Exploring Life & Business with Julie Dick of Raleigh Tennis Association

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Dick.

Hi Julie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
At 14, my family had just moved to a small town in Kentucky, and we were living in a tennis and golf lake community until we settled into a new house. It was summer, the school had not started yet, and my siblings and I didn’t know anyone. One lazy summer day, no doubt driving each other crazy, my mother suggested that we play some tennis.

Never having played before, she taught us some basic strokes. We had so much fun! Hitting balls, swinging and missing shots, chasing balls across the court… we played and laughed for hours. Little did I know that something so enjoyable and fun would spark a lifetime of passion and become a HUGE part of my life.

From that day on, my twin sister and I were only to be found on the courts — from morning to night. For a small town, we were grateful for access to public court facilities. Later that summer, we took lessons at the local parks and rec, and by the next year, we were top seeds on the high school tennis team.

Tennis filled our days and eventually became our first job too. We were hired by the local Parks and Recreation Director to teach junior tennis clinics in the summers. Through this experience, I learned to develop tennis programming that would not only introduce local children to new tennis skills; but would also foster their lifelong love for the game. I found great joy in these experiences that shaped me and my future career in tennis.

In college studying Communications and PR, I specifically focused on the nonprofit sector. After college, I had the opportunity to work at the March of Dimes Greater Kentucky Chapter, eventually working my way up to serving as the Development Director and later serving as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Perinatal Association. In these roles, I was able to work with hundreds of volunteers in their towns to make a positive impact in their communities on a shared mission to do good.

As a mother of young children, ages 3 & 5, I was eager to connect our family to our new community of Georgetown, KY. My non-profit work experiences partnered with a deep love of tennis led me to offer tennis programming for the young children in town. There was not much tennis being taught at the time; and I felt strongly that local youth, including my own, should have the opportunity to play tennis.

So, I started by teaching classes for ages 3-5 years old. The classes gained instant popularity and before I knew it I was teaching multiple classes per week, expanding into teaching kids from ages 3-14 years old as well as offering clinics for their parents.

With the support of the local parks and recreation, schools, players, coaches, parents, and college, I implemented a new USTA program called Jr. Team Tennis which would ultimately explode the growth of tennis in my area. Over the next several years, hundreds of local players were playing in the Georgetown Jr. Team Tennis program.

To meet the demand of an inspired community, I formed the Georgetown Tennis Association (GTA), a USTA-affiliated Community Tennis Association with the goal to connect every player or prospective player with opportunities to participate in tennis, including adults.

In 2010, totally unexpected, I was recognized as the Kentucky and USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Organizer of the Year and was awarded the prestigious Janet Louer National Organizer of the Year which recognizes an individual who delivers USTA Junior Team Tennis to their community and embodies the true meaning of having a positive impact on children.

This was a true honor, and these impactful experiences growing tennis ultimately helped lead me to serve the Raleigh Tennis Association.

In 2016, my family and I moved to the Triangle and the timing could not have been better as the Raleigh Tennis Association had recently created the Executive Director position for the organization and was interviewing candidates. I decided to apply and to my great honor, I was offered the position.

Upon taking on the position, I immediately set to work on learning the tennis landscape and communities in Raleigh. Here I am 6 years later, working with a passionate RTA board, staff, volunteers, and community partners to promote the joy of tennis, making the sport accessible for all to enjoy.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Personally, it was hard to move into a new state, leaving my extended family behind as well as the tennis community that I loved. I moved a great deal growing up; so I was very attached to the idea of being a part of the Georgetown, KY community and I wanted my children to have that sense of community.

When I first moved to Raleigh, I did not know if I would work in tennis again or for that matter to be a part of a community again. It was difficult at first to get rooted in a new area, find a job, find a home, etc; and it was strange to not know anyone.

But, we adjusted and here we are today. The biggest struggle has been to be far away from my aging parents; and trying to get to Kentucky when I can. Overall, I feel like I have had a smooth and rewarding journey.

Although working in the tennis industry is exciting and fun; like any non-profit organization, it can have its challenges. Tennis is booming more than ever which is a positive challenge. The greatest challenge we see for tennis in our area is the need for more tennis facilities.

With such a demand for tennis, we lack the facilities needed to accommodate this demand.

