Friends of the San Diego tennis community visited La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club in September for the first in a series of meet and greet forums with Lance Lee, the new Executive Director of the Southern California Tennis Association.

In a town hall format hosted by the club’s owner and SCTA Board member, William J. Kellogg, Lee fielded questions and listened to constructive concerns from those in attendance.

Much of the conversation touched on junior tennis, and the development of young players in the greater San Diego area.

“Junior Team Tennis has a strong voice in San Diego,” Lee remarked afterwards. “There’s a desire for opportunities where the highest level kids can learn and train together. Clearly, they are proud of their tennis history in San Diego, and in what they are producing now at the junior level.”

Other topics generated from the audience included cultivation of early development camps, promotion of sportsmanship, coordinated efforts with collegiate players, and implementing tennis programs in underserved communities throughout San Diego.

“Lance was not only capable of listening, but he asked the right kinds of questions,” said USPTA Pro Josh Jorgensen, the Vice President of the City of San Diego. “It’s clear he understands our perspective and I feel he is going to do the right thing for San Diego and So Cal.”

The “Meet The E.D.” forum will move to other parts of the USTA Southern California section throughout the remainder of the year. Announcements will be made on USTA SoCal online and social media platform.

“This was a good first step,” said Lee, the former President/CEO of Legacy Youth Tennis & Education in Philadelphia, now in his first few months of leadership with SCTA after the retirement of outgoing director Bruce Hunt early this summer. “Overall it was very positive, with a lot of good ideas. Now, it’s all about the follow-up.”

Lee anticipates meeting notes to be distributed among attendees with action steps to promote advancement of programs and concepts.

“There’s a desire in San Diego to be more involved not just locally, but throughout the section,” Lee said. “We want to help them do what they do, so they are able to do it even better.”

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