Dear Tennis Player,
We are excited to be entering our 26th year of providing the unique combination of competitive level clinics, free
introductory tennis clinics, sanctioned tournaments, team tennis, and community tennis exchanges. This is what
makes up your Terre Haute Junior Tennis Association. As we reflect on more than a quarter century of being one
the best summer tennis programs in the Midwest, it seems appropriate first to point out why we feel we can say
with confidence that we are “that good” and how we have been able to become and remain so.
Let’s start with eight local high school tennis teams reaching the State Finals including a State Championship for
the Terre Haute South Lady Braves in 2001 since the THJTA began offering summer tennis in 1986. To have eight
teams from North and South make it to the final four in State competition is testimony that we have the system in
Terre Haute to create the quality of players needed to be competitive with the best teams in Indiana. The quantity
of players enjoying tennis in Terre Haute’s middle school and high school teams is another positive sign of the
summer program’s influence. Terre Haute is one of a handful of communities that has a city-wide middle school
tennis program. The Vigo County School Corporation and the City of Terre Haute deserve tremendous credit for
their strong support of tennis at both the middle school and high school levels. The THJTA started many of these
players and has polished many more of them to play their best tennis over the past 25 years. Additional evidence
for strong participation comes from the relative size of our high school tennis teams. Our local teams are regularly
among the largest teams in the state. Making cuts is far less common than making room on our local teams.
Finally, for proof, we submit an almost unheard of free summer tennis clinic that goes for more than 20 days in the
summer at multiple sites. We know of no other program that runs for this long that is free to its participants. This
program has provided summer jobs to hundreds of our local high school tennis players over the years and it is the
spirit of giving back that influences everything the THJTA does.
As we look at why the THJTA Summer Tennis Program has worked so well for so long, we can point to several
important factors. First, it is a place for everyone. The THJTA works for all players at all levels. There is no South,
North, or West in the summer. We all play and get better together. Everyone is good enough to fit in to our
summer pathway. Every year somebody is the “littlest kid” and we take care of them just like they were our own.
We in the THJTA believe that we will get more players and have more success by keeping prices low for our camp
and our tournaments. You will play more and pay less at our summer tournaments in Terre Haute than any other
city in Indiana. We offer singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in all of our tournaments and we do full back draws
in ALL of these divisions. It is not easier or more lucrative to do it this way, but it is much better and so important
for giving kids experience. The program is run by trained adult USPTA professionals, and licensed teachers, who
receive hours of training yearly to be up to date with the latest trends and methods. Several of our head people are
certified by the Red Cross in CPR, First Aid, and AED usage.
We are grateful for the support we have been given these past 25 years. Our donors, our sponsors, our parents,
and our players are all vital to making our program work. We have enclosed our camp brochure for your
consideration and a flyer outlining some of the new things we have planned for this summer. We will continue to
work for you and to give back with the same spirit that has been with us from the beginning.
Again, we are looking forward to your participation this summer.
Sincerely yours,
Dan Hopkins – Secretary / Treasurer
Terre Haute Junior Tennis Association, INC.