Ocala Jr. Tennis Supporter Rosario Named USTA Florida Volunteer of the Month

Carmen and her husband Luis

Ft. King Tennis Center in Ocala, outside of Orlando, is renowned for developing beginner adult players and advancing them quickly on to 2.5/3.0-level USTA Florida League Sectionals play, and on to USTA League Nationals.

Now the busy club is looking to kick-start USTA Junior Team Tennis in the area with the help of tennis volunteer Carmen Rosario, who has also spearheaded a new local middle school tennis league.

“Our area has re-started our Junior Team Tennis programs,” says USTA Florida Local League Coordinator Leigh Chak. “Carmen has joined our JTT commission and is working tirelessly to make the program successful. She reached out and secured sponsors for dry-fit shirts, she has recruited captains, and has volunteered to be captain. She has used her creativity to help get the word out about the teams and is convincing parents to give the program a try.”

As the ranks of middle school tennis continues to grow in Florida, Rosario saw the opportunity locally to pull together and further develop players before they entered high school competition.

“I helped the local coordinator start a middle school league from scratch,” the two-year volunteer said. “And now we are working towards growing Junior Team Tennis as large as possible in our area.”

Rosario is also an accomplished USTA League player with a 3.0 rating. In 2006 she led her USTA Florida Mixed 40 & Over team to USTA League Nationals. In the Florida sectionals final that year she won at No. 1 doubles with her husband Luis as they edged Volusia/Flagler counties (Hammock Beach Resort, Palm Coast) 2-1 in the championship match.

“My best tennis memory is playing mixed doubles with my husband at USTA League Nationals in Arizona,” she says.

Rosario, who says she likes to volunteer in tennis to share her passion for the game with others, is now targeting middle school-age players to become a part of the “lifetime sport.”

“Carmen is a wonderful ambassador for tennis because she always has a smile on her face and is ready to pitch in for any task,” Chak says.

USTA Florida congratulates and thanks Carmen Rosario as the USTA Florida April Volunteer of the Month for sharing her passion with children in the Ocala area and helping create multiple new team tennis opportunities.

ABOUT CARMEN

Birthplace: Chicago, Ill.
Family: Husband Luis, children Sofia (14), Nicolas (14), Lucas (12), and Marcos (10)
Favorite Movie: Last of the Mohicans
Favorite Food: Mexican
Favorite Travel: Vienna, Austria
Favorite Shot: Volley

My earliest tennis memory was…”Watching Andre Agassi because he was married to Brooke Shields.”

If I could play tennis with three people…”I would want to play doubles with Andre Agassi against my husband and Steffi Graf.”

When I am not playing tennis I am….”a wife and mother of four wonderful kids.”