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The USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation, one of 17 sections of the United States Tennis Association, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to promoting tennis by offering quality recreational and competitive programs for people of all ages and abilities. Mid-Atlantic has been part of the official governing body for tennis in America since 1923. The USTA MAS serves over 35,000 members in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and eastern and southern West Virginia. Tennis players of all ages and skill levels are involved in leagues, tournaments and programs sanctioned by the section. The USTA Mid-Atlantic Section promotes a message of acceptance, respect, and inclusion. We aim to leverage our members’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives to remove barriers to play and thereby increase participation and expand opportunities that will promote community-level engagement throughout the Section. As a tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service contributions and donations will be tax deductible. A formal Tax Exempt 501(c)3 letter can be obtained upon request.

In David’s Words: Why Donate?

As the year quickly comes to end and you make your charitable gifts, watch this video from a donor and hear why you should give to USTA Mid-Atlantic.

Donors just like David are helping to support the growth of tennis in the Mid-Atlantic. In fact, 100 percent of the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section staff contributed in 2017 with charitable gifts. But we can’t do it alone. Can you join in and make a difference too?

As David says, your dollars go beyond the sport – they help change lives and make a difference for deserving kids and adults alike in the Mid-Atlantic. Make a special year-end donation of $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can afford to help us continue our mission. Our reach goes way beyond leagues – learn more about our programs and how your contribution can help make tennis possible for more people in the Mid-Atlantic.

The Life-Changing Impact of Tennis

There are probably a whole host of reasons why you play tennis or show your love of the sport. You love the competitive nature of the game and the power of the racquet; the confidence it gives you when you challenge yourself to improve and the lifelong circle of friends you’ve made. You love the benefit of staying in shape or maybe you see the passion of the sport through the eyes of your child, watching them learn lifelong skills such as sportsmanship and dedication. You watch them flourish and gain self-confidence thanks to tennis.

As a 501(c)3 charitable organization, USTA Mid-Atlantic is committed to growing the sport for all of these reasons and more.  As the year quickly comes to an end, we ask you to consider making a charitable gift that will help support our efforts to bring tennis opportunities to people of all ages in the Mid-Atlantic and support the mission to promote and develop the growth of tennis.

Players are always telling us how tennis has made an incredible impact on their lives. We want to share one of those stories with you. Mary Martin, a USTA League player from Annapolis, Md.,  told us her tennis story and how “that little fuzzy yellow tennis ball” brought her out of the depths of despair during some of the worst times of her life.

Here is what Mary had to say…

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Mary Martin has made many close friends through tennis, including her former doubles partner David Harley, who unfortunately passed away in 2012.

I really don’t know how it happened (tennis that is), but I am sure glad that I found it, or it found me or we found each other!  I was involved in martial arts for many years and needed a change in sports. My youngest son had taken some tennis lessons so I went with him one day and got hooked! I wasn’t even that good, but wow, when I hit that little fuzzy yellow ball it was intoxicating and made me feel empowered and like I could conquer the world. I joined a Mid-Atlantic Adult League and had no idea how much fun tennis could be or how many friends I could make through the sport.

Soon after I started playing, my oldest son joined the Marines and was deployed to Iraq for two tours. He returned home and what he went through and suffered during his tour of duty we will never know or understand. What I can tell you is that I completely understand what PTSD is and that my son suffered badly. He was living on the edge, and I was there on the edge with him.

But tennis saved me.

No matter how hard the day was with my son, just knowing I could go to the courts and hit that little yellow ball got me through. Not to mention the support I got from my tennis friends when I got there – the shoulders to cry on, the comforting conversations, the understanding when I was standing at the net with tears in my eyes. Their support and even just getting on the court, exercising and hitting the ball always made me feel better even if just for an hour and a half. Tennis gave me a new a perspective.

Little did I know I would be calling on that little fuzzy yellow ball and tennis friends once again when my mother passed away in my arms. Seeing my tennis friends at her funeral was an overwhelming and heartwarming feeling. Almost immediately, my life changed again when my father moved in with me.

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Mary and others in the tennis community plant bulbs annually at a local park in honor of tennis friends who have passed away.

