1

2012 Annual Report

2

Executive Director Report Submitted by Mike Goldammer

Our Mission: To promote and develop the growth of tennis Our Vision: Provide access to tennis programming for all people in USTA Northern and create opportunities to enjoy the social, physical and health benefits provided by the sport of tennis. Our Core Values: Our core values constitute the fundamental beliefs of the organization. While goals present a clear direction, core values serve as our compass.

Accountability: Section staff and volunteers accept responsibility and accountability for how their actions support the mission. Commitment and Teamwork: The Section is committed to its mission and believes that mission can best be achieved through the efforts of volunteers, staff and strategic partners working as a team. Inclusiveness: USTA Northern actively seeks to include all people who play, watch, support, and/or enjoy the game of tennis in its events, programs, membership, leadership, and activities on a non-discriminatory basis. Integrity: We are committed to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and ethics. Service: The Section will continually strive for excellence and is dedicated to providing outstanding service and value.

Our Strategic Priorities:

Community Tennis - USTA Northern at all levels will work to increase overall tennis participation in the Section as well as participation in USTA Northern flagship programs. Progress will be measured against annually pre-determined objectives.

• Strengthen the tennis infrastructure and delivery system targeting

facilities, coaches, teaching professionals, organizers and programs. • Develop consistent marketing communications that promote the

benefits of tennis and increase the awareness of USTA Northern programs and services for the purpose of driving tennis participation and membership.

3

• Ensure that USTA Northern programs, services and play formats are relevant and available to everyone.

• Build strong collaborations with local communities, allied partners and

local providers.

• Increase diversity among players, providers, volunteers and staff. People/Resources/Structure - USTA Northern must have a talented, fully engaged and focused volunteer and staff corps.

• Attract and retain visionary volunteers, Board members and staff at every level.

• Differentiate and respect the roles of volunteers and staff and create

organizational synergy through volunteer and staff teamwork.

• Require focused councils and committees with clear responsibilities that utilize the unique skills of the volunteers.

• Create short-term, time-and-task specific opportunities to enable

increased involvement for volunteers (young people, professionals, business executives) who have limited time to contribute.

• Provide the risk-tolerant environment necessary to move into new

areas best able to grow and promote tennis.

• Develop a program to identify volunteer and member value-added contributions (e.g. through their day jobs).

Fiscal Responsibility - USTA Northern cannot achieve its goals without sound financial footing from day-to-day management to long-term planning that should be in line with the strategic planning process.

• Ensure proper and updated financial controls and procedures are in place.

• Ensure current and financial health of the Section.

• Undertake a more inclusive and transparent budgeting processes to

ensure broader buy-in from all volunteer leadership and staff.

• Conduct periodic reviews of resource allocation.

• Yearly reviews of current programming to ensure relevance against the mission and examine the effectiveness and value of every program.

4

• Continuously monitor investments to protect our short-term and long-term reserves.

Diversity and Inclusion - Diversity allows us to touch “All of our Section” and Inclusion allows “All of our Section” to touch us. How we define Diversity is the collective mixture of our human and organizational assets characterized by our similarities and differences. Inclusion is leveraging the power of diversity in a respectful environment that encourages all to participate and contribute to further our mission.

• The Section will achieve diversity and inclusion in programs, volunteers, staff and membership that reflect the demographics of USTA Northern.

• Encourage organizational members and partners to adopt diversity as

a priority.

• Expect that every Section leader include diversity objectives in their business planning process.

• Build a culture that respects, values and celebrates diversity.

• Serve as a model organization for all others who aspire to an inclusive

environment. Player Development - USTA Northern is committed to and responsible for the development of players to be champions at all levels. • Support and improve junior programs, tournaments and collegiate play.

• In collaboration with Community Tennis, increase efforts to identify

outstanding young athletes and encourage them to play tennis, and nurture more players to play more often.

• Create and maintain strategic partnerships with coaches, pro and

facilities to help in the further development of the junior competitive player.

• Provide ongoing education for parents, coaches and players on the

USTA Northern junior tennis pathway and collegiate opportunities.

