December 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40

Adams, a champion for public access to
sports, parks and recreation, dedicates
herself to tennis and supports future
generations of tennis players.
sport. I mean, we're talking about
a
racket
sport,
right? Anytime
you're growing a racket sport,
it's healthy. Anytime you can get
people out and being active and
having fun, it's healthy. When you
look at what's happened in the last
few years, 6 million [players or 33
percent] growth in tennis, maybe
4.5 million [playing] pickleball -
so they're growing together. You
can play them on the same courts.
The one thing about our [tennis]
courts is they are bigger than everybody
else's, so we learned a
long time ago that you can use
blended lines on our courts to
embrace other courts. So, tennis
is embracing pickleball on many
levels and making sure that we're
not trying to shut anybody out.
I'm not in the [USTA] boardroom
anymore, so I'm not sure what
they're talking about. But from
my perspective, I love seeing people
being active and being out and
having fun. I think there's a place
for every sport. So, if pickleball is
something that is getting people to
be active, who may not have been
active for a very long time, and it's
getting them to be excited [and]
it's getting people to be social
again, who may not have been, or
even getting younger people into
the sport - I think it's healthy.
P&R: What can park and
recreation professionals do to
promote tennis among their
youngest community members?
Adams: First of all, when you're...
trying to get young people [to participate],
you've got to convince
the parents because [they] are the
ones who are bringing the kids to
the courts. And then, you [have]
to make it fun for the kids - so
[it's about] making sure that we
are proving to the parents that tennis
is a sport for a lifetime; that it
is healthy for the mind, body and
soul; that it is an equitable sport in
so many different ways; and that it
can offer friends for a lifetime and
healthy benefits for a lifetime.
P&R: Looking at your career as
a professional tennis player and
then as a tennis executive and
advocate for equity in the sport,
what legacy do you hope to leave
for future generations?
Adams: I think my legacy is
all
about proving that I've given everything
to this sport that this sport
has given to me...and that is...longevity
and a clear pathway to the
future. For me, it's about reaching
back and pulling forward; it's about
giving my all with passion, love and
respect for those who came before
me. And then making sure that
those who come behind me leave
a clear pathway for the generations
after them. So, when we talk about
parks and the recreation centers,
those are for everyone. I came from
them, and I'm appreciative of them.
It's not about how much money
you make or where you're from, it's
about public access. And I want to
make sure that my legacy screams
that I came from public access, I've
fought for public access, and I want
to make sure that we continue to
have public access for everyone. Because
if we can continue to provide
a clear pathway for development for
mind, body and soul - and I think
that's what parks and recreation
[does] - then the future ahead of
us is bright.
Vitisia Paynich is Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation
magazine and Director of Print and Online Content at NRPA
(vpaynich@nrpa.org).
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| Parks & Recreation
41
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW VON TILBORGH
December 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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