Tennis Briefs(3): USTA Play Events, Scholarships, FSU TOC Profile

Join These 10 Florida Facilities Hosting Free Sept. Tennis Play Events

Your tennis facility can sign-up to host a Tennis Play Day or Tennis Play Event in September in partnership with the USTA and Nickelodeon, celebrating the 2015 Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play.

Tennis promotions on the Nickelodeon network in the coming months will drive millions of new families to the Youth Tennis website. Register your event and watch the advertising power of Nickelodeon and the USTA drive players to your event listing at www.youthtennis.com/organizers/register_your_tennis_play_day.

Cities and facilities hosting free USTA Tennis Play Events in September (as of Aug. 13):

Altamonte Springs — Sept. 26, Sanlando Park Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play, contact: charkins@seminolecountyfl.gov
Boynton Beach — Sept. 5, Ed Duffy Tennis Academy Play Day, Indian Spring Tennis Club, contact: eduffytennis@gmail.com
Boynton Beach — Sept. 12, Nickelodean Worldwide Day of Play, East Coast Tennis Foundation, contact: www.facebook.com/eastcoastCTA
Casselberry — Sept. 19, Red Bug Lake Park Play Day, contact: jtilton@seminolecountyfl.gov
Homestead — Sept. 26, JD Redd Family Tennis Play Day, contact: FOMT@bellsouth.net
Palm Harbor — Sept. 20, Play Day, YMCA of the Suncoast, contact: vcondren@suncoastymca.org
Melbourne — Sept. 26, Fun Family Tennis Play Day, Suntree YMCA Family Center, contact: ginagpalombi@aol.com
Miami — Sept. 12, Wild about Sports: Back 2 School Tournament, contact: Pablo@wildaboutsports.org
Sanford — Sept. 5, Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play, Sylvan Lake Park, contact: mwirsing@seminolecountyfl.gov
Titusville — Sept. 25, Friday Night Lights Play Event, YMCA Tennis & Racquetball Center, contact: jonathanpedoulas@yahoo.com

Other Florida Play Events with modest fees are being held in September and are listed along with free events at www.youthtennis.com.

The USTA and tennis facilities have teamed to host approximately 5,000 USTA Free Tennis Play Events over the last three years, in the process growing business for local clubs and facilities.

To register your facility for a USTA Free Tennis Play Event go to www.youthtennis.com/organizers/register_your_tennis_play_day.

4 Florida Students Receive National USTA Foundation Scholarships

Florida high school seniors Conner Angell (Sebring), Antonia Bell (Jacksonville), Taylor Oliver (Lakeland), and Kaika Shelar (Naples) were part of $373,000 in college scholarship grants from the USTA Foundation, the national charitable foundation of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

Sebring’s Angell, Jacksonville’s Bell and Naples’ Shelar each received $8,000 USTA Foundation College Education Scholarships.

Lakeland’s Oliver received a $1,000 USTA Foundation College Textbook Scholarship, a one-time award to assist students in purchasing textbooks or supplies.

The annual awards are granted to high school seniors who have excelled academically, demonstrated community service and participated in an organized tennis program, and require financial assistance for college matriculation.

“The USTA Foundation is once again excited to award these hard-working, well-deserving seniors,” said USTA Foundation Executive Director Dan Faber. “We are proud to contribute to their academic achievements, and look forward to their continued success.”

USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of the USTA, helps serve up dreams for under-resourced youth; individuals with disabilities; and wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. The Foundation supports programs nationwide that leverage tennis and education to help those in need, primarily through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, and other efforts to assist military personnel, veterans and individuals with disabilities. To date, it has awarded more than $19 million in grants and scholarships to hundreds of programs, benefiting thousands of children and adults through a tennis, education and health curricula.

For more information on USTA Foundation, visit www.ustafoundation.com.

‘Tennis on Campus’ Team Spotlight: Florida State University

The USTA ‘Tennis on Campus’ website this week featured the tennis club at Florida State University.

TOC sat down with Samantha Roy, president of the Florida State University club team, who has spent the summer working in Flushing for USTA Player Development.  Here’s what she had to say:

“Almost all of us have been trying to get out onto the court to practice and stay in shape, while not dying in the crazy heat that is Florida in the summer,” Roy said. “At least five of our players are also coaching kids at different tennis camps.”

To read more go to www.tennisoncampus.com/News/Spotlight_On__Florida_State_University.htm.