• Provide a pathway for USTA Northern juniors from all backgrounds to achieve the highest level of success possible.

5

2012 Adult Competition Submitted by Nancy Lundberg, Kelley Okerman & Carol Thies

USTA League: The Section had 9,143 men and women participating in Adult, Senior, Mixed, Senior Mixed, Super Senior, NTRP Doubles and Combo USTA League tennis programs in 2012. This is a 2.29% increase from 2011.

2008-12 Participation Bismarck Duluth Eau Claire Fargo Rapid City 2008 88 133 123 91 123 2009 20 126 98 87 139 2010 46 59 73 70 86 2011 89 34 91 113 74 2012 105 56 41 69 109 Rochester Sioux Falls Twin Cities Washburn TOTAL 2008 526 0 7,452 40 8,576 2009 550 27 7,229 37 8,313 2010 557 0 7,794 57 8,742 2011 575 7 7,938 17 8,938 2012 696 0 8,054 13 9,143

2008-12 Retention Unique

Players New

Players Lost Players Retention 2008 4,159 1,312 1,107 72% 2009 4,081 1,209 1,287 69% 2010 4,322 1,417 1,176 71% 2011 4,268 1,130 1,181 73% 2012 4,139 1,080 1,212 72%

• Participation increased in out state league play by 8.9%. League play across

the country saw a 1.6% increase.

• Breakdown by league type in 2012: Adult: 52% Mixed Doubles: 16% Senior: 11% Twin Cities Daytime: 11% NTRP Doubles: 7% Senior Mixed Doubles: 2% Super Senior: 1%

• Self rate appeals submitted: 2010: 118; 2011: 183; 2012: 250.

• Disqualifications and Promotions: 2010: 28; 2011: 27; 2012: 19.

6

Twin Cities Local League: Player participation is up by 1.5% from 2011 to 2012 . The breakdown by leagues and the percentage change for each is shown below.

2010

Players

2011

Players

2012

Players

%

Change 2011-2012

Adult 4,087 3,893 3,814 -1.9% Mixed 1,119 1,162 1,261 8.5% Senior 759 723 827 14.4%

Senior Daytime 61 92 73 -20.6% Super Senior 156 168 111 -33.9%

Daytime Women 366 359 353 -1.7% Combo 57 82 na na

Combo Mixed 90 73 na na NTRP Doubles 145 176 434 146.6%

Twin Cities Daytime 954 989 933 5.7% Senior Mixed Doubles na 221 193 -12.6%

Baseline na na 55 na Total 7,794 7,938 8,054

• 88% of league play takes place in the Twin Cities Local League

• Baseline Tennis Center is a new area with in the Twin Cities, using TennisLink to run their in-house leagues.

Matchline

• Service to help connect players looking for teams with captains looking for players.

• 667 players looking for teams; 657 placed on teams • Objective: 96% placement; Actual: 98% placement • 191 New USTA players looking for teams; 185 placed on teams • Objective: 96% placement; Actual: 97% placement

Section Championships:

• Adult Women and Senior Men Section Championships o 40 Adult Women (13 non Twin Cities) teams o 8 Senior Men teams o Sites: Baseline Tennis Center and Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center

• Adult Men and Senior Women Section Championships o 36 Adult Men (4 non Twin Cities) teams

7

o 12 Senior Women (5 non Twin Cities) teams o Sites: Baseline Tennis Center and Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center

• Mixed Doubles Section Championships o 28 (6 non Twin Cities) total teams o Site: Life Time Fitness Bloomington South

• Tri-Level Section Championship o 49 (14 non Twin Cities) total teams o 53% increase in number of teams at championship o Site: Life Time Fitness Lakeville

2013 League Restructure Task Force Members: John Niedfeldt-Thomas, John Pratt, Mike Johnson, Sara Gettman, John Carnahan, Rick Lassow, Diane Drake, Lisa Mushett, Nancy Lundberg, Kelley Okerman, Carol Thies

On April 1, USTA Northern introduced its own specific 2013 structure titled, "Circle of League Life" for the Twin Cities area; although, the new structure can be adopted and/or modified for other areas within the Section. The biggest changes with the new Twin Cities structure are:

• League play is weekly year round;

• There are five seasons of organized play (three 10-week seasons and two shorter seasons which will be 4-6 weeks in length);

• There are changes in what nights of the week NTRP levels play.

