HTA and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department are closely linked, not only by physical facilities, but by programs and goals.
Created by city ordinance on March 15, 1916, the Department of Public Parks, as it was called at the time, began with two facilities, Sam Houston Park and Hermann Park. Today, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department system includes 370 developed parks and more than 220 greenspaces totaling over 37,851 acres.On October 15, 2008, the department became one of only seventy-nine agencies in the country to have received national accreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association’s Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. This peer assessment and self-evaluation process provides external recognition of an organization’s commitment to quality and improvement. The department was re-accredited in 2013 at the National Recreation and Park Association Congress and Exposition held in Houston.Visit the Houston Parks and Recreation Department Website

The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship is Houston’s premier professional tennis tournament.
First played in 1910, the National Clay Court Championship was played in Omaha, Nebraska, and is now the only ATP tournament played on clay courts in the U.S. Players winning the event read like a list of the legends of tennis, including: Bill Tilden, Pancho Gonzalez, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, John Isner, and Fernando Verdasco, among many others. Jack Sock will return in 2016 to defend the title.As of 2008, the tournament moved to its current home at the historic River Oaks Country Club. Match play occurs on Center Court and three outer courts. The Center Court is one of the most intimate on the ATP tour, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Qualifying will start on April 2, with the main draw beginning April 4.Visit the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship Website

Tennis Express has long been a partner with HTA on multiple fronts.
They sponsor and participate in the Houston NJTL Gala each February, and they allow their massive retail store to host our annual HTA Member Appreciation Day…at which time they also offer substantial discounts to HTA members. It doesn’t hurt, either, that Tennis Express is just a short drive down Westheimer from the HTA offices. Guess where we buy all our tennis gear?Tennis Express is a full-service tennis specialty retailer based in Houston. For over a decade, they’ve welcomed customers from all over the world to their retail store, their state-of-the-art website, and to turn the pages of their seasonal catalogs. They were recently named “Retailer of the Year” by the Tennis Industry in RSI Magazine (pro/specialty category) and by Babolat. In addition to connecting with consumers through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube, they provide a tremendous amount of relevant video content such as racquet reviews, pro player gear updates and more.Visit the Tennis Express Website

 

The USTA is the national governing body for tennis.
The USTA is the recognized leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US Open. The USTA operates through 17 Sections throughout the country. The USTA Texas Section is our close partner, and a number of HTA staff, officers, and board members volunteer on committees at the Section level.The Houston Tennis Association is an umbrella Community Tennis Association (CTA) for the USTA, and we administer and manage USTA leagues, tournaments, and events throughout the nine-county Greater Houston metropolitan area, the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States during the 2013-2014 census year with a population of 6.5 million.Visit the USTA and the USTA Texas Section

The USPTA is not only an HTA partner, they are our landlords. The HTA offices in the USPTA’s world headquarters building.
Founded in 1927, the USPTA is the global leader in tennis-teacher certification and professional development. With more than 15,000 members worldwide, the association raises the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches, and promotes a greater awareness of the sport. USPTA offers more than 60 professional benefits to its members, including on-court liability insurance, health insurance assistance and a retirement plan.USPTA offers unequalled opportunities for tennis-teaching professionals to improve their teaching skills and increase their business knowledge. Today’s tennis teachers are expected to assume a variety of business and social responsibilities in addition to their traditional job functions. USPTA helps prepare its members to meet these challenges.Visit the USPTA Website