It was good to see many of Southwest Pros attended the World Racquets Conference 2024 in Rancho Mirage and witnessed USPTA rebranded to Racket Sports Professionals Association (RSPA) during the opening. You can watch the announcement on the RSPA website.
Now …. tennis, pickleball, padel, platform tennis and squash are all in one umbrella of RSPA. With that said, you just need one membership for any one or all in one. All the certification workshops are available in person included tennis - level 1 workshops. Also, the last Pickleball workshop for the year is on December 14th at Paradise Valley Country Club, . There is also platform tennis and squash workshops offered in December at other divisions in case you are interested.
Few more updates from the National:
1. We are at 70% of RSPA Southwest members are Safe Play Approved. Please check your USTA or RSPA account if you need to renew soon. You usually will get an email to remind you to renew. Try to do it before it expires as it takes a shorter time to renew it.
2. RSPA has a new partnership with SwingVision and SportsEDtv. You may already have heard of SwingVision, you can even transfer your old recorded matches to SwingVision and evaluate the matches. There are other sports besides tennis, and you can also provide your video instructions there as well.
3. You might have already received “RSPA Today” emails which is daily newsletter from national office that will include everything from event recaps, member benefits, exciting updates, resources, and certification that keeps you updated.
4. If you missed out the Town Hall meeting webinars with Trish Faulkner and Brian Dillman, you can now check them out on the tennis resources website and earn educational credits.
5. A RSPA Discount Code from Tennis Warehouse has been emailed to you. You can start using that new code now.
The Southwest Division Conference in 2025 will be at Paradise Valley Country Club, May 23-24. Save the date and hope to see you all there!
Lastly, on behalf of Southwest RSPA Board Members, we wish you and your family - happy holidays and a new year filled with prosperity and success.
Save the date...
The Southwest Conference will be held at Paradise Valley Country Club in Paradise Valley, AZ., May 23-24, 2025! More details coming in our March Southwest Magazine.
Hall of Fame
RSPA SOUTHWEST DIVISION HALL OF FAME
The RSPA (formally known as USPTA) Southwest Division Hall of Fame honors those individuals, who by the excellence of their activities and accomplishments, have brought recognition and esteem to themselves and to the RSPA organization.
Eligibility:
Applications must be made in writing and submitted to the HOF Committee. To nominate someone, CLICK HERE
* One candidate will be chosen each year based on the following criteria:
Must be a member of the RSPA Southwest in good standing for a minimum of 10 years.
Involvement in RSPA at the local, state, sectional and/or national level
Teaching and/or coaching accomplishments
Playing accomplishments
Publications/innovations
Involvement in allied organizations; and other contributions to the teaching profession and the promotion of tennis.
* The committee may also consider a nominee who is nominated posthumously in addition to the one candidate per year.
Award Nominations
Dear RSPA Southwest Professionals!
Please consider nominating someone for the 2025 Southwest Awards Program! This year we are using Cognito Forms for our nominations.
To nominate someone:
* Click on the link below
* Under Nominee’s Division select Southwest
* You will see our award categories at this point with brief descriptions for your information, then scroll down to RSPA Awards and click on the down arrow to make your selection and fill out the form & submit
Self-nominations are welcome but if you know of someone that would be a great candidate, please don’t hesitate to nominate him/her. It’s the ultimate compliment! Please read the form guidelines carefully, they are attached to this email.
Division deadline for applications and nominations is Friday, April 18, 2025
Click here to nominate: SW Awards Link
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you all for thinking of your fellow USPTA certified teaching pros as we look for fantastic nominations!
Best Wishes,
John Perry – Awards Chairman Jptennis25@gmail.com
520-403-8290
Southwest’s Own Jim Reffkin Inducted into the Tim Heckler Hall of Fame
Article written by Aislinn Leonard
Although it is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of USPTA past president and USPTA Master Professional James “Jim” Reffkin in 2023, we also take this time to celebrate his induction into the USPTA Hall of Fame and his remarkable legacy both on and off the court. Jim’s wife, Lu and daughter Amy were in attendance for the induction.
