Reaching for New Heights
Section Members Surpass 38,000
Tennis exploded in the Mid-Atlantic. The Section reached its highest membership totals ever with more than 38,000 members, increasing 1,500 in 2009.
The Adult Leagues blossomed again for the fourth straight year. Leagues increased 8 percent, which was second-best of all 17 Sections in percentage of increase in league participation. The Section also established its first ever Tri-Level League Championship.
USTA programs were showcased at Washington, DC professional tennis events. Mid-Atlantic established the
1st Legg Mason Tennis On Campus Challenge, where the top four Mid-Atlantic TOC teams competed in front of Legg Mason Tennis Classic crowds of about 500 people. The World TeamTennis Champion Washington Kastles had fans play QuickStart Tennis before every Kastles' home match.
Mid-Atlantic had three USTA Days. The first Member Appreciation Day at the Washington Kastles featured a Quick Stars Exhibition, where juniors showed WTT fans how to play QuickStart. The second USTA Day during the WTT Final, 250 members saw the Kastles win the Championship, were treated to a luncheon, and helped raise $14,000 at an auction for the Mid-Atlantic Tennis and Education Foundation. The third Appreciation Day was at the Legg Mason, where 500 members and guests, ate food, won prizes, and watched John Isner and Lleyton Hewitt win. The Jr. Team Tennis Sectional Champions were honored on court in front of thousands of Legg Mason fans.
The Section helped juniors become better competitors and get more university exposure. Nearly 100 high-school players demonstrated their competitive talents at the College Showcase for 15 college coaches from Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. At the High-Performance Coaches Workshop, Jose Higueras and Jay Berger helped French Open juniors prepare for the red clay. At the Match Play Camp, more than 50 top 15 Section juniors improved their sports psychology with a Mental Toughness Seminar.
The Mid-Atlantic is a hot bed for talent. Scott Sculley won the Little Mo 8s National and International titles. Denis Kudla earned the Boys' 18 Easter Bowl National Doubles Championship. Mitchell Frank was victorious at the ITF Grade 1 International Spring Junior Championship. Beatrice Capra won the USTA Girls’ 18 Spring National Title. Fred Drilling’s Britannia Cup 65 Team claimed the ITF Championship, while Mary Boswell collected the 75 International Doubles Title. At the Arthur Ashe Kids' Day Target Challenge, winner Skylar Morton, 15, hit more forehand targets than Roger Federer.
At the USTA League National Championships, Mid-Atlantic had nine top three finishes. Finalists were 8.0 Super Seniors (Fairfax, VA), 2.5 Adults (Midlothian, VA), and 10.0 Mixed (College Park, MD).
Photo Presentation