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After an eventful four weeks of tennis all over the country, Universal Tennis is recognizing the club of the month, organizer of the month, and event of the month for their efforts in May.
Club of the Month: Eastside Tennis Center
The Eastside Tennis Center in Kirkland, Wa. opened in 2012 to bring tennis to everyone with year-round indoor tennis. The center boasts 12 courts (six full-sized and six youth-sized) and is the first and only National USTA Pacific Northwest Regional Training Center.
In May, Eastside Tennis Center ran weekly events, all of which were level-based match play for different UTR Rating ranges. The club has 157 Universal Tennis members and has hosted 35 events and counting.
Organizer of the Month: Chase Hodges
Chase Hodges, the first head coach in Georgia Gwinnett tennis history, has been successfully organizing Universal Tennis Pro Series for the past two months as well as running a series of Universal Tennis tournaments called “Rally to the Slam” for players 21 and under.
An 11-time NAIA National champion, Hodges has established himself as a legend in Lawrenceville, Ga. as both the men’s and women’s coach and a leading tennis figure in the community. Last month, he guided the Grizzlies to the NAIA National championship; it was the seventh title in a row for the men (improving to 147 straight wins) and fifth in a row for the women.
Event of the Month: Walnut Creek Country Club
The Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas hosted its first-ever Universal Tennis tournament over Memorial Day weekend and attracted 72 players. Organizers opened up the junior co-ed draw to eight more after registration was initially capped off at 64.
The tournament was organized as level-based (grouped by UTR Rating) with nine compass draws, guaranteeing entrants three matches. Walnut Creek used the invite member tool to enter its player email database and invite everyone to join the Universal Tennis Digital Club and sign up for the event.