2012 Fall/Winter Season compared to 2013 Early Start Season:

2012 # of teams # of players Adult 124 1,718 Senior 32 365 Total 156 2,083 Mixed Doubles 48 634

2013 # of teams # of players 18 & Over 75 1,024 40 & Over 39 563 55 & Over 15 176 Total 129 1,763 Mixed Doubles 47 593 Note: 2012 numbers are for a 6 month season. 2013 for a 3 month season. We will have an additional season to add to these totals. Plus, teams will continue to add players through November and December.

8

Adult Tournaments

Adult Tournaments

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

# of Events # of Matches Total # of Players Total # of Registrations

2010 2011 2012

# of Events # of Matches Total # of Players

Total # of Registrations

2010 695 3,807 3,141 4,217

2011 764 3,686 3,249 4,474

2012 694 3,534 3,749 4,808

• Data based on adult tournaments from 11/09 - 11/10, 11/10 - 11/11, 11/11 - 11/12 and includes adult age, open, NTRP, family and custom events.

• From 2011 to 2012: 15% increase in number of players; 7.5% increase in registrations.

US Open Section Qualifying Tournament • Part of the US Open National Playoffs • Held in June at Baseline Tennis Center

• 16 men; 8 women; 7 mixed doubles teams participated

9

Grants Submitted by Christine Nickels

USTA Northern Community Tennis Grants This grant provides funding to community-based tennis organizations for tennis program development and organizational capacity building. To date, a total of $17,475 has been invested in the following organizations:

• Sabes Jewish Community Center, St. Louis Park, Minn. • Bismarck Mandan Tennis Association, Bismarck, N.D. • Eau Claire YMCA, Eau Claire, Wis. • South St. Paul School District, South St. Paul, Minn. • Sioux Falls Tennis Association, Sioux Falls, S.D. • Waseca Community Education, Waseca, Minn. • Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center, St. Paul, Minn. • Rochester Area Foundation, Rochester, Minn. • Hudson Tennis Association, Hudson, Wis. • Aberdeen Tennis Association, Aberdeen, S.D.

USTA 10 & Under Tennis Target Market Initiative St. Paul, Minn. was chosen in 2011 as one of 25 target markets by USTA to launch the 10 and Under Tennis Initiative. As such, St. Paul Urban Tennis will receive a total of $75,000 in combined USTA ($50,000) and USTA Northern ($25,000) funds over three years (2011-2013). A second installment of $10,000 was issued in 2012.

Public Facility Assistance Program The USTA provides a number of resources to assist communities with facility renovation and construction, including; advocacy assistance, concept drawings, technical training, and financial support. To date, a total of $20,030 USTA Northern and $45,000 USTA dollars have been invested in facilities in 2012.

• Altoona Parks and Recreation reconstruction, Altoona, Wis. • St. James High School resurfacing, St. James, Minn. • Black Hills Tennis Association amenities at Sioux Park and Parkview, Rapid City, S.D. • Alexandria High School new construction, Alexandria, Minn. • Linden Hills Tennis Courts reconstruction, Minneapolis, Minn. • Highpoint Park reconstruction, Champlin, Minn.

10 & Under Tennis Blended Lines All of the above court projects will include blended 10 and Under Tennis lines when complete. In addition, USTA Northern supported the addition of blended lines at the following facilities this year.

• South St. Paul High School, South St. Paul, Minn.

• Hillcrest Park, Brookings, S.D. • Fred Wells Tennis and Education

Center, St. Paul, Minn. • Aitkin Public Schools, Aitkin, Minn. • Sauk Centre High School, Sauk Centre,

Minn. • Forestview Middle School, Baxter, Minn. • Sertoma Park, Bismarck, N.D.

• Williston Center, Minnetonka, Minn. • Hitchcock Park, Mitchell, S.D. • Sibley East High School, Arlington,

Minn. • Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Minn. • Webber Park, Minneapolis, Minn.

