USTA Florida, City of Miami Light Up Moore Park with XGLOsive Tennis

Rising ATP star Tennys Sandgren and children on Friday at Moore Park

USTA Florida teamed up with the City of Miami last Friday night to introduce hundreds of kids from the city’s after-school programs to a special brand of tennis: XGLOsive.

The LIGHTS OUT event, which was held at Moore Park and preceded the start of the Miami Open, featured afternoon play for more than 250 youth of all ages, t-shirts, food, a visit from American professional tennis player Tennys Sandgren, and more than an hour of blacklight tennis play, sponsored by USTA Florida. 

“This event really highlights what USTA Florida is all about: tennis for everyone,” said Cathy Nordlund, tennis service representative for USTA Florida. “Many of these kids would not have the chance to go to the Miami Open or any professional tournament, so bringing that kind of experience to them and making it fun means the world.  We are especially grateful to Kevin Kirwin, director of parks and recreation for the City of Miami, for making this event possible.”

Jason Cordova, founder and owner of XGLOsive LLC, oversaw the glow-in-the-dark tennis activities for kids once the sun went down.

“XGLOsive has a special way of getting kids to see the game differently,” he said. “It resonates with them on a level that traditional tennis sometimes doesn’t. Any time that we have the chance to show kids that tennis can be as fun and exciting as other sports, we’re all for it.”

XGLOsive night tennis at Moore Park

Prior to the XGLOsive session, ATP professional Tennys Sandgren stopped by the park to sign autographs, answer questions and hit on court with children courtesy of IMG and the Miami Open. Sandgren, who hails from Gallatin, Tenn., started playing tennis at the age of five. He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australia Open this year and is currently ranked No. 59 on the ATP World Tour.

The City of Miami has been a strong partner for USTA Florida for many years. They currently have more than 440 participants in their tennis programs, with more than 200 of those playing in a Junior Team Tennis league. 

First Serve Miami participated in 2018 @XGLOsive at Moore Park last night. Thank you for an amazing time! @CityofMiami @USTAFlorida #whoisfirstservemiami #netgeneration pic.twitter.com/NpCbKlp7y5

— First Serve Miami (@FirstServeMiami) March 17, 2018

Below is a list of programs offered at eight parks throughout the city:

Esther Mae Armbrister Park
4000 Grand Ave., Miami, FL, 33133
Free Junior After School Tennis Program (Recreational)
USTA Junior Team Tennis

Kirk Munroe Tennis Center
3101 SW Florida Ave., Miami, FL, 33133
Paid Junior After School Tennis Program
Adult Clinics
USTA Junior Team Tennis

Shenandoah Park
1800 SW 21 Ave., Miami, FL, 33145
Paid Junior After School Tennis Program
Free Junior After School Program (Recreational)
USTA Junior Team Tennis

Bryan Park
2301 SW 13 St., Miami, FL, 33145
Paid Junior After School Tennis Program
Free Junior After School Tennis Program (Recreational)
USTA Junior Team Tennis
Wheel Chair Tennis
Adopt-A-Player Tennis Program

Moore Park
765 NW 36 St., Miami, FL, 33127
Paid After School Tennis Program

Margaret Pace Park
1775 N. Bay Shore Drive, Miami, FL, 33132
Paid After School Tennis Program

Morningside Park
750 NE 55 Ter., Miami, FL 33137
Paid Junior After School Tennis Program
Free Junior After School Tennis Program (Recreational)
USTA Junior Team Tennis

Robert King High Park
7025 W. Flager St., Miami FL, 33144
Paid Junior After School Tennis Program
USTA Junior Team Tennis

For more information on all Miami play options, please contact the parks directly at www.miamigov.com/parks.

For more information on XGLOsive, visit www.xglosive.com.

For more information on all of the youth play opportunities offered through USTA Florida and facilities across the state, visit www.USTAFlorida.com/youthtennis.