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Neela W: A Story of Gratitude and Tennis Passion in the Mid-Atlantic

As we continue to celebrate 100 years of tennis in the Mid-Atlantic, we are forever reminded that this milestone would not be possible without the incredible people of the past and present day who embrace the mission, and embody our guiding pillars of community, character, and well-being through tennis. We are sharing and celebrating their stories, and the next one comes from Neela W. 

Neela is a sophomore in high school in Maryland. She plays tennis on her varsity team and trains at the 4 Star Tennis Academy. Neela recently became a volunteer with USTA Mid-Atlantic and offered her time to write a personal essay – in her own words – about what tennis means to her and how the sport impacts her life. 

For as long as I can remember, tennis has been a part of my life. Even before I was born, most of my family enjoyed playing tennis. While my grandpa loved playing for fun with my mom, my dad and aunt both played competitively. I began playing tennis with my dad when I was five years old. Tennis originally started as a fun hobby and a way to spend time with my father, but quickly grew into a more serious activity. By the time I turned nine, I was taking group lessons and playing competitive matches. By age 12, I played my first tournament.

The week leading up to my first tournament, I worked extremely hard with my dad and coach. I remember getting more and more nervous as the start day approached. However, the second I hit my first shot, my nerves started to subside. I ended up finishing second in the tournament as I won three out of four matches. After I exceeded my own expectations, I was truly hooked on the game. I planned to enter more tournaments the following summer. 

However, before I could register for summer tournaments, the pandemic happened. The whole world shut down, and as a result I could not play tennis. This was the first time tennis was taken away from me, as all the public tennis courts and training centers were closed. I could no longer go to a public park to play or even just hit on a concrete wall. Even though my tennis game suffered because of the lockdown, the real lesson I learned is not to take tennis for granted. Every day, being able to hit on the court is a privilege, and not something to be taken for granted.

Gratitude is ultimately what tennis means to me. I am lucky to be able to play this game. It is an absolute privilege to push myself every day in practice, constantly improve my game, and compete with other players. And although difficult, I try to let this lesson of gratitude spill over in other aspects of life. So for me, tennis is not just a sport, but a mindset. I really cannot imagine my life without tennis.

Stay up to date with USTA Mid-Atlantic’s Centennial Celebration by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

This year USTA Mid-Atlantic, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is celebrating 100 years of promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Get involved and show your support for the next 100 years of tennis. Learn about our impact in the region and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.

Building the Next 100 Years of Tennis!

USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation believes that tennis creates community. Tennis allows people to improve their physical health and wellness, mental development, social skills, teamwork, sportsmanship and so much more. The benefits of tennis are especially important for helping young people become active and healthy adults. And for 100 years, the mission to grow the sport has endured and is more important than ever.

However, the cost of tennis lessons, camp fees, or equipment can add up and become a barrier to accessing the sport. To help defray the costs associated with tennis, USTA Mid-Atlantic offers Junior Player Scholarships for applicants at every level of the sport. These scholarships are made possible by the generous gifts and donations from our tennis community. And the need in the tennis community is apparent with application submissions increasing significantly each year.

In 2021, USTA Mid-Atlantic introduced the Summer Smash Fundraising Challenge with proceeds benefiting the Junior Player Scholarship. This year, the goal was to raise $10,000 to help make more scholarships for youth tennis players available, thus provide the opportunity for them to develop a love and appreciation for tennis.

YOU SMASHED THE GOAL!

The 2023 Summer Smash Fundraising Challenge raised $16,250, exceeding the goal set. Additionally, of the Mid-Atlantic community members that participated, 74 percent were new supporters. 

Adding to this year’s success was a generous matching gift provided by an anonymous donor. This match was for first time Summer Smash donations or for increased gifts by those who participated in the 2022 Summer Smash Fundraising Challenge. This matching gift was critical to the overall success of the fundraising challenge and ability to smash the goal set. As evidenced by the increase in new supporters and numerous repeat supporters who increased their donations in 2023, this matching gift motivated and inspired everyone.

