Toni McDonald

Distinguished Service Paul Tobin

Member Organization Parkway Schools

Facility of the Year Creve Coeur Racquet Club

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament Bud Simpson Open

Family of the Year The Sutter Family

Outstanding Community Tennis Association Triple A Breakpoint Tennis & Life Skills Academy

Judy Dippold Junior Players of the Year Gus Tettamble & Emily Kantrovitz

Outstanding Contributors to USTA Leagues John Brinkmeyer & Barb Rhoads Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance Matt Kuelker Outstanding Contributor to Youth Programs Edwardsville Tennis Academy Outstanding Diversity Achievement Dave Lipe Outstanding High School Coach Dan Skaer Outstanding Official Tom Weber

President’s Award Mary Vassar Junior Sportsmanship Awards Boys 10 - John Mathes Boys 12 - John Finnie Boys 14 - Alan Walker Boys 16 - David Ju Boys 18 - Clark Kent Girls 10 - Grace Leitner Girls 12 - Ashley Hayes Girls 14 - Emerey Gross Girls 16 - Yvonne Shannon Girls 18 - Elizabeth Barlow

e c n e r e f n o c & g n i t e e m l a u n n A 1 2 e c n 0 e r e 2 f n o c & g n i t e e m l a u n n A 1 2 20

The 2021 USTA Missouri Valley Annual Conference, hosted December 3-4, was our first chance since 2019 to get back

together with some familiar faces. The Olathe Conference Center hosted the event and provided a memorable experience for all attendees.

The conference culminated on night two with the unveiling of the 2021 USTA Missouri Valley Highlights Video. This year-end video highlighted the weekend’s overarching theme of togetherness. The conference began on Friday, December 3 with the Meeting of the Association and Open Board Meeting. The USTA Missouri Valley committees and districts shared their 2021 highlights and key initiatives for 2022 and President Jason Mathes and Executive Director Mary Buschmann gave their official reports. Friday’s festivities culminated with a Welcome Reception, allowing guests to socialize over food and drinks. Video and photo montages from 2020 were displayed around the room to help make up for what was lost at last year’s virtual conference. Saturday morning kicked off with a General Session: State of the Union Address, highlighted by an appearance and speech by National Board Member Violet Clark. Then came multiple committee meetings, including the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Outreach Committee that featured a virtual presentation by Marisa Grimes, National Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. The conference continued with the Hall of Fame Induction, emceed by President Jason Mathes, and Awards Celebration emceed by one USTA Missouri Valley of the newest Hall of Fame members, Scott Hanover.

Annual Meeting & Conference

Scott Hanover, Al Penelton and Tara Snyder were proudly inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall ofDecember Fame. Congratulations to 3-4, 2021 these three for this incredible tennis accomplishment!

A highlight of the event was when the 30 USTA Missouri Valley 2021 Award Winners were recognized during the program. Nebraska’s USTA Missouri Valley Larry Newton also received a special surprise when he was informed that he was named Racquet Sports Industry’s 2021 Champion of Annual Meeting & Conference Youth Tennis. He will be featured in their January issue.

December 3-4, 2021

The final surprise of the afternoon came with the announcement of the 2021 President’s Award winner. Mathes had the opportunity to give the award to his close friend and mentor Mary Vassar, who recently retired after more than 25 years of service, in a special moment for both of them. USTA Missouri Valley is grateful for all of those who’ve supported the section through the year and looks forward to what 2022 has in store. Visit USTA.com for more coverage or check out our Facebook @ustamissourivalley for the conference photo gallery.

Click to view our 2021 Annual Conference photo gallery on Facebook.

Click each photo to watch HOF videos.

2021 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame Class of 2021, from left to right: Scott Hanover, Johnnie Penelton (wife of the late Al Penelton) and Tara Snyder.

During the Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Celebration on Saturday, December 4, we had the honor of inducting three new members to the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame: Scott Hanover of Kansas City, Mo., the late Al Penelton of East St. Louis, Ill. and Tara Snyder of Truckee, Calif. (formerly of Wichita, Kansas). Scott Hanover’s accolades as a tournament director and his impact on tennis around USTA Missouri Valley are immeasurable. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Stephanie Waterman Foundation in Kansas City. The foundation provides under-resourced inner-city youth free tennis programming, life skills and enrichment programs. Additionally, Hanover serves as the Vice Chair of the USTA National Competition Pathway, where he oversees six committees. In 2018, Hanover ran a record 44 USTA sanctioned tournaments - but his dedication to tennis began as a young adult in Iowa. While a student at Grand View College in Des Moines, Hanover began his years of service in tennis, beginning with USTA Iowa in the mid-1980s. He was also the youngest person to become the USTA Missouri Valley Executive Committee President. Hanover helped found the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame in 1999 and lends his talents at the mic as the emcee of the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame ceremony. Al Penelton was an athlete growing up and played several sports at Vashon High School in St. Louis. He picked up tennis as a way to stay in shape as he got older. It wasn’t until 1978 that he became an official. As a service line umpire, he is considered one of the finest ever to do it. His gifts as an official are the reason he was also inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021. The first pro tournament he worked was in 1978 - the WCT Classic at the Checkerdome. Just four years later, he worked his first of what would be 37 consecutive US Opens. He has also been an official at the three other Grand Slams multiple times, as well as the Olympics and numerous Fed Cup events. In 1996, he was honored with the highest award given to USTA umpires - the John T. McGovern Award - which is voted upon by fellow umpires. Tara Snyder grew up in Wichita and was coached as a child by her father, Darrel. Tennis was a natural fit for Snyder, whose father owns Mid-American Courtworks, a tennis court resurfacing company in the area. Snyder quickly rose up the ranks as a junior, becoming USTA Missouri Valley’s No. 1 player and climbing as high as No. 3 nationally. She won the U.S. Open Junior Singles title in 1995. A career in professional tennis came calling soon after, where she captured a silver medal in the Pan American games in 1999. Career highlights also include victories against Maria Sharapova, Marion Bartoli and Martina Hingis. Snyder also spent a significant part of her career playing World TeamTennis (WTT), including stints with the St. Louis Aces, Wichita Advantage, Springfield Lasers, Kansas City Explorers and Texas Wild. It is through World TeamTennis she met her husband, former No. 40 ranked doubles player Brent Haygarth.

