2026 USTA Florida Awards

Celebrating the people and places growing the game across Florida

Tennis in Florida runs on dedication. It lives in the volunteers who give their weekends, the coaches who build confidence one practice at a time, and the public courts where so many players pick up a racquet for the first time. The 2026 USTA Florida Awards are our way of saying thank you to the people and places that make the game stronger, more welcoming, and more accessible for everyone.

This year we are recognizing excellence across three awards.

USTA Florida Public Parks Award

Public parks are where tennis becomes a game for everyone. They are the courts down the street, the after-school clinics, the summer camps, and the people who keep the nets up and the gate open. The USTA Florida Public Parks Award honors a public parks and recreation facility, program, director, or volunteer that has made tennis more welcoming, more affordable, and more alive in their community. It celebrates the places and people who turn a few courts into a gathering spot, who clear the path between a kid and their first rally, and who show how tennis can lift the health, energy, and connection of a whole neighborhood.

USTA Florida Community Coach of the Year Award

Great coaches do more than teach a forehand. They show up early, stay late, and notice the player who needs a little extra belief. The USTA Florida Community Coach of the Year Award honors a coach, paid or volunteer, whose impact reaches well beyond the baseline. This is the coach who builds confidence along with skill, who makes every player feel they belong on the court, and who helps a community grow stronger one practice at a time. Through mentorship, sportsmanship, and steady dedication to the game, they remind us that the best coaching changes lives, not just scores.

USTA Florida Excellence in Service Award

Some volunteers give so much, so consistently, and for so long that the game itself is better for it. The USTA Florida Excellence in Service Award is one of the section's highest honors. It recognizes a volunteer whose leadership, generosity, and love for tennis have left a lasting mark on USTA Florida and the communities it serves. Whether chairing a committee, guiding a project team, or quietly mentoring the next wave of volunteers, this person leads by example and lifts everyone around them. They are, in every sense, an ambassador for the sport and for the spirit of giving back.

Know someone who deserves to be celebrated? Nominations are open to USTA Florida staff, volunteers, committee members, and community partners. Each award has its own short application, and you can nominate someone in more than one category if they fit. Take a few minutes to tell us their story.

How it works

• Applications open: July 13, 2026
• Applications close: August 13, 2026
• Decisions made: Late August to early September. All applications will be reviewed by the USTA Florida Board of Directors.
• Awards presented: At the 2026 Florida Tennis Summit, November 13 to 15

Questions? Contact Meika Ashby at ashby@ustaflorida.com.

We understand the hardships facing some members of our tennis community in Florida after the devastating effects of Hurricanes across the state. The USTA Florida Section Foundation may be able to help.  This grant program is a reimbursement process.  Applicants are responsible to initially fund the repairs, manage all aspects of on-site repairs and submit receipts and/or invoices paid for a reimbursement at the completion of the repairs.
 

Requirements: 

• We are currently accepting applications. 
• The request must be related to damage to a tennis facility from a recent hurricane.
• The person submitting the request is an authorized representative of the organization. 
• Grant funds will not be awarded for the repair of courts other than those used for tennis, i.e. Pickleball courts and other such Raquet sports. 
• Repair work to be completed within eight (8) months from notice of award.  If the applicant provides timely documentation for further timelines needed, the Board will consider extending the repair deadline.

Preferred:

• Courts open to the public.
• Courts not open to the public will be considered if they are USTA members and regularly host USTA league teams.
• Request that awarded facilities provide at least one free or significantly reduced Tennis program activity to the local community. 

Please be prepared to provide: 

• Photos of the damage.
• Insurance claim documentation if an insurance claim has been filed.
• Any technical drawings you may have of the facility.
• Programs provided at the facility.
• The estimated number of participants in your program that have been impacted due to the damage. 
• Copies of quotes for work you may have already received. 
• Copies of invoices with scope of work for any work that may have already been completed. 
• Current form W9
• The formal review process will not occur until the spring 2025 by the Board of Directors.

Please complete this form ONLY if there is a change/update to your Delegate and/or Alternate Delegate information for your organization. 

USTA Florida Bylaws Article 3 Section 2:  Delegates

A. Rights

1. Organization Members shall have one (1) delegate and one (1) vote per delegate.
2. Delegates – Each delegate shall be appointed or elected in accordance with each Organization Member’s policies provided:
     a. Each delegate and the organization the delegate represents shall be a current member of the USTA.
     b. Each delegate must be at least nineteen (19) years of age.
     c. Each delegate may only be a delegate for one Organization Member
3. Alternate Delegates – An alternate delegate may be named by the Organization Member in the event a registered delegate is unable to serve and must meet the same qualifications of a delegate.
4. Organization Members and delegates are entitled to notice of all meetings of the membership. Delegates are entitled to be present and vote at all meetings of the membership.
5. Individual Members are entitled to be present at all meetings of the membership but shall have no voting rights.

For questions about this form, please contact Brad West at west@ustaflorida.com.