More than 250 USTA Florida volunteers, staff and tennis community members gathered to celebrate the movers and shakers in Florida recreational tennis at the United States Tennis Association-Florida Section's 62nd Annual Awards and Volunteer Celebration Weekend, Dec. 3-4, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando.
"I always heard the word 'celebrate' over and over, and didn't get it until this weekend and being a part of all these events," said Robert Gomez, representing and accepting the USTA Florida Member Organization of the Year Award for the City of Coral Gables Parks & Recreation Department. "Seeing and hearing the stories of all these great award winners is really fantastic and it is truly a celebration of what is happening in Florida and tennis."
Highlights of the weekend included a Meals of Hope event where more than 100 volunteers packaged approximately 42,000 dried-food meals for homeless in the Orlando area, and activities such as national speakers, the annual awards, the 2012 "Future Forecast" for recreational tennis, tennis play events, a casino night, the "Breakfast with the Stars" and more.
Here the Miami winners from the 62nd Annual USTA Florida Annual Awards:
2011 USTA FLORIDA MEMBER ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR
City of Coral Gables Parks & Recreation Department
Motto: "It Starts in the Parks"
The tennis centers that are overseen and run by the City of Coral Gables Parks & Recreation Department are fully operational facilities offering more than 20 adult and junior instructional programs to the public. In fact, the centers have more than 80,000 visitors for social play yearly.
The two tennis centers encompass 23 courts (10 lighted hardcourts and 13 lighted claycourts). In 2010, the city agreed to allow all Miami-Dade County residents to play for the same nominal fee as Coral Gables' residents. In 2009, the city invested more than $600,000 for the renovation of Salvadore Park Tennis Center, while an additional $1.5 million has been approved by the city commission for the renovation of the Kerdyk Biltmore Tennis Center in 2012.
This past year, Salvadore Park hosted a fundraising event for St. Phillips Elementary School, which raised over $7,500 for the school and had the participation of 10 city tennis professionals who donated more than 60 hours of their time to the event. Over the past 50 years, the city has donated its facilities to the 10-day Junior Orange Bowl free of charge, hosting more than 1,000 national and international juniors.
The city's list of accomplishments includes providing need-based juniors scholarships for membership or instructional programs.
2011 USTA FLORIDA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Donna Fales of Coral Gables
Motto: "Patience and Perseverance Rule the Day"
Despite all the accomplishments the great Roger Federer has racked up in his legendary career, he will never match the incredible statistic of not having lost a singles match since July 2009. The woman who can lay claim to this amazing achievement is Donna Fales, who has spent an amazing five decades at or near the top of the sport in every age group she has participated in.
During a successful pro career that stretched from 1960 through 1976, Donna maintained a Top 10 U.S. ranking six times, reaching a career-high of No. 5 in 1960 and 1962 and winning the national mixed doubles title in 1966.
As recently as October 2011, Donna was the top-ranked player in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) world rankings in the Women's 70 division, winning the ITF World Singles and Doubles Championships in Antalya, Turkey in October 2010 and captaining the Althea Gibson Cup Team, which won the ITF World Team Championships.
In April 2011, she continued her triumphant streak, capturing the USTA National Women's 70 Clay Court Championships.
2011 USTA FLORIDA MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mario Tabares of Miami
Motto: "You're the Top!"
Mario Tabares has compiled a No. 1-ranked, undefeated season unlike any other player in USTA Florida history in 2011 at USTA national adult events.
Over the past tennis season, Mario rang-up a jaw-dropping 26-0 singles record and captured the No. 1 ranking in singles and doubles in both the USTA Florida and USTA National Men's 45 divisions.
Since November 2010, he has enjoyed a pristine run that includes winning singles titles at the USTA National Men's 45 Indoor Championships, the USTA National Men's 45 Clay Court Championships, the USTA National Men's 45 Hard Court Championships, and the USTA National Men's 45 Grass Court Championships.
However, his passion for tennis doesn't end there. In addition to owning a tennis store in Miami, MT Tennis Touch, he also finds time to teach tennis when he's not competing in tournaments across the country.
It's not an understatement when Tabares says, "Tennis surrounds every day of my life."
2011 USTA FLORIDA ALBERT CARRINGTON BALINK (JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR) AWARD
Alex del Corral of Doral
Motto: "Hard Work Really Does Pay Off"
How apt it is that Alex del Corral chose the phrase "hard work really does pay off" to describe his approach to life and tennis?
Currently ranked No. 1 in both the USTA Florida and USTA National Boys' 12 divisions, Alex compiled an enviable list of tournament triumphs throughout 2011.
In fact, it's likely his trophy case was overflowing after winning the singles and doubles titles at USTA Florida events like the Ives Summer Super Series and the Coral Springs Super Series, and capturing the singles crowns at the Melanefy Fall Designated, the Polo Club Local, and the EKTA Super Series.
On the national level, Alex continued his winning ways, capturing the singles and doubles titles at the USTA National Open Boys' 12s and the singles crown at the USTA Boys' 12 National Spring Championships.
Playing up a division, he also went undefeated in the USTA Boys' 14 Zone Team Championships in both singles and doubles.