Congratulations to the following teams for raising the most money in the 2023 Summer Smash Fundraising Challenge:

1st Place: Heritage High School Boys & Girls Tennis Team led by Jennifer Parker

2nd Place: Tennis Angels led by Kelly Stanley 

3rd Place: Junior Scholarship Fundraising Team led by Amy O’Brien 

4th Place: Tynika Wilson

The top four teams who raised the most money had a chance to pick from an amazing list of prizes. The prizes included: 

  • A Mubadala Citi DC Open Experience: Included 15 tickets for the team to attend the 2023 event in Washington D.C.
  • Boar’s Head Resort: A two hour clinic for up to 8 players and beverages for after the clinic at Three Notch’d Brewery in Charlottesville. 
  • Dave Marshall Tennis Camp: A two hour clinic for up to 8 players in Rehoboth Beach  with a $25 Tennis Warehouse gift card. 
  • Wintergreen Resort: A two hour clinic for up to 8 players with team apparel from Thirty Love.  

USTA Mid-Atlantic is grateful for the generosity and support of all who participated in the 2023 Summer Smash Fundraising Challenge and our generous anonymous donor, especially during this special Centennial year. 

While the 2023 Summer Smash Fundraising Challenge is over, you can still make a gift to support scholarships and other programs in the Mid-Atlantic. Your gift can increase access to tennis so everyone, especially those in marginalized communities, can experience the benefits of the sport for the next 100 years.

Together, we continue to create community through tennis for all now and for the next 100 years!  

To stay up to date on all things tennis in the Mid-Atlantic make sure to follow USTA Mid-Atlantic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the region and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being. 

Teamwork in Individual Sports

The concepts of teamwork and individual sport seem logically incompatible. However, in recent times, the individual sport of tennis has speedily gathered a local, national and global community around it and an unshakable element of teamwork. 

In a sense, this individual sport has somewhat become a team sport. Now, it’s not just the individual professional player playing on the court; it’s their fans, supporters, professional coaches, trainers, mentors, association members, and community members behind the athlete. Similarly, in the community, it’s not just one tennis player on the court playing recreationally. It is the thousands and millions of players, teammates, coaches, tennis providers, organizers, team captains, supporters and others behind the entire tennis community in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. 

Tennis is the only one-on-one sport that simultaneously embodies teamwork.

A man playing tennis swinging a tennis racket.

Even looking at individual professional players and how they bring a global team of community, supporters, and corporate collaborations with them will show just how much the one-on-one sport has drastically changed. New professional tennis stars like Frances Tiafoe continue to gain massive market awareness almost instantaneously and go from single player on the court to tennis “team leader” with everyone present at the match. Established professional tennis stars like Serena Williams boast a community that reaches global locations. It’s not just Williams on the court; it’s the whole world watching her game.

In Double Tennis, Team-Based Play Makes This Individual Sport a Partnership 

At first, tennis was only a one-on-one sport until it later included doubles tennis. This team-based play is focused on teamwork in partnered sports and cooperation, coordination, timing and communication in full force among partners on the court. These partners no longer consider themselves individual players, but players who forge a strong relationship with another player. Together, they create teamwork that makes their dream of winning work.

Tennis Has Become a Community Outside of the Profession Too

Beyond The Match explains the teamwork aspect of this individual sport further, “Because tennis is unique in this regard, we wondered if something about the mindset of tennis fans was unique as well. And, as it turns out, tennis fans are especially inclined to embrace this community dynamic and happily lend their support to a striving champion.”  

Tennis fans, unlike other sporting fans, believe in tennis’ ability to help resolve problems at the community level. They believe in a professional tennis player’s ability to bring other diverse and different groups of people together for a greater cause. They believe the individual sport of tennis is capable of bringing teams together to help society and create a feeling of togetherness. It is this togetherness that is culturally important. This sense of belonging creates tennis events, associations, programs, and outreach opportunities that support, educate, uplift and empower others. 

Tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Creates Community 

As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work, and this is no different in the individual sport of tennis. Besides fans and supporters, those in the world of tennis continue to bring the masses into this individual game through tennis associations, clubs, after-school programs, volunteerism, educational programs, public parks, and recreation events.  

A black and white photo of photographers and fans watching a tennis match.

USTA Mid-Atlantic fosters social connections and uplifts neighborhoods and communities by creating fun tennis opportunities for all. Through the sport of tennis, individuals engage in physical activity, fulfill social and emotional needs and can achieve higher well-being. Plus, one can play tennis for a lifetime. When you become a part of the Mid-Atlantic tennis community, you will never be one individual on the court; your tennis friends will turn into your tennis family. 

