President’s Message

Amy Badger - USPTA Southwest President

Here we are again, fast approaching the end of another year, full of growth, changes and hopefully me for meaningful refl ec on on our successes along with areas that con nue to inspire us to grow. It was wonderful to see so many of our Southwest pros at the USPTA World Conference in New Orleans. Congratula ons are in order for two Southwest na onal award recipients. Leslie Banks, USPTA Star Award for her incredible work as Founder and Execu ve Director of Serve the Future, bringing the underserved and tennis together and yours truly for the USPTA Industry Excellence Award. It’s never work when you love what you do, and I hope you all feel that way with every touch of the ball.

While there is no denying the rapid growth in pickleball, industry reports since 2019, tennis par cipa on is up over 5 million people outpacing all other racquet sports. The game is not only alive but growing, and we should all be excited to reach out to a ract and retain players with our programming, lessons, coaching, etc. Thank you for all you have done throughout the year to bring so much joy to your clients/members/students.

It’s been a year of change star ng with our division board, refl ec ng on the sad loss of Laurie Mar n. The na onal organiza on made signifi cant decisions on its vision forward, namely, our reaccredita on decision and our cer fi ca on pathway. The strategic plan going forward is to incorporate alterna ve racquet sports as they are now woven into the fabric of our industry. Change can be tough, but change can be good.

Take me to refl ect on your goals and con nue to invest in yourself with educa on. Pickleball cer fi ca ons are going strong with Pickleball coach developer Ryan Johnson. Reach out to him if interested. A lot of work has been put into our mini conferences, November being the most recent. Clubs all around the division are looking to hire. If you are not with a club, and thinking about it, reach out! The Southwest division board members are here for you. Please allow us the opportunity to help you be as successful as you are envisioning for a bright, prosperous, 2023!

I can’t leave without sharing all my gra tude for board members Suk, Greg, Ryan, John, past president John Moyer, our southwest coordinators Dick, Leslie, Andrea and Amanda and the glue that keeps us all together, our Execu ve Director Jack Michalko. We are so lucky to have his lifelong level of passion and commitment to the USPTA and to all of us. Here’s to a great 2023!

Best Kept Self

by Greg Prudhomme- PhD

The holiday season is here. For many, it’s the most stressful me of the year. It’s not always easy, but we should keep in mind one of the most important parts of the season. That is, to spend quality me with friends and family. We might be crazy-busy and not have as much me as we’d like, or perhaps we can only visit over the phone, but most important is to make the me count. The stress of the holidays o en robs us from making it quality me. Finances, crowds, busy travel, and wan ng to make everything perfect are distrac ons that can prevent us from enjoying the present moments. Stop, take some deep breaths, enjoy the decora ons, and maybe think of a special holiday memory. Be nice to strangers, be nice to yourself, and make the me with loved-one’s count; your heart and mental wellbeing will thank you! Happy Holidays!