For decades, Jim served as the director of Tucson tennis for the city of Tucson. He oversaw tennis programming and events at the Randolph Tennis Center, which was later renamed the Jim Reffkin Tennis Center in 2009 in his honor for all the contributions he made and for the impact he left on the Tucson tennis community.
Jim never fell short when it came to his leadership or commitment to his players and community. He brought Little League Tennis to Tucson and founded the Holiday Junior Tennis Camp and Junior Talent Tennis Hunt in Southern Arizona, founded the annual high school invitational in Tucson in 1971 and coached the Pima Community College Women’s Tennis Team, leading them to two National NJCAA Titles and numerous regional titles.
As a professional who strived to bring others together through the game of tennis, Jim won many accolades. His ambitious volunteer efforts to promote the game won him the USTA National Community Service Award in 1979. A few years later, he won the International Tennis Hall of Fame Education Merit Award in 1987 and the 1996 USPTA National Professional of the Year award.
Throughout the years, he has touched countless lives and will continue to do so with his legacy. The late Jim Reffkin is an icon in the tennis community and stands to inspire and guide future generations of players, coaches and fellow USPTA professionals.
Jim’s wife Lu and and daughter Amy were on hand to receive the Tim Heckler Hall of Fame award on behalf of the late Jim Reffkin.
Northern Arizona
by Andrea Meyer
Northern Arizona was honored with three award winners at the SWUSTA Tux and Tennies Dinner November 2 in Phoenix: Sedona Elite Pro Jake Worseldine, Tournament Director of the Year; Elite Prescott Pro Chris Howard, President’s Award; and representing Prescott HS courts as Facility of the Year, Athletic Director Missy Townsend and Coach Sterling Fetty.
As one NAZ tennis player put it, “Jake loves tennis, loves sharing knowledge, and loves learning.” Jake especially makes tournaments fun for kids. He sits behind the desk with maybe a pair of star-shaped red, white, and blue sunglasses and makes every kid feel that they accomplished something.
paper column Chris has written for three decades. Prescott AD Missy Townsend spoke at the podium of how proud she and Sterling are of having created a refurbished tennis facility that shows the strength and leadership of PHS in the tennis community.
There’s a lot to be said for tennis on its own, but tennis with a side of leftover Halloween candy? That’s junior high heaven. In Cottonwood, RSPA Pro Andrea Meyer taught red ball tennis to middle schoolers at Mt. View Prep and Dr. Daniel Bright Schools in Oct and November.
“Kids went home and told their parents how much fun tennis was in PE. Those parents have now signed up their kids for lessons with me. I handed out USTA swag, but the prizes gone first were ball cans stuffed with Air Heads and Tootsie Pops.” Andrea coaches her after-school tennis club at Mt. View outside on the basketball courts. Maintenance people at the school helped her rig up a soft containment fence with orange plastic construction fencing. The USTA bought tall, weighted, lane dividers to hold up the fencing.”
In December, Andrea will be starting a new red ball program at Bradshaw Mtn. Middle School in Prescott Valley, the first Prescott Valley school to host an elementary school program. Then in January, she will again be teaching tennis in PE classes at American Heritage Academy in Cottonwood.
Prescott Pro Sterling Fetty and Andrea coached two NAZ teams at the JTT Southwest Cup November16-17 at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale. Sterling’s son Leyton also got his feet wet sharing coaching duties.
SW President
Jana Perpich had lengthy praise for Chris Howard and his dedication to elite wheelchair athlete Andrew Bogdanov and to the weekly news-
Northern New Mexico
by Dick Johnson
Hi everybody!
I hope all our RSPA pros are doing great and getting ready for the holidays.
It was quite a surprise at the recent 2024 World Conference in Rancho Mirage to
hear the news about the re-branding of our organization. It does make sense though with the popularity increase of pickleball, padel, and platform tennis.
I have some news. I was recently hired by Amy Badger to be the Tennis Professional at the Academy Racquet Sports Facility. I was honored and I know
Amy, who is the Director of Tennis, is excited to tell everyone about this new vision by the Albuquerque Academy.
