There was tennis everywhere we turned this summer. As soon as the snow melted and the outdoor courts were playable, high school students flooded them with practices and matches, nature lovers played on them in layers and long underwear, and clinics and community tennis programs began popping up from Shelburne to Randolph. We eased into summer with USTA flex and adult league competitive play, and before we knew it, teams were headed off to championships in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Private clubs and camps came back to life up in Greensboro, in the Burlington area, in Stowe, Waitsfield, and Middlebury/ Down in Bennington, the Bennington Aces met the needs of some 1000 young people from underserved communities through after school and summer camp programs. From early morning until the evening golden hour, the crisp cut of topspin forehands, volleys, and overheads filled the air.
USTA Vermont has been busy as well. We provided financial support for 10 Vermonters to receive PTR Level 1 certification – an event held at BTC and hosted by Board Treasurer Errol Nattrass. Joanna went to Newport to attend James Blake’s induction into the New England Hall of Fame and had some fun on grass. The 2022 Tennis Vermont Senior games took place at the Bridges at Sugarbush with members from all over the state winning accolades and bringing home trophies. We supported the coaches and organizers who put together JTT local league U10 and U12s events for kids who played matches in June and July with a culminating event in early August. We also provided shirts, registration fees, coaching stipends, and travel expenses for the JTT Advancing U14 and U18s who competed locally before the Essex Edge team traveled to Springfield, MA for sectionals. There these passionate tennis youngsters captured 2nd (U14s) and 4th places (U18s), making Vermont proud.
At home, we funded the construction of a new Tennis In Vermont website with the expertise of past president Kathy Erickson. The board sees the result as a dream come true; we now have a way to connect all Vermonters around the game of tennis – kids, seniors, 5.0s and beginners, elite players and differently-abled. Our new website includes a calendar of events, a list of tennis facilities around the state, a photo gallery, past newsletters, and information for people who just want to hit a little ball back and forth across a net.
