USTA principles prove successful in tennis advocacy.

Chuck Carter is the kind of guy who gets results. Vice president of the Montgomery County Tennis Association (MCTA) in Maryland, Carter is a champion advocate who has organized and rallied his community to affect changes and growth once thought impossible. Now he wants others to learn from his experiences, and advocate for parks and recreation, because as Carter puts it, "a rising tide lifts all boats."

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, MCTA has grown to more than 5,000 players and is now the largest USTA Community Tennis Association in Maryland. However, as often is the case with any organization, there were some issues inhibiting further growth. Due to its poor physical condition, the Wheaton Indoor Tennis Center of Montgomery County was on the brink of being torn down for good, leaving the MCTA players without one of its most important accessible indoor venues. After a few years trying to gain funding for the renovation and consistently running into brick walls, Carter took the fight to a new level by incorporating advice he picked up from an NRPA presentation on advocacy.

"We used the USTA principles and were able to organize a group of passionate people," said Carter. "We did our analysis to make the case. We then crafted a short and concise message--we want our fair share--to get what we wanted. We met monthly to update the group on the status and kept them energized for individual advocacy efforts."

Additionally, Carter, through the MCTA Advocacy Committee, created an organization called Friends of Wheaton Tennis, along with an accompanying Web site, www.fowt.org.

Carter's analysis found that the revenue generated by the Wheaton Tennis Center would more than pay for the necessary renovations. Only, all of that money went to other facilities. Armed with information and gusto, Carter said, "We went to the County Council and said we wanted our fair share."

In June, the Council approved the $1.4 million renovation, agreeing to create a state-of-the-art, air conditioned structure. Next on Carter's agenda is upgrading the outdoor lights at Olney Regional Park to tournament quality lighting.

"There are opportunities to increase and enhance programs and infrastructures," said Carter. "People tend to be shy, but if you have a clear message and are persistent, government and county officials will respond."

Carter also feels strongly that partnering with parks and recreation departments and the school system are "critical to the overall success" of any community tennis program.