JULY VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Jon Betts | McHenry, Illinois
Jon Betts exhibits a passion for teaching and helping others in everything he does. Jon is the Head Coach for both boys and girls teams at Jacobs High School in Algonquin. The team programs he directs exemplify their official USTA “No-Cut” program status as evidenced by his girl’s teams hovering around 80+ players from season to season! As a USPTA certified tennis professional who also works part-time during the indoor season at a local tennis club, Jon constantly advocates for tennis in community based programs through his role as McHenry Park District Tennis Director for the summer and fall/winter programs As well as the Algonquin Park District Tennis Director during the summer.
Jon is President of the Algonquin Community Tennis Association (CTA), a board member of the McHenry CTA, and a member of the Northern Illinois District (NITA) Board of Directors, Also a Board member of the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTCA), Jon was tapped by USTA/Midwest to be one of the Illinois’ representatives on the new High School Task Force for the Section in support of the USTA National High School Task Force.
Jon has been a true leader locally in picking up the ball to implement and direct national USTA tennis programs for youth in the area. After initially serving as a local league coordinator for NITA sponsored Junior Team Tennis leagues, Jon began to recruit players through high school coaches and has successfully put together USTA Junior Team Tennis leagues for winter, spring, summer, and fall leagues featuring pre-scheduled “double headers” among the teams in each league. Jon has had as many as 28 teams playing in his leagues at one time, and offers both advancing and non-advancing leagues, taking at least one team to USTA/Midwest Jr. Team Tennis Sectionals. Serving the younger population for tennis, Jon has worked with the USTA/Midwest TSR for Illinois Bret Schrama to implement Midwest Youth Team Tennis and Futures programs during the summer, programmed at his high school tennis courts where he also runs typical high school tennis clinics. Jon has also promoted and directed one or more USTA sanctioned tournaments with incredibly low entry fees to help promote play, and is planning to offer the new entry-level tournaments for high school age players this summer.
Jon and his wife have three young children. Northern Illinois is extremely lucky to have Jon performing his magic as a Pied Piper for youth tennis in NITA, and applaud his many accomplishments.