Theresa Cary - USTA Eastern Umpire Service Award

 Many of us have known Theresa Cary as a local tennis enthusiast. Many of us have known her as a dedicated team captain. Some of us have been lucky enough also to know her as a very qualified USTA Official. Theresa is this year’s winner of the USTA Eastern 2021 Umpire Service Award.

  “She has proven to be knowledgeable about both the rules and her role as an official and communicates well with players when making rulings. Theresa plays a large part in helping events run smoothly, and the award is well-deserved.” (Andy Schechter – Tri City)

 Theresa has been a Certified Official and the Northern Region Assignor for 18 years. She has regularly done junior tournaments. 

 

“The junior players are incredibly inspiring, especially the ones that are under five feet and knock the fuzz off the ball. Some are barely as tall as their racquets! I figured if they can hit the ball with such power, sure as heck, I should be able to figure out a way to do it too! Watching them has kept me from getting too lazy and relaxed on the court when I play. Having done this for a while now, it is also nice to observe the progress of players as they move through the ranks of junior tennis into college and then continue in adult leagues.” (Theresa)

 

Theresa also does USTA Sectionals and college tennis matches. She serves as the District Director of Officials for the Northern Region. She has also umpired at professional events – like the NY Buzz World Team Tennis matches and the Aurora Games. The District Director is responsible for assigning officials to events and recruiting and training new officials. Dave Hanzes – USTA Officiating Eastern Sectional Chairperson, had this to say about her - “Theresa is a great tennis official. It is always great to work on court with her.”

 “Theresa is very serious about the rules and fair play while staying grounded in common sense. She is detail-oriented and very professional. After mentoring under Theresa, I felt very prepared to officiate, and she is always available to talk through rough spots.”  (Allen Gosser – Umpire)

 Theresa believes in the rules of the game. She wants to ensure matches are played by the rules.

 “She is a great ambassador for the game. She’s firm but fair.”

(Leslie Roccario – Umpire)

 “There isn’t a better seat in the house than being courtside and watching a match!” – Theresa

 Congratulations, Theresa - The USTA made the right choice!