On behalf of the Hillsborough County Tennis Association (HCTA), I would like to sincerely thank you for approving our ambitious grant through your Share The Love Program.  We are very excited to have your generous support as we bring our dream of truly growing tennis for all abilities and backgrounds in Hillsborough County (Greater Tampa area) through our HCTA Inner City Youth Tennis Program…… There about 6 other local QuickStart programs running in our county that we are coming along side to partner together to help them grow their current programs.  We will be providing them with nets, balls, racquets, etc as well as more volunteer pros as we monitor their progress.  The program facilitators are very excited about receiving some assistance and have voiced that they will be able to accommodate more youth that they have previously been turning away from their program.  We will be slowly but surely seeking more current programming to partner with in this way and looking to create other avenues for QuickStart tennis such as after school programming, public parks, the Y(formerly YMCA), day school P.E. programs, etc.

We are grateful for all the assistance and guidance both financially and strategically from USTA Florida as we pioneer this exciting new program.

Ray Harrison, Director of Junior Tennis, HCTA

1)   It was an honor for us and the tournament that the USTA in Florida teamed up with a very generous gift of $1000. This money not only promoted the GLTA and USTA, but also helped kids that cannot afford playing tennis tournaments. The money donated to the tournament help fund the cost of a $30,000 budget and brought life back to the tennis reign in South Florida. Not only do I believe in the USTA, I use to be a USTA Official and I run 2 USTA Teams in Fort Lauderdale (3.5 and 4.0 Teams).

     Thanks again for your generous support of our efforts.

Phil Sokolov

2)   I would like to thank USTA Florida for their support with my Quickstart program for children.  The equipment you have sent (net, racquets, and foam balls) to help with the after school programs have been a blessing to our community. Some of the children participating would not have been able to purchase racquets due to their financial situations. Providing all the equipment needed for them to play has truly helped bring smiles to both the children who participate and their parents who are thankful we can provide this program.

I appreciate your generosity which helps meet the needs in our community.

Christina Hill, USPTA

3)   USTA has contributed to our CFWWTL tournament for the last 10 years always promoting tennis in ALL leagues. You have consistently helped us with our banquet presentations providing the trophies for our captains and donating USTA tickets as door prizes. We so appreciate your help and will never forget your unwavering love for all things tennis. Thanks from Central Florida! 

Diana Mincer, VP CFWWTL

4)   About three years ago Escambia County gave the City of Pensacola one million dollars for the purpose of building ten hydro clay courts at Roger Scott Tennis Center. I called Virgil Christian, USTA Director of Community Tennis Development, to see if they could provide us with any assistance in the design and building of the new courts. Virgil and USTA engineer Dave Lasota flew to Pensacola to walk the site and meet with the local tennis community. Over the next subsequent year or so the USTA continually gave us invaluable architectural and engineering advice and direction, valued by the City of Pensacola Engineering Dept at over $50,000. We knew that the USTA’s advice on court layout, drainage issues, storage and bathroom requirements, parking, etc. was based on their vast experience in helping with hundreds of similar community projects all over the country. The finished product is a state of the art clay court facility that will be the home to countless tournaments, events, programs, and recreational play opportunities for local, regional, and national juniors, adults, and seniors for many years to come, and, for that, we are permanently indebted to the USTA.

Bruce Caton

5)   I want to take a moment to thank you and the Florida USTA section for all of your tremendous support. As the tennis professional at  Sans Souci Tennis Center, a pubic tennis center in North Miami, we have truly benefited from our long association with the USTA. USTA Florida has helped us to run successful tournaments, have our men’s and women’s teams compete in fun, competitive USTA leagues, provided us with QuickStart training, equipment grants for nets and rackets, helped with Jr. Team Tennis Leagues, sent USTA staff to help with our Tennis festivals, given is TDM training, offered annual meetings to keep us educated and updated and most importantly provided us with a matching $20,000 grant for us to resurface our twelve hard courts and one clay court.

In 2007 our city was facing a budget crisis and our courts were in great need of resurfacing. The USTA Florida section came through with a much needed grant to enable the city to bring our center back into one that we could all be proud of again. Running four USTA sanctioned Jr, tournaments a year, middle and high school matches, the District High School Championships, many league and Jr, Team Tennis matches, QuickStart Tennis, children’s camps, free clinics, after school programs, plus a lot of public play; we truly needed good courts to play on. Well, the USTA was there for us in our time of need!

We will always be grateful and appreciative for the wonderful relationship that we have with the Florida USTA section. As you know, we don’t hesitate to call your office to ask for help in any tennis related matter. You and your staff have always been there to give us guidance, support and much needed funding. Your efforts to grow the wonderful game of tennis all across the state is worthy of praise, recognition and more appreciation than you can ever imagine. The USTA Florida staff along with your outstanding leadership has truly been an extended part of our tennis family and you have helped us tennis professionals provide better service to our communities in every possible way.

Thank you and Florida USTA –We are blessed to have you all!

Sincerely,

Ross Dubins, USPTA Tennis Professional, Sans Souci Tennis Center