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Family Circle Tennis Center is Named Tennis Welcome Center of the Month

Where can you find a $15 million award-winning public tennis facility with 17 lighted courts, a 10,200-seat stadium, year-round tennis programs and tournaments for all ages, and the oldest Tier I all-women’s professional tournament in the U.S.? The answer: The Family Circle Tennis Center.

Just 10 miles from downtown Charleston, S.C., this first-class facility was named one of the Top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers for 2007. When the TWC program began in 2004, the Family Circle Tennis Center was one of the first to sign on.

Tennis Welcome Centers were created by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) to encourage more people to begin playing tennis. One can find TWC’s at neighborhood parks, commercial tennis clubs, health clubs, resorts, high schools, and college. Each facility offers outstanding introductory tennis programs where people can learn to play tennis fast, get a good workout, meet new people, and have a great time.

After becoming a Tennis Welcome Center, The Family Circle Tennis Center changed several of its programs, particularly for juniors to encourage more people to start playing. “We are constantly changing, adding or deleting programs,” says Rob Eppelsheimer, Family Circle Tennis Center director. “This is a necessity to stay ahead of the industry. When we became a Tennis Welcome Center, our junior programming changed toward more grassroots offerings, and we saw a dramatic increase in all junior programming.”

The Family Circle Tennis Center (www.familycirclecup.com) currently has about 600 player memberships and has seen a steady increase in these numbers over the last few years. The club is continually marketing its programs in the community by hosting The Family Circle Cup, USTA Block Parties, Race for the Cure and an annual USTA Welcome Back to Tennis event, as well as sending representatives from the center to other functions in the Charleston area to help promote its tennis programs.

“As a public tennis facility, we strive to grow the game year-round by constantly improving and expanding our grassroots programming through the implementation of USTA and TIA initiatives,” Eppelsheimer says. “We’re proud to be a part of the Tennis Welcome Center system because we recognize the importance of creating both a positive environment and an exciting experience for players of all abilities as they enjoy this great sport throughout their lives.”

If you would like to be highlighted as a Tennis Welcome Center of the Month please contact Amanda@tennisindustry.org and tell us how your club is leading the charge in the growth of the sport.

Posted on June 23, 2008
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