The Racquet Sports Industry Nov/Dec magazine issue featured a wonderful article written by Jim Stockwell RSPA Chief Service
Officer entitled “From Court to Legacy: The inspiring Journey of a Tennis Teacher’s Career.’ about myself and my recent retirement of 35 years at La Cueva High School. Thank you, Jim.
Happy Holidays everybody!
John A Damgaard III Northern New Mexico News
Sonam Phuntsog is the new Head Tennis Coach at Santa Fe High School Aaron Carlton will be his assistant.
Matthew Barker will be the Head Tennis Coach at St Mike’s.
Randy Fortran has been hired as the assistant tennis coach at Capital High School working with Patrick Tolen and Bruce Cottrell.
The tennis courts at Salvador Perez and Alto Park have been resurfaced.
The six additional new pickleball courts at Fort Marcy Park/Magers Field are under construction and the pickleball courts at Romero Park are in full swing.
The two new pickleball courts and two new tennis courts at St John’s College are ready for play.
The Forked Lightning Racquet Club is getting closer to becoming a reality and should be completed for full play in June 2025. The early initiation fee is $1545 and will go to $2000 after the first 200 members join. The monthly membership will be $180 per household and will not be charged until the doors open in June. The facility will have six indoor and six outdoor tennis courts with two indoor and seven outdoor pickleball courts. There will be three Padel courts and three classrooms for children from 3rd through 12th grades.
The First Serve New Mexico Tennis Program pioneered by the late Elenor Brenner over 20 years ago, will be housed by this premier com-
Joe and Mitzi Felice attended this year’s WRC in Rancho Mirage, CA.
Dick Johnson & Jerry Winder had a great time at the trade show during this year’s WRC!
plex brought to the community by Kimberley and Scott Sheffield which was to be 12 and has now grown to a 20-million-dollar adventure It will have locker rooms and a workout center The tennis court surface is to be the acrylic-based hard court Cushion X
Amy Badger
It’s been a very busy and rewarding experience getting the new Albuquerque Academy Racquet Center up and running. Thanks in large part to a generous USTA grant, the USTA SW, and private gifts, we are on track to be a first-class facility. All staff are certified or obtaining certification.
Our initial public program, an after school 10week junior tennis program for grades 5-8, garnered 70 participants! Working to support our USTA SW partnership
we have USTA programs such as EDC camps, tournaments and adult red ball scheduled as well.
Middle school and high school club pickleball is very robust and we are excited to be including programming in the community. There will be a formal grand opening early next year when the weather is a little better and we’ve had a few months to work through our system.
It’s been a pleasure having colleague and friend Dick Johnson join the staff as he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team, programs and players.
I also had great fun being a weekend warrior on two back-to-back league nationals weekends in Phoenix and Surprise. Included during that time was the annual USTA Southwest board meeting, USTA SW Awards and Hall of Fame events. Great to see so many RSPA members in attendance.
SOUTHWEST OFFICERS
President
Suk Ong 602-881-0467
sukong.uspta@gmail.com
Regional VP
Greg Prudhomme 602-301-1394
pruperformance@gmail.com
Vice President
Ryan Johnson 704-281-1713
m.ryanjohnson@gmail.com
Secretary
John Perry 520-403-8290
jptennis25@gmail.com
Treasurer
Leslie Banks 419-302-7663
lesliealison16@gmail.com
Past President
Amy Badger 505-379-6728
badgertennis505@gmail.com
Executive Director
Jack Michalko 602-740-0126
jack.michalko@rspa.net
SOUTHWEST COORDINATORS
Northern New Mexico
Dick Johnson 505-507-6795
lctenniscamps@gmail.com
Phoenix
Eusebio Sarabia 310-292-2788
eusebio.sarabia@gmail.com
SoutheasternArizona
Cameron Hamilton 480-276-1123
chamilton8815@gmail.com
NorthernArizona
Andrea Meyer 928-300-4352
andreameyertennis@gmail.com
Southern New Mexico & l Paso
Alex Mouquin 575-571-0389
frenchtouchtennis@hotmail.com
Tennis Coach Developer
Greg Prudhomme 602-301-1394
pruperformance@gmail.com
Pickleball Coach Developer
Ryan Johnson 704-281-1713
m.ryanjohnson@gmail.com
Phoenix, Arizona
by Eusebio Sarabia
New Red Ball Adult Class at Scottsdale Ranch Park Tennis Center
Scottsdale Ranch Park Tennis Center is excited to introduce a brand-new program designed to help adults who are new to tennis get started in a fun and engaging way. The Red Ball Adult Class focuses on introducing beginners to the game using modified equipment— specifically red tennis balls and 23-inch rackets, making it easier to learn the fundamentals and play the game quickly.
