Powering the Future of Tennis: SwingVision ELC Demo, Tournament Director & Officials Workshop

Fort Walton Beach was the hub of innovation and education this past weekend as USTA Florida hosted a dynamic Tournament Director and Officials Workshop alongside a Level 6 tournament that showcased cutting-edge SwingVision Electric Line Calling (ELC) technology.  

With 56 junior players competing across Boys’ and Girls’ divisions, the event combined competitive play with hands-on professional development to elevate the game across Florida. 

SwingVision ELC Demo: Next-Gen Technology Displayed 

One of the weekend’s highlights was the on-court demonstration of SwingVision’s Electric Line Calling system, led by George Opelka and Andre Ferreira with the company. ELC technology has been expanding in the past year and has made its way to hundreds of college matches. 

“The technology has really evolved and in the last year we’ve had a lot of exposure and a lot of opportunity to learn just by getting out there,” Opelka said. “We’ve learned so much from the college tennis space as we have over 150 teams now using the app for thousands of matches a week.”

At this weekend’s event, officials had the chance to see SwingVision’s ELC technology in action and get some hands of experience. All nine courts at the facility were equipped with SwingVision’s ELC setup, one camera per court and a dedicated iPad for players to use as their challenge console for the Level 6: Fort Walton Beach School’s Out L6 Slam. 

Each player was allowed three challenges per set, with one additional challenge in a deciding set. Feedback from players and parents was overwhelmingly positive. The ability to view match footage, analyze shot placement, and experience in-game challenge systems brought a professional feel to grassroots competition. Insights gathered from this demo will help improve the technology even further for future tournaments. 

It is important to note that SwingVision’s ELC is not here to replace referees. “What we’re doing with ELC doesn’t eliminate officials, they’re managing the exceptions,” Opelka said. “We got good feedback from officials, what they’re used to seeing, and what sort of experience they’ve had with technology to make our app better for the next tournament.”

To learn more about SwingVision’s latest technologies and its impact on tennis, listen to the Here to Serve Podcast, where Laura Bowen sits down with the Head of Pro Player Relations at SwingVision, George Opelka 

Tournament Director and Officials Workshop: From Sanctioning to Scheduling 

Accompanying the SwingVision ELC Demo, Fort Walton Beach also hosted an in-depth Tournament Director (TD) and Officials workshop. The workshop covered the full lifecycle of running a successful tournament as well as grievance management, expectations, and the importance of having certified officials on site.

One component of the workshop featured a live walk-through of Serve Tennis, the platform TDs use to create draws and schedule matches. With real-time guidance, participants created mock draws and scheduled the first day of play for the on-site tournament. The interactive session concluded with open Q&A, ensuring everyone left with actionable knowledge and confidence to host their own events. 

During the Officials Workshop, real-world scenarios were discussed to better prepare officials for the friend-of-court role and logistical planning. 

With a combination of tech innovation, hands-on learning, and community-focused competition, Fort Walton Beach’s event was a shining example of how USTA Florida continues to lead the way in growing and modernizing tennis at all levels.