USTA Florida honors Jim Martz with Media Excellence Award

Last week, USTA Florida held a 75th Anniversary celebration event in Tampa to introduce its new board, feature guest speakers, host panel discussions, and provide a look at the impact of tennis throughout the state. As part of the gathering, USTA Florida also honored an esteemed group of award winners.

Florida Tennis was invited to attend the event and it was both meaningful, memorable, and extremely emotional — in short, it was a great honor to be there. Why? USTA Florida renamed their Media Excellence Award moving forward calling it the "Jim Martz Media Excellence Award" and honoring its first winner — the late Jim Martz.

Above: USTA Florida pays tribute to Jim Martz. Source: USTA Florida.

In paying tribute, USTA Florida stated, "The late Jim Martz, a legendary tennis journalist, was honored by having the USTA Florida Section Media Excellence Award named in his memory. This year, he was also chosen to be given the Media Excellence Award for his lasting impact on the sport.

As the founder of Florida Tennis magazine, Jim chronicled Florida’s tennis scene for over 30 years. He was a well-respected writer for the Miami Herald and contributed to numerous publications. Jim’s work earned him national recognition, including induction into the Miami-Dade County Tennis Hall of Fame. His legacy lives on through his insightful writing and mentorship of future generations of tennis journalists."

Above: So proud to stand with Jim's nephew A.J. and sister Sue Schmidt, along with USTA Florida Board Member Adam Ross. Source: USTA Florida.

To accept the award, Jim's sister Sue Schmidt and nephew A.J. were in attendance. On stage, Sue remarked, "I am beyond grateful to the USTA Florida family as you celebrate your 75th anniversary and for bestowing this honor on my brother today. Thank you. Most award winners probably would not say, 'good job picking me.' But I can say it. You did a great job picking Jim. I wish he were here to receive it himself."

A.J. also spoke with pride about Jim and many in the crowd (including myself) got tears in their eyes. It was a beautiful night. USTA Florida Board Member and Florida Tennis contributor, Adam Ross, helped create an incredibly supportive experience for the family while also feeling such immense emotions. I'm so grateful to the entire, extended team at USTA Florida for taking time to remember such a giant in the world of tennis — and the best mentor I've ever known.

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Written by Matt Pressman, Editor and Publisher of Florida Tennis. Top photo: Jim Martz's sister, Sue Schmidt (middle) surrounded by Jim's nephew A.J. (left) and USTA Florida President Phil Girardi (right). Source: USTA Florida.