“Tennis is supposed to be a fun activity, and it’s also a great way to network and build strong relationships,” said Michael Retta, USTA Mid-Atlantic tennis provider and coach. 

You will always have a team backing you up when you’re on the tennis court.  

This United Front Helps Tennis Move From the Court to Community to Collective Merchandise Too

The beautiful sport of tennis has the seamless ability to move from the court to the community and see community-building efforts, team efforts, affinity partners, and branding collaborations coming to life, creating and cementing a feeling of unity for the sport and the community. 

And when this happens, every sporting fan, supporter, tennis player and community member needs a unifying identity to go with it. 

Every Sporting Community and Player Needs a Fan Base and Unified Identity

If you’ve ever watched a game of tennis, witnessed tennis fans seated in the grandstands, met a popular tennis player or played tennis yourself, you would have noticed that these players come with branded merchandise. This branded merchandise, recognizable stickers, photographs and memorabilia is held close to the heart by fans and players of the sport. Together, every fan or player and their prized merchandise become a united front, a fan base of togetherness. 

A black and white photo of two men playing a game of tennis on the tennis court.

And as fan bases grow and national borders turn to global ones, the individual sport of tennis then becomes an international team sport for the betterment of all. And every player, supporter, professional coach, tennis provider, tennis organizer, team captain, volunteer, facility and trainer who gets involved in tennis will help spread the game. This, in turn, improves communities, schools, the health of individuals in society, and the quality of life all around the world. 

To be part of the teamwork that stands behind this individual sport, get involved at www.usta.com/welcometotennis. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps people and communities grow stronger, healthier, and more connected through tennis. Learn about our impact in the Section and how you can help bring tennis to more communities throughout the region.

FAQ

Q: How many players are on a tennis team?

A: Tennis is played with two players or four players.

Q: What six characteristics make an effective team player?

A: Flexibility, collaboration, active listening, problem-solving, effective communication and a positive attitude.

Q: How do team tennis matches work?

A: Each singles match counts as one point for the overall score, and the first team to reach four points wins the overall match. To win a college match, a team must win either two doubles and three singles matches, or four singles matches.

Q: Is tennis a good team sport?

A: Yes, it is! Tennis is a great team sport because it creates team-building skills and helps tennis players learn to play in classes or a group learning environment. Competitive tennis provides a great team atmosphere within an individual sport and builds a social network.

Q: Is tennis a group team sport?

A: Doubles tennis is considered a “team sport” where lifetime friendships are often made from playing this individual sport in a team setting.

This article was written by Daniel Climans from stickeryou and is featured on USTAMASBlog.com as a guest contributor.

How the Youth Player Scholarship Grew Thanks to the Summer Smash

At the beginning of the summer, we asked for all hands on deck to fundraise for youth players in the section through our Mid-Atlantic fundraising challenge, Summer Smash. We asked you to step up, team up, and help raise money to fund more scholarships for youth players that help cover tennis expenses and enable youth players to start – and stay – in tennis. 

Earlier in 2022, USTA Mid-Atlantic received an overwhelming number of applications for scholarships, more than we had ever received in prior years. The scholarship funding, which is supported by generous gifts made by the tennis community, was fully exhausted as we awarded funds to as many applicants in need as possible. And there were many more youth players that still needed help. 

Growing tennis for all individuals and increasing access to the sport helps introduce tennis to players that may not have had the opportunity to participate. It opens the doors to potential pathways for success and personal growth. This is especially important among youth and in areas where resources are limited. The USTA Mid-Atlantic Junior Player Scholarship helps fill in the gaps to keep tennis expenses lower.  With so many applicants seeking help from the scholarship fund, we knew we had to do something to answer their call. 

That is why we needed YOU in the Summer Smash.

This year’s Summer Smash challenge brought together friends, family, and even old teammates for a summer full of fundraising! Six teams got their communities and networks to raise money toward the fundraiser for scholarships. 

The goal was to raise $5,000 to fund more youth player scholarships and respond to the growing need among players and their families/caregivers. In the end that goal was smashed, and the total amount raised was $8,534! We expect to be able to award at least 20 additional players with scholarships this year! 

“I am really grateful for my teammates and friends that wanted to support the scholarship program,” said the leader of the top fundraising team, Amy O’Brien. “I want someone that does not have the same opportunity to play tennis to have a chance to play in a sport that can be life changing.”

