As I start reflecting on my term as president of the United States Professional Tennis Association, one thought continues to come to mind: There is no tennis certification association that comes close to what the USPTA has to offer and where it is going in the future. This is what attracted me to the USPTA over 30 years ago and it is now time that we attract younger, better educated tennis professionals and future leaders of this association.
The U30 movement continues to grow every year, the initial momentum has blossomed into an exciting committee with goals for education, growth and involvement in our association. These are our future leaders that are volunteering their time and efforts into our existing committees and sharing their new ideas. Many of these U30 leaders have come from Professional Tennis Management (PTM) programs and know the importance of the PTM program and the full accreditation that the USPTA has achieved. Just imagine what we look like in 30 years when Every member has had the same education entering our association as these individuals have!
Our governance is unparalleled – we have national and divisional boards, national and divisional committees – all these positions are to be renewed in 2020, and all the positions will be advertised in an ADDvantage Magazine later in 2019 and I encourage everyone to apply for what interests you. These groups are all transparent and bring enthusiasm and knowledge from all over America to make the best decisions for our association. Once again, no other association comes close to the governance and the opportunities that are offered to their members. Please volunteer your time and share your ideas as this truly is our strength.
The education that is offered and constantly being created is out of this world. With the new accreditation, the very best educators in the world are working to create the education material for this new generation of tennis professionals. Tennis Resources already has terabytes of information available and this will remain available to all of us as we move forward in our own continuing education. The new education programs of RacquetFit, the Leadership Academy, and Pickleball certification are all offered by the best in the business and for our membership only. Once again, each of the 17 divisions have conferences for you to learn from the best, and network with the leaders in your area.
Our new national headquarters staff in Lake Nona has recently celebrated its second birthday. The time has flown by since we opened our doors because of how busy our headquarters is every day. It is a vibrant learning center, staffed with excellent service personnel helping our members excel daily. The executives and staff are truly amazing! The collaboration with the neighbors, the national and USTA Florida staff is outstanding, I truly hope that every member has seen and toured our national headquarters and met the incredibly talented staff. We are the only association with a presence in Lake Nona and we are here for a reason – to be independent and grow tennis with our industry partners.
During my tenure on the board, the business of the association was reviewed and modified by the national board and executive committee. Reviewing and modifying the national and division bylaws was a time consuming task but makes the association strong now and for the future. This past year, the national and division banking procedures and the national election procedures were revised and adopted. A new strategic plan is being constructed and we hope to have this in place with the new accreditation in the near future.
Working with the leaders of your association, the national board, the division leaders and directors and national staff was a pleasure, and the time has passed quickly. The stage has been set and the time is now for the next generation to learn from our current leaders and continue the tradition to make USPTA the leaders in certification and education of tennis. The foundation was laid long ago, we have never been stronger.