Sign Tourism Petition Listen to USTA’s Kurt Kamperman
As much as the Florida Chamber is focused on securing Florida’s future, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is focused on making the U.S. a global leader in tennis.
We recently visited the new USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla., and saw a major sports operation that is developing the nation’s top tennis talent, engaging youth and using the latest science and technology to make sure U.S. players have every advantage needed to achieve greatness.
Leaving nothing to chance, the USTA brought in clay from Europe to create an exact replica of the clay courts professional athletes play on overseas. It’s this level of detail that is helping U.S. tennis professionals become more successful in the world’s largest tournaments.
During our tour, Virgil Christian, the USTA’s Senior Director of Market Development and Collegiate Tennis, touted the organization’s partnership with the University of Central Florida and shared that many of the nation’s top tennis professionals are relocating to Lake Nona to be closer to the training facilities that help improve their game. Additionally, many large tournaments are being held at the expansive Lake Nona facility, which helps boost the local economy via hotel room nights and more.
IBM was on-site filming a video, highlighting how technology is at the forefront of the USTA’s Player Development program. During our tour, we met with several USTA staff members who were using IBM technology and AI-powered solutions to analyze images, video and other data to help players take advantage of small details that are helping them contend for major championships.
Although many of the nation’s top tennis stars were practicing at the facility during our visit, several hundred kids attending one of the many tennis camps frequently held at the National Campus brought into focus the importance of engaging the next generation of tennis players. The USTA recently launched Net Generation, a bold new youth tennis brand designed to make the sport more accessible than ever before.
The USTA’s new National Campus in Lake Nona has created something special and has plans to do more in the near future. The Florida Chamber looks forward to continuing to support this great partner and applauds them for developing a world-class facility here in the Sunshine State.
To learn more, visit www.USTANationalCampus.com
Tourism is Key to Florida’s Competitiveness
In 2017, 116.5 million visitors came to Florida, an increase of 3.6 percent of visitors in 2016. If you believe Florida’s tourism industry can continue to lead the way in the nation, sign the petition today.