The Bush Florida Open may not have as prestigious a history as Wimbledon, but what began humbly in 1981 as a collaborative effort between the Youth Tennis Foundation (YTF) and the Florida Tennis Association (FTA) is now a major event on the USTA’s national junior event calendar, receiving daily coverage in the News-Press. According to Bobby Curtis, the FTA’s official Coordinator of Competitive Tennis and unofficial “Czar” of Florida junior tennis, he, Hank Jungle (then owner of Park Meadow Tennis Club), and Tom Davis, also of the YTF, started The Florida Junior Open with hopes that it would become an event on the USTA’s national schedule.
An Inauspicious Beginning
Those aspirations were not immediately realized, however. Unable to get the event on the national schedule, and with Curtis occupied with FTA duties and Jungle managing a thriving Park Meadow Tennis Club, the Florida Junior Open went on an extended hiatus in 1982. Yet, good ideas die hard and the event now hosts over 400 players in the USTA's boys and girls,16s and 18s divisions.
Florida Open Bounces Back
When the USTA called Curtis in 1990 seeking to establish a clay court tournament for the national schedule, he and Jungle saw an opportunity to revive the Florida Open, and turned to nationally respected tennis official Rollie Shea to enhance the credibility of the event. Shea agreed to be the tournament referee, and has served every year since 1991.
Shea Credits The Landings
Asked why he comes back every year, in addition to his friendship with Curtis, Shea credited the community participation. In commending the volunteers, and the accommodations at the host site, The Landings Yacht, Golf & Tennis, Shea emphasized, “That’s what makes this event so unusual. I do a lot of tournaments around the country; nothing like this, nothing compared to this!” He heaped special praise on tournament co-directors, Lyn Bruner and Beth Behrhorst. He declared enthusiastically, “2005 was their plebe year and they ran a magnificent tournament, and 2006 even surpassed that. They’re just beautifully organized and they are a good team, they complement each other. I enjoy working with both of them.”
Kangwa Applauds Volunteers & Kids
Patrick Kangwa, director of tennis at The Landings, also values the community element of the Bush Florida Open. When asked about the most enjoyable aspect of his six-year affiliation with the event, Kangwa responded, “I just like the atmosphere. I like the commitment that the community has in running this tournament; all the responses that we have from the people who support it, all our volunteers. And the kids; it's really good to see the great bunch of kids who come.”
A Total Community Effort
Most of the volunteers are from The Landings community, but the other 11 participating facilities (see tournament link for list and directions) contribute their share. According to Tournament Co-Director Lyn Bruner, herself a Landings Tennis Association member and resident, “we have about 125 volunteers from The Landings, from the other facilities, from Lee County Community Tennis; so from the whole Fort Myers area, people have volunteered.”
Curtis and Shea attribute much of the event’s success to former event directors and Landings residents, Craig and Karen Reitan. According to Shea, “The Reitans were the cornerstone of the tournament for a decade or more.” Current directors, Bruner and Behrhorst also emphasize that the Bush Family Foundation’s support since 1995 has been invaluable to the success of the event.
Curtis' Resourcefulness Keeps Florida Open Alive
Things weren’t always as successful as they are now. According to Shea and Curtis, initially, they were not able to attract enough players from other USTA sections to fulfill the USTA requirement for the national calendar. But Curtis is resourceful if nothing else, and he soon had kids who were from all over the country, but training at Florida tennis academies such as Nick Bolleteri’s, participating in the revamped Florida Open. The event is now the premier precursor to the USTA National Clay Court Championships.
Florida Tennis Association Contributes
As the event has grown, so have the offerings at the event. This year the FTA’s Director of Competitive Tennis, Andy Gladstone, moderated a College Roundtable for players and their families. Panel members included J. Webb Horton, coach of Florida Gulf Coast University; Jim Poling, coach at West Point; Timon Corwin, Director of Junior and Collegiate Tennis for the USTA; Ally Harrison, former Florida junior player attending American University; and parent Beth Harrison. Among the topics explored by the panel and the standing-room-only audience were how a player could make him/herself marketable to a college team, types of tennis scholarships, and how to deal with the influx of international players at the collegiate level.
Bush Florida Open a National Treasure
Those who play tennis know that it is a lifetime endeavor, and those who play competitively know that it prepares you for life’s challenges. The Bush Florida Open is rich in tennis tradition, and with the support of the Landings Tennis Association and the entire Fort Myers tennis community, it provides one of the best junior events in the country. Through Friday, June 29, you can visit the Landings or one of the other sites and be a part of Florida tennis history.
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