The Tuscaloosa Tennis Association set a healthy, but slightly lofty, membership goal in 2017. It not only made that goal of 350 members, it exceeded it by 20, making the organization 370 members strong.

And that wasn’t the only place where TTA outdid itself. It was such a successful year for the organization it has already won three awards for its work in 2017: the United States Tennis Association Southern Members Organization of the Year, the USTA Alabama Community Tennis Association of the Year, and the Alabama Adult Tournament of the Year.

“It’s really special, especially the Southern one because it’s huge,” said Kathryn Hornsby, the club’s president. “It shows that the USTA is recognizing the impact the organization is having on the community. I’m also excited about (winning) the Adult Tournament of the Year, which is for the Emily Baker tournament. Not only does that event honor someone who has meant so much to tennis here, but it helps children. These awards help energize the sport.”

And then there were the events. In its inaugural year in 2017, the Emily Baker Women’s Classic not only helped establish the Emily Baker Scholarship and Youth Tennis Fund, it made the way for tennis to go into three elementary schools last spring, teaching 95 kids using the USTA’s national program, Rocket Tennis. By fall, with a partnership with Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority and the USTA, the Net Generation program brought tennis into six elementary schools and 590 children.

Last year the club, with the help of a USTA grant, began offering Apprentice Tennis for wheelchair players. The University of Alabama’s wheelchair tennis coach, Evan Enquist, teaches those players.

There was a summer tennis camp for kids on the West End, events with Alabama’s men’s and women’s tennis teams and UA’s wheelchair tennis team, tennis mixers and a new program with Stillman College where it opens its tennis courts to the public on certain nights.

“One of the ways we recruited a lot of new members was through our mixer with Stillman. (Stillman president) Dr. (Cynthia) Warrick approached us about how to get those courts to be used by the community, so we started a mixer on Mondays. For the very first one we did, anybody who came to that mixer got a free Tuscaloosa Tennis Association membership.”

That program will start back in March or early April.

The 2018 membership drive and annual meeting, what it calls the Meet, Greet and Eat, will be at Band of Brothers Brewing Company on Jan. 30 from 6-8 p.m. Cost to join the Tuscaloosa Tennis Association is $30 for a single membership and $50 for a family membership. Prospective members can sign up at the Meet, Greet and Eat or go online and sign up on the club’s website, www.tuscaloosatennis.com.

“What we’re seeing is a lot of people who are starting to learn to play tennis,” Hornsby said of the bump in membership. “When they go through an apprentice program, they get a free USTA membership.”

Hornsby said there are several reasons people are drawn to membership in the TTA.

″‘A,’ because they love the sport,” Hornsby said. ”‘B,’ they are able to come to our mixers. We have organized night leagues. We now have a new tennis singles ladder. They can participate in our activities and they can learn about all the tennis activities that are going on in Tuscaloosa and the area, including University of Alabama tennis.”

The next major event is the Emily Baker Women’s Classic on Feb. 22-24 at Centre Court Tuscaloosa. Registration for that women’s doubles tournament, which has divisions for 18-over and 55-over, is online at the association’s website. The cost is $50 per player. It is open to standup and wheelchair players.

“It’s the most special event we put on. We’re looking for additional sponsors this year so we can raise more money. Last year we had 590 kids that we taught how to play tennis. We’re also working with the city school board to expand that to all third graders. Hopefully that will come through this spring or fall,” Hornsby said. “The more money we raise, the more children we can teach how to play tennis, and that really is a dream of Emily’s. It really is an honor to put this event on honoring her.”

 

Original Article: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20180125/tuscaloosa-tennis-association-sees-increase-in-membership-participation