2012 Community Tennis Workshop (CTW) Scholarships USTA Northern offered one full CTW scholarship to all registered CTA/NJTL chapters ($75 value). In addition, scholarships were also available to current USTA Organizational Members. Community Tennis Associations (CTA)

• In 2012, 53 Community Tennis Associations are registered with USTA Northern. • Aitkin, Aberdeen, Alexandria, GLASS MN Rallies, Hudson, and Red River were all

new or rejoining associations in 2012. • The CTA/NJTL committee started a mentoring program in 2012 to aid in the

strengthening of local tennis associations. • The Community Tennis Workshop was brought back in 2012 to provide CTAs and

other tennis providers with an opportunity learn and network. Tennis In The Parks

• USTA Northern had a booth presence at the S.D. Rec and Park Association Conference in Huron and the Midwest Rec and Park Association Conference in Grand Forks, N.D.

• USTA Northern gave a presentation and had a booth presence at the Minnesota Rec and Park Association Conference in Brainerd, Minn.

• Margo Prasek with Fridley Parks and Recreation won the 10 and Under Tennis silent auction item supporting the Minnesota Recreation and Park Foundation.

• A Peer Advisor program was started to connect and support tennis program coordinators in public parks. Marcia Bach is the Minnesota Peer Advisor.

11

JUNIOR COMPETITIVE TENNIS Submitted by Pat Colbert

Sanctioned Tournament Play – To date (10/31/12)

2012 2011

# of Registered Players 12,535 12,875 # of Events 1,475 1,295 # of Matches Played 13,430 13,739 RTCs - USTA Northern came online in 2012 with the National Player Development RTC program. Four RTCs were held in 2012. Rochester Athletic Club hosted three (3) and LTF Lakeville hosted (1). USTA Northern Stars Competition Training Centers – In 2012 we had 13 players in the program. Craig Gordon was the Head Coach. This was the last year for Northern Stars Regional Competition Training Centers – This year we conducted eight (8) regional CTCs in the following cities: Dickinson, Aberdeen, Pierre, Sioux Falls (2), Brainerd and St. Cloud (2). The regional CTCs reach out to those players and coaches on a more localized level. Number of CTC Participants 2012 2011 Regional CTCs 108 124 National Competition Top 100 Nationally Ranked Players – (As of 10/24/12 - Championship Level) 2012 2011 Boys & Girls 12-18 13 16

12

Junior Teams Report Submitted by Brandon Jackson & Jean Forbes

USTA Northern Team Tennis Leagues: • 2,468 total unique players participated in USTA Northern team tennis leagues.

Significant changes indicated below. - 244 in South Dakota. Up 26% from 2011. - 75 in North Dakota. Down from 131 in 2011 with the loss of Grand Forks

program. - 133 in Southern Minnesota. Down 59 players from 2011 with the loss of the

Rochester program. - 1,667 in the Twin Cities. Up 70 players from 2011.

• 2,735 total play registrations in 2012. • 284 total teams participated in the USTA Northern team tennis leagues.

- 177 teams participated in the JTT Area Championships. - 69 teams participated in the JTT Section Championships.

• 4 teams represented USTA Northern at the JTT National Championships: - 14U Intermediate – Eau Claire AAAs - 14U Advanced – Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center - 18U Intermediate – Lifetime Fitness-Fridley - 18U Advanced – Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center

0

500

1000

1500

2000

G TC N Dak N MN S Dak S MN W WI

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

High School Tennis:. • USTA Northern sponsors the MN State High School Tennis Tournament banquets

and secures a speaker each year. Justin Gaard spoke at the boys' banquet and Dana Young spoke at the girls' banquet.

Tennis on Campus (TOC): • 16 teams representing 10 colleges participated in the 2012 Section Championship. • 2 teams advanced to the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championships:

- University of Minnesota - North Dakota State University

• There are 13 colleges in USTA Northern with active TOC programs. • Northern Tennis on Campus Fall Series (6 events)

- 42 total team registrations, 35 from USTA Northern. - 12 unique USTA Northern colleges participated.