The class is designed to get players rallying and playing points right from the start. By using equipment that’s tailored to beginner skill levels, participants can focus on enjoying the game, improving their skills, and staying active on the court. The goal is to make tennis accessible, fun, and approachable for those who may have never picked up a racket before.
The Red Ball Adult Classes are in progress, offering two-night sessions, each accommodating 12-16 players. These small groups ensure personalized attention and a supportive learning environment for every participant.
New sessions will be starting soon, so if you’re interested in joining or learning more, visit the Scottsdale Ranch Park Tennis Center website to get all the details and sign up today. Whether you’re looking to pick up a new hobby or get active with friends, this class is a great way to start your tennis journey!
Scottsdale Ranch Park Hosts 2024 USTA League National Championship
Scottsdale Ranch Park served as one of the host locations for the 2024 USTA League National Championship, which took place from October
18th to November 10th. The tournament brought together top tennis talent from across the nation for an exciting week of high-level competition.
The championship at SRP (Scottsdale Ranch Park) featured a variety of divisions, including the Adult 18 & Over 2.5 Women, Adult 18 & Over 5.0, Adult 40 & Over 3.0, and two Adult 55 & Over categories—6.0/8.0 and 7.0/9.0. Each division showed incredible skill, determination, and sportsmanship, with players giving their all on the courts.
Throughout the tournament, we were treated to some outstanding matches, as well as the opportunity to meet and cheer on talented players from all corners of the United States.
Scottsdale Ranch Park is looking forward to welcoming everyone back for the 2025 USTA League National Championship. We can’t wait to see what next year has in store!
Southern New Mexico & El Paso
by Alex Mouquin
Hello all from The Sun City, beautiful El Paso, Texas.
Fall is upon us. The temperatures are down, and the tennis and pickleball courts in El Paso And Southern New Mexico are busier than ever. Although our district is very small in number of active RSPA certified pros I am currently working on getting new pros to certify themselves through RSPA and reaching out to past members to see how to possibly get them to rejoin us.
In this issue, I wanted to highlight one of our esteemed district members, Ivan Fernandez (pictured here).
Ivan has been an RSPA member since 2002 and is currently in his 8th season as the UTEP Women Head Coach. Ivan has been fortunate to be a division 1 collegiate coach of Men and Women teams for the past 25 years. When asked why Ivan chose the collegiate coaching route, he answered: “I chose college tennis over being a teaching professional to be able to focus on continuing to develop elite players. I have a lot of respect for the teaching pros that helped get these players to me in college. Without them, we would not have collegiate tennis.”
On a final note, I personally invited the district members to join me at Tennis West on November 22nd for our Pickleball Night to meet, play a bit, discuss our RSPA views and needs, and have a nice slice together at the club’s restaurant.
NEWS FROM USTA SOUTHWEST
2024 USTA Southwest Awards Handed Out
Twenty-three USTA Southwest Award winners and two new members of the Section’s Hall of Fame Class were recently honored at our 2024 Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony, Nov. 2 in Scottsdale.
The group of 2024 Award winners (calendar year) and Hall of Fame class of Kristien Shaw-Ziska and Kathrin Keil Sieberth was also part of a larger weekend gathering of USTA Southwest volunteers that devised strategy and plans for the sport in our region in the coming year. Congratulations to our new award winners for their efforts and contributions to the sport.
2024 USTA SOUTHWEST AWARD WINNERS All -Junior USTA Southwest Team
Maya Iyengar—Paradise Valley, AZ
Iyengar played a heavy travel schedule this year, and ascended to just inside the Top 40 in the world in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings. She won the doubles title at a professional ITF/USTA $15K event in San Diego in June and qualified for the Junior US Open.