USTA MISSOURI VALLEY HALL OF FAME MEMBERS 2021 R. Scott Hanover.............................Kansas City, Mo. Alvin Penelton............................... East St. Louis, Ill. Tara Snyder.........................................Truckee, Calif. 2020 Daniel Apted....................................... St. Louis, Mo. Jane Zukaitis Hines...............................Omaha, Neb. Kevin Nebergall...........................Cedar Rapids, Iowa 2019 Kilmeny Waterman Connor...... Overland Park, Kan. Craig Sandvig.............................University City, Mo. Pamela Sloan..................................... Stockton, Calif. 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. 2007 Barbara Fackel*..................................Rock Island, Ill. Ken Flach*............................................ St Louis, Mo. Bob McKinley.........................College Station, Texas 2006 Dave Freeborn.........................................Tulsa, Okla. Jay Louderback................................South Bend, Ind. Terry Miller............................... Overland Park, Kan. Dave Riley...............................................Tulsa, Okla. Russell Warner........................................Tulsa, Okla. 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. 2004 John Bregin........................................ Merriam, Kan. Don Dippold....................................... St. Louis, Mo. Don Gardner*.......................................Wichita, Kan. Ken Lidie*........................................... Bellevue, Neb. Su Oertel.............................................Decorah, Iowa 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.

1997 Lucien Barbour*................................. Winfield, Kan. Frank Ward.............................................Tulsa, Okla. Anna Guerrant......................................Gilbert, Ariz. Dick Johnson*....................................... Ballwin, Mo. Nora Prosser....................................... Merriam, Kan. 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. 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. 1993 C.J. Hixon...............................................Tulsa, Okla. Wally Smith................................... Ponca City, Okla. Dave Snyder....................................Kingwood, Texas 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.

2021 AWARD WINNERS

Adult Player of the Year, 4.0 & Below

Adult Player of the Year, 4.5 & Above

Facility of the Year

Joseph Hawkes Collinsville, Illinois

Brian Diefenderfer Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Edmond Center Court Edmond, Oklahoma

High School Coach of the Year

Junior High Performance Player of the Year (Male)

Junior High Performance Player of the Year (Female)

Junior Emerging Player of the Year (Male)

Jamie Wheat Yukon, Oklahoma

Cooper Woestendick (Accepted by his mother) Olathe, Kansas

Gracie Epps Norman, Oklahoma

Schaefer Bates Edwardsville, Illinois

Junior Emerging Player of the Year (Female)

Member Organization of the Year

Outstanding Adult/Senior Tournament

Outstanding Community Tennis Association

Lauren Krise Edmond, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Tennis Center (Accepted by Steve Henry) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Bud Simpson Open Godfrey, Illinois

Triple A Breakpoint Tennis & Life Skills Academy St. Louis, Missouri

Outstanding Contributor USTA League Tennis

Outstanding Contributor Youth High Performance

Outstanding Contributor Youth Tennis

Outstanding Diversity Achievement

Tammy Tegler Eagle, Nebraska

Willy DeVilchez Overland Park, Kansas

Mike Saniuk Omaha, Nebraska

DeAnn White Wichita, Kansas

2021 AWARD WINNERS Outstanding Junior Tournament

Outstanding Official

USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer

USTA Girls 16s Section Invitational Tulsa, Oklahoma

Dean Richardville Tulsa, Oklahoma

Toni McDonald St. Louis, Missouri

Tennis Family of the Year

Distinguished Service

President’s Award

The Sutter Family Clayton, Missouri

Larry Newton Omaha, Nebraska

Mary Vassar St. Louis, Missouri

JUNIOR SPORTSMANSHIP Boys 10s

Boys 12s

Boys 14s

Boys 16s

Boys 18s

Ben Lowes Omaha, Nebraska

John Finnie St. Louis, Missouri

Joseph Coder Brookline, Missouri

David Ju St. Louis, Missouri

Matthew Crossland Leawood, Kansas

Girls 10s

Girls 12s

Girls 14s

Girls 16s

Girls 18s

Scarlett Milner Tulsa, Oklahoma

Reeya Chundury Omaha, Nebraska

Samantha Nguyen Moore, Oklahoma

Ivy Wilson Jenks, Oklahoma

Bryson Langford Leawood, Kansas

For full awards history, click here! 33

2021 LEAGUE SECTION CHAMPIONS

18+ 2.5 Women: Oklahoma Captain: Penn & Taylor

18+ 3.0 Men: St. Louis Captain: Rhoads & Brandt

Placed 3rd at USTA Nationals 18+ 3.0 Women: Oklahoma Captain: Prox

18+ 3.5 Men: Kansas Captain: Penn, Seitz & Jones

Placed 3rd at USTA Nationals 18+ 3.5 Women: Heart of America Captain: Shoup & Duntz

18+ 4.0 Men: St. Louis Captain: Nosic & O’Neill

USTA National Champions

18+ 4.0 Women: Oklahoma Captain: Feemster

18+ 4.5 Men: Heart of America Captain: Ramsdell

2021 LEAGUE SECTION CHAMPIONS

18+ 4.5 Women: Iowa Captain: Chase

18+ 5.0 Men: Nebraska Captain: Buckley

Placed 4th at USTA Nationals 18+ 5.0 Women: St. Louis Captain: Gadsky

18+ 6.0 Mixed: Oklahoma Captain: Doughty

18+ 7.0 Mixed: Oklahoma Captain: Casey & Thagard

18+ 8.0 Mixed: Iowa Captain: Despotovich

18+ 9.0 Mixed: Nebraska Captain: Allison & Betts

40+ 3.0 Men: Oklahoma Captain: Freed/Ray

2021 LEAGUE SECTION CHAMPIONS

40+ 3.0 Women: Heart of America Captain: Snyder

40+ 3.5 Men: Heart of America Captain: Everhart

40+ 3.5 Women: Iowa Captain: Schoenfelder

40+ 4.0 Men: Oklahoma Captain: Magann

Placed 2nd at USTA Nationals

40+ 4.0 Women: Nebraska Captain: Holbrook

40+ 4.5 Men: Nebraska Captain: Betts

40+ 4.5 Women: Nebraska Captain: Allison & Wyse

40+ 6.0 Mixed: Oklahoma Captain: Doughty

2021 LEAGUE SECTION CHAMPIONS

Placed 3rd at USTA Nationals 40+ 7.0 Mixed: Oklahoma Captain: Casey & Thagard

40+ 8.0 Mixed: Iowa Captain: Despotovich

40+ 9.0 Mixed: Nebraska Captain: Allison & Betts

55+ 7.0 Men: Oklahoma Captain: Cohlmia

55+ 7.0 Women: Heart of America Captain: Bennett

55+ 8.0 Men: Heart of America Captain: Cox

Placed 4th at USTA Nationals 55+ 8.0 Women: Oklahoma Captain: Pascale & Bahan

55+ 9.0 Men: Heart of America Captain: Weber

2021 LEAGUE SECTION CHAMPIONS

55+ 9.0 Women: Oklahoma Captain: Grooms

65+ 6.0 Women: St. Louis Captain: Albrecht

65+ 7.0 Men: Oklahoma Captain: Langwell

65+ 7.0 Women: Oklahoma Captain: Roberts

65+ 8.0 Men: Heart of America Captain: Cox

65+ 8.0 Women: Heart of America Captain: Crampton

Click to view our 2021 League Section Championships photo gallery on Facebook.

