USPTA announces Tennis – for the health of it! advisory council
January 29, 2009
The United States Professional Tennis Association today announced the formation of the Tennis — for the health of it! advisory council. The mission of the council is to ensure that all components of Tennis — for the health of it! are health-enhancing, developmentally appropriate, safe and fun. It will be chaired by Michael F. Bergeron, Ph.D., FACSM, USPTA, director of the National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance and Center for Youth Sports & Health, and Jack Groppel, Ph.D., FACSM, USPTA, Master Professional and vice president, Co-founder of Human Performance Institute.
The rest of the advisory council will be selected and named within the next 45 days. It will include a well-respected team of tennis coaches, physical educators, clinicians, and applied sport scientists, who specialize in pediatric to geriatric medicine, wellness, development, training, injury risk, and behavior, with a special emphasis on those who have experience and recognized expertise in tennis-related development, clinical care, and research.
“I can’t emphasize enough that this council is an apolitical group,” said Groppel. “This is an invitation to all groups within the tennis industry to get involved and this council is an attempt to help grow the game for the betterment of tennis all around.”
The responsibilities of the Tennis — for the health of it! advisory council will include the following:
Tennis — for the health of it! is an initiative started by the USPTA in 2008 to make the general public aware of the tremendous health, fitness and psychological benefits of tennis and encourage people to get out and play the sport as a part of their regular fitness regimens. The sport of tennis is also social and fun, and can be a welcome change to routine gym workouts or as an additional activity in a fitness routine as part of a healthy lifestyle. The USPTA and its members are the front-line delivery force through which the public can receive these benefits through lessons and other tennis activities.
Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport. USPTA offers more than 60 professional benefits to its more than 15,000 members worldwide, including certification and professional development. With more than 300 days of educational opportunities throughout the year, USPTA offers the most comprehensive continuing education program in the tennis industry. For more information, call 800-877-8248 or visit uspta.com.