Established in 1949, USTA Florida celebrates 75 years as an organization in 2024. USTA Florida is thrilled to announce details on how the Florida tennis community can celebrate the building blocks of the sport in the state, the progress that has been made up until today, and the great strides the community can make in the future to continue to build upon the Section’s impressive legacy.  

“The 75th anniversary celebration is a time for us all to get together to commemorate the great history of this organization,” said Phil Girardi, USTA Florida Board President. “This isn’t just a celebration about our past, but looking forward to the next 75 years.”  

USTA Florida recognizes that there are many locations where tennis has thrived over the past 75 years. To honor those locations and the countless number of them around the state, the organization has compiled a list of iconic tennis parks, locations, and venues across the state that have been crucial in growing Florida tennis. “As a section, we need to remember who we are, where we came from, and honor our past,” Girardi added. 

These locations are viewable virtually or visitors can traverse the state and stop by each location along the Florida Tennis Trail, gathering insight into the sport’s rich influence on the state at each stop. 

If a location is missing on the list that has impacted the tennis community in a positive way, those can be submitted for addition to the Trail. By filling out this form, all submissions have a chance to be added to the historic tennis trail map. 

To add to the year of celebration, USTA Florida will be holding in-person events to honor a few of the Florida Tennis Trail locations that have been vital to the success of grassroots tennis in the state. More details on those events will come in 2024. 

To bring the party to everyone across the state, providers and organizers can receive and utilize USTA Florida’s 75th Anniversary Event Kit.  

The Event Kit includes: Mesh Fence Banner, Event Towel, Stickers, Voucher for USTA Florida Swag, Florida Tennis Trail poster, USTA Florida Partner information and special offers. Virtual tools such as Celebration Event Ideas, Save the Date Templates, Press Release Templates, Marketing Best Practices, Celebration Spotify Playlist, and more.  

Event Kits will be available for up to 500 organizations. Interested in hosting a 75th Anniversary Celebration event? Sign up now to receive an Event Kit. Public Parks/Municipalities, Schools (Elementary through College), private tennis clubs/resorts, and non-for-profit organizations such as NJTLs, are eligible to sign up to receive these Event Kits as of today. The first boxes will be shipped in 2024.   

USTA Florida is also hosting four separate major in-person celebrations across the state and throughout the year. Those events will be hosted in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tallahassee with the dates to come in 2024. 

“From our providers to our players to our volunteers, the people are what make Florida tennis so special, so vibrant, so amazing. We want to share in the celebration with all of you.” said Laura Bowen, USTA Florida Executive Director.  

An online store has been set up to purchase special edition merchandise for the Florida tennis community to represent the impact of Florida tennis and honor the 75th anniversary. Purchase t-shirts, polos, hats, backpacks, and much more, all branded with the special edition 75th logo. 

“We should celebrate 75 years to honor those leaders of the past, to celebrate the staff and volunteers that we have now, and to encourage those to have a heart for service to be with us in the future,” said Dana Andrews, former USTA Florida Board President and current Delegate. 

This is more than just a celebration of the history of USTA Florida and the community, it’s all about advocacy for the sport in the state. The organization is determined to fuel the future of Florida tennis through each component of this celebration. 

To help make a change in the future of tennis, the USTA Florida Foundation is launching “$75K for 75 years of Florida Tennis” campaign, beginning on January 1, 2024. Every donation will help make the next 75 years even better. For more information, visit ustafloridafoundation.com. 

Stay updated on everything related to the 75th Anniversary of Florida tennis by subscribing to the exclusive newsletter. The organization will be sending updates for the in-person celebrations, historic recognition events, and more.  Also, visit the 75th Anniversary hub, which will feature any updates (ustaflorida.com/75th-anniversary). 

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Written by: Jaret Kappelman, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for USTA Florida. Be sure to check out USTA Florida, the governing body of amateur tennis in Florida, offering tennis programs for all ages and ability levels. Photos and videos courtesy of USTA Florida.