Bobby Curtis: The Father of Florida Junior Tennis

Outside of tournament play, USTA Florida is introducing something new this year with the College Tennis Panel held in conjunction with the Bobby Curtis. Taking place on June 4 at 6:00 PM, the virtual panel will focus on college tennis and modern-day recruiting, giving junior players and their families valuable insight into the pathway from competitive junior tennis to the collegiate level. The panel will run approximately 45 minutes to an hour, followed by a Q&A session.

This event is open to everyone, not just Bobby Curtis competitors. Parents are also encouraged to attend. The panel will feature two distinguished coaches from different levels of college tennis:

Damian Hume, Princeton University serves as the Cornelia Drake and John Van Ryn Jr. ’28 Assistant Coach of Tennis. A South African native who was once ranked No. 1 in his country and No. 37 in the world as a junior, Hume has helped guide Princeton to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and wins over nationally ranked opponents. He joined the Princeton staff in 2015 after coaching stints at Michigan State and Boise State, where he also played at the No. 1 position in singles and doubles.

Trish Riddell, Florida Southern College has led the Moccasins’ women’s tennis program for 20 years, compiling 262 career wins in 2025 to become the winningest coach in program history. Under her leadership, Florida Southern has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, been nationally ranked every season and produced seven individual All-Americans. Riddell was named SSC Coach of the Year and has guided the program to upsets over top-10 opponents and Division I programs alike.

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In October of 2019, Curtis was the guest of honor at his namesake tournament, the USTA Florida Bobby Curtis Junior 16s/18s State Doubles Championships. Curtis received a tour around the sprawling 100-court USTA National Campus, as well as a tour of the USTA Florida headquarters for the very first time.

During the behind the scenes tour of the National Campus, Curtis got to meet several junior players. He autographed tennis balls and shirts for some and took photos with others. Laura Bowen, Executive Director of USTA Florida was instrumental in arranging Bobby’s attendance at his namesake event and was thrilled that he could make the trip from his home in Hollywood, Fla.

“For Bobby to be able to experience the tournament that bears his name at the USTA National Campus, and to see how his legacy continues to grow, was special and inspiring,” said Bowen. “Bobby is a legend in Florida and USTA Florida would not exist without him.”