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Sports

Future of tennis on the agenda

By Helen Anne Travis
Published April 20, 2007

Sharon Belmudez found herself in a predicament when she first moved to Valrico. She wanted to play tennis, but her United States Tennis Association skill rating was too high for her to play on any women's teams in the area.

She fibbed about her score and joined a team anyway.

But the experience left her wondering why more people in the area aren't interested in tennis.

Belmudez and her husband, Ray, are USTA representatives for Hillsborough County. On Sunday, they and other USTA members are holding a town hall meeting at Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club to discuss the future of tennis in the community.

They would like to generate interest in the sport and bring more public courts to the area.

Only a handful of parks in the eastern Hillsborough area offer tennis courts, according to the Hillsborough County parks Web site.

Belmudez says she hopes that other tennis enthusiasts will turn out on Sunday to help grow the game's presence in the area.

Helen Anne Travis can be reached at 813 661-2439 or htravis@sptimes.com.

. if you go

Get involved

Representatives from the United States Tennis Association will discuss the future of tennis in Hillsborough County at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club, 2721 S Miller Road, Valrico. Call 657-5617.

See for yourself

Visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/parks. Click on 'Recreation Services' and follow the link to 'Recreation Facilities.' You can search by ZIP code for county parks offering tennis courts and other services.

[Last modified April 19, 2007, 06:52:32]