Anjani Vickneswaran—Surprise, AZ
Vickneswaran had quite the 2024, reaching the finals of an ITF 60 in Corpus Christi in singles, won the Girls’ 16s singles title at the Southwest Junior Closed, played for the Battle of the Sections squad over the summer, lost in the finals of the Girls’ 14s Easter Bowl, and has a Top 30 ranking in the country. Gadin Arun—Paradise Valley, AZ
Arun was ranked No. 2 in the country in Boys’ 14s singles and No. 1 in doubles in 2024 before aging up to 16s. He reached the singles finals of the Boys’ 14 Nationals (and won doubles), the semifinals of the Boys’ 14s Clay Courts (and finalist in doubles), was boys’ 14s finalist at the 2024 SW Junior Closed,
Vessa Turley—Scottsdale, AZ
Turley has been doubles-dipping all year, winning five doubles crowns on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2024 (with a 24-2 record). She captured the 2024 USTA Girls’ 18s National Doubles Championships in Orlando (and won the 2023 in Girls’ 16s). She also was a doubles finalist at this year’s Southwest Junior Closed.
Hi’ilani Williams—Tucson, AZ
Williams captured this year’s Southwest Junior Closed Girls’ 18s singles and doubles title this summer and is currently ranked around Top 30 nationally in that division (and No. 1 in the Southwest). She competed for Team Southwest on the Battle of the Sections squad as well.
Junior Sportsmanship Award (Girl)
Hi’ilani Williams—Tucson, AZ
Williams is a fierce competitor on and off the court, and is known for her affable nature at events, Her fellow event participants and tournament officials always have nice things to say about her even-keeled temperament, her kind disposition and the way she battles her opponents to the finish line with complete respect.
Junior Sportsmanship Award (Boy)
Lincoln Baldonado—Glendale, AZ
Baldonado was a joy to be around in the eyes of his fellow competitors and tournament staff running the events he played. Last year, Baldonado finished runner-up at both boys’ singles and the team Arizona High School state Division 1 events. He’s now playing college tennis at St. Mary’s University (Texas).
Junior Excellence Award
Lyla Middleton—Rowe, NM
Middleton has been on a tear for two years across the country, winning five USTA National championship gold balls, playing her first pro event in 2024, was ranked No. 1 in girls’ 14s singles at the start of the year, and is already ranked No. 2 in the country in Girls’ 16s after recently aging up.
Community Tennis Volunteer of the Year
Arturo Fierro - Las Cruces, NM
Fierro has only been in Las Cruces for a couple of years, but has made an immediate impact, as the cocoordinator of Las Cruces Tennis Players Association’s Tennis 123 starter program, helped launch the USTA Flex League, is a middle school coach, USTA League captain and started a program to introduce tennis at the Las Cruces Boys and Girls Club.
Member Organization of the Year
Lobo Tennis Club—Albuquerque, NM
This 12-court (6 indoor, 6 outdoor) private member club in Albuquerque, fields an abundance of community play, including USTA League teams, adult and junior tournaments, the Tennis on Campus squad, the Lobo Player Tennis Academy (junior high performance) and summer camps. Memberships and lessons are highly affordable, especially for a club with so many offerings.
Event of the Year
Hoy Automotive Level 4 Tournament —El Paso, TX
This tournament was a true team effort that was both a community and financial success. Held at El Paso Tennis Club in May 2024, this event had 344 participants in a variety of NTRP and Open divisions, running more than 450 matches over five days. The tournament had a committee that took on a variety of roles (marketing, experience, fundraising) and really knocked it out of the park.
Tennis Ambassador of the Year
Sam Morrison—Phoenix, Arizona
Sam took up tennis almost a year ago, and started an Instagram account called ‘Baseline Conversation’ that has over 75,000 followers. The account is an intimate and almost-daily journey of his quest to learn tennis. It immerses followers in Sam’s tennis lifestyle and highlights the struggles and joys of learning and competing in the sport. Sam has had some incredible experiences already in the sport, and has become a true” tennis influencer.”
