May 2021 President’s Letter
May is one of the busiest months for tennis in Kentucky. There are ample opportunities to play and watch tennis this month. Our first adult state championships of the year will commence this month with the 60/70 & Over Invitational in Louisville. There are 16 teams with around 150 players registered to play. Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to cheer on your local high school and college teams as they enter their post season tournaments. The warmer weather corresponds with increased play at all levels of tennis and May is being promoted as #NationalTennisMonth by USTA National and #PowerOfTennis by USTA Southern.
The USTA KY Board met on April 27 for hopefully the last time via Zoom. We were joined by Cee Jai Jones, Director of Diversity, NJTL and Grants for USTA Southern. Her presentation on “Leading with Intent: Strengthening the Board’s DEI Commitment” was well received by the Board and provided us with a roadmap to improve our efforts in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion.
If you haven’t done so already, I would encourage you to consider listening to The Legends of Kentucky Tennis podcast hosted by Dennis Emery, a Kentucky Hall of Famer himself and former longtime men’s tennis coach at the University of Kentucky. Dennis has interviewed Gary Plock, Julie Ditty and Eric Quigley with more to come. Please go to this link to learn more about the incredible experiences and careers of these Kentucky tennis legends, http://www.ustaky.com/news/legends_of_kentucky_tennis_podcast/
As you are probably aware, tennis participation increased significantly in 2020. It was up 22 percent nationally and 31.1 percent in the USTA Southern section. Nearly 22 million Americans played the sport in 2020, according to the Physical Activity Council’s Participation report. It is this increase of new and returning players that is the silver lining during the pandemic. Tennis is the ideal physical distancing sport that allows people to stay active and social in a healthy and safe manner. In a study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, tennis players lived 9.7 years longer compared to sedentary people. We are fortunate to play a lifetime sport that provides such great mental, social and physical benefits. Please spread the word to your non-tennis playing friends and family as we celebrate and promote May as #NationalTennisMonth and #PowerOfTennis!
Congrats to Stacey Croley, USTA KY Manager of Community Development, on the birth of her daughter Anna on Mother’s Day!
At Your Service!
Mike Eden