Be a good sport. We need your help in nominating someone that displayed great sportsmanship in a USTA League match during your local league play. Scan the QR code to learn more. Use this link if unable to use QR code: https://tinyurl.com/MVLeagueSportsmanship2022

2022 NTRP National Championship Qualifiers

* The doubles players listed below have all qualified as individuals and have the opportunity to choose their doubles partners for the 2022 NTRP National Championships.

18 & Over

Standings as of February 14, 2022

3.0 Men’s Singles...................................................... Jason Trice 3.0 Women’s Singles........................................... Kelsey Welton 3.0 Men’s Doubles.......................................... Patrick Doughty* 3.0 Women’s Doubles................................. Heather Shanahan* 3.5 Men’s Singles........................................................Kevin Cue 3.5 Women’s Singles.............................................Kathy Mansell 3.5 Men’s Doubles..........................................Lorenz Ramseyer* 3.5 Women’s Doubles.........................................Kathy Mansell* 4.0 Men’s Singles.................................................... ....Teja Yeluri 4.0 Women’s Singles..........................................Rachel Morgan 4.0 Men’s Doubles............................................ Randy Childers* 4.0 Women’s Doubles...................................Shepard Simpson* 4.5 Men’s Singles......................................................Ryan White 4.5 Women’s Singles.................................. Kimberly Gradoville 4.5 Men’s Doubles................................................Paul Gontarz* 4.5 Women’s Doubles........................................... Andria Louis* 5.0 Men’s Singles........................................... Chris Griesedieck 5.0 Men’s Doubles..................................................Chaz Kuper* 5.0 Women’s Doubles.......................................Stephanie Eells*

Visit usta.com to view the most recent rankings and standings using the new tournament rankings webpage.

40 & Over

3.0 Men’s Singles.................................................. Uma Madhira 3.0 Women’s Singles.............................................. Jennifer Heil 3.5 Men’s Singles......................................................Ali Javaheri 3.5 Women’s Singles...............................................Ruth Ospino 3.5 Men’s Doubles ............................................ Krishna Mohan* 3.5 Women’s Doubles ......................................... Kelly Lauman* 4.0 Men’s Singles.................................................... Michael Peri 4.0 Women’s Singles.......................................... Jennifer Eckert 4.0 Men’s Doubles.................................................Michael Peri* 4.0 Women’s Doubles..............................................Patricia Fry* 4.5 Men’s Singles.................................................Duane Strader 4.5 Women’s Singles..............................................Donna Wyse 4.5 Men’s Doubles...........................................Srdjan Ilic-Siljak*

55 & Over

3.5 Men’s Singles.............................................. Randal Nadolny 3.5 Women’s Doubles..........................................Kirsten Smith* 4.0 Men’s Singles.................................................. Dennis Myers 4.0 Women’s Singles.................................................. Molly Clip 4.0 Men’s Doubles..............................................David Gorecki* 4.0 Women’s Doubles................................. Kathy Wennemann* 4.5 Men’s Singles............................................... James Claywell 4.5 Men’s Doubles.......................................... Philip Kammann*

May is National Tennis Month! Designating a month to promote tennis gives a platform to coaches, facilities, Parks & Recs, Community Tennis Associations, and NJTLs to drive awareness and help bring new players into local programs, inspire lapsed players to return to the sport and energize existing players to play more.

Start Your Planning Today USTA.com/NationalTennisMonth is a one stop shop for resources, assets and ideas to help providers with local promotions.

AS A PROVIDER, ACCESS:

Downloadable artwork to use for, t-shirts, banners, car magnets and yard signs

Customizable marketing materials, including social media posts, flyers, posters and postcards

Sample proclamations for City Councils and Mayors to proclaim May National Tennis Month

A sample press release you can customize for your local community and tips to reach out to local media

Programming and promotional ideas

SERVE Spring 2022

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. Your feedback is welcomed.

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

usta.com info@movalley.usta.com

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

CONTRIBUTORS Mark Collins

Digital Content Producer

Manon Eilts

Marketing, Communications & Membership Director

Pete Francis

Digital Assistant

Victoria Moore

Digital Content Producer Graphic Designer

Josh Sellmeyer Digital Assistant

Emily Steinwart

Communications Coordinator Graphic Design and Digital Media For questions about your USTA membership, please contact USTA Customer Care at 1-800-990-USTA or customercare.usta.com

Table of Contents

4 TAYLOR MOVES ON

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

FEATURES

43 44 45 46 47

2022 EVENTS AND MEETINGS WHEELCHAIR TENNIS STAR NICK TAYLOR RETIRES SPOTLIGHT ON: Rick Slivocka, USPTA National President BLACK HISTORY MONTH: A celebration of influential game changers in the Missouri Valley

JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS:

What you need to know for 2022

48 50 51 52 54

LET’S FIND YOU A TOURNAMENT DISTRICT PRESIDENTS’ HIGHLIGHT: How they hope to make an impact in 2022 WELCOME TO OUR NEW SECTION STAFF NET NOTES: News and highlights from around the section YEAR END PHOTOS

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

2022 EVENTS AND MEETINGS Event

Scan the QR code to stay up-to-date with this year’s section calendar.

