The USTA introduced a multi-year sponsorship take care of Athleta that can see the ladies’s and ladies’ efficiency life-style model function one of many official sponsors of USTA League, USTA Participant Growth Educating Skilled Initiatives and the USTA Basis Excellence Ladies’ Group. The partnership will intention to empower girls and ladies and attain new audiences of lively tennis gamers.
As a part of Athleta’s mission to empower girls and ladies to achieve their limitless potential, it continues to establish alternatives for innovation to fulfill the ever-changing wants of its clients. With greater than 22.6 million individuals taking to tennis courts across the nation in 2021, a rise of roughly 1 million gamers from 2020, this sponsorship represents a possibility to capitalize on tennis’ vital progress and supply further touchpoints to introduce the Athleta model to the USTA’s rising member base of lively people.
“Athleta is proud so as to add USTA to our roster of function pushed companions, targeted on our mission of empowering girls and ladies,” stated Athleta president and CEO Mary Beth Laughton. “Between our revolutionary tennis product and equipment, increasing entry to ladies from underserved communities, and specializing in extra variety within the next-generation of leaders in tennis teaching, this partnership is poised to make a major affect on the game.”
Athleta’s tennis assortment consists of an array of merchandise throughout its girls’s and ladies’ strains. As a part of the partnership, Athleta created a curated number of skorts and clothes; breathable, ultra-lightweight tanks; and tennis equipment that may be worn to a tennis match or on a easy run across the neighborhood.
“We couldn’t be extra excited to accomplice with Athleta. They share our dedication to well being, wellness and inclusivity.” stated Lew Sherr, USTA CEO, and Govt Director. “All three of the USTA initiatives that Athleta will likely be partnering with us on are areas the place the USTA is attempting to open extra alternatives for girls of all backgrounds as we proceed to develop tennis at each degree.”
Different sides of the sponsorship embrace content material creation and expanded procuring experiences for USTA members and attendees at USTA occasions, and can activate throughout three key areas:
USTA League – With greater than 300,000 gamers taking part every year, USTA League is the nation’s largest grownup aggressive tennis league. It’s an effective way for members to remain lively, enhance their tennis recreation, and have the possibility to compete for a Nationwide Championship. League play begins on the native degree for gamers ages 18 and over, and is primarily organized in line with the Nationwide Tennis Ranking Program (NTRP) by age group. High groups from native leagues earn the possibility to compete in district and/or sectional championships, whereas the winners of sectionals advance to the USTA League Nationwide Championships. Athleta’s engagement will search to raise the Nationwide Championship expertise and improve participant participation.
USTA Participant Growth Educating Skilled Initiatives – USTA Participant Growth’s Tennis Teaching & Management Fellowship powered by Athleta simply accomplished its inaugural class. It’s going to now look to coach the subsequent era of leaders in tennis teaching by way of an integrative strategy that focuses on the core competencies of foundational teaching. The Fellowship will present younger and aspiring professionals with a world-class studying and coaching alternative with the USTA and is structured to ship vital experiential and management coaching whereas concurrently finishing the Stage 2 Certification necessities with USPTA or PTR.
USTA Basis Excellence Ladies’ Group – Excellence Program members are Nationwide Junior Tennis and Studying (NJTL) youth chosen primarily based on their elite degree of tennis capability, instructional outcomes and dedication to the pathway to grow to be student-athletes on the collegiate {and professional} ranges. The Excellence Program ensures one of the best teaching and assets can be found to these youngsters with essentially the most want, athletic potential and monetary want. Native chapters are inspired to generate exterior funding for sustainability, and children be taught the significance of onerous work, grit and graciousness. As NJTLs embody the USTA Basis mission to deliver tennis and schooling collectively to alter lives, Excellence Program occasions combine tennis on-court actions and academic off-court actions. Presently, the USTA Basis has 19 NJTL chapters throughout the nation which have recognized near 350 promising athletes. These athletes are recognized and chosen attributable to their onerous work, expertise, perseverance and grit. These Excellence Groups are supplied further assets designed to offer teaching, gear and event journey without charge to underserved junior tennis gamers from under-resourced populations who would in any other case by no means have the possibility to even play.