The dedication from all of the teams to raise funds and the generous gifts the teams received make it possible that more youth can apply for and receive scholarships for tennis. It means that more youth in the Mid-Atlantic will ultimately continue their journey in tennis, experiencing the life-long benefits from the game. 

So, let’s congratulate the teams who smashed the 2022 Summer Smash fundraising goal: 

  • 1st Place: Amy O’Brien’s Team
  • 2nd Place: Chris Lee’s Team “Leegal Eagles” 
  • 3rd Place: Tynika Wilson’s Team

Each winner received various prizes including:

1st Place: Citi Open Team Experience! Included 15 tickets for the team to attend the 2022 Citi Open in Washington, DC.

2nd Place: A set of custom tennis shirts for the entire team and customized team cooler from the Spoiled Office AND a 2-hour tennis clinic for 12 at The Boar’s Head Resort. 

3rd Place: Included 15 $50 Gift Cards to TennisTopia, one for each member of the team AND a 2-hour tennis clinic for 12 at Wintergreen Resort.  

Thank you to all individuals who participated, and all who made gifts to support the fundraising challenge. YOU are the reason more young people can participate in tennis. 

Looking to join in on the fun?

The next fundraising challenge will take place in 2023.

While this challenge may be over for now, you can still make a gift to support scholarships and other programs that help make tennis accessible to all in the Mid-Atlantic. When you make a gift you help tennis create community, character and well-being among all people for years to come. 

If you’re looking for more ways to get involved, we have plenty of additional ways to play so you can leave your mark today!

To stay up to date on all things tennis in the Mid-Atlantic make sure to follow USTA Mid-Atlantic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. USTA Mid-Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the Section and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.

How Tennis Can Help You Honor Your Mental Health Year-round

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a great time to familiarize yourself with education and awareness on the topic. Taking care of your mental well-being and speaking out about mental health should be and can be honored year round. At USTA Mid-Atlantic, we believe tennis has the ability to foster character, community, and well-being for every individual. Part of the well-being aspect of tennis is social, emotional and mental health benefits. 

Professional players such as Naomi Osaka have spoken out about just how important it is to take care and acknowledge the state of your mental well-being and shedding light on how it’s okay to just take a break sometimes. According to the Physician and Sportsmedicine Journal Vol 37, when participating in tennis, “Regular participants experience a wide variety of health-related physical and mental benefits, from improved cardiovascular, metabolic, and bone health to improved agility, coordination, and even stress and anxiety management.” 

The benefits tennis has on your mental and physical well-being don’t stop there either. “Since tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking, it may generate new connections between nerves in the brain and thus promote a lifetime of continuing development of the brain, reported scientists at the University of Illinois.” Through a multitude of studies conducted, check out this list of 34 specific benefits on how tennis is a lifetime sport for ALL ages! 

Tennis is a sport that caters to all ages and abilities and USTA MAS strives to make tennis as accessible to every community as possible. As we recognize Mental Health Awareness month (and national physical fitness and sports month), we are serving up a few ideas for ways you can get into tennis and hopefully experience the well-being benefits the sport provides. 

Ways to get out on the Mid-Atlantic courts this season:

  1. Join a USTA MAS League
    Finding your place on court to play and compete can be just what you need to bust the stress.  Check out our step by step guide to become a USTA Mid-Atlantic adult league player. Still need a little more assistance? Check out Tennis Connect and we will help you find the right match for a team in your area or contact Leagues@mas.usta.com for more information on adult tennis opportunities.
  2. Join a Flex League
    Have a busy schedule? Flex Leagues are a great way to still join in on the fun all the while fitting your time on court into your own day! You choose the location, date, and time to play your matches so you can still curate that healthy balance in your life. 
  3. Recreational Play
    Tennis can be a method of relaxation and not just for competition. Looking to brush up on your skills? Or are you looking to get your family involved in the fun? Recreational play is a great way to just find your passion in tennis and the ability to learn something new! 

Taking care of your mental health can look different for each person. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to expressing yourself. Tennis is meant to be a fun sport that gives you lasting experiences you can enjoy! If you are looking for more resources on mental health, USTA has several articles for both adults and youth players. 

Jack Groppel & Nicholas DiNubile (2009) Tennis: For the Health of It!, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 37:2, 40-50, DOI: 10.3810/psm.2009.06.1708

To stay up to date on all things tennis in the Mid-Atlantic make sure to follow USTA Mid-Atlantic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the Section and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.