ORLANDO, FLA., November 13, 2026 — USTA Florida brought its Advocacy Workshop series to Central Florida on Friday, gathering tennis leaders, facility operators, coaches and community advocates at Rosen Shingle Creek for a full day focused on one goal: giving local voices the tools to be champions for tennis in their communities.
The workshop was the latest installment in USTA Florida’s growing Advocacy Workshop series, following events in Palm Beach Gardens, Tampa and the Greater Volusia-Flagler area. More than 30 attendees from Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties took part.
Advocacy is taking the passion and the interests we have in this room and channeling them into a voice for the community, and today we had the opportunity to do that,” said Marcelo Gouts, 2026-2026 USTA Florida President-Elect.
Christine Ducey, USTA Florida director of advocacy, opened the day before turning things over to Marcelo Gouts, 2025-2026 USTA Florida Board President-Elect, who welcomed the room and set the tone around the three Big Bold Moves driving the organization’s work: Best in Class Facilities and Providers, Business Insights and Analytics, and Volunteer System and Structure.
The Numbers Made the Case
Brad West, USTA Florida business intelligence manager, followed with a deep look at Central Florida tennis data. Across Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, roughly 472,000 residents either play tennis or want to, and all three counties play at rates above the Florida average. Tennis generates about $75 million in annual participation spending across the region.
At the same time, public access remains the pinch point. Orange County has 854 tennis courts but only 21% are open to the public, Osceola has 140 courts with 24% public, and Seminole has 350 courts with 31% public.
West also laid out what is coming. The three counties are projected to add more than 700,000 residents by 2050, which translates to roughly 68,000 additional tennis players and a need for at least 76 more public courts simply to maintain today’s level of service.
One figure drew particular attention. Of the 370,018 children living in the three counties, Junior Team Tennis currently reaches 447, all from a single venue.
From Data to Practical Skills
After an icebreaker led by Tracy Almeda-Singian, 2025-2026 USTA Florida Board director at large, and a Central Florida networking lunch, the afternoon turned to practical skills.
Jaret Kappelman, USTA Florida manager of public relations and communications, walked attendees through local media outreach using a four-step framework: find the right reporter, frame the story so it reads as news rather than statistics, pitch in a way that makes saying yes easy, and amplify the coverage once it runs. He pointed to USTA Florida’s own white paper, “The Case for Public Tennis Court Investment in Florida,” which led to a television segment on WKMG News 6 and a radio conversation on WUSF’s Florida Matters, as proof the approach works.
Jennifer Gregg, USTA National senior director of advocacy, followed with strategies for approaching local government, focusing on coordinated messaging and the influence tennis-playing taxpayers carry when they show up at commission meetings, budget hearings and parks board sessions.
Exercising Your Voice
The day closed with “Exercising Your Voice,” led by Ducey, where attendees built and delivered a two-minute pitch to an imagined city commissioner. Each advocate left having identified a community need, a clear message and a specific ask.
Attendees also had the option to stay for the USTA Florida Tennis Summit Vendor Showcase, which opened at the same venue that evening ahead of the 2026 Florida Tennis Summit.
USTA Florida’s advocacy work is anchored in four pillars: More Play for Everyone, More Coaches, More Public Park Support, and Tennis is the Healthiest Sport. Every workshop in the series is designed to turn local players, volunteers and providers into informed advocates who can make the case for tennis where decisions actually get made.
To learn more about USTA Florida’s advocacy efforts or to request support for a local project, visit ustaflorida.com/tennis-advocacy or email advocacy@ustaflorida.com.
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