Date

Location

USTA Missouri Valley Tennis on Campus Section Championship

March 5-6

Springfield, Missouri

USTA Annual Meeting

March 19-21

Orlando, Florida

USTA Tennis on Campus National Championship

April 7-9

Orlando, Florida

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 5’s, 0’s & Open Outdoor Championship

April 29 - May 1

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

May 13-15

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

June 3-5

Kansas City, Missouri

Junior L4 USTA Missouri Valley #3

June 3-5

Multiple Locations

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP & Open Indoor Championship

June 10-12

Tulsa, Oklahoma

ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit

Week of June 13

Wichita, Kansas

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley Family Championship

June 17-19

ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit

Week of June 20

ITF 25K Women’s Pro Circuit

Week of June 20

Junior L3 USTA Missouri Valley #1

June 23-26

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

June 24-26

Topeka, Kansas

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

July 1-3

Junior L2 Team Intersectional

July 15-17

Edmond, Oklahoma

USTA Missouri Valley Junior Team Tennis Section Championship

July 19-21

Edmond, Oklahoma

USTA Missouri Valley League 65 & Over Section Invitational

July 15-17

Overland Park, Kansas

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

July 22-24

Kansas City, Missouri

Section Adaptive Championship & ALL Stars Adaptive Event

July 23-24

Omaha, Nebraska

Junior L4 USTA Missouri Valley #4 Springfield Lasers World TeamTennis Season

July 23-25

St. Louis, Missouri & Edmond, Oklahoma

July TBA

ITF 25K Men’s Pro Circuit

Week of July 25

USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championship I

August 5-7

St. Louis, Missouri

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

August 12-14

St. Louis, Missouri

USPTA Missouri Valley Division Annual Conference

August 19-20

USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championship II

August 19-21

USTA Missouri Valley League Section Championship III

August 26-28

Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri

Overland Park, Kansas Tulsa, Oklahoma Wichita, Kansas

St. Louis, Missouri

Springfield, Missouri Edwardsville, Illinois

Kansas City, Missouri Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Tulsa, Oklahoma & Topeka, Kansas

US Open Championships

August 29 - September 11

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 18+ NTRP & Open Indoor Championship

September 2-4

Overland Park, Kansas

Junior L4 USTA Missouri Valley #5

September 3-5

Multiple Locations

USTA Missouri Valley League Mixed Section Championship I

September 9-11

Topeka, Kansas

Adult L4 USTA Missouri Valley 55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship

September 16-18

Tulsa, Oklahoma

USTA Missouri Valley League Mixed Section Championship II

September 23-25

Omaha, Nebraska

Adult L1 USTA National 30’s Hard Court Championship

September 30 - October 2

USTA Missouri Valley Tennis on Campus Fall Invitational

October 1-2

ITF 15K Men’s Pro Circuit

Week of October 24

Junior L3 USTA Missouri Valley #2

October 29-31

Multiple Locations

Junior L4 USTA Missouri Valley Team #1

November 5-6

Multiple Locations

Tri-Level League Section Invitational

November 4-6

Omaha, Nebraska

USTA Missouri Valley League Mixed Doubles 55 & Over Invitational

November 11-13

USTA Missouri Valley Annual Meeting

December 1-3

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

New York City

Kansas City, Missouri Topeka, Kansas Norman, Oklahoma

TBA Olathe, Kansas

Taylor Moves On

Wheelchair tennis legend Nick Taylor announced his retirement from tennis at the UNIQLO Wheelchair Masters Doubles event in Orlando, Fla. at the USTA National Campus in early November. Taylor is a former world No. 1 in both quad singles and doubles and won four Paralympic medals over his career. However, his athletic career is far from over. He will maintain his role as the Director of Operations for Wichita State Men’s Tennis. He will also still be involved in the game of tennis as the tournament director at the $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event held in Wichita, and will next put his competitive drive to use in a different sport: he hopes to head to the Paralympic Games in 2024 in the sport of boccia.

While the jump from tennis to boccia may seem strange to some, Taylor says it was an easy next step for him. He’s been in contact with boccia officials in the past. The timeline just might differ based on who you ask.

“I actually started playing a couple of years ago, when I didn’t need to be at a tennis tournament I was going to some boccia tournaments and stuff like that,” Taylor said. “I was actually able to move into that full-time pretty much immediately.” After taking his first step toward qualifying for the 2024 Paralympics, Taylor will continue to dive further into boccia full-time. One thing is for sure, though: if he is half as talented a boccia player as he is a tennis player, we haven’t seen the last of Nick Taylor competing on a national level.

Nick Taylor Wins Brad Parks Award

NICK TAYLOR WINS BRAD PARKER AWARD

He recently got started on that quest when he participated at the 2021 World Boccia Americas Regional Championships in São Paulo, Brazil in early December. He took second place in his group to advance into the knockout stage before falling in the first knockout round.

By: Mark Collins

These conversations helped plant the seed for Taylor’s life after tennis. Like any professional athlete, he knew his time in tennis had to start winding down eventually so he started entertaining the idea of boccia. While the transition may seem sudden to those on the outside, it’s been in the works for a few years.

Nick Taylor adds to his many accolades by receiving the USTA’s highest honor for wheelchair contributions - the Brad Parks Award. Nick will be presented with the award at the Awards Luncheon during the USTA Annual Meeting in Orlando in March. The Brad Parks Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the game of wheelchair tennis and was named after Brad Parks, a pioneer of wheelchair tennis and the first wheelchair tournament champion, who has been instrumental in the development of wheelchair tennis around the world.

“If you ask them, they’ve been recruiting me since I was a kid,” Taylor said. “They always kind of had their eyes on me, but they knew they weren’t really going to get me to do it when I was also playing tennis.” SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

Taylor competed at BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Sardinia, Italy from September 27October 3, 2021.

Spotlight on...

Rich Slivocka

USPTA National President

By: Pete Francis

“The ability to help others and teach this great game is my inspiration. Tennis can teach you so many life lessons,” says Rich Slivocka. Slivocka has been involved with USPTA on the divisional or national level since 2004. He’s spent the past four years on the national board currently serving as vice president. On January 1st, Slivocka moved into the role of USPTA national president. “Over the past six years we have been really working hard on raising the standards of teaching professionals. In particular, we are creating a pathway to both further develop our teaching professionals as well as create the next generation of tennis teaching professional,” says Slivocka. “While this represents an enormous opportunity, we face the challenge of spreading the word to our young tennis players that the business of being a teaching professional is a great business and one that can provide you with a great living while staying in a game that you love.” Slivocka believes his national role with USPTA will positively impact his role on the executive committee with USTA Missouri Valley. “I believe that my industry knowledge and perspective as a teaching professional and member of the USPTA National board can provide a different perspective to the executive committee,” said Slivocka. “I believe that teaching professionals are the delivery system for our game and to have the opportunity to communicate that to the executive committee is huge. In particular, I can help bridge the gap between conception and implementation in the workplace.” Slivocka has been a lifelong supporter of the game first picking up the racket at age 7. He played tennis at Wichita State from 1993 to 1997.

