Arlington, VA (PRWEB) December 1, 2014 (PRWEB) December 01, 2014
The United States Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section (USTA MAS) celebrated the efforts of eighteen individual members and member organizations at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va., on November 22, 2014.
The awards are given out annually to USTA members from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., for their commitment to the sport of tennis and their outstanding contributions in helping grow tennis at the local level.
“We’re excited to honor the dedication and success of this year’s award recipients,” says USTA MAS Executive Director, Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro. “These winners serve as role models throughout our Section, inspiring the growth of our sport.”
DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DC DPR) was honored with the Organization of the Year award. The award is presented to an organization for their outstanding service to the local community and to the game of tennis. DC DPR’s tennis division is responsible for the oversight of 142 tennis courts throughout the city and a multitude of programs, trainings, and events held on local, regional and national levels.
DC DPR hosts 14 after school tennis programs annually, all day tennis summer camps, special needs tennis programs, and senior tennis programs. In 2014, over 1,100 kids were exposed to tennis through DC DPR summer camps and programming. 90% of the programs DC DPR offers are free to individuals.
Dr. Sharia Shanklin, DPR Director; John Stokes, DPR Chief of Staff; Jeri Ingram, DPR Tennis Manager; and several staff members accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
Robert Burton, weekend sports anchor for ABC7/WJLA-TV, served as the master of ceremonies.
Below is the full list of awards and honorees.
- Section Organization of the Year, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, Washington, D.C.
- Facility of the Year, Montgomery TennisPlex, Boyds, Md.
- Community Tennis Association of the Year, Western Tidewater Tennis Association, Franklin, Va.
- Lifetime Service Award, Terry Deremer, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
- Lifetime Service Award, Col. William Shivar, Newport News, Va.
- Teaching Professional of the Year, Elliott Datlow, Washington, D.C.
- Parks and Recreation of the Year, Caroline County Recreation and Parks, Denton, Md.
- Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year, Janet Paulsen, Lutherville, Md.
- League Coordinator of the Year, Virginia King, Lusby, Md.
- Volunteer of the Year, Marcos Valdez, Washington, D.C.
- Family of the Year, Gantt-Bey Family, Washington, D.C.
- Official of the Year, Jack Brown, Virginia Beach, Va.
- Official of the Year, Jim Lawson, Ellicott City, Md.
- High School Coach of the Year, Kirk Comer, Shenandoah, Va.
- Adult Sportsmanship Award, Jeff Ocker, Hyattsville, Md.
- Adult Sportsmanship Award, Mary Saunders, Stephens City, Va.
- Junior Sportsmanship Award, Spencer Whitaker, Richmond, Va.
- Junior Sportsmanship Award, Christine Zurbuch, Elkins, W.Va.
Photos available upon request.
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 with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game.
The Mid-Atlantic Section is one of 17 sections of the USTA. It serves nearly 37,000 members in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia as well as eastern and southern West Virginia. For more information on the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, log on to midatlanitc.usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page facebook.com/ustamas or follow @USTAMidAtlantic on Twitter.
For more information, contact:
Chris Miller, Marketing & Communications Manager, USTA Mid-Atlantic (703) 556-6120 x7009; miller(at)mas(dot)usta(dot)com.