13

Marketing & Communications Submitted by Lisa Mushett

Publications

• Produced four issues of new Northern Exposure magazine. Issues appeared in March, May, August and November. Also produced a 24-page Yearbook, delivered in February.

• Editorial for all publications was once again done in-house. • Completed the 2013 Community Tennis Guide. • Created 10U Passport, Birthday Cards and Stationary as part of our 10U FREE

retention project Marketing & Media Coverage

• Partnered with Radio Disney at such events as Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary Celebration and Kids Day at the Minnesota State Fair.

• Radio Disney did a 30-minute infomercial about USTA Northern and ran 90 spots for the Tennis Rocks event in May and kids summer tennis programming in June.

• Hosted Tennis Rocks – a 10U Play Day on the Augsburg College Football Field. KARE-11 TV and WCCO-TV were there.

• Had Smashzone at Grand Ol’ Days in St. Paul and had media hits on two television stations.

• Ran ads on the weather and front page of www.wccotv.com regarding League Registration.

• Aquatennial Tournament was a huge success as tournament made over $4,500. o Worked with Implex to live stream entire tournament once again on the

web with three different camera angles. Over 2,000 unique visitors from 30 countries producing over 5,000 visits.

o KFAN’s Justin Gaard played and promoted the event via his Twitter account.

o Appearances by Aquatennial Queen and Court, and corporate mascots. • Completed a member survey regarding USTA Northern’s adult tournaments in

March. Over 400 people responded to the survey. • Continued to expand social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube. • Worked with Michael Ewen to produce eight videos about 10U Tennis, USTA

Northern and Junior Tennis which appeared on You Tube and Facebook. • Advertised with diverse outlets including Lavender Magazine, PRIDE Festival,

Senior Tennis Player Club Newsletter, La Familia Program, St. Paul Voice & Latino Midwest (Hispanic ) newspapers, District 196 Community Ed, N.D. and Minnesota Parks and Recs Magazines, etc.

Awards & Hall of Fame • USTA Northern had four National Award Winners in 2012:

o Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center – USTA Member Org of the Year o Sue Gregor – Barbara Williams Leadership Award o The Huether Family – Ralph Westcott Family of the Year o Sierra Halverson – Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award

• USTA Northern Annual Awards – Winners represented all parts of the Section including the Twin Cities, Mitchell, S.D., Rapid City, S.D., Bismarck-Mandan, N.D., and Eau Claire, Wis.

14

Membership & Sales Submitted by Sandy Smith

Membership

• The free 10U membership promotion continues to show significant growth in our section. As of October 31, 2012, membership has grown by 187 members from December of 2011. Of those members, 816 are new 10 and under members. Below are the last 3 year totals for adults and juniors:

2012

(thru 10-31-12) 2011 2010

Adults 7,641 7,831 7,754

Juniors 5,757 5,380 4,723

Total 13,398 13,211 12,477

• Organizational members have increased to 237 members as of October 31, 2012 compared to 234 members for 2011 year end.

• In 2012, our Org member referral program recruited 308 new members with 15

org members participating. For their efforts our Section awards them $5.00 back for each new or lapsed member recruited.

• This year we hosted four member appreciation events with over 350 members in

attendance at the Gopher Men’s and Women’s Tennis Matches, Rochester Athletic Club, Baseline Tennis Center and a senior event at Fred Wells Tennis Center.

• Teamed with Radio Disney to participate in the 100th anniversary of the Girl

Scouts at the Mall of America and Kid's Day at the Minnesota State Fair. Our focus was to bring awareness of the 10U tennis initiative and a free USTA membership. Recruited over 160 new 10U members.

• Implemented a 10U retention plan with our Marketing Director that included the

Birthday Club, 10U Welcome Brochure, direct mail letter with Water Park of America Pass promotion and $10 membership renewal offer. To date we have retained 19% of our 10U intro members.

Sponsors and Advertisers

• Sales for sponsorships, US Open Box, Suite tickets, advertising and vendor revenue sharing for 2012 was $152,000, an increase of 3.5% from 2011.

