Emily Piper 
The Ron James Youth Tennis Program held its first on-court clinics for area children last week at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center. Certified tennis instructors led the children through an hour-long regimen of warm-up drills, coordination exercises, and practice on forehands and backhands. The small group clinics moved quickly and everyone had a … Read more
To our USTA SC Tennis Family: We are proud to report that tennis participation in the US increased by 22 percent in 2020, and nearly 22 million people played the sport last year. Nearly seven million people were new to the game or returned as players during 2020. The growth from 2019 in both new … Read more
We are mourning the loss of Charles Hodgin, who passed away on Friday, April 2, 2021. Mr. Hodgin was inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019. Charles settled in Sumter in 1957. His competitive spirit, sportsmanship, honesty and integrity, along with his instruction and leadership skills were instrumental in building … Read more
We are saddened to learn that Dr. Carey Washington, one of our great friends and volunteers, passed away on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Carey served as a volunteer and official at the state, section, and national levels for over 30 years. He was the Chair of the USTA Southern Officials Committee and a member of … Read more
The increase of bigotry and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country over the last year is unacceptable. We must all commit to addressing all forms of racism and taking action to create safer communities. Stop AAPI Hate tracks anti-Asian violence in the United States. You can report incidents, find resources, and learn … Read more
USTA South Carolina will host its second Community Conversation on Race and Tennis in South Carolina on Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. This event will build on the first Community Conversation in November, where more than 50 people came together virtually to discuss growing tennis in diverse communities, learn about opportunities to get involved and network with other … Read more
Wofford Tennis Coach Rod Ray has been coach at Wofford for more than 20 years. Prior to that Ray was Director of Tennis at Lexington’s Topspin Racquet Club. He has been a prominent fixture in SC tennis, serving as coach for the SC Junior Davis/Federation Cup Team, USTA Junior Player Development Program, Zonal Coach, and … Read more
Want to have fun, build healthy hearts, and grow tennis in your community? For every 5K registrant that lives in the USTA Southern Section, a racquet will be donated to a local tennis organization. This event is VIRTUAL, and you can run or walk between February 26-28. Registration is $25 per person and all proceeds … Read more
Many know Dr. Carol B. Alan as an avid tennis player, USTA South Carolina board member and head of the Sumter Tennis Club. What you may not know is that she comes from a family of tennis pioneers. Carolyn Archie, Dr. Alan’s mother, won the American Tennis Association, Inc. (ATA) National Tennis Tournament (12-15 year bracket) … Read more
