Local Launches Tennis Travel Website
Jordana Klein, who began playing tennis at 9 years old in Alpharetta and played in area ALTA leagues growing up, recently launched tennisitinerary.com, a travel tennis blog geared toward players’ needs, whether that’s relocation, vacation, seasonal leagues, local junior and adult clinics and more.
The former captain of the Georgia Southern University women’s tennis team and a 2015 journalism graduate said the website targets a national and international audience with blog posts featuring tennis resorts, venues and facilities around the country. By providing details regarding programming, leagues, getaways and other specific information, Tennis Itinerary can be utilized by tennis players, fans, parents and coaches.
While playing at GSU, Klein realized her enthusiasm for tennis, writing and travel. After graduation, she accepted a job with USTA Louisiana as junior tennis director. She recently returned to Atlanta to pursue a career in writing and launched the website while also still coaching tennis. “Tennis Itinerary is a tennis-travel, tourism blog for the niche market of tennis resorts, tennis venues and facilities, and country clubs,” she said. “I have developed an international platform where visitors and guests who are traveling or relocating can enjoy the experiences that the area has to offer.
“I am traveling throughout the country, meeting with tennis and marketing directors at resorts and other locations who provide me with information on their packages, programming and tennis leagues, and I develop a blog post and social media to market their programs. I want this to be a platform where everyone can better enjoy their vacation or new homes. My platform provides a one-stop shop to search for the club or resort that fits their personal needs with navigation by region and state, along with junior programming, adult programming, league play and relocation information,” said Klein.
Learn more by visiting tennisitinerary.com.
____________________________________________________
2017 BB&T Atlanta Open Holiday Pack
Interested in attending the 2017 BB&T Atlanta Open July 22-30 and getting a sweet deal on premium tickets? Tournament directors are offering a Holiday Pack that features two gold or platinum level tickets of your choice to attend one of the first four sessions July 24-27. This deal also includes a BB&T Atlanta Open performance technology T-shirt, and flexibility in the purchase can make this a great gift during the holiday season. For more information, visit bbtatlantaopen.com.
____________________________________________________
Coordinator Uses ALTA Connections to Aid Flood Victims
It started out as a way to help a friend left in need after flooding in Louisiana in August. It turned into quite the charitable effort.
Nicole Jennings, a coordinator for Thursday Women and Mixed Doubles leagues, sent an email to other Thursday Women coordinators before their fall season meeting, telling them about her upcoming trip to help flood victims and requesting donations. She collected water, blankets, towels, food and cash. The cash donations were used for gasoline and bleach.
A neighbor had notified a local Boy Scout troop about her efforts. The troop reached out to more than 100 families and organized a collection at Johns Creek United Methodist Church. The church raised enough money to rent a 16-foot box truck and by departure time, the truck was full.
Her first stop was the Louisiana Humane Society near Denham Springs, which had taken in hundreds of animals. She and husband Brian dropped off more than 30 bags of pet food, crates and other supplies.
Their next stop was Colyell Baptist Church in Livingston. “People were camped out in the parking lot. When they saw our truck, they all came to help unload. I’m not sure who donated the blankets and towels, but they went fast! There were families with no shoes — and clothes that they had been in for a week,” said Jennings.
____________________________________________________
Making Tennis Matter Toolkit Released
USTA Southern has created “Making Tennis Matter: A USTA Southern Facility Toolkit,” a 28-page online publication aimed at supporting community tennis associations, facility owners, municipal leaders and grassroots advocates as they work to build more tennis courts in local communities.
The publication includes information on how to make a case for building more courts. The extensive document includes numerous case studies, tips, resources, links, infographics and other assets. Among the 13 sections are “Getting Started with Your Dream Project,” “The Case for Tennis,” “Partnering With Your Park & Rec Department” and “Fundraising in Your Community.”
The document has links to the USTA Facility Assistance grant program, a presentation aimed at community influencers and a multi-page Tennis Industry Association resource. To view the publication, visit southern.usta.com.
