October 2020 President’s Letter
At the onset of my term as USTA Kentucky President at the beginning of this year, I spelled out my goals to the Board of Directors for the next two years. One of my top priorities was and is the Kentucky Tennis Summit. I am pleased to report that groups representing all of the major tennis stakeholders in the state have started meeting this month. It is my hope that this exercise in collaboration will yield great dividends for Kentucky tennis as we all come together to find ways to grow the sport of tennis in the Commonwealth.
The theme of teamwork and collaboration between local government and community tennis associations resulted in some great news from Warren County and Paducah. I was fortunate to be able to represent USTA Kentucky at the groundbreaking for their new tennis facility which will feature 6 indoor and 6 outdoor courts. Kudos to Bobby Lindsey and Martina Fee from the Southern Kentucky Tennis Association, Chris Kummer from the Warren County Parks and Recreation Department and Judge-Executive Michael Buchanon from the Warren County Fiscal Court for working together to bringing the $8.2 million-dollar facility to fruition! Our USTA Kentucky Executive Director was on hand in Paducah for the ribbon cutting ceremony at Noble Park to celebrate the completion of several improvement projects including resurfacing of the courts, renovation of a parking area, addition of a restroom facility and the addition of a “tennis pantry” that holds tennis racquets and balls for new players. The cost of the improvements was covered by the city of Paducah, a USTA grant, and donations from private citizens and the Paducah Tennis Association. Congrats in particular to former USTA Kentucky President Jane Gamble for raising over $60,000 towards the project!
The USTA Kentucky Awards Committee just announced the 2020 USTA Kentucky Award winners which can be found at this link, http://www.ustaky.com/news/2020_award_winners/
Please join me in congratulating these very deserving award winners!
Congrats to our state championship teams in the 65 and over and combo divisions! Our state championships will end this month after we crown champions in the 18 and over, 40 and over and 55 and over divisions. We are one of the few states in the Southern section to be able to hold state championships this year. I would like to thank Kathy Klein, Senior Manager of USTA Adult Leagues, the USTA Kentucky Adult League Committee and local Community Tennis Associations for the many hours dedicated to organizing and running our state championships. Last but not least, many thanks to all the players supporting the state championships in this difficult year of the pandemic.
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and is one of the best times to play tennis. Hopefully, the beautiful fall colors will beacon you outside to your favorite courts before the winter sits in.
At your service,
Mike Eden
USTA Kentucky Board President