Executive Directors Message

January 2023 started off as if Covid 19 never happened. We seem to be “back to normal” with some exceptions and we’re off to a good start.

As a result of Covid 19, we reorganized the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section and merged the neighbor island Districts into one organization. This has been very successful and it has allowed us to focus on growing tennis and less on the administrative functions of managing 5 separate non profit organizations. We also restructured the staff and narrowed our focus to 5 programs. These programs are:

● Adult Leagues

● Adult Tournaments

● Junior Team Tennis

● Junior Tournaments

● Play & Learn Tennis (classes at 18 locations)

The year end results for 2022 showed us that Play & Learn Tennis set a new record high, Junior Team Tennis was up about 20% from 2019 and Adult Leagues were at about 80% of 2019 participation numbers. Both junior and adult tournaments were down considerably due primarily to the lack of courts.

This year we have 4 adult tournaments scheduled and we plan to add 4 more. These will most likely be held at the Donald A. Andrews Diamond Head Tennis Center pending approval of the permits.

Our junior tournament schedule is online at www.ustahawaii.com. In addition to the online schedule, we are planning to add 3 more Level 5 junior tournaments and some Level 6 and Level 7 events pending approval of court permits.

When the courts at CORP are repaired and 20 courts are available, we plan to expand the size of the junior tournament draws from 16 to either 24 or 32. This will allow greater participation.

I would like to remind all junior players and their parents that we implemented a Code of Conduct in 2022 and every junior participant and parent must sign and abide by the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct lists clear expectations regarding good behavior and sportsmanship for junior players, their parents and coaches. I would also like to suggest that when you have a concern or a problem at an event, please talk to an official or the tournament director at the outset and prevent the problem from escalating. We have some of the best officials in the USTA regarding knowledge, experience and professionalism. Please don’t hesitate to bring a concern to their attention.

There is an excellent article, “My Top Ten Tips to Tennis Parents” in this newsletter that I hope you will read.

Lastly, we have made some progress in identifying land for our USTA Hawaii Pacific tennis facility. We are planning to build 10 tennis courts, abuilding with restrooms, a parking lot, a multi-purpose court and a small playground for kids. Phase 2 would include an additional 10 courts and a small stadium court. We will keep you updated on our progress.

I hope that you will continue to play and enjoy tennis.

Thank you.

Kind regards,

Ron