USTA Florida Expands Groundbreaking HBCU Support Initiative

USTA Florida has announced a new partnership with SPORTx at Arizona State University to enable students at three Florida Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to develop and deliver innovative technology that serves competitive tennis at all levels.

The partnership follows the successful participation of six HBCU student-athletes at the ASU+GSV Summit in April, where representatives from Edward Waters University, Florida A&M University, and a team of industry leaders engaged with HBCU Presidents and innovators in EdTech in San Diego, California.

“This partnership is an exciting next step in our ongoing commitment to develop best-in-class tennis programs at our HBCUs in Florida. More importantly, this program will help us develop the next great leaders in our entire tennis industry,” said Dana Andrews, Past President of USTA Florida and Chair of the Advocacy Advisory Team.

Photo credit: USTA Florida

USTA Florida officially launched its HBCU Tennis Program Grant last October at Edward Waters University in Jacksonville. It followed with grants to FAMU in Tallahassee last December and to Bethune-Cookman University this past February. All three schools have committed a portion of the grant funds to upgrade their tennis facilities and make their tennis programs a focal point for their sports departments.

Following the grant awards, USTA Florida sponsored the first-ever HBCU Summit at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego last April. The focus of that event was bringing student-athletes from HBCUs together with world-class tech and business leaders to share what the future of innovation might look like.

Photo credit: USTA Florida

“Meeting leaders from ASU at the Summit in April led us to explore a vision where our student-athletes would be able to work collaboratively on a project to solve key problems in our industry. ASU and SPORTx were natural partners for this work, given they already were working to foster student-athletes as entrepreneurs and have vast experience in developing AI-driven tools,” said Laura Bowen, Executive Director of USTA Florida. “The timing could not have been better.”

“This collaboration is a perfect example of how sport can serve as a catalyst for innovation and learning. By combining the entrepreneurial foundation of Arizona State University’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute with hands-on application through SPORTx, we’re equipping student-athletes to think creatively, leverage emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, and turn their ideas into actionable solutions,” said Jeff Kunowski, Founding Director of SPORTx at ASU. “It’s about preparing them not just for success in sport, but for leadership and impact long after their playing days.”

The USTA Florida + SPORTx at ASU partnership is designed to be a six-month, hands-on learning experience for a cohort of nine students from HBCUs in Florida. SPORTx at Arizona State University will serve as the primary conduit for the program, bringing its deep experience in empowering athletes as entrepreneurs and innovators.

The program will be supported by facilitators from ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, as well as experts from ASU’s AI Advancement team. Together, they will guide students through a series of virtual sessions focused on business fundamentals, artificial intelligence development, and go-to-market strategy.

The experience will also include a hands-on workshop led by USTA Florida, designed to challenge participants to apply their learning to real-world problems in the tennis industry. The program will conclude with two pitch opportunities in the spring, where students will present their solutions to investors and industry leaders.

Photo credit: USTA Florida

USTA Florida expects this partnership to lead to additional opportunities to partner with other HBCUs across the nation. In fact, the organization has already connected with universities in other states to discuss how they might also partner with USTA to add or amplify their tennis programs and facilities.

“Our vision is to give these students the tools to create something unique that is viable in the market and that they can own for the long term. This type of innovation is needed in our business, and we absolutely need bright young people at the table to move us all forward,” added Andrews.

For more information on the work USTA Florida is doing to support and amplify tennis programs at HBCUs in Florida, visit www.ustaflorida.com/amplify.

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Courtesy of USTA Florida. Top photo credit: USTA Florida.