July 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 53

N R PA I n A c t i o n

Strong Serve
Helping your agency develop and build tennis programs-
despite the tough economy
By E.J. Crawford

ennis programming at
parks and recreational facilities
is growing nationwide, as evidenced by the increase in tennis participation. In 2009 tennis participation
surpassed 30 million for the first time in
the 22-year history of the Taylor Group's
Annual Study on Participation and the
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association recently found that tennis is the
fastest-growing traditional sport in the
country.
This success is built on the flexibility and openness of the parks and recreation network. In many ways, a public
parks and recreational facility is the ideal setting for children to learn how to play
tennis, offering programs in a manner
that is inviting to youngsters while also
teaching them an appreciation for the
game away from the hubbub that sometimes surrounds camps and academies.
All of this adds up to good news for
those facilities looking to expand their
tennis programming: In the current difficult economic climate, USTA assistance
to build and develop tennis programming is readily available-and free.
The first step in securing assistance
for developing your tennis program is to
register with the Tennis in the Parks Initiative, a partnership between the USTA
and NRPA. Doing so provides the USTA
with the specific demographics of the
current tennis programming in parks
and recreation departments around the
country, allowing the association to develop the resources that will better capture the market and help grow your
program.
Registration is easy. Simply go to
www.usta.com/tennisintheparks to get
started, and you're on your way. Once

you register, the USTA will provide the
resources you need to expand your
programs, improve your facilities and
better serve the growing 10 & under
population. The USTA also offers tools
and information on the QuickStart Tennis play format, which scales tennis
down to size for younger athletes, as
well as USTA Jr. Team Tennis, Recreational Coach Workshops and even Flex
Leagues for adults.
" The USTA has been working in tandem with the NRPA for 12 years, and
never has tennis been more in demand
or more prepared to respond, " says
Karen Ford, the national manager of the
USTA Tennis in the Parks. " If an agency
has the desire to add or expand tennis

offerings or improve facilities, we have
the resources to help make it happen.
It's truly an ideal partnership that serves
both local communities across the country and tennis as a whole. "
Some of the most famous names in
American tennis grew up playing in
public park facilities, including Billie
Jean King and Serena and Venus Williams. Right now, the next generation of
tennis players, fans and champions are
looking for a way to get started in the
sport. By registering with the Tennis in
the Parks Initiative, you could be the one
giving them their very first lesson. 
E.J. Crawford is a writer and editor for

the U.S. Tennis Association.

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July 2010 - Parks & Recreation

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