Marion County’s Drae Centonze named USTA Florida Tennis Volunteer of the Month

Volunteers are the most crucial part of making USTA Florida the best section it can be and for February’s Volunteer of the Month Drae Centonze, age is just a number as the youngster is determined to make tennis run as smoothly as possible.  

Hailing from Marion County, Drae has been involved with tennis ever since he was 10 years old. “My earliest memory was making clean contact with the ball for the first time and the excitement that brought to me,” he said. “I knew right then and there that tennis was going to be my sport for life.” 

Drae has stuck to that commitment, dedicating the past decade to his game. During his high school career, he made a couple FHSAA State Championships and had two runner-up finishes. After graduating high school, Drae decided to not pursue collegiate tennis, but instead went back to Fort King Tennis Club, his local facility, to help teach the sport to young players. 

This is where he got into volunteering and soon after his journey to a “Super Captain” would begin. Drae had a friend coming off an injury who wanted to play in the USTA Florida Adult Leagues. However, his friend didn’t know of anyone that was starting a team. So, Drae decided that he would start and captain a team so more people who wanted to play could get involved.  

“I love to volunteer because it brings me so much joy to help others and encourage them into a fun awesome life of tennis,” he said. “Any chance I get I try to help, cheer on, volunteer, or encourage players in any way I can because of the joy I feel when I play or talk about tennis, I want others to feel that and be excited as well.” 

Fast forward a few years, the now 21-year-old, is making a massive impact in Marion County and the Adult League space. In 2022, Drae captained over 15 teams, which at the time ranked as the third most of any captain in all USTA Florida Leagues. Today he is captaining 18 teams and is well on his way to captaining the most teams.  

“It is always encouraging to see younger players getting involved with USTA Florida and just seeing how many teams Drae has captained and how much he is involved is truly inspiring,” a peer said. 

If Drae isn’t playing tennis, you can certainly find him at Fort King Tennis Center teaching the sport to others and if you don’t see him out there, he is “catching up on some much-needed sleep.” 

As USTA Florida’s February Volunteer of the Month, the organization thanks Drae for dedicating his free time to the lifelong sport that tennis is. The organization is thrilled to have Drae captaining countless teams and making sure everyone can experience the love of tennis.   

Interested in volunteering in tennis? Visit www.USTAFlorida.com/Volunteers to learn more about available opportunities.