USTA Southern California has appointed two new members to its senior management team, filling critical roles that will help shape the future of tennis in the region. Former Cal State Fullerton head coach Dianne Matias has been named the Director of Junior Tennis, and Pasadena Tennis Association’s Esther Hendershott will serve as Director of Community Tennis, the organization announced today.
Dianne Matias will lead the junior tennis department in one of the most active regions for youth tennis in the United States, and will help foster growth of the sport from entry level Net Generation programming to elite competitive player development.
Ms. Matias comes to USTA SoCal following a winning career in college tennis, where she coached for nine seasons, eight of them at Cal State Fullerton. In her final year at CSF, she led the Titans to the semifinals of the conference tournament with a 13-6 overall record. Three years prior the team reached its first Big West Championship final in school history following a 20 win campaign.
An accomplished junior player herself, competing for three years at Futures High before a season at Carson High School, Ms. Matias was named to the Los Angeles Times all-area first team as a senior. She was the nation’s top player in 16s in both 2000 and 2001 and was named the USTA Southern California Player of the Year. She went on to represent her home country as a member of the 2008 Philippine Fed Cup team.
“Dianne understands the journey that young players experience in tennis,” said Trevor Kronemann, Executive Director & CEO of USTA Southern California. “Her background as both a player and as someone who nurtures aspiring athletes will be beneficial to young players at all levels across our Section.”
As Director of Community Tennis, Esther Hendershott will be the driving force behind growth of the game at the community level, cultivating access points for tennis players throughout Southern California and working with community tennis organizations to create more opportunities for players within the Section.
The founder of Pasadena Tennis Association in 1997, Ms. Hendershott partnered with her local school district and Pasadena Educational Foundation to enhance programming to reach hundreds of local children, while building a foundation centered around community, education, and diversity & inclusion.
Currently, Ms. Hendershott serves as Chair of the Section’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which advises, guides, and collaborates with the USTA SoCal team toward increasing diversity and inclusion among players, coaches, and other members of the SoCal tennis industry.
In 2019, she was awarded the Eugene Jung Multicultural Award at the USTA SoCal Annual Service Awards in recognition of creating and developing community tennis programming in Southern California.
“Esther’s dedication to her community has been evident for 24 years in Pasadena,” Kronemann said. “With decades of experience and her boundless enthusiasm for growing the game, Esther will be a remarkable resource for tennis organizations across Southern California.”