USTA/Virginia News
VA Juniors Attend ITA National Team Indoor ChampionshipsVirginia Juniors Attend ITA National Team Indoor Championships On Saturday, February 18th, approximately 50 junior tennis players and chaperones enjoyed a chartered bus trip to the 2012 ITA Division I National Men's Team Indoor Championship sponsored by USTA Virginia. The event was held at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville and featured the top 14 Collegiate Men’s Tennis Team in the nation, and 16 of the top 20. The first bus departed from Virginia Beach early that morning and picked up additional passengers in Richmond on the way the Charlottesville, while the second bus left from Fairfax arrived later in the afternoon. The junior players and adults were treated to lunch locally at Millmont Grille before heading to the Boar’s Head to see these great teams in action. Brian Boland was even able to briefly speak to some of the players which made the occasion even more special. After a long day of fantastic singles and doubles play, all those who went now have some great experiences to share! Click here for photos posted on our Facebook page. |
USTA/Mid-Atlantic Grants Due March 1Upcoming USTA/Mid-Atlantic Grants – Deadline March 1, Apply today! Click here for information on how to apply for USTA/Mid-Atlantic grants. Deadline is March 1, so apply today! Mel Curry awarded the Robert Marsteller Courage Award
Mel Curry, a wheelchair player from Fredericksburg, Virginia, is the 2012 recipient of the Robert Marsteller Courage Award. She was honored with this award during the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Hall of Fame Ceremony, held at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, MD. The award was established in 2001 to recognize individuals with tennis backgrounds who have exhibited superior courage in overcoming adversity. Curry has been playing competitive tennis since her early 20s and her passion and joy for the sport was on display every time she walked onto the court. In 2003, when a blood clot forced the amputation of her left leg above the knee, her days of playing tennis appeared to be over. However, during her rehabilitation, she read an article about wheelchair tennis, and thanks to local contacts, she was introduced to Rob Boyd, Director of the disAbility Resource Center at that time. Starting out in a rugby chair, Rob taught her the fundamentals of wheelchair tennis and her passion for the sport was reborn. Since 2006, Curry has played in tournaments in ten states and the District of Columbia in addition to participating in a 3.5 Women’s League. Along the way, she has collected several championships in both singles and doubles. In 2010, she was the champion of her division in the Troung Grand Prix, a wheelchair circuit created by USTA/Virginia Tennis and sponsored by the Troung Rehabilitation Center in Fredericksburg, VA. This circuit includes wheelchair tournaments in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Mel volunteers tirelessly and played a wheelchair exhibition match at Byrd Park during the 2009 Davenport City Championships to kick off the RTA/Sportable Wheelchair Tennis Program. The program continues at Byrd Park, and Mel has joined the clinic many times as a guest instructor to share her enthusiasm and skills with the students. Mel has also taught at wheelchair tennis clinics in Fredericksburg, Ft. Belvoir, the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, and recently, she took part in an Operation WOW (Wellness Opportunities for Warriors) event, a joint effort by USTA/Virginia Tennis, the Fairfax County Parks & Recreation Department and the US Paralympic Military Program. Mel currently co-chairs the USTA/Virginia wheelchair tennis committee. Curry summed up her feelings on the game she loves saying, “This is such a blessing in my life and I truly believe this was the path my life was supposed to take”. Congratulations Mel on this well-deserved honor! |
