FORMER COLLEGIATE PLAYER, TEACHING PRO, COACH
Emillia Viljoen has been named USTA Southern Tennis Service Representative – Mississippi, USTA Southern Executive Director and COO John Callen announced today.
Viljoen has served as a long-time tennis professional and coach while living in Jackson, Miss. She was certified as a USPTA Elite Professional in 2003 and taught at The Country Club of Jackson until 2008. At that time she started a tennis company that taught tennis to after-school centers and preschools, and worked as a part-time coach at Courthouse Racquet & Fitness/UMC Wellness Center.
In every year since 2011, she led St. Andrews High School to an AAA state championship as head coach. Additionally, she has captained two USTA Junior Team Tennis squads that advanced to USTA national championships.
A native of Pretoria, South Africa, Viljoen played tennis at the University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology, where she graduated with a degree in Computer Science. She served as a club committee and volunteer league coordinator at the Belgrave Tennis Club in Pretoria.
After immigrating to the United States in 1995, she began playing on USTA League teams and in USTA tournaments. She has represented her state on teams competing for the USTA Southern Senior Cup, which draws the top adult players in the nine-state section.
“We are very fortunate to add a person who possesses an in-depth, first-hand knowledge of tennis in Mississippi,” said Callen. “Emillia’s work in tennis clubs and as a coach and player involved with USTA programs and tournaments are invaluable assets.”
“I’m excited to take on this new position to help grow and serve tennis in Mississippi,” Viljoen added.
The tennis service representative position, which was created in 2005, functions within USTA Southern’s Programs and Player Development Department. The TSR team’s goal is to increase participation in tennis by promoting, developing and servicing tennis programs in assigned areas through the establishment of strong relationships with local tennis facilities, industry organizations and non-tennis entities. While South Carolina has two (part-time) TSRs and Georgia has two (one with administrative duties), the section’s seven other states are covered by one. USTA Southern also employs an Hispanic Outreach TSR.