West Palm Beach County’s Eddie Luby named USTA Florida Tennis Volunteer of the Month

As the giving season is in full swing, USTA Florida wants to take a chance to highlight an individual who has been giving back to their community and continues to make a positive impact. Eddie Luby, December’s Volunteer of the Month, resides in Palm Beach County, where he has been volunteering for over 6 years.  

Eddie got his inspiration to volunteer from Jimmie ‘Doc’ Horne Sr. who was a tennis legend in West Palm Beach. Doc spent the majority of his 88 years giving back to the community and helping tennis grow. Eddie wanted to do the same and helped form the Gaines Park Tennis Association (GPTA), which was named after Doc. 

Eddie has been volunteering and providing tennis to youth players for over 6 years.

For the past six years, he has been volunteering at GPTA, where there have been countless tennis opportunities. He introduced Junior Team Tennis to the park as well as beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons. GPTA has tennis players aged five all the way up to people in their 80s.  

According to data, nearly 33% of the West Palm Beach community is black and as a black man, Eddie wants to be an inspiration to everyone there that tennis is for all. “I want youth in underserved communities to be able to see someone that looks like them, who makes tennis fun, so they want to come back,” he said. “I love to get to know the youth, so they are comfortable sharing their achievements and challenges.”  

GPTA is looking to begin a program called “Baseline and Books” where they can provide the youth with tennis and help with their homework in the coming year. 

Eddie enjoys putting a smile on everyone’s face.

His peers don’t let his work go unnoticed and are extremely grateful for what he does in West Palm Beach. “He enjoys teaching tennis to people of all ages, but he mostly gets rewarded when after a person struggles, they suddenly reach their ‘eureka moment; and watch it all fall into place,” a peer said. 

As USTA Florida’s December Volunteer of the Month, the organization thanks Eddie for helping the county of West Palm Beach provide tennis to all ages and skill levels of players. 

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