Walterboro Tennis Association is proud to announce its official relaunch, bringing expanded tennis programs to the Walterboro community. The local leadership is ready to serve players of all ages and skill levels, after acquiring grant funding for startup costs through the United States Tennis Association. WTA is a registered Community Tennis Association with USTA South Carolina, which provides a wealth of resources and grants to help grow the sport of tennis. The City of Walterboro has generously partnered with WTA, granting access to the Forest Hills Tennis Center for upcoming programs.
“I grew up playing tennis in Walterboro,” said Michelle Strickland, board president. “I have continued to play as an adult and have fond memories of a thriving tennis community here over the years. I think it’s time to bring that back. It became a high priority goal of mine now that I have children. I want to make sure the youth of this community have an opportunity to learn this lifelong sport.”
The newly re-formed WTA Board consists of Michelle Strickland, president, Eileen Burke, secretary/treasurer, Ladson Fishburne, Dr. Trent Cannon and Tamara McIntire.
“I am thrilled they have successfully reorganized and re-energized the WTA,” Wiliam Snead, former WTA president, said. “The city and the county are really the beneficiaries of a healthy tennis association.”
Snead was happy to hand pass the reigns to Strickland, as local play had really fallen off after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“USTA South Carolina is proud to welcome back the Walterboro Tennis Association to its community tennis network,” said Sheryl McAlister, USTA SC Senior Director of Advocacy & Community Development. “The South Carolina Lowcountry is a critical region for tennis players and is a vital part of the growth strategy for our organization. Walterboro Tennis Association joins the Lowcountry Tennis Association, Lowcountry Youth Tennis Association and St. George Tennis Association as active partners, offering tennis programs as well as recreational and league play for thousands of tennis players.”
Certified Coaches and Local Sponsors
Strickland, Fishburne, Cannon, and Keyari McDonald recently received Developmental Coaching Badges through USTA National Training and are certified to teach. Fishburne is also the coach for the Colleton Prep Academy girls’ tennis team. Cannon, retired physician from Walterboro OBGYN and a longstanding community member, has also coached the CPA tennis teams over the years, and continues to actively play tennis. McIntire, former division three college player, brings her many years of experience coaching youth and adults.
The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie assisted WTA in securing rackets, balls, nets and hoppers to ensure the program could get started. Strickland said the athletic program has also offered to extend its discounted purchasing program should WTA need more equipment in the future.
“USC Salkehatchie is proud to support the Walterboro Tennis Association and its mission to keep our local residents active and engaged,” said Dean Dr. April Cone. “By providing essential equipment like racquets, balls, and carts, we hope to remove barriers to the sport and invest in the well-being of our community”
Youth & School Programs
Strickland says conversations have already begun with Colleton County School District Athletic Department and Colleton County High School Tennis Coach Kendrae Heirs for future programming. Heirs, also the Northside Elementary Physical Education teacher, is among the first elementary school teachers sponsored by WTA to receive the USTA Southern tennis equipment package. This program is available to all elementary schools in the region with the support of a sponsoring Community Tennis Association. WTA certified coaches are available to assist PE teachers in implementing the curriculum. Dr. Chris Meyers, Executive Director of Athletic Operations at CCSD, has endorsed the program and will be assisting in the roll out.
“We are in full support of the WTC’s efforts to get tennis into our Elementary schools. Elementary PE is often the first place students get introduced to sports and sport specific skills. One of our initiatives is to facilitate club sports for grades 6th and under, so this is a major step in the right direction” he said.
If you are interested in getting an equipment package and supporting materials for your school, or you want to get involved in any capacity, contact walterborotennis843@gmail.com find them on Facebook @walterborotennisassociation, or visit the website playtennis.usta.com/walterborotennisassociation.
Upcoming Events
Plans for both adult and youth league startups as well as youth summer camp are in the works, according to Strickland. In the mean time mark your calendars for a Community Tennis Day, May 16, and a Colleton County Rice Festival Tournament on April 26th, both at Forest Hills Tennis Courts.
About Walterboro Tennis Association Walterboro Tennis Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting tennis for all ages and skill levels in the Walterboro community. Through partnerships, certified coaching, and school programs, WTA strives to make tennis accessible, fun, and inclusive.
About USTA – SC
The mission of the United States Tennis Association of South Carolina is to improve lives and build healthier communities in South Carolina by growing and promoting tennis as a lifelong sport.
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Background of the WTA
Strickland gives credit to the groundwork that was established to grow tennis in Walterboro. Her childhood coach, Diane Barker, (who is also the mother of board member Ladson Fishburne) and high school coach, Coach Singleton, played significant roles. She remembers many summers of tennis camp led by Barker, and she played for the Walterboro High School team under Singleton.
Barker coached hundreds of youth in Colleton County and now she spends her time on the court with her family, coaching her grandchildren.
Snead recalls the great work those that came before him, specifically of Tommy Godwin, who formed a women’s team in 1976. These women were called “Tommy’s Girls,” and went on to join the Michelob Light USTA National League.
In 1978 United States Tennis Association (USTA) launched a pilot program that laid the foundation for what would become the USTA League, the world’s largest recreational tennis league. Michelob Light became the official sponsor of this national league program slightly later in 1980, and the Michelob brand continues to be how it is commonly known.
It wasn’t until a Walterboro men’s league was formed that the idea to create an organization was considered. Even at that time, Snead said it was merely a catalog of all the known players in Colleton County. He credits the former Tom Llor (former Colleton County School District Superintendent and former Walterboro City Councilman) with helping to create that list. Together they built a membership roll and called it the Walterboro Tennis Association.
“When I put the members we had into an electronic roster from a paper log, we had 134 members who were playing on a fairly frequent basis,” he said.
WTA started having tournaments and sponsoring teams in the USTA-SC League Seasons. In every season there would be 2 to 4 women’s and 2 to 3 men’s teams competing. The women always played in the LCTA but the men played in several different USTA-SC Leagues (Orangeburg, Florence and Hilton Head) before landing in the LCTA. WTA teams were very competitive and won LCTA Leagues, USTA-SC State Tournaments and at least one Southern Region Championship.
Youth leagues were also active as well, with notable coaches Becky Hooker and Jaymie Strickland, leading the charge over the years, among others.
Strickland hopes that with the support of USTA-SC and creating a pathway for individuals to get interested in tennis as children and play into adulthood, that both youth and adult programming will remain strong in Walterboro and Colleton County.
