Returning the Serve United States Tennis Association Outreach to Military Service Members, Veterans and Families
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RETURNING THE SERVE United States Tennis Association Outreach to Military Service Members, Veterans and Families VOLUME 8, SPRING 2013 National Recreation Foundation Funds Tennis Manual for Injured Service Members With the help of a grant from the National Transition Command, says, “We are guide should be ready for use by the Recreation Foundation, the USTA will happy to assist the United States Tennis services and the VA by late summer 2013. develop a comprehensive guide to tennis Association in developing a comprehensive for use by rehabilitation therapists at tennis therapy guide. The fact that you Warrior Transition Units, military medical are creating a guide to be used across facilities and VA hospitals across the all Services and the VA speaks volumes country. The guide will be the first tool of about your organization and your efforts its kind to help bring tennis to adaptive to support the recovery of our servicemen sports programs that specialize in the and women.” healing of wounded, ill and injured service A curriculum development meeting was members. Specific therapy methods held in White Plains, N.Y., with the expert will be identified for traumatic brain guidance and participation of therapists injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and from the VA and the individual military chronic illness, as well as for amputees service branches. The guide will be piloted and wheelchair players, in an easy-to-use Members of the VA Adaptive Sports Program, U.S. Army in early summer at the Warrior Transition format for rehab therapists. Warrior Transition Command, Navy Safe Harbor and USMC Battalion at Ft. Campbell, Ky., and will Wounded Warrior Regiment were invited to collaborate with Brigadier General David Bishop, include participants from Ft. Stewart and USTA staff and consultants on developing the curriculum Commander of the U.S. Army Warrior Ft. Benning in Georgia. The completed for the USTA’s Tennis Therapy Guide. Boys and Girls Club Pilot on Military Installations In 2013, the USTA will host 20 pilot programs at youth centers on military installations in the U.S. and abroad affiliated with Boys & Girls Clubs. The USTA plans to bring the sport to those organizations that currently provide services for large groups of children and/or families but do not yet include tennis. This effort benefits from its new relationship with Boys & Girls Clubs as well L to R: Tyson Thompson, Community Program & Training Coordinator, USTA North Carolina; Kelly Gaines, Executive Director, as a supporting grant from the National USTA North Carolina; Patti J. Turner, Chief, Youth & School Ages Services; Kevin Caccia, Director of Tennis, Cape Fear Regional Recreation Foundation and deepens the Tennis Association; Lariesa James, Assistant Sports Director, Youth & School Age Services. USTA’s commitment to the U.S. military. Workshop Participant Guide. Ongoing location will complete program evaluation Each of the 20 pilot sites will receive an support from the USTA national office surveys at the end of each session. Local equipment starter package which includes and USTA sections will deliver (wherever support from sections, Community Tennis modified tennis equipment sized right for applicable) the following programming: Associations, National Junior Tennis and kids, on-site USTA training which merges two six-week seasons which include the Learning Chapters, colleges/universities and the USTA Schools Workshop with pilot Kids Tennis Club format (supervised other youth tennis enthusiasts will ensure program–specific education about Kids play), emphasizes good character and success at each pilot location. Tennis Clubs and Tennis Play Days. They sportsmanship (education and character will also receive a Kids Tennis Club Manual, traits), and culminates in a Tennis Play Continued on Page 4 a Tennis Play Day Manual and a Training Day (introductory competition). Each Adopt-A-Unit Updates Carla Williams, USTA Florida Region Western Wake Tennis adopted two 3 Tennis Program Coordinator, units deployed to Afghanistan. and Judy Foster, They sent protein powder, which Executive Director was donated by Lifetime Fitness; of the Suncoast snacks, including protein bars and Tennis Foundation, with Adopt-A-Unit nuts; webcams; and microphones. Teresa Risley, NETT President, Laura Gilbert, collection containers It has been fun to communicate NETT Founder, and former NETT Presidents Lynn at Innisbrook. with the service members as the Jumper and Sandy Schwan were on hand to help various packages arrive. One of pack boxes for Adopt-A-Unit. the recipients said, “You served from attendees wanting to support event which included an Adopt- up an ace with the first-rate our troops in any way possible. It A-Unit effort for her nephew and nutritional supplements and a was a true win-win for all of us to his unit, which had just deployed show of genuine care from the good come together and give back