Arkansas Tennis Association -

Congratulations to the USTA Arkansas January Good Chase Sportsmanship winner - Olivia Berardi! One of the things that was said about her was, "She was very kind and respectful to her opponent." USTA Southern has partnered with Match Tennis App to highlight junior tennis athletes who display exemplary sportsmanship. Join in the Good Chase and vote for those specific players to earn prizes and even a chance to go to the US Open and 4 other Professional Tennis Tournament Experiences! https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/youth-tennis/programs/southern/good-chase-sportsmanship-race-for-juniors.html#tab=tournaments

🗣 Shoutout to our male Adult League Captain of the month for February, Derek Nordentoft (Little Rock)! Team captains are a key component of our adult league program. They devote their free time to organizing and managing teams. Our leagues would not be as successful if it were not for people like Derek. We appreciate him and all of our league captains! 🙌

Game, set, and match for your future! College scholarships are now available for tennis players ready to ace their college journey. USTA Arkansas Scholarship: Deadline to apply is Dec. 1 Southern Tennis Foundation Scholarship: Deadline to apply is Mar. 15 USTA Foundation Scholarships: Deadline to apply is May 15 More information can be found on the link below https://www.arktennis.com/page/scholarships

NEW FOR 2024!! Registration for Spring Junior Team Tennis in Benton is now LIVE! Important information and dates are listed on the registration link below. Your child does NOT have to be available for every single match to play. JTT is a great opportunity to get local match play in a fun, team environment. Parents, check it out! https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/bentonrec/activity/search/detail/22234?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true&fbclid=IwAR3IjOp6VMuyB52uraEiykGBDjLiH6p7wNEDQX4jbVnmM6cysTXpgzIlfd8

"Those who tennis together, stick together." Spring league registration for Junior Team Tennis is OPEN in most areas around the state. Contact a coordinator in your area for more information! https://www.arktennis.com/page/coordinators

🗣 Shoutout to our female Adult League Captain of the month for February, Maggie Griesse (Northwest Arkansas)! Team captains are a key component of our adult league program. They devote their free time to organize and manage teams. Our leagues would not be as successful if it were not for people like Maggie. We appreciate her and all of our league captains! 🙌

Parents of Junior Players!! The first Level 6 tournament of the year is THIS WEEKEND! Don't miss the Bentonville Junior February Classic. Registrations close on Feb. 14 at 4:59 PM. https://playtennis.usta.com/competitions/bentonvilleparksandrecreation/Tournaments/overview/F16A4D45-89E2-48BC-AC2A-D582CA6C8B4E

Congratulations to the Western Arkansas Tennis Association for receiving the Member Organization of the Year Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about them below!👇 The Western Arkansas Tennis Association is honored to be this year’s recipient of the Member Organization of the Year award. Representing The River Valley, WATA strives to offer community tennis programs focused on introducing our game - the game of a lifetime - through junior programming, adaptive programming, and adult apprentice programming. Additionally, WATA utilizes its partnerships in the community to host tournaments benefiting other local organizations and non-profits, as well as playing a paramount role in the success of our school tennis programs. They look forward to building on this honor in the new year as they engage and recruit new members to their thriving tennis community!

Congratulations to Jim Merriman for receiving the Diversity & Inclusion Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Jim below!👇 When Special Olympics lost their coach and their training facility, Jim Merriman quickly jumped in to fill that void. He did it without concern for how or if he would get paid. He trains the Special Olympic athletes, and has recruited many volunteers to help him. Coach Jim works with the athletes, teaching them the basics and fundamentals of tennis. He has such a big heart for this group. He always has a smile on his face. He, also coaches the "Engage" school, which is an academy designed to help children with Autism, again teaching them at no charge. Jim loves the game and wants all people to have a chance to love it like he does. If you follow Jim on social media, his posts are full of pictures of the fun he has working with all these athletes.

ATTN Adult League Captains in the Central Little Rock area! Mandatory captain's meetings will be held next week. You or someone from your team must attend one of the below meetings. Pizza and soft drinks provided at each location! Monday, February 12th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM, US Pizza Hillcrest - 2710 Kavanaugh Blvd, LR Tuesday, February 13th, 11:30 - 1:00 PM, US Pizza Chenal - 12 Rahling Circle, LR Thursday, February 15th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM, US Pizza McCain - 4001 McCain Park Dr, NLR Register on the link below! https://form.jotform.com/240355551543958

Congratulations to Casey Garretson for receiving the Male League Captain of the Year Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Casey below!👇 Casey, being from a tennis family, was forced to grow up playing tennis. He played a few tournaments as a kid but really enjoyed hanging out with his friends at the tournaments more than playing. He did play high school tennis and was a leader on the team. In 2012, Gary Jones asked him to play on a 4.0 league team in Jonesboro and from then on, Casey has been all in. Looking back, he wishes his parents had made him play more tennis and practice more. Casey has played every USTA league he can, leading several teams to sectionals. Besides captaining his own teams, he has volunteered his time to captain ATA teams. Tennis brought Casey and his wife Tiffany together. He was working parttime at Burns Park and met Tiffany when she took a Tennis Apprentice class there. They will be welcoming a new little tennis player into the world any day now.