“We just need to continue to do our part to grow our next generation of teaching professionals.”

In regards to the future of coaching tennis, Slivocka says, “I envision the future of coaching to make a huge push into personal growth and education, and for us to create a new generation of teaching professional. We have to look into the future and try to give our upand-coming professionals the tools and vision to both give back and shape our game and future players.” Slivocka feels the industry is in a great place right now. “We have more of a need for new teaching professionals than we’ve had in the past 20 years. We’ve seen a tremendous uptick in demand in our industry. We just need to continue to do our part to grow our next generation of teaching professionals.”

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

Click to read more about USTA Missouri Valley change makers.

KIM HUGHES GILL

“Tennis can open up a whole new world for young people. From seeing life in a different view to just being exposed to environments that can alter your thinking. ‘Now I can dream a little bit bigger. I can see outside of the world I see every day.’ It’s enlightening to see the beautiful greens or go where the park is manicured and the facility is well-maintained. Just to be in that world makes you feel proud.”

AL PENELTON

Al Penelton was one of the handful of African American umpires on an international scale within the sport. His cool, calm and collected demeanor was what made him great. His life philosophy and key phrase: “It’s all good.” Of his many awards as an official, perhaps one of the biggest honors was being named to the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021.

MADISON KEYS

-an excerpt from the ITF Breaking Boundaries digital exhibit

Thanks largely to an excellent first serve and a blistering forehand, the 5-10 right-hander from Rock Island, Illinois has been ranked among the top 30 for the last four years. “I can say that she almost matches Serena [Williams] in power,” former professional player Chris Evert once said.

HBCUs

USTA Missouri Valley is the proud home to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Harris-Stowe State University (St. Louis, MO), Langston University (Langston, OK), and Lincoln University (Jeferson City, MO). Of the 107 federally recognized HBCUs, nearly 40 currently have varsity tennis programs. While none of these three are amongst the 40, Lincoln did form a tennis team in the 1980s. Before that, the late Althea Gibson taught physical education there from 1953-1955. She was the ffirst African American to win a Grand Slam title, boasting ffive in her career.

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

Junior Team Tennis looks a little different in 2022 Coaches, parents and players -- here’s what you need to know!

USTA LOCAL JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS USTA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS USTA Missouri Valley districts offer several seasons of local Junior Team Tennis every year.

What age divisions are offered? 10U Intermediate 10U Advanced & 12U Intermediate 14U Intermediate & 14U Advanced

USTA Missouri Valley is using a new event-based product to qualify teams to compete in our Section Championships. Teams must compete in and qualify through at least one Section Qualifier to advance to Section Championships 2022.

What are these NEW events called?

USTA Missouri Valley Junior TeamTennis Section Qualifiers

What age divisions are offered?

18U Intermediate & 18U Advanced

14U Intermediate

Questions?

14U Advanced 18U Intermediate 18U Advanced

ROAD TO JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS NATIONALS

Scan the QR code for more info or contact Tara Williams: williams@movalley.usta.com

Date(s)

Divisions

Area

Facility

Heart of America July 6-7

14UI, 14UA, 18UI & 18UA

Kansas City

Plaza Tennis Center

Kansas

July 6-7 (18U)

18UI and 18UA

Wichita

Ralph Wulz Tennis Center

Kansas

July 7-8 (14U)

14UI and 14UA

Wichita

Ralph Wulz Tennis Center

Nebraska

June 10-12

14UI, 14UA, 18UI & 18UA

Omaha

Koch Tennis Center

Iowa

June 17

14UI, 14UA, 18UI & 18UA

Marshalltown

Marshalltown HS Courts

Missouri

June 23-24

14UI, 14UA, 18UI & 18UA

Camdenton

Camdenton HS Courts

Oklahoma

June 28-29

14UI, 14UA, 18UI & 18UA

Oklahoma

Edmond Center Court

St. Louis

June 28-30

14UI, 14UA, 18UI & 18UA

St. Louis

Dwight Davis Tennis Center

18U Intermediate and Advanced USTA MV JTT Section Championships Edmond Center Court Tennis Center - Edmond, OK July 19-20, 2022 14U Intermediate and Advance USTA MV JTT Section Championships Edmond Center Court Tennis Center - Edmond, OK July 20-21, 2022

14U and 18U Advanced JTT National Championships USTA National Campus - Orlando, FL September 29-October 2, 2022 14U and 18U Intermediate JTT National Championships USTA National Campus - Orlando, FL October 6-9, 2022

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Let’s Find You a Tournament ADULT SECTION TOURNAMENTS Adult 5’s, 0’s & Open Outdoor Championship April 29 - May 1 Kansas City, MO Tournament ID: 22-70536

18+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship July 1-3 St. Louis, MO Tournament ID: 22-51907

55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship May 13-15 St. Louis, MO Tournament ID: 22-95672

40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship July 22-24 Kansas City, MO Tournament ID: 22-92928

55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship June 3-5 Kansas City, MO Tournament ID: 22-94919

40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship August 12-14 St. Louis, MO Tournament ID: 22-81980

18+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship June 10-12 Tulsa, OK Tournament ID: 22-73403

18+ NTRP & Open Indoor Championship September 2-4 Overland Park, KS Tournament ID: 22-72306

Family Championship June 17-19 Overland Park, KS Tournament ID: 22-78814

55+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship September 16-18 Tulsa, OK Tournament ID: 22-96260

40+ NTRP & Open Outdoor Championship June 24-26 Topeka, KS Tournament ID: 22-73989

USTA National Men, Women & Mixed 30’s Hard Court Championship September 30 - October 2 Kansas City, MO Tournament ID: 22-75051

Scan the QR code or visit playtennis.usta.com/tournaments to find one near you!