to to Afghanistan. On February 6, people within our United States of those serving our country.” NETT hosted a “Packing Party” to America. It is truly appreciated. We assemble all the goods into special Due to the efforts of tennis especially would like to thank y’all USPS–approved boxes, held in enthusiasts and military supporters, (Western Wake Tennis) from Cary, conjunction with their team captains the Florida 160th Army Reserve North Carolina.” meeting. Over 20 teams donated MP Battalion stationed in items, and each care package box Quarterly, the USTA Northern staff Afghanistan will soon be playing was filled with snacks, lip balm, sets down its tennis racquets and tennis. The 100-plus soldiers will socks, coffee cups and personalized rolls up its sleeves by giving back benefit with reduced stress, great Valentines with wishes of support. to the community through assorted exercise and lots of fun. service projects. This year, the In addition, USTA Serves sent the section invited its organizational The Suncoast Tennis Foundation, in unit portable tennis equipment to members to join in the cause by Pinellas County, Fla., in conjunction enjoy in their rare down time. NETT asking for anything from product with the Innisbrook Women’s hopes they develop a love of tennis to monetary donations of any Open, a $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit and will continue to play the game kind for the USTA’s Adopt-A-Unit event, held a special Adopt-A-Unit when they return home. tennis clinic on January 11, 2013. program. USTA Northern could not To learn how your CTA can adopt a Admission to the Adopt-A-Unit believe the response as it raised unit, visit usta.com/military more than $1,200 through many tennis clinic was a one-gallon Ziploc generous donations from those bag filled with essentials for the “You and your organization have who participated in the Community adopted unit. In total, 94 individual really outdone yourselves. Thank Tennis Workshop. gallon bags were collected. USTA you so much for being so generous! Serves, the national charitable It took several days for all the “When we first heard about the foundation of the USTA, will send packages to trickle in- there were Adopt-A-Unit initiative through portable tennis equipment to the USTA Serves, I think it struck adopted unit along with instructions so many, they couldn’t fit them all a chord with us as something and educational information. on one helicopter, or several for we could do together with our that matter! I’ve passed them out to membership as a whole,” says On the 20th anniversary of the the guys and the girls, and we were Christine Nickels, USTA Northern founding of North East Tarrant all thrilled to receive so many gifts. Director of Community Tennis. Tennis (NETT), Laura Gilbert, Thank you so much for putting in the founding president and now lead “With the Community Tennis time and effort to put this together.” Workshop as our platform, we Tennis Service Representative for received such a wonderful response USTA Texas, was honored at an – Captain Sean Mitcham Soldiers in Afghanistan were the grateful recipients of care packages from Western Wake Tennis Association in Cary, N.C. Service members send a special thank you from the unit IJC CJ6 -Kabul Afghanistan to USTA Northern. Davis Cup Welcomes Service Members and their Families Davis Cup welcomed military service members and their families to the 2013 first-round tie between the United States and Brazil in Jacksonville, Fla., with a donation of 50 tickets. Veterans, wounded, ill and injured service members and their families watched U.S. Davis Cup team members Bob and Mike Bryan take on Brazil in doubles action on Saturday, February 2. Tickets for service members and their families were distributed through the Greater Jacksonville Area USO and Naval Medical Center Jacksonville. Rear Admiral James Scorby, Commander, Navy Region SE, Rear Admiral James Scorby, Commander, Navy performed the coin toss prior to the match. Announcements and videos Region SE, performed the coin toss prior to Bob recognizing the service members and their families were a part of the and Mike Bryan’s Davis Cup doubles match day’s events. against Brazil’s Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. Photo credit: Ron Angle Wheelchair Tennis Clinic Starts at Minneapolis VA Health Care System Programs and clinics for members of the military and their families are popping up across the country, and programs involving the staff and volunteers of USTA Northern section are no exception. After contacting a helpful doctor at the Minneapolis Veteran Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Tony Stingley, USTA Northern Director of Diversity and Inclusion, was able to get the lines of communication open. He met with Angie Erickson at the Minneapolis VA Spinal Care Unit, who helped set up a meeting with therapists and counselors to discuss the benefits of including tennis in sports rehab programming, appropriate equipment adapted to the patients’ needs and their desire to expose patients to tennis as a lifelong sport.