The USTA has announced that the Western Wake Tennis Association of Cary, N.C., was selected as the Community Tennis Association (CTA) of the Year. The organization was honored at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting, Sept. 3-6 in New York City.
Pictured above, left to right, are: Maria Reier, Vice President Jena Hill, Excecutive Director Laura Weygandt, Vice President Cindy Dreikosen, Past President Donna Gast and Vice President Holly Haney.
WWTA is a non-profit, USTA-registered community tennis association serving the western region of Wake County in North Carolina and includes the towns of Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Holly Springs. Their mission is to grow tennis awareness in the communities they serve by facilitating adult, junior and special needs leagues, programs, and tournaments. WWTA continually works with USTA, local tennis organizations, facilities, clubs, schools and local government municipalities to respond to the needs of their tennis community and environment.
WWTA has seen a tremendous growth in adult league participation of over 600 percent since the CTA’s inception in 2002. They have had over 8,200 registrants in 2015 USTA Leagues, a nine percent increase from the prior year. Early Spring USTA 2016 numbers already indicate a growth of three percent, with registration still ongoing. Junior Team Tennis has seen almost a 25 percent growth from 2014 to 2015 with expansion plans for 2016.
“The Western Wake Tennis Association defines what it means to be a great CTA,” said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Executive of Community Tennis. “The WWTA is instrumental in growing and sustaining a vibrant tennis community in the area. We are proud to honor the organization’s leaders and many volunteers with this well-deserved award.”
The USTA CTA of the Year Award was established in 2002 to honor a CTA for outstanding service in growing and developing the sport of tennis in its community. The award recipient is selected from 17 nominees, one from each of the USTA sections, by a panel of USTA Community Tennis Association Development Committee members.
The USTA Semi-Annual Meeting and Conference brings together USTA Leadership, national staff, national committee members and section volunteers and staff in pursuit of the USTA mission: To promote and develop the growth of tennis. Along with leadership and committee meetings, the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting provides education opportunities for all attendees to develop and enhance their personal and professional skills and learn new ways to promote the game of tennis.