The Riverside Park tennis courts in Vero Beach, Florida, where top 10 star and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish first learned to play tennis, will soon by managed by the USTA Florida, the Florida section of the U.S. Tennis Association.
USTA Florida announced the newest addition to its facility management program after the Vero Beach City Council voted 5-0 to enter into a licensing agreement with the organization. USTA Florida also manages the tennis facilities at the Racquet Club of Cocoa Beach, the Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center, and four tennis parks in Gainesville, Florida.
“My early dreams in tennis began at Riverside Park in Vero Beach and it led me down the road to be able to compete on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Centre Court at Wimbledon and many other wonderful places around the world and I hope that more players can start to realize their own dreams on those very same courts,” said Mardy Fish. “Me and my pals Robert Kowalcyck and Jake Owen and his brother Jarrod and all of our families spent so much time playing tennis at Riverside Park years ago and I know that the USTA Florida will do an amazing job to bring that excitement, joy and energy back and to even greater heights.”
Said Mardy’s father Tom Fish, “As a tennis-playing Vero Beach resident for over 40 years, I am thrilled that USTA Florida will be taking over the management of the Riverside Park public tennis courts, because no organization knows tennis better than the USTA. Tennis is the ultimate family sport that can be enjoyed together, and Riverside Park is the place where I enjoyed playing the most with my family. It’s where my two children, Mardy and Meredith, first learned to love the game. I know USTA Florida will bring excitement back to the Riverside Park courts to the benefit of all in our community who play tennis or wish to learn.”
Since USTA Florida took on its first facility in 2018, tennis participation in the state of Florida has grown by nearly half a million players. The latest tennis participation study shows that more than 100,000 additional Floridians want to start playing tennis, if given the chance.
“We got into this business five years ago to help save public tennis centers that were at risk of closing or struggling to keep players,” said USTA Florida President Phil Girardi. “Today, tennis is booming, and we are expanding our business to help municipalities deliver the best possible tennis experience and programs to their communities.”
USTA Florida was first contacted about the opportunity to potentially speak to the City of Vero Beach about the facility management in 2021 when local pickleball players and organizations bid to take over the once vibrant tennis courts and turn them into pickleball courts. The Vero Beach City Council eventually turned down the pickleball proposal.
For more information on USTA Florida’s mission and to learn more about its facility management services, visit USTAFlorida.com.
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