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Member Organization of the Year: Seminole County Leisure Services

214 views · Published 25 March 2010 · 1:31 · Indexed 27 September 2026

Channel: United States Tennis Association (USTA) · 2010 · Nonprofits & Activism

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The USTA honored the Seminole County Leisure Services department of the Seminole County Government in Florida as the USTA Member Organization of the Year. The award is given annually to an organization that provides outstanding service to its members and the local community. 

Joseph Abel, the Seminole County Leisure Services Director, accepted the award on March 22, 2010 at the USTA Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX.

The Seminole County Leisure Services department began its involvement with the USTA and USTA Florida in 1976 when it opened Red Bug Lake Park, which features 16 lighted hard courts. The department has grown to now include a 25-court facility at Sanlando Park, a nine-court facility at Sylvan Lake Park and two additional neighborhood parks that house four courts apiece.

Seminole County Leisure Services sponsors a number of county-wide programs that cater to players of all age groups and skill levels. In 2009, the county recorded a record number of program participants, including more than 6,400 participants in adult social programs and more than 3,000 participants in junior training and development programs. Seminole County is home to more than 120 mens, womens and mixed teams in local and USTA adult and senior leagues, and regularly hosts QuickStart Tennis Open Houses at each of the countys three main park locations. In addition, the county played host to 17 sanctioned USTA Florida tournaments featuring more than 1,600 players.

The Seminole County Leisure Services department also serves the state of Florida in a number of other ways. It opens its facilities to local high schools for practices and home matches and actively fosters diversity, operating a weekly senior program and providing scholarship opportunities to youth in need. The department also hosts a number of charity events, including the Denton Johnson Charity Tennis Tournament, which raises funds for the city of Eatonvilles First Serve inner city youth tennis program, and the Tornado Challenge Charity Tennis Tournament, which helped raise money for tornado victims in neighboring Florida counties.

Seminole County is committed to tennis and understands the positive impact it can make in a community, said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. We are very pleased to see such an organization  one that shows such spirit and passion for the sport  receive this honor. The countys varied program offerings for every age and ability level, combined with the dedication of its team of staff and volunteers, are a great example of just how much a local organization can do to keep tennis thriving. 

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Copyright 2010, USTA.com

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