Last weekend USTA Florida (United States Tennis Association-Florida Section) held their Annual Awards & Volunteer Celebration Weekend in Orlando, bringing together over 200 tennis professionals and organizations from around the state for educational sessions and to recognize Florida’s top tennis volunteers. Roger Scott Tennis Center along with two of the facility’s volunteers were recognized by USTA Florida’s Executive Committee for outstanding leadership and community outreach.
The Roger Scott Tennis Center received the 2015 Member Organization of the Year Award which is given to the member organization that best exemplifies service to the community, service to its members through junior and adult programs, and service to the game of tennis.
In addition to running a full slate of USTA programs and tournaments for juniors and adults, the Roger Scott Tennis Center helps to raise over $100,000 each year through charity tennis tournaments and events for organizations benefitting citizens in Pensacola. Just in the past year Roger Scott Tennis Center has hosted numerous events to benefit breast cancer support, autism, inner-city schools, foster children, and developmentally-delayed children and adults in the community. Their community outreach program, Tennis-4-Everyone, provides tennis instruction and academic tutoring throughout the school year and at summer camps in inner-city communities.
Roger Scott Tennis Center is also a strong supporter of local high school tennis teams which benefit from court time for practices and matches, availability for hosting district and regional high school tournaments, and training camps during the off season.
Also a recipient of the same award from USTA Florida in 2007, Roger Scott Tennis Center received the Tennis Industry Association National Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year Award in 2011 for its excellence in service to the tennis community. In essence you could say that the Roger Scott Tennis Center was recognized again by USTA Florida this year, not just for growing tennis in Pensacola, but for lifting up the Pensacola community.
In addition to the Roger Scott Tennis Center, USTA Florida recognized two of Pensacola’s own volunteers, Terry Thrash, USTA Florida Volunteer of the Year and Tara Dominguez, USTA Florida Junior Team Tennis Volunteer of the Year for their commitment to building a thriving tennis community in Pensacola.
Thrash, serves as the current president of the Greater Pensacola Tennis Association, USTA Florida’s Escambia County community representative, and a USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) certified volunteer on-court instructor at 10 and under events, working primarily with children from low-income families. As Escambia County’s USTA representative, Thrash keeps a local database to inform local players about play opportunities, events, and news from the professional side of tennis. In May, Thrash headed up a local USTA Florida Team-Up event to introduce new players to the sport and give returning players the opportunity to re-enter the game through the lower levels of USTA league play.
Dominguez, known as “The Tennis Lady” to kids in Pensacola has been taking team tennis to a new level here in the Florida panhandle. She coordinates the 10 and Under Tennis program for the region. Working with multiple schools and facilities over the past six seasons, Dominguez is reaching over 150 kids each session of Junior Team Tennis. It was not even one of her job requirements to organize a junior team tennis league but seeing the lack of opportunities drove her to push for an organized program for teams in junior tennis. Now Dominguez organizes two 6-8 week seasons annually by recruiting school and facility teams, overseeing the selection of players and team captains, and supporting teams at their matches.
For more information about the Roger Scott Tennis Center and programs visit them online at www.rogerscotttennis.com or call 850-912-4103.