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JUNIOR SECTION TOURNAMENTS L4 USTA Missouri Valley #3 June 3-6 BG 12 Oklahoma City, OK Tournament ID: 22-63956 BG14 Edmond, OK Tournament ID: 22-28396 BG16 Lawrence, KS Tournament ID: 22-92034 BG18 Urbandale, IA Tournament ID: 22-18834 L3 USTA Missouri Valley #1 June 23-26 Tulsa, OK Tournament ID: 22-68861 L2 Team Intersectional Battle of the Mississippi July 15-17 BG12-14 Indianapolis, IN BG16 - TBA BG18 - Edmond, OK Tournament ID: TBA L4 USTA Missouri Valley #4 July 23-25 BG12-14 St. Louis, MO Tournament ID: 22-12068 BG16-18 Edmond, OK Tournament ID: 22-50570 L4 USTA Missouri Valley #5 September 3-5 BG12 Omaha, NE Tournament ID: 22-77521 BG14 Oklahoma City, OK Tournament ID: 22-85179

BG16 St. Louis, MO Tournament ID: 22-44746 BG18 Springfield, MO Tournament ID: 22-13477 L3 USTA Missouri Valley #2 October 29-31 B12 Lawrence, KS Tournament ID: 22-68540 G12 Omaha, NE Tournament ID: 22-73189 B14 Kansas City, MO Tournament ID: 22-94817 G14 Wichita, KS Tournament ID: 22-30981 B16 Oklahoma City, OK Tournament ID: 22-86190 G16 Topeka, KS Tournament ID: TBA B18 Tulsa, OK Tournament ID: 22-97153 G18 Overland Park, KS Tournament ID: 22-32185 L4 USTA Missouri Valley Team #1 November 5-6 B12 Kansas City, MO G12 Merriam, KS B14 Tulsa, OK G14 Omaha, NE B16 Overland Park, KS G16 Lincoln, NE B18 Edwardsville, IL G18 St. Louis, MO Tournament IDs: TBA

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

District Presidents

Q&A

With a new year comes new enthusiasm to grow the game locally. We asked the USTA Missouri Valley district presidents...

“HOW DO YOU PLAN TO IMPACT TENNIS IN YOUR DISTRICT IN 2022?” “A personal goal [of mine] is to have our own HOA Foundation by the end of the year. One that can start in the Spring of 2023 and team up with local partners such as ACEing Autism, Stephanie Waterman, Whole Person, etc. to raise money and give back to our community creating more opportunities for growing tennis.” Deb Fabrizius, USTA Heart of America President

“In 2022 I hope to positively impact tennis by increasing play opportunities for all levels of players by working with providers to meaningfully increase Junior Circuit, L7 and L6 events. We want plenty of opportunities for juniors at all levels to enjoy tournament play. We also hope to expand recreational and unique play formats for adults and create opportunities for adults beyond competitive and advancing tennis play.”

John Kelly, USTA St. Louis President “I want to start building our volunteer base at a grassroots level starting with our Community Tennis Associations,” he said, adding that he also wants to grow youth tennis in Iowa. “I am excited about the direction we are currently going in youth programming and want to continue fostering the love for the sport at a young age and improving the competition level.” Brenton Kuchera, USTA Iowa President

“I hope to impact tennis in USTA Oklahoma by continuing to support our providers and facilities in their attempts to get and retain new adult players. The Oklahoma facilities and providers then feed these new players into USTA Adult leagues. By offering different types of leagues, different formats, and places for these beginners to play, is where Oklahoma is setting itself apart, and where I think a big impact can be made in introducing and promoting tennis.” Mary Jo Tasker, USTA Oklahoma President “I want to grow the game and get more people involved in tennis, playing, officiating, tournaments, etc. I want to provide more junior programs and work with Community Tennis Association’s to explore USTA grants to improve local facilities.” Mike Willman, USTA Nebraska President

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SECTION OFFICE WELCOMES NEW STAFF BETH AZAN

Manager, Junior Competition We are excited for Beth Azan to move into the Junior Competition Program Manager role. Beth has been a valuable member of the USTA Missouri Valley, and will use the knowledge she gained in her experiences within the competition department to help promote competitive junior tennis in USTA Missouri Valley. You will have an opportunity to meet Beth at upcoming section junior tournaments. bazan@movalley.usta.com • 913-322-4832

LAURA JAGER

Coordinator, Community and Competition USTA Missouri Valley is excited to announce the hiring of Laura Jager as the new Community and Competition Coordinator. Laura will provide project, coordination and administrative support to the Community and Competition departments. Laura comes to USTA Missouri Valley from a recent move to the area from Georgia. While in Georgia, Laura served as a high school varsity and JV Head tennis coach and a Special Olympics Tennis Coach Volunteer. laura.jager@movalley.usta.com • 913-322-4852

VICTORIA MOORE

Digital Content Producer and Graphic Designer Victoria Moore has been hired as the Digital Content Producer and Graphic Designer. Victoria brings unique experience in TV sports reporting, video and photo production, social media management, and graphic design to the position. She is a recent transplant to the Kansas City area, having moved here from Roanoke, Virginia in October. Victoria has played tennis for 15 years, even served as a ball girl at a US Open Series tournament in high school, and is currently teaching her husband to be her hitting partner. victoria.moore@movalley.usta.com • 913-322-4838

TAB STOUT

Office Administrator Tab Stout has been hired as the Office Administrator. Tab has over 20 years of experience working with large and small start up companies. She has worked with Intuit and will be a natural at helping with the finances. She also has an engineering background and will be a huge asset for us. We are looking forward to her bringing much talent to the team. tab.stout@movalley.usta.com • 913-322-4845

Please join us in welcoming these talented individuals to the USTA Missouri Valley team! SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

USTA HEART OF AMERICA TEAM WINS LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP The USTA Heart of America men’s tennis team from Merriam, Kansas, representing USTA Missouri Valley, captured the national title at the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 4.5 National Championships held at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz.

NET NOTES - NEWS NEAR YOU

The team was captained by Rory Ramsdell and features: Michael Merchant, Adam King, Todd Blackwell, Mark Fries, Gary Stone, Grant Johnson, James Hancock, Thomas Verdi, Jacob Ohlhausen, John Bail, Tim Reynolds, Eric Nelson, Ryan Ward, Patrick Lenz, Ryan Marick, Grant Huddin and Robert Sheets and plays at the Genesis Tennis Health Club (KCRC Merriam).

describe it is a bunch of older men reliving their glory days and when we won it all, there was a bunch of hugging and crying,” Ramsdell said. “The coolest thing for me is seeing the bonds created amongst everyone on the team. The relationships built amongst the team and even the spouses that supported us through the entire season are so meaningful.”

Click here to read the full story.

