Dear Florida Tennis Community,
Last month, we introduced a few ways that USTA Florida is working to keep our players, providers and fans engaged, positive and healthy while you are off the courts. Your participation in our #TennisAtHome social media contest has been fun and inspiring. We also hope you have been enjoying our new #ProPowerHour videos.
The USTA Medical Advisory Group has recommended a further suspension of programs and play. Combined with Florida’s current Stay at Home mandates, it appears we won’t be able to return to formal tennis play as soon as we had hoped. While that is disappointing, we want you to know that USTA Florida is working to bring local play back as soon as it’s recommended. We want you to be part of this process.
Starting April 22nd, USTA Florida will launch a series of video and podcast discussions called “Here To Serve”. We will share the work we are doing to re-imagine our programs and play in the COVID-19 environment, and ask you, our Florida tennis family, to share your ideas and thoughts. Each video will feature a question and answer session with our program directors, focusing on the return to play. These videos will be posted on our social media channels every Wednesday. The entire series will be available at USTAFlorida.com/HeretoServe.
Below is a tentative schedule of topics:
April 22nd Tennis Management Division
Things to consider/plan for when re-opening your facility.
April 29th Adult Beginner Programs
How can new players find a court and get started after COVID-19?
May 6th Grants and Financial Support
How is the USTA Florida Section Foundation working to help get programs started again? What funding is available and what are the requirements?
May 13th Adult Leagues
What changes can players expect; what is USTA FL weighing in terms of local play and sectional events? How will the suspension of play impact future seasons and sectional championships?
May 20th Youth Tournaments
When tournament play resumes, what can players expect? What changes/challenges can tournament directors expect?
May 27th Community/Adaptive
What special considerations do we need to address for special needs populations? How can families continue to play and stay safe? Will we be back in schools this fall?
June 3rd Junior Team Tennis
When will Junior Team Tennis be back, and how can we play safely? How will the suspension impact future seasons and section championships?
We hope you will tune in to our “Here to Serve” series and participate in these discussions. It’s important that we understand how we can best meet the needs of our Florida tennis community in this new environment.
Once again, we encourage all of you to remain safe and vigilant in your daily activities – avoiding contact with others as much as possible. When you are ready to get back on the courts, we will be ready to serve up more tennis programs and activities than ever before. We play, live, work and grow TOGETHER.
In health and tennis,
Clark Higgs Laura Bowen
USTA Florida President USTA Florida Executive Director