Funds to be used to resurface 12 public tennis courts in Birmingham
ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2023 – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today announced that it has awarded two Tennis Venue Services grants, totaling $25,000, to the James Lewis Education and Tennis Foundation in Birmingham, Ala.
The USTA’s Tennis Venue Services grant program is designed to enhance existing tennis venues and construct new ones in order to provide increased playing opportunities in communities across the country. Since 2005, the Tennis Venue Services team has awarded more than $16 million in grants, impacting more than 42,000 tennis courts and more than $586 million of infrastructure development.
In conjunction with the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, the grant funds will be used for the resurfacing of 12 tennis courts at the two public parks where the Foundation hosts programming. Eight tennis courts at the James Lewis Tennis Center, located at the Ensley Park Recreation Center, will be resurfaced along with four courts at the George Ward Tennis Center.
The James Lewis Education and Tennis Foundation, which is a chapter of the USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis & Learning network, has served the Birmingham community since 1995, providing tennis instruction as well as educational and character development programs and scholarships for junior tennis players.
“We are committed to supporting the enhancement and construction of tennis facilities in communities across the country,” said Craig Morris, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “Investing in the development of tennis facilities nationwide, not only fulfills the USTA’s mission of growing the sport of tennis, but also provides the opportunity to enjoy lifelong healthy activity through tennis for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.”
In order to ensure that communities have access to safe, appealing and functional tennis environments, grant recipients also receive start-to-finish project management assistance from the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services team which provides industry-leading experience in tennis court and facility design, as well as technical assistance, including construction document review and business development insight to ensure the facilities can deliver tennis at a high-level.
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The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 120 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