“The feeling of winning Nationals was such a cool feeling that will be cherished forever. The best way to

NATIONAL USTA AWARD RECIPIENTS Marshalltown Court Complex in Marshalltown, Iowa, is one of 25 winners in the USTA’s annual Outstanding Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country. Marshalltown was selected as a recipient in the Educational Institutions category, which consists of colleges, universities, public and private grade schools, middle schools, or high schools. Jodie Adams of Springfield, Mo., was selected as the recipient of the Barbara Williams Service Award, presented by Billie Jean King in December. Established in 2003, the award honors the late Barbara Williams, a longtime USTA volunteer who unselfishly gave her time and energy to promote the sport of tennis. It recognizes a female volunteer who, through her leadership and by her example, has encouraged and inspired others to become volunteers and assume leadership roles at the community, section and/or national levels of the USTA. Jodie is a member of the Missouri Valley Hall of Fame and a longtime volunteer.

JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS SECTION CHAMPIONS A total of 15 teams and 106 players descended upon Case Tennis Center last summer in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a shot at a championship. The three triumphant teams were:

18U Intermediate: Edwardsville 14U Intermediate: Britton Christian Church Tennis Academy (BCCTA) 12U Intermediate: Edmond SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

Click to view our 2021 Junior Team Tennis Section Champions on Facebook.

For the 21st year, Racquet Sports Industry magazine honored its Champions of Tennis, the often-unheralded heroes who go above and beyond to help make a difference in this sport and industry. USTA Missouri Valley was honored to have two recipients.

LOCAL COACHES AMONG NATIONAL COACHES OF THE YEAR Two high school tennis coaches from USTA Missouri Valley received a distinct honor from the National Federation of State High School Associations Coaches Association. Tom O’Brien from Kansas City and Kristin Liles from Tulsa were both named among the 20202021 National Coaches of the Year. The two were among 23 high school coaches from across the country to be recognized with the honor. Each year since 1982, the NFHS has honored coaches in the top 10 boys and girls sports along with three other winners from “other” sports. The award timeframe runs concurrently with the academic year. O’Brien is the boys head varsity tennis coach at The Barstow School in Kansas City, Mo. He guided his team to a 17-2-2 overall record in the 2020-2021 season. He capped off the season by guiding the team to its first ever state championship. Liles is the head boys and girls varsity coach at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, Okla. She won the award in the girls sports division. She led both the boys and girls programs to state championships in 2021.

TWO USTA MISSOURI VALLEY PROS WIN USPTA HONORS

NET NOTES - NEWS NEAR YOU

NEWTON, MAGERS NAMED RSI CHAMPIONS OF TENNIS

Two tennis professionals from USTA Missouri Valley recently won awards from the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). Caitlyn Segraves of Edmond, Okla. won the 2021 USPTA Star Award and Lane Evans of Norman, Okla. won the 2021 Alex Gordon Professional of the Year Award. The Professional of the Year Award is awarded annually to a tennis professional who demonstrates exemplary achievements in seven areas. Evans is the owner of Lane Evans Tennis and Golf Performance and has been highly involved with the USPTA for many years, including serving one term on the USPTA National Board. The Star Award recognizes certified professionals that have dedicated many years to volunteering in grassroots tennis while incorporating multicultural and inclusive aspects. Segraves serves as the Director of Outreach for the Edmond Center Court complex.

Read the full articles for these and other stories on usta.com.

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

2021: Year in Photos

For more photos, visit our Facebook photo gallery.

Right and below: A wheelchair tennis training was held in Iowa in May. The training was led by Kevin Heim, USTA Net Generation Wheelchair Ambassador.

Left and below: NTRP tournaments were held throughout the section, giving players the chance to qualify for National Championships.

SPRING SERVE SERVE 2022 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY SPRING

Left and below: A diversity day was held in Edwardsville, Illinois in July.

Below: Top junior players from the section played in the first ever Battle of the Mississippi against USTA Northern and USTA Midwest.

Left and below: USTA Missouri Valley celebrated many school signings throughout the year. The photo at left was taken in Kansas City, Kansas and below is Moore, Oklahoma.

SPRING SERVE 2022 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY

Left and below: Players competed at Junior Team Tennis Section Championships in Tulsa in July.

Above and right: League players of all ages competed at USTA League Section Championships throughout the summer.

Left and below: The USTA Missouri Valley Tennis on Campus Fall Invitational was held in Topeka, Kansas in October.

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Officiating is calling. BECOME A USTA OFFICIAL AND BE AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE SPORT YOU LOVE! Be a role model in your community. Be at the center of the action. Earn extra money. Let’s Tennis.

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10401 S. RIDGEVIEW ROAD | OLATHE | 913.353.9280

District Inserts

Junior Circuit Events

USTA HEART OF AMERICA 2022 JUNIOR CIRCUIT EVENTS WEEKEND OF: Jan 7 Jan 21 Feb 4 Feb 18 Feb 25 Mar 4 Mar 11 Mar 25 Apr 8 Apr 8 Apr 22 May 13 May 20 Jun 10 Jun 24 Jul 1 Jul 29 Aug 5 Aug 26 Sep 9 Sep 23 Sep 30 Oct 21 Oct 28 Nov 11 Nov 18 Nov 25 Dec 9 Dec 16

LEVEL Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit Jr. Circuit

AGE GROUP BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U BG12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG12-18 BG10&U BG10&U, 12-18 BG12-18 BG10&U BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U BG12-18 BG12-18 BG10&U BG10&U, 12-18 BG10&U BG10&U, 12-18

LOCATION Clayview Country Club Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis Lawrence South Genesis Lawrence South Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis Lawrence South Overland Park Racquet Club Clayview Country Club Genesis St. Joseph Genesis Lawrence South Clayview Country Club Genesis Overland Park Plaza Tennis Center Genesis Overland Park Overland Park Racquet Club Plaza Tennis Center Genesis Overland Park Plaza Tennis Center Clayview Country Club Overland Park Racquet Club Plaza Tennis Center Clayview Country Club Genesis Lawrence South Genesis St. Joseph Genesis Lawrence South Overland Park Racquet Club tbd Overland Park Racquet Club Clayview Country Club

Dates are and approximate. exactto scheduling be to available on the closer to the event. Dates sites areThe subject change -will refer link below forevent mostwebsite accurate information.

