USTA Southern presents more than 20 annual awards and we interview two in celebration of Juneteenth. Vanita Phinisey talks about her mission to promote tennis in Columbus, Miss., with the 3rd Annual Battle of the States. Hosted by Golden Triangle Tennis, the National Tennis Month tournament won the Special Tennis Event of the Year and featured inter-state competition and the ability of juniors to team with adults. The Diversity & Inclusion Champion went to Ezekiel Salama, who came from the Rising Stars NJTL of Kentucky. He is a top-level high school track and tennis athlete whose poise and hard work have made him a star on and off the court. The Shelbyville, Ky. teenager has a 4.0 GPA. We highlight junior Alex LaFrance of Little Rock, Ark. We congratulate other USTA Southern Award winners: Junior Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year Carla O’Connor, Local League Coordinator of the Year Robyn Haug, both of Charlotte, N.C.