Arkansas Tennis Association -

Congratulations to Stella de Vera for receiving the Herschel Friday Outstanding Junior Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Stella below!👇 Stella is a fourth generation tennis player on her dad's side. Her dad and two aunts all played D1 College Tennis and her grandmother has played in National Senior tournaments. Stella started playing tennis when she was 4 years old and started playing local tournaments at the age of eight. Stella says that playing tennis and travelling to tournaments across the country has helped her grow by allowing her to experience situations where she had to use leadership skills and stand her ground. This helped her gain confidence in her abilities in all situations. She has been able to exhibit leadership abilities by being an involved team captain that helped coach and run drills. Being recognized for this award is as meaningful to her as winning the Triple Crown (Conference, and Overalls) as well as representing Arkansas at the Southern Ozaki Cup. Stella’s parents are Clayton and Meredith de Vera.

Congratulations to Silas Pillar for receiving the Jay Freeman Most Improved Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Silas below!👇 Silas is a fantastic kid with a big heart, great sense of humor, and absolutely loves the game of tennis. In the beginning of spring 2023 he created his own tennis goals and worked with his coaches and father to create a plan to actively work towards them. He spent many hours hitting in junior development programs each week and also put the time and effort training in the gym and match play. He went from playing & winning local tournaments to traveling to several states and qualifying for level 4 & 5s regularly. His combined ranking in boys 14 jumped from 41st in the state and 753 in the south to now a year ending 12th in Arkansas and 214 in the South. Silas’s coaches have remarked on his strong work ethic this year and can’t wait to see what he does next. Silas’s parents are Brian and Alexandria Pillar.

Congratulations to Caroline Jones for receiving the Jay Freeman Most Improved Award for 2023!🏆🎾Learn more about Caroline below!👇 In one year, Caroline has gone from being ranked 17 in Arkansas, to being the number one ranked 16 year old in Arkansas. She also went from being ranked 350 in Southern to number 39. She has won 5 Level 5 tournaments in the last year and represented Arkansas as the number one player for Girls 16’s on the Ozaki Cup team. She was a finalist in the state 6A and Overall High School singles tournament. Caroline spent 3 weeks in Europe last summer learning how to play on red clay. She also enjoys volunteering at the LR Open and any kind of Trivia games. She is the daughter of Will and Paula Jones.

Spring Junior Team Tennis is right around the corner! Parents, if you have a player looking for fun, competitive match play, then this is the perfect opportunity for them. Contact a local league coordinator today to get in the action! https://www.arktennis.com/page/coordinators

JUNIORS! Our first of many tournaments of the year! Check them out! Level 7: Hot Springs Country Club Smash Showdown Registrations close Jan. 23 at 4:59 PM https://playtennis.usta.com/competitions/hot-springs-country-club/Tournaments/overview/6ADFD783-3BDE-498F-8E9D-55984FD7AD13 Matrix Junior Circuit - 10U Orange/12U Green/12U Yellow Registrations close Jan. 24 at 4:59 PM https://playtennis.usta.com/competitions/matrixracquetclub/Tournaments/overview/C73A47C2-75B5-4A2D-BC25-E8437D17D73F #LETSTENNIS

Captains! It's not too late to start your Spring League team! Team registration for 18s and 40s closes TOMORROW! So grab your racquet, gather your team, and get ready for a springtime filled with love for the game!

THIS MONDAY!! ATTN 18s and 40s Captains! Get your team registered for Spring League! You won't want to miss a season of thrilling matches, friendly competition, and a whole lot of fun on the court!

🗣 Shoutout to our male Adult League Captain of the month for January, Lee Mesaris (Little Rock)! Team captains are a key component of our adult league program. They devote their free time to organize and manage teams. Our leagues would not be as successful if it were not for people like Lee. We appreciate him and all of our league captains! 🙌

🗣 Shoutout to our female Adult League Captain of the month for January, Wendy Zapp (Northwest Arkansas)! Team captains are a key component of our adult league program. They devote their free time to organize and manage teams. Our leagues would not be as successful if it were not for people like Wendy. We appreciate her and all of our league captains! 🙌

ATTN TENNIS PROS! Don't miss the 2024 Tennis Professional's Workshop on Friday, January 26 at Burns Park. Presenters include former American professional tennis player, Luke Jensen! Register for the clinic on the link below! https://www.tickettailor.com/events/usptasouthern/1095507?fbclid=IwAR3U2YM0_TIrT_8WQ53piZtE90to2Y2IHR92c3mYOopVN-N9ajCjG2EqyN8

We would like to spotlight Michael Cornog for being a part of the USTA Net Generation School Tennis Program. We appreciate you Michael, and all that you do for the kids! https://www.facebook.com/michael.cornog.9?mibextid=LQQJ4d School: Reagan Elementary Schools in Rogers, AR Years in Education: 8 Favorite Athlete: Overall (TJ Watt) – Tennis is Pete Sampras Favorite Quote: “You are not finished when you lose, you are finished when you quit.” Are you a teacher and interested in adding tennis to your P.E. program? See the link below on how you can receive FREE equipment! https://www.arktennis.com/page/school-tennis

Adults! The Level 6 - Burns Park Winter NTRP Doubles Championship is taking place this weekend. Registrations close tomorrow night at 11:59 PM. https://playtennis.usta.com/competitions/burns-park-tennis/Tournaments/overview/D5624738-3F74-44CD-ACBA-8B723FCCF054

The 18 & over and 40 & over team registration for Spring league closes on Monday, January 22. Captains, get your team registered TODAY!

ATTN Adult League Captains! Do you have a team that is running low on players? Check out our spreadsheet of players that are currently looking for a team on the link below! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSuCGV3F_Y4rECIh4SenwnpkAoiPmotxQZd8ROd58beYMMD-lk8j1LZtntKvgN9lrjR_fsBK7zFSh6H/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true

First USTA Adult Tournament of the year! Thanks to all who competed in the Burns Park Winter NTRP Singles Championship. Don't miss the Burns Park Winter NTRP Doubles Championship, taking place January 19-21. Registration link is below https://playtennis.usta.com/competitions/burns-park-tennis/Tournaments/overview/D5624738-3F74-44CD-ACBA-8B723FCCF054

55 & Over team registration closes Monday night! Get your team signed up TODAY!

Calling all tennis pros! Don't miss the 2024 Tennis Professionals Workshop on Friday, January 26 at Burns Park Tennis Center. Link to registration is below, along with the schedule! https://www.tickettailor.com/events/usptasouthern/1095507?fbclid=IwAR0nrzsvXB8jE8OcRkNZXLLWDe1_xscmviz_Ns-zmDMMdJPnbaDeOPX5ImU

Secure your spot in Spring League and get ready for thrilling matches, fierce competition, and a season of unforgettable moments. Register Today! 🤩 Click the link below if you are looking for a team👇 https://www.arktennis.com/o/arktennis/page/seeking-a-playerteam

Registration is NOW OPEN for our Spring Tennis League until December 18th. Don't miss your shot – join for free now! 🌷One captain per team. ($3.15 TennisLink fee) FYI - Players can begin to register for spring league starting on December 19th🥳#SpringTennis

Looking for a team to be a part of this Spring?🌷 We are here to help! Contact Holly at leaguetennis@arktennis.com to get info on joining a spring team!