USTA Florida’s mission starts with a simple goal: get racquets in hands. Few pathways deliver on that goal at the scale of school PE programs, and as students across Florida headed back to class, USTA Florida spent the summer on the road training hundreds of physical education teachers to bring tennis into their gyms and onto their courts for the 2026-2027 school year.
The pathway is straightforward and it costs schools nothing. When a PE teacher registers their program, they receive a large kit of free tennis equipment along with free curriculum, giving them everything they need to put a racquet in every student’s hand from day one. For many of the kids these teachers reach, PE class will be their very first experience with the sport.
What makes this year different is the connection to the new USTA Coaching platform. Beyond the free curriculum and equipment, teachers now have access to a full library of coaching education should they wish to expand their skills, whether that means running a stronger PE unit, coaching a school team or pursuing certification. The trainings are no longer just a one-day introduction. They are the entry point to an ongoing pathway for educators who want to grow as coaches.
These sessions have been a cornerstone initiative of USTA Florida for nearly a decade, and this year’s slate covered nine counties from the Panhandle to South Florida, including three districts that hosted a PE teacher tennis training for the very first time.
A Statewide Effort
The largest turnout of the summer came in Duval County, where more than 165 K-12 PE teachers representing 145 schools came out to learn how to teach tennis at their schools. With the help of USTA National, they hosted a high-energy session that gave teachers across one of the state’s biggest districts a clear path to bringing the sport into their programs.
Pasco County hosted its first-ever PE Teacher Curriculum Training, and the response was strong enough to require two days. With Day 2 drawing a larger-than-expected turnout of 120 K-12 teachers. The team organized the group into rotations through a variety of tennis drills and activities so every teacher had a chance to get on court and participate.
Marion County in Ocala also ran two training sessions. More than 40 elementary school PE teachers attended the first session, walking through the process of registering their PE programs with USTA Coaching to receive free tennis lesson plans and free tennis equipment for their schools. A second training followed for 27 middle school PE teachers.
Hernando County held its first-ever PE training as well, with 36 teachers spending a morning outdoors despite the Florida heat. The group came away energized about adding tennis to their PE classes.
Hillsborough County kicked off the training season in Tampa, providing support for these PE Teachers. In Leon County, training in Tallahassee had teachers highly engaged, setting up a strong group of educators ready to introduce kids to tennis in the upcoming school year.
The Indian River School District joined the list of first-time hosts, holding its inaugural PE Teacher Tennis Training on August 4 at Vero Beach High School. Sixteen energetic PE teachers spent the day learning how to teach tennis in PE class.
USTA Florida also connected with educators at Orange County Public Schools’ Back to School PE Planning Day, sharing what the organization offers in the PE space with many new faces, and got an early start on Polk County’s PE Contact Day.
Why It Matters
Research shows that tennis is the healthiest sport, offering cardiovascular benefits from just three hours of play a week, along with improved coordination, stress relief, social connection and nearly 10 additional years of life expectancy. It is a sport for all ages and abilities, which makes it an ideal fit for PE curriculums looking to build lifelong healthy habits.
By training the teachers who see students every week, USTA Florida is able to multiply its reach far beyond what any single clinic or event could accomplish. One trained PE teacher can introduce tennis to hundreds of students over the course of a school year, and those students carry the sport with them long after the bell rings.
Posted by:
