More Ways to Succeed with Your Tennis Team

Fundraising Challenges Offer a New Way to Compete

USTA Mid-Atlantic introduced the first fundraising challenge for the tennis community – the Summer Smash – in 2021 as a way for teams to come together to raise money to support tennis in local communities and the vital work USTA Mid-Atlantic does as a non-profit to make tennis the most accessible sport in the region and bring the life-long benefits of tennis to everyone.

USTA Mid-Atlantic tennis league championship

This fundraising challenge brought tennis friends together to give back and do something actionable and meaningful together for a good cause. Individuals and teams came together to rally their communities and networks to donate. As the fundraising went on top achievers earned badges and prizes both as individuals and as a team.

So who stepped up and smashed the 2021 Summer Smash Fundraising Challenege?

Congratulations to the top THREE fundraisers:

1st Place: Robin Sanford
2nd Place: Jenny Hein
3rd Place: Joshua Padgett

*One prize pack that was given to the winners of the Summer Smash Challenge*

Thank you to Community Event Partner, Ruger’s Wafers LLC for sponsoring the 2021 challenge! Thank you to our partners for supporting the challenge with prizes and SWAG for the top fundraisers!

Doukenie Winery
Hit Happy
Marriott Newport News City Center
M. Price Distributing Company
Ruger’s Wafers LLC
Tennis Warehouse
The Spoiled Office
TopCourt
Vitalyte
Wilson

The next fundraising challenge will be in spring 2022.

You may be wondering why you should participate in something like this.

Here are a few reasons to participate in a tennis fundraising challenge:

It feels good to do something good. We can all use a little bit of feeling good right now. When your team or friends (or even if you are on your own) participate in the challenge you can feel good knowing that you are helping others in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia experience tennis and the benefits of the sport. Many people don’t have access to tennis and your fundraising will help change that.
Your raised funds will really help. The money you raise will make it easier for someone to learn or play tennis just like you. You will be lowering the barriers to entry and will help make tennis more accessible in communities that are under-resourced.
Competition. Friendly competition on the tennis courts is fun, and now fundraising for tennis gives you a chance to get competitive off the court too. There are challenge levels to hit and unlock badges, prizes to earn, and you could WIN big by going big with your efforts. Be a winner!

Now we know you all love a good challenge and great competition (and probably want to WIN!) so to have success we’ve put together five tips for a successful fundraiser.

Make your first donation to your page, $5, $10, $25 or more is a great way to get started and show others you really care.
Invite your fellow tennis players to join your fundraising team so that together you can reach your goal.
Share your fundraising page with family and friends and ask them to help you reach your goal.
Share your page in a text message, on your Facebook page or Instagram page or even send an email! Friends help friends that ask!
Send thank you notes to all who donate to your page and let them know they are helping to change lives through the sport of tennis!

How to get started?

When we have a fundraising challenge, it is easy to join in and set up your fundraising page and/or team. Follow these steps:

USTA Mid-Atlantic League women's team photo

Click the sign up button on the top right side of the fundraising challenge event page. We will provide a link when the challenge is announced.
Choose whether you want to fundraise as an individual or start a team.
Personalize your page with your tennis story, photos and videos.
Ask your friends and tennis teammates to join your team; you can send them a custom link to sign up on your dashboard.
Share your fundraising page with friends and family asking them to support you so that more people can experience the benefits of tennis.

Questions? Contact Catie Dugan Vargas, associate director of development, cvargas@mas.usta.com.

USTA Mid-Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. We envision a community where tennis is accessible and available for all people to play. USTA Mid-Atlantic has wide-reaching impact. We operate leagues, tournaments and other programs and events throughout the region for over 28,000 adult and youth members. We support the community providers, facilities and coaches that directly deliver the sport. The many health and social benefits of tennis have made it more popular than ever, and USTA Mid-Atlantic’s programs and outreach are rising to meet that demand. Click here to read the additional terms and conditions for the Summer Smash Fundraising event.

Tennis Obsession in Middle Schools in the Mid-Atlantic

When you are a middle-schooler there are lots of different things to be obsessed with: the latest fashion trend, that post on social media, the hottest music, hilarious memes and so much more that dominate the world of tweens and teens of today. For some middle-schoolers in the Mid-Atlantic region, they are adding a different obsession to their list – tennis.

As thousands of children participate in USTA Mid-Atlantic youth after school tennis in elementary schools and progress through the program, many are taking their tennis skills with them into middle school. And many middle-schoolers are finding their love for tennis for the first time too. That’s why USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, began after school tennis in area middle schools to introduce the sport to more kids, and give those that have been playing an outlet to continue to pursue their game. It is fundamental to the mission of USTA Mid-Atlantic to offer programs such as these and, thanks to the support of donations, it enables us to offer them in a way that reduces barriers and makes tennis more accessible to all kids.

middle-school-club-320x195 In one local middle school in Loudoun County, Va., participants in the after school tennis program saw a new potential in themselves they never knew existed. Week after week, their tennis skills improved and they were becoming more confident in their game, so much so they set a goal to get to the next level – the high school tennis team.

But to do that, they knew they would need to work hard and take their practice further.

With the encouragement of their after school tennis coaches and USTA Mid-Atlantic, they created their own tennis club team. So far, more than 65 middle school youth have participated in the middle school tennis club.

The club meets on Sundays for two hours and the focus is advancing the kids’ fundamentals of tennis strokes followed by team activities and matches. This allows the participants to bridge the gap between their learn-to-play experience and competition in a fun, low-pressure setting.

And the work is paying off.

Some of the middle school club members had the confidence to enter their first entry level USTA Junior Tournament this past spring, several practiced throughout the summer on a weekly basis, and some have continued to hone their skills with additional lessons.

New shirts for the USTA Mid-Atlantic middle school club team

And now with school back in session, the club is practicing regularly. Recently this fall, 18 tennis club players from two different middle schools played each other in a friendly round robin competition in both singles and doubles matches. Using their improved skills from all the practice sessions, they were able to complete matches and see all their hard work come together in real match play experiences. At the end of the day, the players and coaches talked about the highs and lows of match play and shared best practices with their biggest takeaway – you must get your serve in! They celebrated their success with new team t-shirts and popsicles; a perfect ending to a good day on the tennis court.

For all of the middle school tennis club participants, learning the sport and playing in a team setting is proving to be a powerful experience that is inspiring them to do more and to discover a new talent, maybe even an obsession, with tennis.

USTA Mid-Atlantic wants to bring the power of tennis to more middle school students and children all across our region this school year through after school programs, but we need help to make this happen.

As the school year is just getting underway, your gift can make an immediate difference. Importantly, you can double your gift when you give thanks to an anonymous donor matching all donations up to $10,000 in 2019.

You can help change lives through the power of the USTA Mid-Atlantic after school tennis program. Give today.

USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, Inc. is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 54-1472806. All donations made to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Inc. are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

A Reason Why

We caught up with David K., an active donor to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, and talked to him about his reasons why he supports the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section.

How long have you been playing tennis? What do you love about the sport?

David K.: I started playing tennis in my teens, then later while I was in the U.S. Air Force in Berlin, Germany. Following my military service, I attended college and went to work as a defense contractor from which I was deployed to many locations throughout the world. No matter where you go, no matter what country; no matter the environment, you can always find someone who plays tennis. If you cannot find a court, there is always a wall to practice on. In 2018 I decided to try refereeing. This has proven to be a great way to stay in the game and help our youth, plus the referee has the best seat in the house! You can’t get any closer to good tennis!

Why do you choose to donate to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section?

David K.: I like to support organizations that I know will put donations to good use and I like to help the youth of today become our leaders for tomorrow.

Do you feel you are helping make a difference? How?

David K.: Being a referee in the Mid-Atlantic Section, one has the opportunity to see first hand where the donations go as well as watching our youth compete and improve their skills.

You can show support and directly impact and improve access to tennis for all people in the Mid-Atlantic region by making a tax-deductible donation to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section.

Already a donor? What are your reasons why you support USTA Mid-Atlantic? Get in touch and share your “why.” We’d love to feature your story too!

Make a Difference: Try a Facebook Fundraiser for USTA Mid-Atlantic

The Mid-Atlantic tennis community has one thing in common – a passion and love for the sport of tennis that is so infectious you cant help but want to play the sport! Meet any Mid-Atlantic tennis player and they will share all the reasons why tennis is so great, and then they will recruit you to play on their team too!

It is this passion for tennis and influence that is so inspiring.

As a non-profit organization, USTA Mid-Atlantic depends on this enthusiasm – and generous gifts – to help us achieve our mission to promote and develop the growth of tennis. We aim to make tennis the most accessible sport in the region and our highest priority is to introduce tennis to ALL.

Our outreach programs bring the sport to kids who may not ever have the opportunity to pick up a racquet. These programs are directly provided or supported by grant funding from USTA Mid-Atlantic and need support to grow to reach even more children so they can gain the benefits that only tennis can deliver.

This is where the Mid-Atlantic tennis community enthusiasm, creativity and passion can come in! We know there are many tennis players and enthusiasts that want to do more to support the mission. So here is a way you can get involved…

Rally your friends and family through a Facebook Fundraiser!

By doing a Facebook Fundraiser in support of the USTA Mid-Atlantic you help put a racquet in the hands of a child, and help connect them with a sport for life! Facebook fundraisers are really easy to do and can be done to celebrate your birthday, a special occasion or just to do something good!

Here are 3 easy steps to getting your Facebook fundraiser off the ground!

Visit our USTA Mid-Atlantic Facebook Page and “like” our page!
Click “Create Fundraiser” on our page or follow this link (https://www.facebook.com/fund/ustamas/) and follow the steps to create your own personalized Facebook Fundraising Page!
Share your fundraiser with friends and family by inviting them from your friends list!

Just getting 10 friends to give $10 equates to $100 to support local tennis outreach programs in the Mid-Atlantic and that will make a big difference in building community, character, and well-being for all.

Doing good can be easy, fun and feels great! Give a Facebook fundraiser a try!