As you know, we’re big fans of the Raleigh Tennis Association. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Raleigh Tennis Association (“RTA”) serves as the primary resource for all things tennis in the greater Raleigh, NC area.

We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and operate under the guidance of the United States Tennis Association (“USTA”) and in conjunction with North Carolina Tennis Association (“NCTA”). The RTA is committed to growing, promoting, impacting, and supporting tennis in the greater Raleigh, NC area.

With 5 staff members, 10 board of directors, and the RTA aims to connect every player or prospective player with opportunities to participate in tennis through programming, collaboration, funding, diversity & inclusion, outreach, and advocacy.

The USTA Leagues in Raleigh host approximately 15,000 players per year; and we partner with area tennis providers and tennis facilities to host new player initiatives like Try Tennis an instructional tennis program for beginners.

As you may know, the United States Tennis Association is the governing body for tennis in this country. The Raleigh Tennis Association has more than 15,000 league players in Raleigh and thousands more who play recreationally through its programs. And our organization’s commitment to tennis extends far beyond offering programs and league play.

Our partnerships with local providers and facilities, as well as with schools, and non-profit organizations yield powerful results. We cannot be more excited about the future of tennis in our community and will work to ensure tennis remains an opportunity for anyone who wants to play the sport as long as they want to play it.

To grow tennis, we are very focused on offering a wonderful new player program called Try Tennis. If you have never played tennis before and would like to, this program is a great way to get into the game with the bonus of making new friends who are also new to the sport.

Created by USTA NC Try Tennis is an instructional tennis program for beginners. The class is designed for adults and juniors who have never played tennis. It is only a $40 registration fee that includes 6 hours of tennis instruction, a tennis racquet, and a Try Tennis t-shirt.

With the support of several tennis providers, there are several locations of Try Tennis in the Raleigh area and its communities. You are sure to find a location near you! So what are you waiting for get out and learn to play!

RTA is strongly involved in Community Outreach.

Our committee works along with our new Community Outreach Coordinator, Roberta Hadley on initiatives with community leaders, tennis providers/coaches, tennis facilities, and other community organizations (such as Communities In Schools, Abilities Tennis, Boys and Girls Clubs, NJTL Raleigh organizations, and underserved neighborhoods as well as the City of Raleigh to provide tennis and education opportunities to underserved populations in the City of Raleigh.

It is our belief that it is our responsibility to empower our community with information, support, funding, and resources that most meet its needs.

Raleigh Tennis Association (RTA) is part of the USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. As an NJTL chapter, RTA seeks to support young people through tennis and education. RTA’s goal is to strengthen its impact through increased programming and outreach and by supporting and partnering with other NJTL chapters in our region.

In 1969, the National Junior Tennis League was created to gain and hold the attention of young people, with the hope of teaching them the importance of character, getting an education, and becoming productive citizens. Today now named the National Junior Tennis and Learning (“NJTL”) network, it features more than 250 nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free or low-cost tennis and education programming to over 160,000 under-resourced youth each year.

NJTL Network is supported by the USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of the USTA.

In my role as Executive Director, I have the honor to build and lead an amazing team that is effective in achieving the vision of the Raleigh Tennis Association. I am very proud of what our volunteers and staff have done for our community and its’ players. It is incredibly rewarding for RTA to introduce people of all ages and demographics through the Try Tennis pathway.

It is always most exciting to witness the joy and purpose that tennis can give someone. Tennis can change lives! I have been so fortunate that I have been able to use my love for tennis to give back to the communities in which I live.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Never give up and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.

If you get knocked down, get back up and keep fighting for yourself. Hold your head up high and when things become difficult, rise to the challenge and find a way to prevail. And choose a profession that allows you to do what you LOVE and you will succeed.

As you get older, you have to stay true to yourself and keep believing in yourself. People will knock you down sometimes and try to tell you can’t or that you are not good enough, but only you can decide that. You can do whatever you set your mind to.

Have a good and positive outlook even when things are tough. Never stop believing in yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.raleightennis.com
• Instagram: @rtatennis
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaleighTennisAssociation
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaleighTennis
• Youtube: Raleigh Tennis
• Other: https://www.raleightennis.com/try-tennis-pathway