New Initiative from the United States Tennis Association and Discovery Education Introduces High School Students to Exciting Careers in Sports and Beyond Elizabeth Hillman240-662-2664, elizabeth_hillman@discovery.com Trina Singian914-697-2223, Simgian@usta.com 'Careers Beyond the Court’ Provides Students, Educators and Families Nationwide Digital Resources Highlighting Careers in Tennis and Beyond Silver Spring, MD (May 18, 2016) – The United States Tennis Association (USTA), the national governing body for the sport of tennis, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, announced today the launch of an all new educational initiative, Careers Beyond the Court. Available at no cost, the program provides high school students, educators and families engaging resources that give an all-access look into the many career opportunities available in the tennis industry. Careers Beyond the Court is the USTA’s first partnership with a global education company, and includes video vignettes, accompanying career profiles, industry guides and a list of colleges with specific degrees to consider. Resources to Introduce Careers Beyond the Court: Bell Ringer Vignettes. Four different professional career areas in the tennis industry are highlighted in 1-2 minute vignettes, from youth development and technical innovations, to hospitality and coaching. Go one-on-one with USTA staff and tennis industry leaders and experts. Vignette Companion Guides. More detailed information about each tennis professional’s roles and responsibilities, skills and interests and recent innovations in the professional tennis industry, as well as their advice for current high school students accompanies each video. Guides to Pursue Careers Beyond the Court: Career Pathways. Teachers, guidance counselors and families alike can use these guides to highlight the technical innovations defining the sport today, the complex business skills necessary, potential career paths and how a talent for helping others could make students a perfect ambassador for the sport they love. Focused colleges and universities. Colleges and universities with specific degrees and programs in professional tennis management are highlighted including Ferris State University, Methodist University, Berry College, Rosen College of Hospitality Management: UCF and Grand Canyon University. All of these institutions assist students with networking, paid internships, and job placement opportunities in the professional tennis industry. “I’m really excited about the connection between USTA and Discovery Education and their new program ‘Careers Beyond the Court,’” said Rob Lamb, science teacher and head track coach at Pattonville High School of Pattonville School District in St. Louis, Mo. “Many people think that if you’re not on the court, that you’re not really involved. With this program, students’ eyes are opened at the career possibilities in this industry. Plus there are so many technological aspects that I will be able to use in my classroom, such as my favorite lesson of slow motion capture of someone serving, then breaking that down to showing forces of friction and muscle action happening.” Resources available through Careers Beyond the Court are designed to build students’ excitement and skills in the professional tennis industry, and offer a holistic look at the industry’s wide-range of career opportunities. With high quality lesson plans, the program lays out the critical roles needed in this sport, beyond just professional play. “To develop the next generation of leaders in our sport, it is essential to provide professional development programs and education,” said Scott Schultz, Managing Director, USTAU. “We are extremely proud to team up with Discovery Education to provide high school students the resources and skills to achieve success in the tennis industry.” "Discovery Education is thrilled to join with the United States Tennis Association to provide high school students with dynamic experiences and engaging digital resources that demonstrate the technical innovations defining the sport today, and the business skills necessary for careers inside the industry,” said Lori McFarling, Senior Vice President, Discovery Education. “Careers Beyond the Court is designed to expose young people to the real world occupations that are open to them as they pursue STEM subjects.” For more information on the program or to access the site’s free resources, visit: www.careersbeyondthecourt.com. About The United States Tennis Association (USTA)The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking seven summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships and helps under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, and supports wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter. About Discovery EducationDiscovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com. ###