Congratulations to Buffy Carter for receiving the Female League Captain of the Year Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Buffy below!👇 Buffy started playing USTA League during singles season of 2017 and started captaining teams in 2019. Buffy’s teammates consider it an honor to play on her teams and be involved with such an organized captain. Of course, everyone can’t be on her team so she tries to help new players find teams to play on. She makes tennis fun for all. Buffy’s husband and best friends picked up the sport and now they travel as a group and play in tournaments together. In 2023, Buffy captained 12 teams and played on 18 teams. She played in 6 local tournaments, 4 state tournaments and the NTRP Fast4 Nationals in San Diego. Buffy feels that she is blessed because of the many friendships made thru this sport. She is grateful to call her teammates friends.

The Western Arkansas Tennis Association is searching for a certified tennis professional to join our team to help engage and grow an already extremely large and active tennis community based in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The right candidate has passion, energy, and promotes tennis in our public parks! WATA manages two facilities, one 8 lighted outdoor city park and one 6 court outdoor county facility. Both have pro shops connected. WATA is a 5 STAR Community Tennis Association with an active adult and junior USTA and recreational tennis community. Hosting over a dozen tournaments a year and much much more. We want someone to come in to create programming, host events, provide USTA programming, and give private lessons and clinics. This position includes a small monthly stipend, an extremely low lesson percentage take, earn per player payouts for tournaments/events, and have all their equipment and supplies provided for them! Position will report to the DOT and they encourage innovation and provide freedom to create and grow the program, especially at our county park. To apply, please send a resume to fortsmithtennis@gmail.com.

ATTN High School Tennis Coaches! It's time to ACE your coaching game with on-court activities at the annual High School Coaches Workshop. The clinic is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16. For more information and to register, click on the link below! https://form.jotform.com/240294621555961

Junior Circuit tournament happening in Mountain Home this weekend! Registrations close tomorrow at 4:59 PM. https://playtennis.usta.com/competitions/twinlakestennisclub/Tournaments/overview/09F3436D-0463-46B1-A537-6C7BA9C8AA8B

Congratulations to Brandon Kiker for receiving the Tennis Professional of the Year Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Brandon below!👇 Kiker's experience began in high school and continued briefly into college. After that, he went 18 years without picking up a racket. In his early 30s, he found his way back to tennis and played on several USTA tennis teams in the Central Arkansas area. He met his wife, Melanie, while watching friends play at a state tourney at Burns Park, so to say that tennis hasn’t shaped a large part of his life, would be an understatement. He began teaching in Saline County part-time to help introduce both adults and juniors to the game. His work with Bryant and Benton Parks and Rec began to assist them with their junior programs. When he increased to teaching about 20 hrs a week he had the realization that this could become more than just a side job. he took his first full-time teaching job at Chenal Country Club and after three years, he wanted to get back to his roots and grow tennis in Saline County. Kiker has been running programs with the cities of Benton and Bryant for three years now. In that time, he started working with Special Olympics Arkansas to create programs and events for their amazing athletes. They are in their 5th year with Special Olympics and have gone from an exhibition sport to sending their first athletes to the USA games and winning 5 gold medals.

Congratulations to Katherine Friend for receiving the Barbara Brewer Community Service Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Katherine below!👇 A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Kathy has five decades of fundraising and development administration experience in private higher education and the non-profit healthcare sector. Since retiring in June 2021, she has been doing independent non-profit consulting, grant writing, foundation administration, and strategic planning with a variety of clients. Her professional strategic planning and fundraising work with Arkansas tennis organizations includes: AR USTA Southern Region All In Tennis WATA In addition to being an avid tennis player, she also enjoys playing golf, reading, and any time on a beach.

Congratulations to Farrell Graves for receiving the Henry Doyle Outstanding Senior Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Farrell below!👇 Farrell’s tennis teaching career spans 50 years and at least three generations of players in the Fort Smith area. He started playing at 27 and was ranked No. 1 in doubles in 35-plus and 45-plus divisions. He began teaching tennis at Creekmore Park in the early 1970s and was a co-owner for many years of the Fort Smith Athletic Club. He was instrumental in bringing low-cost tennis classes to Fort Smith public parks and providing tennis instruction to a local college. He has provided opportunities for free instruction to juniors at all levels, and to beginning adults and families – with the goal of encouraging lifelong participation in our sport. He has worked closely with the Arkansas Tennis Association, serving on the state board and working as one of the first verifiers of players’ ratings. In 2003 he was inducted to the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame. At 90, Farrell is actively teaching tennis and encourages everyone of all ages to play the game.

Congratulations to the Aceing For Autism Tournament for receiving the Adult Tournament of the Year Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about them below!👇 ACEing for Autism came to light in 2022 when Megan Ragsdale, a 4.0 player in Jonesboro, had the idea to run a tournament raising money to benefit local families and children who are touched by Autism like her own, and bring another tennis tournament to the Northeast Arkansas Community Tennis Association. Megan proposed the idea to Pat Malone & Morgan Daniel, they took the idea and hit the ground running. In 2023, ACEing for Autism had 106 participating athletes from all over Arkansas, raising over $13,000 benefiting Ag for Autism and the Love All Serve All NJTL. Megan & Morgan hope to continue this tournament every year on the last weekend of April, raising money to help many more families and student athletes.

Congratulations to theFort Kids Tournament for receiving the Junior Tournament of the Year Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about them below!👇 An emphasis on good sportsmanship was the theme of this tournament, as the largest trophies were awarded for good sportsmanship. The amenities included a quality baseball style t-shirt with a goody bag, player lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and snacks and drinks throughout the weekend. In addition, there was a players’ tent with ping-pong, a charging station and chairs to give the players a hangout between matches.