Paula Hale tells the story of her family who usually attends ceremonies when Hale is honored
With her induction into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame coming next January, Hale guessed what her family will say: “Congratulations, we are so proud of you! Oh no, we have to go to Atlanta this time?”
Considering the long list of award presentations that have been bestowed on this Raleigh, N.C., resident, being Hale’s family can be a little taxing.
Hale has received 12 notable awards. Here is the list of the most prominent: USTA Barbara Williams Leadership Award, USTA Major Wingfield Historical Society, USTA Southern Section Jacobs Bowl, USTA Southern Charlie Morris Service Award, USTA Southern President’s Award, USTA North Carolina President’s Award, North Carolina Order of the Long Pine (highest honor for North Carolina citizens) and the Racquet Sports Industry magazine Champions of Tennis – Tennis Advocate of the Year. She was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2018.
She headed up USTA Southern as President & CEO and USTA North Carolina as President along with volunteering in numerous board positions in both associations.
USTA Southern Executive Vice President Brett Schwartz wrote in his nomination of Hale, “Paula is of the highest character as evidenced by the way she has conducted herself during the breadth of her award-winning tennis service career. … In summary, Paula has been a driving force at every level of the USTA and has been a champion for grassroots tennis which is where tennis is grown. I can’t imagine anyone more deserving of entry into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.”
Enrolled at Eastern Carolina University as a Physical Education major, she decided to take a “Tennis 101” course. Other than that class and a few lessons over the years, Hale said she was self-taught.
“I had played golf, but tennis was a lot more fun and took less time. I was athletic and could run all day so most of my wins were because I could outlast them, not outplay them,” she recalled. Talking about her tennis strategy, she explained, “I have no strategy. It’s just see ball, hit ball. I just love to play the game, get some exercise and have fun with my friends. I do have a wicked dropshot, though”
In the mid-1970s, she was asked to help out in local tennis events sponsored by the Wilson (N.C.) Tennis Foundation. “For years I just helped out until they put me in charge. I guess I was on a pathway. Back then, we didn’t know what a pathway was.”
That pathway started in Wilson, went through the USTA North Carolina state office in Greensboro, down to metro Atlanta where USTA Southern is located and then on to the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
In addition to the long list of her major accomplishments, there are also other important positions she has held. Hale served as Raleigh Racquet Club President and Wilson Tennis Foundation President. Also, she served on eight USTA North Carolina committees, eight USTA Southern committees and ten USTA committees.
Hale answered the question of why she volunteered for so many years. “If you can help bring others to the game and watch them find a lifelong love of tennis, that is really satisfying to me.” She cites her involvement on the USTA Community Tennis Association Committee as some of her most important work, tying together her nearly 50 years of dedication championing the grassroots of tennis. “I strongly believe in advocacy on the local level,” she added.
Highlights
- Worked for years with CTAs and helped form the Downeast Tennis Association
- President of USTA North Carolina 2000-03 and President of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation, 2004-06
- President of USTA Southern, 2015-16, and President of Southern Tennis Foundation 2017-18
- USTA Community Tennis Association Committee Chair, 2009-14
- USTA Council Chair, 2015-16, and USTA Section Delegates Chair, 2018
- USTA Coordinator, Advisory Group on Committees 2017-18 and 2021-22, USTA Nominating Committee, 2019-20
- Awards include: Racquet Sports Industry magazine Champions of Tennis – Tennis Advocate of the Year, USTA Barbara Williams Leadership Award, USTA Major Wingfield Historical Society, USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl, USTA Southern Charlie Morris Service Award, USTA Southern President’s Award, USTA North Carolina President’s Award, North Carolina Order of the Long Pine (highest honor for North Carolina citizens