High School Coach of the Year
John Hew—Liberty High School, Peoria, AZ
Hew’s the quintessential do-everything coach, but also organizes USTA high school team matches outside of the season for his girls, and consisently adds to their experience outside of practice and playing. In 2024, he took his squad to Arizona State matches, as well as the Arizona Tennis Classic professional challenger event. His team has qualified for state the last three years and plays a top schedule. Hew’s coaching duties extend to managing the team’s social media page and getting sponsorships.
Adult Player of the Year
Carolyn Lane—Phoenix AZ
Lane has posted some stellar results in 2024 in women’s national events, including winning two USTA
national championship doubles gold balls in Women’s 65s and two silver balls this year with partner Patricia Purcell (St. Louis, Mo.). She also represented the United States at the ITF World Team Championships, helping the women’s 65s team earn the title at that event in Antalya, Turkey.
Tournament Director of the Year
Jake Worseldine—Sedona, AZ
Worseldine ran four L6 and one L5 junior events in the Northern Arizona area in 2024, in addition to several special club/charity fundraisers, like the Serve for Freedom benefit event for the 1000 Cranes Foundation, a charity working against human trafficking. Worldline’s an experienced tournament director who knows how to create fun events.
USTA League Facility of the Year
Prescott High School - Prescott, AZ
This six-court facility serves the Prescott High School tennis team, but also serves the community and the USTA League program. Recently significant upgrades were made to the facility, and the USTA Serve Tennis booking platform the facility uses allows captains to make court reservations and manage open court times more easily.
League Tennis Player of the Year (Female)
Angeline Haase—Glendale, AZ
Haase took up the sport a few short years ago but has quickly made up for lost time, turning it into a daily obsession, a large part of which has become participating in USTA Leagues and events. She played on 19 league teams in the 2024 season, and has played on a whopping 92 teams since starting in 2018! She also plays on other non-USTA Leagues around the Valley.
League Tennis Player of the Year (Male)
Craig Abney—Phoenix, AZ
Abney spent plenty of hours in 2024 on court for USTA League Tennis, playing on 19 teams, three of which made USTA Southwest Section Championship events (18 & Over Adult, 40 & Over Adult, Mixed Championships). He played 101 league matches in 2024. Abney has been a league mainstay since starting in 2003, playing on an eye-popping 187 league teams in that time!
League Tennis Captain of the Year (Female)
Nicole Heath—Surprise, AZ
Heath captained six of the nine teams she played on in the 2024 league calendar year, including 18 & Over Adult and Mixed teams (one of which is playing at League Nationals in Surprise this weekend). She is also the president of Surprise Tennis Club, a social tennis group dedicated to assisting players with new opportunities to partake in the game, with a special emphasis on USTA League Tennis. She started playing the sport just a couple of years ago.
League Tennis Captain of the Year (Male)
Jim Briggs—Albuquerque, NM
Briggs played on seven different USTA League teams in the 2024 season, captaining five of those, including multiple league types (18 & over, 40 & over, 55 & Over and Mixed). Players on his team love his captaining style and speak in glowing terms of his ability to field a competitive team, while keeping it organized, fun, and keeping all team members involved in important decisions.
Ginger Renouard Volunteer Spirit Award
Linda Cobbs —El Paso, TX
Cobbs’ involvement in tennis in El Paso has stretched the past four decades and her quest to bring tennis to adaptive populations is as strong as ever.
A former USTA League player who made the rounds in the community, Cobbs’ enduring service to the game has netted her much positive acclaim. She was our Community Tennis Volunteer of the Year in 2013, our Dianne Miller Courage in Tennis Award winner in 2015, and she was named a recipient of the prestigious USTA national Eve Kraft Service Award in 1998 for her work with adaptive players (Wounded Warrior program, Special Olympics, wheelchair players).
Physical challenges have set Cobbs back the last handful of years, but her love for tennis and volunteer spirit remains a constant.
Dianne Miller Courage in Tennis Award
Tammy and Travis Collins—Albuquerque, NM
Travis and Tammy had an unfathomable outcome as parents in early January, as their son Christopher Ryan Collins took his life at 20 years old.
The couple turned their incalculable grief into a special mixed doubles fundraiser event called “Serve it Up for Life,” that became a showcase for Breaking the Silence New Mexico, a non-profit chapter dedicated to suicide awareness and prevention.
