Frank Swope
(from the USTA Florida website)

Swope brings more than 30 years experience as a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) professional and facility manager/director to the new position. He most recently served as the director of tennis operations for the five-star BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens.

“Frank’s experience in all aspects of facility management, along with his professional background and genuine love of tennis, make him an excellent choice for this position,” said Robert Hollis, USTA Florida president. “He has spent his entire career in Florida, and he has a fundamental understanding of our mission and what it takes to grow tennis at the grassroots level.”

Prior to joining BallenIsles in 2010, Swope served as the director of tennis at The Club at Mediterra in Naples, Fla., for five years. At both BallenIsles and Mediterra, Swope recruited, hired, trained and managed all tennis staff and oversaw large pro shop operations and all tennis programs. From 1994-2005, Swope served as director of tennis for Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach. He previously held management and teaching roles at Bardmoor Tennis and Fitness Club in Largo and the St. Augustine Beach and Tennis Club.

In addition to his professional background, Swope has been very involved with both the USPTA and USTA Florida for more than 30 years. He has been a USPTA-certified teaching professional since 1978. Swope also has been active on the USPTA board, and served as both treasurer (1997-2001) and president (2002-2003) of the USPTA Florida Division.

An avid tennis player, Swope has held a Top 5 USPTA national ranking frequently since 1986. He was named the USPTA and USPTA Florida Player of the Year in 1998. He was a highly-competitive collegiate tennis player at the University of Tampa, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

Questions for Frank Swope

TCB: At what age did you start playing tennis and who got you into it?
FS: My parents, especially my Dad, got me started when I was 8. I started playing at the local park with coach Cal Dickson, then at about 11 or 12, I started playing regularly and in tournaments.

TCB: Did you play high school tennis?
FS: Yes, I played #1 at Hillsborough High School in Tampa.

TCB: After 7 years at BallenIsles, what enticed you to work for the USTA Florida Section and how did the creation of the new Tennis Management Division come about?
FS: The Tennis Management Division came about through the vision of a group of long-time volunteers after several municipalities contacted USTA Florida for help. The USTA Florida Board made it a top priority, and after nearly a year of research and work, the division came to fruition in late 2017. The idea of starting up a new initiative to "Promote and Grow Tennis for All" in Florida and raise the bar for municipal facilities really appealed to me. With my background in Tennis, mostly in Florida, I viewed it as an opportunity to bring Tennis to others who will hopefully grow to love the sport that has been so much a part of my life, and for which I am so thankful!

TCB: How did you approach finding your first public facility, like the Racquet Club of Cocoa Beach?
FS: USTA Florida had already performed the work to partner with the City of Cocoa Beach. I was hired just in time to make it come to life, and build from there.

TCB: With McPherson in Gainesville you now manage 6 facilities. Are you working on the next facility already? How many do you think you can manage?
FS: In the City of Gainesville USTA Florida manages one fully staffed facility (Westside Park, Joyce Oransky Tennis Center) and three satellite facilities. We intend to grow programs and explore opportunities at each of the sites. There are other potential opportunities for growth on the horizon, but nothing official at this time.

TCB: Are the tennis professionals in each facility USTA Florida staff? Are they salaried? What does the position pay?
FS: Yes, the professionals at each facility are USTA Florida staff; highly qualified, and USPTA certified. Support staff is also employed by USTA Florida. All team members receive a high level of training, and USTA Florida takes great pride in providing the best continuing education and training available for its professional team. Compensation is confidential, but our pros are paid a base salary plus commission, which is consistent with the industry standard.

TCB: Can you see expanding the program also to ailing private clubs in the future?
FS: The Tennis Management Division was created to focus on public facilities - that is what the board intended our focus to be. We feel that's the best way to fulfill our mission at this time.

TCB: Are other USTA sections looking into establishing a Tennis Management Division to your knowledge?
FS: USTA Florida is the first to establish a full scale Tennis Management Division within a section, although there are other instances where sections are offering specific programs. In the tennis circles that I am now involved in throughout Florida there is optimism for growth of our wonderful sport, so I wouldn't be too surprised if other models spring up.

TCB: Are some of the facilities you manage offering pickleball? What is your strategy here?
FS: We do have Pickleball / 36' dual use courts at the Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center, and a couple of the Gainesville sites with blended lines and mobile net alternatives. Each site and locale is unique, however we have found quite a Pickleball following in FWB and we're excited to have them join us!

TCB: Do you still play tennis?
FS: I love to play, and try to play (ideally) at least once per week (when time and travel allow) with a great group of players from the USTA National Campus, the USPTA National Headquarters, and of course the USTA Florida office, when any of them will have me for doubles… There is also a casual League for employees of those organizations with a draft of players of all levels, which is just great fun and very social!

TCB: What is your racquet and string of choice?
FS: I've used a number of different racquets and strings over the years as new technology has developed, with Head and Wilson being my personal favorites through time. From a business perspective, both companies (and others) invest in the game, promote the game, are in for the long haul, and are industry leaders with excellent sales and support.

TCB: Thank you, Frank Swope.