Dallas-Fort Worth tennis gets grassroots boost - Tip-Off

The Dallas-Fort Worth area's efforts to promote grassroots tennis continue to get national recognition and support from the U.S. Tennis Association. Grapevine and Allen are the latest cities picked to receive financial backing from Tennis in the Parks, a joint effort by the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), NRPA, the U.S. Professional Tennis Association and the Tennis Industry Association.

The parks and recreation departments in Grapevine and Allen were among 50 nationwide chosen out of the almost 300 that applied. The only other Texas city chosen was College Station. Applicants had to already be offering tennis programs and have at least six public courts. Mid-size cities that had not previously been funded by the USTA were given priority.

The selected cities each received a $5,000 grant ear-marked for hiring certified professionals to run USA Tennis programs. The programs are intended to increase adult and youth participation in leagues and at the grassroots level. The programs are being run through parks and recreation departments to introduce new players to tennis. The idea is to make tennis more accessible at community parks, which should attract players who otherwise might not be aware of an affordable place to learn the sport.

For more information about NRPA's partnership with USTA, call 800-6493042 or write program@nrpa.org