• Increased sponsorships for the 2012 Aquatennial Tennis Classic by 48%

compared to 2011.

15

USTA NORTHERN OFFICIALS

Submitted by Kristi Bushinski We are in our 4th year of using ArbiterSports for assigning officials. We have 45 registered officials (Minn., N.D. & S.D.) and 68 Tournament Directors/contacts. 172 events were scheduled and 709 assignments made. We have a slightly aging population of officials and lost a few to retirement, but 2012 was also a good year for recruitment of new officials and we added 5 new officials. ArbiterSports 11/1/12 11/1/11 # of Registered Officials 45 41 # of TD's/ Contacts 68 65 # of Events Scheduled 172 175 # of Assignments Made 709 712

16

Tennis Service Representative (TSR) North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota

Submitted by Hayley Horning Shibley 2012 Community Highlights:

• USTA Northern partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fargo Moorhead to

host a tennis event with adult and kid matches from around the area to come and learn tennis. At the end of the night, the matches received a free tennis racquet so they could continue to play together. Program and scholarship information was also distributed for local tennis programming.

• USTA Northern hosted a booth and set up a mini net at the West Fargo Farmers Market. A fun way to get out and introduce tennis to a different audience. Everyone who stopped by to try a little tennis had never played before.

• Thief River Falls, Minn. hosted a summer kick off event with over 100 kids

attending. • Fergus Falls, Minn. put 10 and under blended lines on courts at one of their outdoor sites. • Minot, N.D. put 10 and under blended lines on courts at one of their outdoor

sites. • 75 Unique USTA Jr. Team Tennis players formed 7 total teams in North Dakota. • N.D. hosted it's 4th JTT area championship. It was in Mandan this year with 6

teams participating, 3 teams in 18U Intermediate and 3 teams in 18U Advanced. Two teams went on to compete at the USTA Northern JTT Section Championships.

• North Dakota had 174 league players participating in USTA leagues. • Hosted the North Dakota Adult League Area Championship in Bismarck, N.D.

with 4 teams participating. • North Dakota sent 5 teams down to participate in the USTA Northern Adult

League Sectional Championships. 2 N.D. teams also went on to the National Championships.

• Grand Forks, N.D. opened their new facility in September. They have 6 brand

new indoor tennis courts, all with 10 and under blended lines.

• Bismarck, N.D. put 10 and under blended lines on two of their indoor courts along with putting them at one of their outdoor sites.

17

• USTA Northern did a day of tennis on the United Tribes Technical College Campus at Theodore Jamerson Elementary School outside Bismarck, N.D.

• USTA Northern had a booth at the Midwest Park and Recreation Conference in

Grand Forks, N.D. in April. • USTA Northern had a booth and presented a school tennis session at the North

Dakota AHPERD Conference in Bismarck, N.D. in September. • Park River, N.D. held a Tennis Block Party. It was the first time they offered any

tennis in their community. • Hazelton, N.D. held a day of tennis in their school for the first time with the

physical education teacher ordering tennis equipment for the entire school to implement tennis in their school curriculum.

• USTA Northern partnered with Discovery Middle School in Fargo as part of their

back to school fitness night to introduce tennis to parents and students. • USTA Northern hosted a teachers workshop for Fargo School District K-12

physical education teachers over two days, training teachers on tennis games and activities to do in physical education classes.

18

Tennis Service Representative (TSR) South Dakota and Southwestern Minnesota

Submitted by Chris Dummermuth

Community Highlights:

• South Dakota had 244 unique participants in JTT, a 26% increase from 2011.

• Mitchell, S.D., Milbank, S.D., and Brookings, S.D. added blended lines to their facilities.

• 10U divisions were added to the Asfora SD Junior Open, Black Hills

Common Cents Junior Open, Brookings Junior Open, and the Brandon Junior Open.

• Mitchell, S.D. and a combined Sioux Falls/Brandon, S.D. hosted 10U

trainings, while Aberdeen, S.D. played host to a Recreational Coaches' Workshop (RCW) with a total of 56 participants. In addition, Pierre, S.D., Aberdeen, S.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D. offered Competitive Training Centers in June.

