The Rome Tennis Center at Berry College has been named “Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year” for 2019 by Racquet Sports Industry magazine (formerly Tennis Industry magazine) in the publication’s January 2020 issue. Racquet Sports Industry’s annual Champions of Tennis Awards have spotlighted leaders in the sport and business of tennis for the past 19 years.
The magazine attributed the success of the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College to its collaborative work with the community to provide family programs along with hosting regional, national and international events.
Izzy Hortman, Tennis Service Representative Regional Sales Manager for USTA, nominated Rome Tennis Center for the award: “As part of my job with USTA, I have the pleasure of visiting tennis facilities across the country and I am often asked about the Rome Tennis Center. I may be biased about my hometown, but I know that Rome Tennis Center is hard to beat! The Rome Tennis Center deserves this recognition and I am delighted the industry agreed!”
In addition to its Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year, Racquet Sports Industry also named winners in 23 other categories for its 2019 Champions of Tennis Awards (See the digital edition for details on each winner)
- Person of the Year: Dan Faber
- Tennis Industry Service Award: Jolyn de Boer, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
- Private/Commercial Facility of the Year: T Bar M Racquet Club, Dallas, Texas
- Tennis Sales Representative of the Year: Garry Ramey, Alpharetta, Ga.
- Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year: Fromuth Tennis, West Lawn, Pa., and Orlando, Fla.
- Builder/Contractor of the Year: Renner Sports Surfaces, Denver, Colo.
- Grassroots Tennis Champion of the Year: Jessica McMillen, Austin, Texas
- Stringer of the Year: Mark Gonzalez, Austin, Texas
- Community Tennis Association of the Year: Steamboat Tennis Association, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
- Tennis Advocate of the Year: Paula Hale, Raleigh, N.C.
- Wheelchair Tennis Champions of the Year: John Devorss, Salem, Ore.
- Junior Tennis Champion of the Year: David Kimani, Norwalk, Conn.
- Public Park of the Year: City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, New Orleans, La.
- Park & Rec Agency of the Year: San Francisco Recreation & Parks, San Francisco, Calif.
- High School Coach of the Year: Doug Chapman, Somerset, Mass.
- National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Organization of the Year: MACH Academy, Augusta, Ga.
- Innovative Tennis Event of the Year: USTA New England Provider Appreciation Month
- Youth Tennis Provider of the Year: Sara Rasmussen, Wichita, Kan.
- Adaptive Tennis Champion of the Year: Jane Hines, Omaha, Neb.
- Adult Tennis Provider of the Year: Tim Ross, Livonia, Mich.
- Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Member of the Year: Jarrett Chirico, Philadelphia, Pa.
- U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Member of the Year: Sid Newcomb, Orlando, Fla.
- U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Section of the Year: USTA Southern California
Racquet Sports Industry (formerly Tennis Industry) has been covering the tennis business and the sport for 48 years. Available in both print and digital editions, RSI is the official publication of the Tennis Industry Association, U.S. Racquet Stringers Association and American Sports Builders Association. Visit www.tennisindustrymag.com.
About the Author
Our Georgia's Rome tourism team works hard to curate content to help you discover and explore our beautiful town! We want to ensure our content is up-to-date and accurate; so please let us know if we ever overlook an important detail! This post was originally written by Kristi Kent and is updated by staff.
Leave a comment