2018 USTA Middle States Awards

USTA Middle States Award recipients were chosen through a representation of USTA Middle States volunteers and staff, working together to compile nominations from each of the six Middle States districts: Allegheny Mountain (AMD), Central Pennsylvania (CPD), Delaware (DD), Eastern Pennsylvania (EPD), New Jersey (NJD) and the Philadelphia Area (PATD).

“I can’t say enough about this group of awardees,” said USTA Middle States President Wilson Pipkin. “We have so many incredible tennis advocates here in our Section. It will be exciting to honor them at their local award ceremonies this year.”

Recipients are honored at their respective annual district award ceremony.

2018 Awards Ceremony Photos
Delaware District Awards Ceremony
Philadelphia District Awards Ceremony
New Jersey District Awards Ceremony
Central Pennsylvania District Awards Ceremony
Eastern Pennsylvania District Awards Ceremony
Allegheny Mountain District Awards Ceremony

2018 Awardees:

Adult Volunteer Award: Denise Dunn, York, Pa. (CPD)
Community Tennis Association Award: Burlington County Tennis Association, Burlington, N.J. (NJD)
Edwin J. Faulkner College Coach Award: Mehdi Rhazali, Philadelphia, Pa. (Drexel University) (PATD)
Edwin J. Faulkner High School Coach Award: Ryan Knarr, Robesonia, Pa. (Conrad Weiser High School) (EPD)
Family of the Year: Knowles Family, Wind Gap, Pa. (EPD)
Junior Volunteer Award: Valerie Motter, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (CPD)
Presidential Service Award: Christian Sockel, Reading, Pa. (EPD)
Teaching Professional Award: Anthony DeCecco, Exton, Pa. (PATD)
Tennis Industry Initiative Award: DoubleTree by Hilton, Philadelphia-Valley Forge (PATD)
Tennis Official Award: Mike Yoder, Bethany Beach, Del. (DD)
Tennis On Campus Leader Award: Jamie Colvin, Slippery Rock University (AMD)
Tournament Director Award: Jose Mieres, Pittsburgh, Pa. (AMD)
USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer Award: Jody Wilson, Ephrata, Pa. (CPD)
William A. Hills Section NJTL Chapter Award: Rodney Street Tennis & Tutoring Association, Wilmington, Del. (DD)

District Award Ceremonies: Dates

Delaware District – February 24, 2019 – DoubleTree Hotel (Wilmington)
Philadelphia Area Tennis District – March 10, 2019 – Green Valley CC (Lafayette Hill)
Central Pennsylvania District – May 5, 2019 – Heritage Hills CC (York)
New Jersey District – April 28, 2019 – Ramblewood Country Club (Mount Laurel)
Eastern Pennsylvania District — June 9, 2019 – Kalahari Convention Center (Pocono Manor)
Allegheny Mountain District — July 6, 2019 – Mt. Lebanon Tennis Center (Pittsburgh)

USTA Middle States Award Categories

Edwin J. Faulkner Coach (College and High School)
Presented to a coach who resides or coaches in the section or is a Middle States member. Named after Edwin J. Faulkner, a Middle States Hall of Famer who coached Swarthmore College and the Davis Cup team, this recognizes enthusiasm, team camaraderie and community service.

Community Tennis Association Award
Honors a CTA which stands out as a leader in the Section, supporting community tennis programs and local community. As an association, the group coordinates and maintains programs and services, guaranteeing they are open and accessible to all.

Family of the Year
Recognizes a family’s contribution or accomplishment to tennis. The family represents the development and promotion of tennis on and off the court on a local and/or section basis.

USTA Junior Team Tennis Organizer Award
Recognizes a Junior Team Tennis organizer who goes above and beyond to grow participation and quality local Junior Team Tennis programs.

William A. Hills Section NJTL Chapter Award
Recognizes an NJTL, offering a wide range of tennis and education opportunities for local youth.

Tennis Official Award
Presented to a tennis official who resides within Middle States and provides consistent, exemplary work during tournaments and other organized play. This award is for an official that shows a clear and constant understanding for fairness and the rules of the game, and who shows a decisive, professional approach to situations in which he or she is presented with during an event. This official has a passion for growing the game of tennis, and a respect for all players, fans and tournament staff that he or she works with.

Presidential Service Award
Presented to an individual, or individuals, who have provided a high level of service to the Middle States mission during the tenure of the Middle States President.Teaching Professional Award
Honors an active instructor who demonstrates a significant contribution to tennis through promotion of USTA programs, service to the community and a support of the USTA mission. This person demonstrates a dedication to teaching juniors and/or adults in their communities with passion and excitement.

Tennis Industry Initiative Award
Honors a person, organization or company that positively impacts and grows tennis in unique and creative ways, while providing outstanding quality and service.

Tennis On Campus Club Award
Honors a Tennis On Campus team that displayed tremendous effort and accomplished success on and off the court, including with community and school service, and contributions to growing tennis.

Tennis On Campus Leader Award
Honors a Tennis On Campus organizer, player or leader who creates a consistent, high-quality experience for club players at his or her school.

Tournament Director Award
A tournament director who manages USTA-sanctioned tournaments in the section while providing participants, officials and spectators a quality experience. Those who run multiple events, community friendly events, or display innovation and creativity, are strongly considered.

Volunteer (Adult and Junior)
An individual who has made valuable contributions to the growth and development of tennis in Middle States by working as a volunteer at the district and/or section level. This person has demonstrated a passion in giving back to their community or school through tennis by starting a new program such as 10 & Under Tennis, or helping one thrive. Adults are considered 18 and older.