USTA Florida today introduced a new virtual Women in Tennis Speakers Bureau to help improve representation of women on the dais at tennis industry conferences and meetings. The bureau is open to any women in tennis or sports who is interested in speaking at events in Florida (or beyond).
The web page is updated regularly and provides each speaker’s name, contact information, bio, headshot and topics she is willing to cover.
“I often receive calls from conference organizers and other organizations in tennis who want more women speakers but don’t know how to reach them,” said Laura Bowen, USTA Florida Executive Director. “By using our growing network of women in Florida tennis, we can now provide an easy way for anyone in Florida to connect with women leaders who can speak on a broad range of topics. My hope is that every woman in the tennis industry will join and this becomes a national effort.”
The Women in Tennis Speakers Bureau is part of USTA Florida’s three-pronged Women in Tennis initiative to support, elevate and attract diverse women to all aspects of the tennis industry in Florida. During the month of March, the organization highlighted and celebrated inspirational women who are working in all areas of Florida tennis. In April, USTA Florida is building on the effort by giving women more opportunities to represent the industry and raise their game as leaders on and off the court.
“We know how important it is for young women to see themselves in leadership roles,” said Dana Andrews, USTA Florida President. “We are seeing women rising to new heights in nearly every sport. USTA Florida is committed to making sure tennis keeps raising our game to open doors for more diverse women to take on more leadership roles.”
In addition to providing a collection of women speakers, USTA Florida also is offering support to women who would like training or guidance on how to improve their speaking skills. This includes providing feedback on presentations/proposals and helping find low-pressure practice opportunities for novice speakers.
For more information, and to join/access the Women in Tennis Speaker’s Bureau, visit USTAFlorida.com/WomeninTennis.