My father didn’t play tennis, but one of his favorite things to do was to go with me to the tennis courts on Saturday mornings for my league play or tag along to matches with me. This was our routine for two and a half years until he passed.  I will always be grateful to all the tennis people who welcomed my father onto the court and let him sit to the side while we played a match.

Tennis really has been so good to me, helping me through some of the toughest times in my life. Not only that, I’ve enjoyed that overwhelming feeling of being on a team that advances in league play from Regionals to Sectionals and even Nationals! Knowing you did it as a team and that you are part of something so much bigger is an incredible feeling.

I give thanks to Mid-Atlantic tennis and all the people I have crossed paths with because of the sport, leagues and beyond. I hope that I am healthy and happy enough to stay involved with tennis and hitting that yellow fuzzy ball and feeling like I can conquer the world for many years to come!

Your support of USTA Mid-Atlantic make stories like Mary’s possible enabling us to deliver quality tennis programs that bring people like you and those new to the sport together to improve lives. This is just one of many stories of the power of tennis. Would you be willing to make a special year-end donation of $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can afford to help us continue our mission? Our reach goes way beyond leagues –learn more about our programs and how your contribution can help make tennis possible for more people in the Mid-Atlantic.

We simply can’t do it without you.  Please, click here to make your donation now.

USTA Mid-Atlantic is a tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions and donations will be tax deductible. 

 

Maryland Tennis Team Shows LOVE for Puerto Rico

More than any win or loss on the court, the impact of USTA League tennis in the Mid-Atlantic is underscored by the bonds and friendships created off the court. This idea was certainly evident at the recent Women’s 2.5 National Championship when teams from Maryland and Puerto Rico got to know each other.

After playing a team match against each other, the ladies got to talking and hanging out during the rest of their time in Mobile, Ala. When Mid-Atlantic’s team, captained by Chanhee and Kevin Ro, heard the Puerto Ricans were planning a run to Costco to buy basic supplies to bring back for hurricane relief, the women from Columbia, Md. decided to chip in. They pooled some money – including from team members who hadn’t even made the trip to Alabama – to help the Puerto Rican women buy even more supplies to bring back with them.

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The women from Maryland and Puerto Rico together at the player party. Puerto Rico’s captain Johmary Melendez River (center, yellow shorts) is holding an envelope with donated money for more supplies.

This is what tennis is all about – cultivating common bonds, bringing perfect strangers together united through the sport they all love. Whether at a USTA National Championship or on the courts of the local park, you cannot deny that tennis brings people together in extraordinary ways to do extraordinary things. Kudos to Columbia’s 2.5 Women’s team for showing that the impact of tennis extends far beyond the court.

Puerto Rico-Maryland Supplies

A bag of flashlights and batteries the team brought back to support hurricane relief efforts.

Thank You from USTA Mid-Atlantic

Seems like in recent times as soon as the calendar flips to November 1, the rush of the holiday season takes over. But one holiday fast on the way allows us all to take a day and reflect (and eat delicious turkey with all the fixings to our hearts’ and stomachs’ content) on the good things in life.

Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a time when we can collectively say “thank you” and acknowledge what we are grateful for from the past year. In a tennis player’s year, I am sure there is much to be thankful for – everything from your league teammates to finally getting your serve just right to those netcord winners on key points. For a tennis parent, maybe you’re thankful your child has made lots of new friends, learned new skills and has been having so much fun thanks to the sport for a lifetime.

As a 501 (c)3 charitable organization, USTA Mid-Atlantic is not able to accomplish all that we do to promote and develop the growth of tennis without the support of the entire tennis community (and beyond). Your commitment is invaluable and we know comes from a deep passion for the game that connects us all.

So with Thanksgiving nearly here, we had to take a few moments and give some tennis thank yous too. We created this special message of thanks to you – our Mid-Atlantic tennis community — for all that you do to support the mission and grow tennis. We are thankful for YOU!

To learn more about USTA Mid-Atlantic’s impact through tennis visit www.usta.com/midatlantic.

Lauren Hoffmann is USTA Mid-Atlantic’s director of marketing, communications and membership. At Thanksgiving she’ll enjoy turkey two ways – smoked and deep-fried – and her favorite side dish is cranberry sauce.