Kokosing Valley Tennis Association director and Mount Vernon girls varsity coach Steve Tier discusses strategy with his Yellow Jackets’ girls team during a recent practice at Memorial Park. Tier and the KVTA earned national recognition for their work to keep a summer tennis program going through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article stated that Tier “took the opportunity of being the only junior game in town and built a safe, socially distant junior program for over 80 kids, grades 1-12. He was awarded the facility grant from USTA National and the racquet-in-hand grant from NEOTA (Northeast Ohio Tennis Association) to purchase items to help keep players safe. He also received the diversity grant from USTA Midwest and used it to give scholarships to his Hispanic population for his Midwest Youth Team Tennis Program.”
The news came as a complete, but pleasant, surprise to many in the Mount Vernon tennis program.
“I didn’t know it was coming,” Tier said. “I found out by looking at an email. It was nice to get some recognition for northeastern Ohio, which covers a lot of area. We were just fortunate to be able to have a program, but tennis is one of those sports that you can social distance easily. So, we didn’t have to jump over a bunch of hurdles that some other sports have had to jump over.”
The article also mentioned the success of the Frank Giampaolo Single Day Showdown, an annual youth tennis tournament, which drew over 60 participants this year.
Tier credited all of the help he has received from volunteer and also from the Summer in the City program — an initiative by the mayor’s office to promote recreational activities and events and partner with recreation organizations in Mount Vernon.
“We were lucky, in the way, that the city decided to handle its public parks,” Tier said. “They made sure that the courts were available to us. In some places, courts are not even available. They’re all locked up and nobody is allowed to play on them.”
The decision by the City and the Health Department to allow tennis to be played is paying dividends.
“That was a very nice honor,” said Mount Vernon Recreation Board Director Jerry Clinger. “We’ve been very limited on what we can offer this summer for people and families, but I’d say we really got one right. Steve Tier did a great job with the help of the USTA on getting all the guidelines right and getting the equipment he needed to make a real successful summer tennis lesson program. I was out there helping him coach, but it was Steve’s leg work and commitment and his desire to grow the game. That’s where this came from.”