The memorial celebration event for their son was held in late June at Jerry Cline Tennis Center, had 88 players, food trucks, music, and raised over $14K for the chapter. More than anything the couple found a way to use their unending love for their child and the sport they love ...and transform it into something positive and beautiful.
USTA Southwest President’s Award
Chris Howard—Prescott, AZ
Howard’s impact in the tiny tennis town of Prescott has been felt since he moved there in the early 1980s. He’s held virtually every role imaginable in the city, including tennis columnist for the Prescott Courier, high school coach, college coach, tennis club manager, adult and tournament player, stringer, and what he’s most known for being, a tennis teaching professional.
He’s one of the founding members of the Prescott Area Tennis Association, is still a nationally-ranked player in his age group, and remains one of our most effective and influential advocates for the sport in the Southwest.
USTA SOUTHWEST HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 2024 KRISTIEN SHAW-ZISKA
Shaw-Ziska was an incredible junior player in Southern California, winning 10 USTA national championships in singles and doubles, before embarking on a pro career at 17 years old in 1969. She was the youngest player on the circuit when she turned pro, and became an immediate threat, winning the Virginia Slims (now WTA Tour) Rookie of the Year Award.
Shaw-Ziska (who was better known then as Kristien Shaw-Zemmer) played all the major events on tour, and reached a career high ranking of No. 10 in the world in 1977.
Her left-handed, forward-moving game was her signature, and she reached the Wimbledon 4th Round twice (1973, 74), and the US Open 3rd Round twice (1973, 75). She had wins over many of the top Tour players of her day, including Rosie Casals, Francoise Durr, Betty Stove and Virginia Wade. Her top result
in a Grand Slam was a semifinal appearance in Mixed Doubles in 1977.
She fell in love with the city of Phoenix after playing with the World Team Tennis franchise here in 1975, and has been a Valley resident ever since. She retired from the Tour at 27 years old in 1979 and became the tennis director of the Mountain Shadows Resort in Scottsdale until 1983. She spent another decade teaching and coaching privately, including coaching stints with players on the WTA Tour. She also helped teach over 50 juniors in the Southwest to state and national rankings, and has since dabbled in exhibitions and other events and causes locally that help give back to the sport that made her name.
KATHRIN KEIL-SIEBERTH
Keil-Sieberth is one of the best female juniors to have ever come out of the Southwest. As a junior player hailing from Albuquerque, Keil was the top girl in the Southwest in every age division in the mid to late 1970s, and held a top 3 ranking in the country through almost her entire junior playing career.
She won three junior USTA National championship singles title (16s Indoors, 16s Hard Courts and 18s Internationals), the prestigious Ojai Tennis Tournament in Girls’ 18s and played internationally as a junior, reaching a Top 5 world ranking and reached the Junior US Open final in 1980.
Keil went on to UCLA for college, and was an immediate sensation, She played No. 1 singles for the Bruins, and was an All-American in 1981 and 1982. She played the US Open in 1981 as an amateur, drawing Chris Evert-Lloyd in the first round.
Keil’s career was short-lived, as injuries quickly mounted and forced her to retire at 22 years old. She had wins over some of the Tour’s biggest names in her brief professional career, including victories over Anne White, Betsy Nagelsen, Carling Bassett, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Lisa Bonder, and Kathleen Horvath.
She came back on Tour for a couple of years in the mid to late 1980s and reached a career high ranking of No. 55, and competed in all four Grand Slam events. She played adult USTA events into her 30s and was No. 1 player in the country in women’s 30 singles. She taught tennis for 25 years as USPTA Elite Professional in California, Texas and Louisiana.
ARIZONA TENNIS CLASSIC BACK IN 2025
The Arizona Tennis Classic has announced its 2025 event dates, March 10-16, at Phoenix Country Club.
This is one of the top stops on the ATP Challenger Tour and will be the event’s fifth year in operation since 2019 (canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid). Last year’s champion was Nuno Borges, who reached a career high No. 30 in 2024. He also captured the event in 2023.
