As the school year kicks up again, more than 340,000 high schoolers across the country start their preparation for the tennis season that begins in the spring. With over 400 schools in Florida offering tennis, there are a large chunk of players that get the opportunity to become state champions.  

For students at Freeport High School, that hasn’t been possible in recent years due to lack of promotion and equipment. However, thanks to an equipment grant from the USTA Florida Foundation, team tennis is being promoted, practiced, and enjoyed at the Walton County public school.  

Tennis has been an afterthought in Walton County. Not many people have the chance to play the sport and not many have even thought of doing so. However, that didn’t stop some members of the Freeport High School community from seeking help in promoting this healthy and fun sport.  

The equipment grant they received helped provide new tennis balls, and most importantly, especially with the Florida heat, new shoes for players to safely practice. This also helped promote that tennis is more than an individual sport, as team tennis teaches many skills like collaboration, communication, and sportsmanship. 

Another goal of the grant was to be able to promote tennis to the community. According to Freeport officials, people in Walton County weren’t even aware that there was a tennis team in their area to tell high schoolers to get involved with or support them. 

The grant has helped grow the game in multiple ways for the school. In just one year, Freeport High School was able to get 18 students involved with the team, which was a 30% increase from the previous year. “The town itself now knows there is a tennis team in their community,” one Freeport Staff member said.  

In this upcoming season, they are hopeful to attract even more players. “We currently have enough equipment to sustain both our boy’s and girl’s teams,” a coach from Freeport said. “Now we are able to practice during the pre-season and be match-ready once the season begins.” 

The USTA Florida Foundation is happy that more people are getting the opportunity to be involved with this amazing sport and is thrilled to see the growth in Walton County. 

To learn more about applying for grants through the USTA Florida Foundation go to ustafloridafoundation.com/apply-for-grants/equipment-grants.    

ABOUT THE USTA FLORIDA FOUNDATION    

With a mission of “Changing Lives through Tennis,” the USTA Florida Section Foundation provides financial support to organizations that help people of all ages and abilities improve their health and quality of life through the great game of tennis. To learn more or to apply for a grant go to ustafloridafoundation.com.