• South Dakota State University is adding a Tennis on Campus program. Their

team traveled to Minneapolis, Minn. and Vermillion, S.D. to compete. • Aberdeen, S.D. resurrected their Community Tennis Association. They meet

regularly and have organized some fun events such as Tennis on Main, and a fall World-Wide Day of Play. Fourteen girls participated in a new Spring JTT season.

• Brandon, S.D. hosted their third JTT Area Championship. The Brandon

Tennis Association offered the first annual senior extravaganza in May. • Pierre, S.D. is in the process of planning the resurfacing of Griffin Park

Courts. Their plans will include the addition of 10U lines. Pierre Tennis Association, the city, and the school district are partnering in the project.

• Rapid City, S.D. was host to a Level 3 USTA Regional Tournament Segment.

They added NTRP play to their summer league schedule. Rapid City increased their total USTA league participation from 81 to 109. They advanced two teams and a M4.0 and a W3.5 NTRP team to the Section Championships.

19

• Sioux Falls, S.D. is in high-gear fundraising for the proposed Community Indoor Tennis Center. They have been approved by the Chamber of Commerce for 2013 business fund raising requests. The SFTA started follow-up with schools, and over 1500 students have been exposed to tennis in PE classes. The SFTA completed upgrading lights at McKennan Park, and they added lights to the Washington High School Courts.

• Vermillion, S.D. is interested in starting a CTA. Leah Branaugh received

honorable mention for the 2012 National TOC Leader of the Year Award.

20

Training and Development Report Submitted by Tony Stingley

School Tennis: • $7,500 in equipment grants given to school and out of school time providers • 11 Teacher Workshops held to train physical educators in school tennis • Exhibit booths and/or presentations done at Minnesota, North Dakota and South

Dakota AHPERD Conferences as well as the Education Minnesota and Minnesota Community Education Conferences

• Held clinics and assemblies at 29 schools • 4 in-service presentations at colleges and universities

On Court Training Programs:

• 5 Recreational Coaches Workshops with 96 participants • 9 - 10 and Under Tennis Trainings with 281 participants • 1 - 10 and Under Tennis Training pending at CTW, November 16th

Diversity and Inclusion Outreach Initiatives:

• Mexican Independence Day • Twin Cities Juneteenth • Twin Cities Pride Festival • Rondo Days • Selby Avenue Jazz Festival • Cinco de Mayo • La Familia Showcase • UM-Vikings Obese Children Program • Hmong American New Years • African American Leadership Forum • I Know I Can College Reading Program • Inner City Tennis Fundraising Tournament • Black Men’s Healing Conference • Hue-Man Event • Richfield Open Streets Event • North Country Open Tournament • Twin Cities in Motion Family Activities • Baraza Women’s Health Conference • Allina Hospital Community Health Fairs

21

Wheelchair and Adaptive Program:

• Had an exhibit booth and interactive tennis activities at 2 Courage Center events held at the Boy Scout Base Camp

• Had ongoing wheelchair tennis clinics at the VA Medical Center • Special Olympics Minnesota Area Games • Special Olympic Minnesota State Games, record number of tennis participants • Special Olympics Summer Camp, Northfield, Minn. • USTA Northern received Special Olympics Distinguished Service Award

Grants and Scholarships:

• $10,420 awarded to 14 young people to date from the Northern Tennis Foundation Diversity Scholarship

• 1 Individual Player Grant for National Competition and Training awarded in the amount of $2,000

• 3 USTA Serves College Scholarship winners • 1 USTA Serves College Textbook winner • 1 USTA Serves Rosalind P. Walter Scholarship winner • 9 USTA Northern Tennis Camp Scholarships awarded • USTA National D&I Grant helped fund 8 young people to participate in tennis

tournaments, tennis shoes for a inner-city tennis team as well as the outreach festivals

• Awarded 10 communities $2,604 for 10 and Under Tennis Equipment NJTL:

• 23 NJTL's to date • 4 young people attended the NJTL Invitational Leadership Camp in Minneapolis • 4 Section Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest winners