USTA.com/Tournaments Please check the link below for the most accurate information. Dates and sites are both subject to change. USTA.com/Tournaments

USTA HEART OF AMERICA 2022 JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS

WEEKEND OF: Jan 7 Jan 7 Jan 14 Jan 14 Jan 21 Jan 21 Feb 4 Feb 11 Feb 18 Feb 18 Mar 4 Mar 4 Mar 11 Mar 18 Mar 18 Apr 1 Apr 8 Apr 8 Apr 15 Apr 29 May 6 May 13 May 13 May 27 Jun 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun 24 Jul 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul 22 Aug 5 Aug 12 Aug 19 Sep 2 Sep 2 Sep 9 Sep 16 Sep 30 Oct 7 Oct 14 Oct 14 Oct 21 Nov 4 Nov 4 Nov 11 Nov 18 Nov 18 Dec 2 Dec 2 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 27-29

L6 L6 L7 L7 L6 L6 L6 L7 L6 L6 L6 L6 L7 L6 L6 L7 L6 L6 L7 L6 L7 L6 L6 L5 L7 L6 L7 L6 L6 L6 L7 L5 L6 L6 L7 L6 L7 L7 L6 L7 L6 L7 L6 L6 L7 L7 L7 L6 L7 L7 L6 L6 L7 L7 L5

LEVEL

Dom Duo Doubles

Dom Duo

Doubles

AGE GROUP BG12-14 BG16-18 B12-18 G12-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-18 BG12-18 G12-18 B12-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 G12-18, B12-14 BG12-14 G16-18 G12-18 G12-18, B12-14 G12-18, B12-14 B12-14 G12-18 BG12-18 s,d BG12-18 BG12-18 BG12-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-18 BG12-18 BG12-18 s,d BG12-18 BG12-18 BG12-18 B12-18, G12-14 B12-18 G12-14 B12-18, G12-14 B12-18 B12-18, G12-14 B12-18, G12-14 B12-18 G12-14 BG12-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-14 BG16-18 BG12-18 s,d

LOCATION Blue Hills Country Club Overland Park Racquet Club Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis Overland Park Jayhawk Tennis Center Blue Hills Country Club Clayview Country Club Genesis Lawrence South Blue Hills Country Club Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis St. Joseph Blue Hills Country Club Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis Lawrence South Overland Park Racquet Club Overland Park Racquet Club SWF at Harmon Park Blue Hills Country Club Overland Park Racquet Club Plaza Tennis Center Clayview Country Club Genesis Lawrence South Clayview Country Club Harmon Park Overland Park Racquet Club Plaza Tennis Center Plaza Tennis Center Genesis Lawrence South Overland Park Racquet Club Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis Overland Park Plaza Tennis Center Lob & Learn at Elite Tennis & Wellness Jayhawk Tennis Center Woodside Country Club Clayview Country Club Genesis Overland Park Plaza Tennis Center Plaza Tennis Center Overland Park Racquet Club Overland Park Racquet Club Plaza Tennis Center Genesis Lawrence South Blue Hills Country Club tbd tbd Genesis Lawrence South Overland Park Racquet Club Genesis Lawrence South Clayview Country Club Clayview Country Club Blue Hills Country Club Genesis Lawrence South tbd Overland Park Racquet Club

FIND A TOURNAMENT NEAR YOU

YOU’RE INVITED USTA Iowa Community Tennis Association “Lunch & Learn Summit” Saturday, October 1, 2022 12:00-2:30p.m. Luncheon at Jethro's BBQ in Ames Free lunch for up to two people who attend from your local CTA Learn about opportunities to “CONNECT” and grow tennis near you.

For more information contact John Terpkosh, USTA Iowa Tennis Service Representative 913-967-9926 or jterpkosh@movalley.usta.com

Junior Tournaments 2022 REGISTER today for a tournament near you! Junior USTA membership is free! Jan 15-16

L6-Genesis West Central

July 6-7

L6-McPherson

Feb 12-13

L6-Genesis West Central

July 9-10

L6-Genesis Rock Road

Feb 26-27

L6-Crestview

July 16-17

L6-Crestview

June 11-12

L6-Topeka

July 23

L7-Riverside

June 14-15

L6-McPherson

July 23-24

L6-Topeka

June 17-19

L5 (16’s&18’s)-Riverside

July 29

L7-Genesis Rock Road

June 17-19

L5 (12’s&14’s)-Genesis Rock Road

Oct 29

L7-Genesis West Central

June 22

L7-McPherson

Nov 5-6

L6-Genesis West Central

June 23-24

L6-Collegiate

Nov 19-20

L6-Crestview

June 25

L7-Riverside

Dec 26-27

L6-Crestview

June 30

L7-Genesis Rock Road

Adult Tournaments The MoKanNeb adult tournament series offers Open-level players the opportunity to earn prize money each summer. Two of the four tournaments are being held in USTA Kansas. Jayhawk Adult Open / Kossover Tennis Center - Topeka / June 3-5 Adult McAdams Tournament / Riverside Tennis Center - Wichita / July 30-31

*Adult and Junior Sunflower State Games at Topeka as dates will be announced soon.

Adult League Schedule 2022 USTA League is a great way to stay active, socialize and improve your game. Find a team!

Format

2022 USTA St. Louis Adult League Schedule J

18+ Spring

2.5 - 5.0

2 S + 3D

40+

2.5 - 4.5

1 S + 3D

55+

6.0 - 9.0

3 Doubles

65+

6.0 - 9.0

3 Doubles

Tri Level

3.5/4.0/4.5

3 Doubles

Tri Level +

4.0/4.5/5.0

3 Doubles

Mixed 18+

6.0 - 9.0

3 Doubles

Mo-Th 6-8pm

Mixed 40+

6.0– 9.0

3 Doubles

Sun. pm indoor

Mixed 55+

6.0– 9.0

3 Doubles

Mixed Tri Level 7 /8 /9

3 Doubles

18-39 Set, Mix & Chill

Social

18+ Fall 2.5 to 5.0

Sunday and add’l Women Daytime Mo-Th 6-8pm Mo-Th 6-8pm W: Mo &Tu M: Sat. am Mo 6-8pm Wed 6-8pm

Th. 6-8pm Sat. am Friday 6-9pm

2S + 3D

Severine: leagues@ustastl.com

Sunday and add’l Women Daytime Kelly: 40plus@ustastl.com

Connie: mixed@ustastl.com

Michael: under40@ustastl.com

2022 Yearbook & Spring Serve

Articles inside

Section Grants

President & Executive Director's Message

2022 Events Calendar

Nick Taylor Moves On