Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today announced three moves for the executive staff at the new USTA National Campus which is being constructed in Orlando, Fla.  Kurt Kamperman will become Chief Executive, Community Tennis and USTA National Campus.  Craig Morris has been hired as General Manager, Community Tennis and Youth Tennis.  Tim Cass has been hired as General Manager, USTA National Campus.

The USTA broke ground on the USTA National Campus, the New Home of American Tennis in Lake Nona, in April of 2015.  A model tennis facility, the USTA National Campus, expected to be completed in late 2016, will feature more than 100 tennis courts, and will be divided into areas that focus on the complete tennis pathway.  Open to the public, the USTA National Campus will be able to accommodate family outings, clinics, camps, leagues and every type of tennis competition and program, from youth tennis events to age-based national championships.  Collegiate tennis will be a staple, with the USTA National Campus serving as the home of the University of Central Florida’s men’s and women’s tennis teams, as well as hosting collegiate tournaments.

The USTA’s Community Tennis and Player Development divisions, which focus on strengthening the game’s grass roots and developing the next generation of American champions, will also be housed on the site, incorporating the latest technology and equipment to assist with advanced training techniques, sports science, coaching education and improved athletic performance. USTA Player Development will continue to report to USTA Executive Director Gordon Smith.

“With the USTA National Campus, we are creating an unrivaled tennis facility that will serve as a resource and destination for tennis players of all ages and abilities, and most importantly a launching pad for the next generation of tennis players and providers,” said Smith.  “Kurt Kamperman’s long history and background in our sport and with the USTA makes him the ideal candidate to turn our vision into reality.”

Kamperman has served as Chief Executive, Community Tennis since 2003.  In this capacity he has overseen all facets of the Community Tennis division and led the USTA’s efforts to increase tennis participation in the United States.  During this time, the USTA has made great strides in all areas of Community Tennis, including the launch, implementation, and growth of the 10 and Under Tennis initiative, a historic change in the sport’s approach to attracting and retaining youth players. In his expanded role, Kamperman will continue to oversee the planning and strategy of the Community Tennis division while also being tasked with oversight of the development and operations of the USTA National Campus.  Kamperman will continue to report to Smith.

“With my additional duties for the USTA National Campus, it was imperative that the Community Tennis division’s focus on the mission not only continued without issue, but was in fact raised to the next level.  It was also of the utmost importance to find an individual with the proper facility and tennis experience to help run the day-to-day operations of the USTA National Campus, and make it the model tennis facility we envision,” said Kamperman.  “Craig Morris brings with him a fresh perspective and vision to our programs and initiatives.  His vast and varied experiences and successes with Tennis Australia will certainly help us as we look for new ways to grow the game in this country.  Tim Cass’s experience in managing a multitude of sports programs, and their respective facilities and budgets, perfectly aligns with his responsibilities at the USTA National Campus.  His institutional knowledge of and familiarity with the sport and industry of tennis will also serve as an asset in this new position.”

Morris, who will report into Kamperman, will oversee the day-to-day operations of Community Tennis and Youth Tennis.  He will be charged with overseeing development, implementation evaluation and innovation to ensure success in all areas of Community Tennis, including Tennis on Campus and Adult Tennis offerings and initiatives, with an emphasis on Youth Tennis.

Prior to joining the USTA, Morris had served as the Director of Participation for Tennis Australia since 2013.  In this role, he directed all aspects of strategy and delivery for growing the game in Australia.  Before this, Morris held a variety of positions with Australia’s governing body of tennis.  As National Leader of Hot Shots (10 and Under tennis) he developed the strategy of bolstering youth participation, and increased registered players in the program by over 300 percent in just over three years.  While Head of Women’s Tennis and Manager of Athlete Development, he directed the national operations of the player pathway, focused on developing high level players.  Morris also served as Manager of Coach Development, where he directed all coaching education policies and programs.

Cass, who also will report into Kamperman, will manage the day to day operations of the USTA National Campus.  He will be tasked with ensuring that the facility and its respective programs are run at the highest level.  Cass will develop and implement operating policies for the facility, oversee the hiring and development of the USTA National Campus team, and manage usage and scheduling.

Prior to joining the USTA, Cass had served as the Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Athletics Director for the University of New Mexico since 2006.  In this capacity, he managed the facilities, budgets, construction projects, scheduling and operations of a variety of sports and departments for the university.  Cass completed a master plan of the athletic facilities at UNM during his tenure, which included a $60 million renovation of the basketball arena, as well as improvements to multi-sport and other individual sport facilities.  Before serving as Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Athletics Director at the University of New Mexico, Cass spent 18 years as a Division I head men’s tennis coach, with stints at the University of New Mexico and Texas A&M.  Cass is an inductee of both the ITA Hall of Fame and the University of New Mexico Hall of Honor.

Kamperman, Morris and Cass will be based in Orlando, Fla.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.