September 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 18

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Creating Dynamic Community Hubs
Through Tennis
By Victoria Chiesa
T
hrough new and exciting partnerships at public parks and recreation
facilities from coast to coast, the United States Tennis Association
(USTA) hopes to change the game for families across
the country. With the support of PlayCore and Impact Parks,
the USTA is creating new and innovative community hubs throughout the
United States: immersive experiences that will combine tennis and other
racquet sports with play areas and social activities to positively impact national
health and wellness.
Access to tennis at public parks is
crucial to the association's mission of
promoting and developing the sport's
growth in the United States, according
to Craig Morris, the USTA's chief
executive of community tennis.
Through the construction of these
community hubs, the goal is to build
upon the momentum in participation
growth that the sport has enjoyed
over the past two years. Since 2019,
nearly 5 million people have started
playing or returned to tennis, an
increase of 27.9 percent. Much of
this growth has been among youth
and communities of color.
" Delivering tennis through parks
and recreation is one of the most
important factors in the growth of
tennis in this country, " Morris says.
" Partnering...will allow us to bring
the sport for a lifetime to communities
across the country in an entirely
new way. "
But these community hubs won't
just support tennis, which is their
chief innovation. In the same twoyear
timeframe, pickleball gained
1.36
million
additional
players
around the United States, while
padel, a cross between tennis and
squash, is thriving. The development
of these new hubs will allow
for centralized consolidation
of these racquet sports in a single
location,
affording
players
easier
access to one or more of them.
They're also dynamic; they can
be built small, centered around as
few as two tennis and two pickleball
courts, or they can be large,
sprawling facilities with a stadium,
practice wall and more than
two-dozen courts for tennis, pickleball
and padel. For those not yet
old enough to hold a racquet or
Since 2019, nearly 5 million people have
started playing or returned to tennis, an
increase of 27.9 percent.
18 Parks & Recreation | SEP T EMBER 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
padel, the inclusion of playgrounds
will encourage exploration, and by
extension, an early propensity for
an active life.
On the vision for community
hubs, Bob Barron, executive
director of Impact Parks, says:
" For communities looking to expand
intergenerational activities,
we've innovated spaces that...
can more easily create public
opportunities to build skills and
discover a lifelong love of sports
and active behavior. "
Lisa Moore, senior vice president
for corporate strategic service
at PlayCore, adds: " We are thrilled
about the partnership with USTA
and our like-minded values of
providing intergenerational activities
to enhance the quality of life
through parks. This collaboration
will help create more opportunities
for diverse people to connect outdoors
and engage in tennis, play
and just [be] together. "
In addition
to supporting
technical,
the
creation of these hubs, the USTA
also has the
business
and advocacy resources to help
them thrive. The association offers
complementary expertise and assistance
to all park agencies, and
works in tandem with them to both
understand their unique situations
and equip them with the resources
to bolster the work they do in
their communities. For example,
the USTA's Tennis Venue Services
team can assist with the construction
of new courts and the imPHOTO
COURTESY OF PLAYCORE, INC.
September 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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