CTA of the Year Award

The West Texas Tennis Association received the USTA Texas Community Tennis Association of the Year Award on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 at the Ector County Coliseum during a Jackalopes Hockey game. Our team was overjoyed. Please see below for the press release sent to media from USTA Texas prior to our award ceremony. The Jackalopes were also willing to let us drop the first puck at the start of the hockey game, as well as entertain the audience with tennis-on-ice during intermission. Thank you, USTA Texas and the Odessa Jackalopes for an incredible night!

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AUSTIN, Texas – USTA Texas is pleased to announce the eight recipients of the 2018 Community Development Awards.

The USTA Texas Community Development Awards recognize applicants who portray excellence in the tennis community through individual and organization/program awards. 

"This year we received more Community Development Award nominations than ever before and I think that it speaks to the tremendous amount of dedication and volunteerism in our local tennis communities," says USTA Texas Community Services Manager Alexandra Trobough. "We're thrilled to be able to recognize the hard work that so many individuals and organizations put forth because we couldn't grow the game without them."

The section has representation spanning the entire state, with winners from Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Lubbock, Midland and San Antonio. 

“We cannot thank USTA enough for this incredibly exciting accomplishment,” says Heidi Winkler, President of the West Texas Tennis Association in Midland who won CTA of the Year. “Our team is ecstatic. This is the first time the West Texas Tennis Association has received this special award, and we are overjoyed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

A USTA Texas representative will be on hand to present the award at an annual event hosted by the local Community Tennis Association this fall. Four of the eight USTA Texas award winners will be nominated for the USTA National Award. USTA Texas had two National winners from the 2017 CD Awards, with the Dallas Tennis Association winning CTA of the Year and Stacy Bryan of Abilene being named to the No-Cut Coach All-Star Team.

The following people/organizations were selected as the 2018 winners:

2018 Individual Award Winners:

Volunteer of the Year – Christina Allen, Dallas

High School All-Star No-Cut Coach – Leslie Oduwole, Austin High School, Austin ISD (Austin)*

Advocate of the Year – Kyle Gordon, San Antonio

Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year – Daniel Rubio, San Antonio*

2018 Organization/Program Awards:

CTA of the Year – West Texas Tennis Association, Midland*

NJTL Program of the Year – KidsInc. & The Alex O’Brien Tennis Foundation, Amarillo*

Youth Excellence Program – South Plains Tennis Association, Lubbock

Partner Organization of the Year – T Bar M Racquet Club, Dallas

*These award winners will be the USTA Texas nomination for the USTA National Award