The ATP Challenger Tour is the springboard to fame for the future stars in men’s professional tennis, featuring world-class competition across the globe. Past players to have appeared at the Arizona Tennis Classic have included Gael Monfils, Matteo Berrettini, Casper Ruud, David Goffin, Richard Gasquet, Fernando Verdasco and Lorenzo Musetti, so it’s a showcase for tennis stars on the rise. For ticket information, or to volunteer, please visit www.arizonatennisclassic.com
Two coaching workshops over the winter will be held, one Dec. 7-8 in Albuquerque at Jerry Cline Tennis Center, and one on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at New Mexico State Tennis Center in Las Cruces.
The USTA Coaching Fundamen- tals Workshop can be either one or two-day, in-person trainings that focus on coaching principles and building skills needed to teach beginner to low intermediate level players of all ages.
Coaches who complete a work- shop have the opportunity to be certified as a Level 1 Coach with both Racquet Sports Professional Association (RSPA – formerly USPTA) and Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) upon meeting additional membership/certification requirements.
To learn more about these workshops, contact Rene Matusiak at matusiak@southwest.usta.com.
2025 USTA Southwest Junior Calendar of Top Events is Set
Top junior events in the Southwest are now firmly set on the 2025 calendar. Check out this spreadsheet to see a list of Level 2-5 events across the Section.
These include individual tournaments as well as some high-level team events.
To see the 2025 National Junior Calendar with event links, click HERE. To see the full 2025 Southwest Junior Calendar with event links, click HERE (You must have a USTA log-in to view schedules)
DAMITA CURRY NAMED SOUTHWEST TENNIS FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Damita Curry was recently announced as the Southwest Tennis Foundation’s new Executive Director. Curry has been a passionate USTA League player and volunteer who has had extensive experience with fundraising and community relations, serving as the Vice President, Development and Communications for the Children’s Action Alliance.
This part-time position was recently created to further develop the Foundation’s reach and fundraising efforts across the tennis communities of the Southwest. The Foundation is the charitable arm of USTA Southwest. It was started in 1996 to provide deeper financial support to programs that supported the
The Foundation is 100% reliant on community donations and fundraising to fulfill its charitable good works in tennis here in the Southwest. It has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in the time since formation, supporting a wide array of junior players seeking financial assistance, community programs that expand the game, and to under-resourced and underserved communities.
To learn more about the Foundation or to volunteer, please visit www.swtennisfoundation.com or email swtf@southwest.usta.com
USTA Women’s Tennis Summit
The USTA Southwest Women’s Tennis Summit was a remark able success, bringing together female leaders, players, and professionals across the tennis industry. The event, held in September in Scottsdale, AZ, served as a platform for women to connect, share insights, and foster growth both on and off the court. Over 70 attendees participated in a series of empowering panels and discussions covering topics such as leadership, volunteer management, and career transitions within the tennis industry.
One of the summit’s standout sessions was “Coaching HER” with Dr. Nicole LaVoi, where she introduced several tools to help coaches understand how unconscious gender biases affect girls in sports. Other topics included the “Raise Your Voice” session, which empowered attendees with public speaking skills, and the keynote “Transcending Excellence” by Julia Borgan, who introduced the Positive Intelligence framework for leadership. Additionally, participants explored volunteer recruitment strategies, conflict management, and mobility sessions, and engaged in on-court options like Cardio Tennis and a USTA Play
Facilitator workshop. The summit also emphasized the importance of community, with numerous networking opportunities allowing participants to form meaningful connections.
From actionable takeaways on building strong volunteer teams to the inspiring stories of women in influential roles within the sport, the event reinforced the power of collaboration and support among women in tennis. We look forward to continuing this momentum and can’t wait to see how these women shape the future of tennis.
All event info can be found on a Google Site HERE and the event can be found on Instagram @gamesetlead
A Publication of the RSPA Southwest Division
Jack Michalko / editor
77 East Missouri Avenue, Suite 62, Phoenix, AZ 85012 602-740-0126 / e-mail: jack.michalko@rspa.net
The Southwest Magazine is published quarterly by the Southwest Division of the Racquet Sports ProfessionalsAssociation. The opinions expressed in the Southwest Magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Southwest Magazine or the RSPA Southwest Division.
