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Brian Dillman, CEO of the Racquet Sports Professionals Association, is the magazine’s “Person of the Year,” while individuals and organizations from across the country are recognized in 28 additional categories.

NEW YORK, NY (Dec. 10, 2024) — Brian Dillman of Orlando, Fla., the CEO of the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA), has been named “Person of the Year” for 2024 by Racquet Sports Industry magazine in the publication’s January 2025 issue. Dillman led off the magazine’s 24th annual “Champions of Tennis Awards,” which honor people, businesses and organizations dedicated to improving the sport and business of tennis and racquet sports.

Dillman, who joined the RSPA (formerly called the U.S. Professional Tennis Association) at the beginning of 2024, led the rebranding of the 97-year-old teaching professional organization, which, in addition to tennis, offers coaching education and certification in other racquet and paddle sports, such as pickleball, padel, platform tennis and squash.

A former nationally ranked junior tennis player from Texas, Dillman knows the racquet sports industry from the ground up, with experience in product development, supply chain and program management in Asia, Europe and North America. He led the Racquet Sports Division of Wilson Sporting Goods as General Manager, and he’s a former president of the Chicago District of the U.S. Tennis Association. Dillman has served as a board member for consumer brands Dragon Alliance and Lindsey Phillips, and he was a Managing Director at luxury brand Peter Millar.

“Although Brian’s been in his current position only a year, his extensive marketing, branding and leadership experience, combined with a solid tennis and racquet sports industry resume, are serving the RSPA well,” says Racquet Sports Industry Editor Peter Francesconi. “This past September, Brian laid out the strategy to launch the rebranding of the USPTA to the RSPA, but making sure RSPA members and the industry overall understood it was more than just a name change.”

As Dillman says, the new mission for the RSPA is to “elevate careers in racquet sports with a certified professional on every court, inspiring people in every sport.” Core pillars for the rebranded organization include “membership development, partnership development, brand strength, value enhancement and organizational excellence.”

In addition to its Person of the Year award, Racquet Sports Industry also named winners in 28 other categories for its 2024 Champions of Tennis Awards (see the January 2025 Racquet Sports Industry digital edition at www.tennisindustrymag.com for more on these winners):

• Person of the Year: Brian Dillman, Orlando, Fla.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Lucy Garvin, Greer, S.C.
• Tennis Industry Service Award: Butch Staples, Bluffton, S.C.
• Industry Merit Award: Jaime Kaplan, Macon, Ga.
• Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year: Westwood Sports, San Diego, Calif.
• Private/Commercial Facility of the Year: Sportime Randall’s Island, New York, N.Y.
• Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year: Edmond Center Court, Edmond, Okla.
• Builder/Contractor of the Year: George Todd Jr./Welch Tennis Courts Inc., Sun City, Fla.
• Sales Rep of the Year: Nikki Pullara, Orlando, Fla.
• Grassroots Tennis Champion of the Year: Frank Adams, Aurora, Colo.
• Junior Tennis Champions of the Year: Amani Shah & Ayanna Shah, San Diego, Calif.
• Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year: Jon Rydberg, Woodbury, Minn.
• Community Tennis Association of the Year: Houston Tennis Association, Houston, Texas
• Racquet Technician/Stringer of the Year: Mitch Case, Torrington, Conn.
• Public Park of the Year: Pompey Park, Delray Beach, Fla.
• High School Coach of the Year: Scott Hanover, Gladstone, Mo.
• Tennis Advocate of the Year: Robin Jones, Cary, N.C.
• Park & Recreation Agency of the Year: M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation Prince George’s County, Md.
• Youth Tennis Provider of the Year: Gonzo Garcia, Boulder, Colo.
• Adaptive Tennis Champion of the Year: Stephen Kappes, Chula Vista, Calif.
• National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Chapter of the Year: PASS (Programs for After School Success), Phoenix, Ariz.
• Adult Tennis Provider of the Year: Hempfield RecCenter, Landisville, Pa.
• Innovative Tennis Event of the Year: Community Garage Giveaway/USTA Northern California
• College Tennis Facility of the Year: Leftwich Tennis Center, Memphis, Tenn.
• Public Tennis Facility of the Year: Denver Tennis Park, Colo.
• USTA Section of the Year: USTA Middle States
• PTR Member of the Year: Steve Riggs, Orange County, Calif.
• RSPA Member of the Year: Kyle LaCroix, Delray Beach, Fla.
• Innovative Media Coverage of the Year: Andy Roddick, Texas

Racquet Sports Industry (formerly Tennis Industry), the largest racquet sports trade magazine in the world, has been covering the racquet sports business for 53 years. It is published 10 times a year by Tennis Channel Inc. Available in both print and digital editions, RSI is the official publication of the Racquet Industry Research Group, U.S. Racquet Stringers Association and American Sports Builders Association. Visit www.tennisindustrymag.com.