Serving the Community

Brunswick County Tennis Association has evolved from a social tennis club into a nonprofit serving hundreds of residents through youth education, inclusive athletics and community-driven programs.

The Brunswick County Tennis Association believes tennis is more than a game. It is a vehicle for bringing people together, educating youth and fostering inclusion. The organization has evolved from a small social group into a vital nonprofit that serves hundreds of residents from local youth to Special Olympics athletes.

“We have something for everybody,” says Bob Cause, president of Brunswick County Tennis Association (BCTA). “We’re not just a group of people who want to play tennis. We are trying to encompass tennis as an activity for the whole county.”

Established in 2002, BCTA was founded by a small group of players in the beach communities who wanted to secure a charter and build courts. However, around 2010, the mission shifted. The organization moved beyond simply organizing men’s and women’s leagues and began focusing on how tennis could serve the broader population.

Today, the association boasts more than 170 members with the help of around 30 active volunteers.

As Brunswick County experiences a population boom, particularly with retirees moving to areas like Leland, the demand for recreational outlets has skyrocketed. BCTA has stepped up to meet that demand, ensuring that tennis remains accessible to everyone, not just those with country club memberships.

One of the BCTA’s crowning achievements is its National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) program. The NJTL network uses tennis as a hook to support under-resourced youth. The BCTA’s chapter runs programs throughout the county, combining on-court clinics with off-court educational enrichment.

Spring sessions focus on academic tutoring to prepare them for end-of-season grades, while summer programs teach essential life skills.

This life-learning approach is hands-on and aims to foster character development. Students have built small orbital robots and learned how to cook alongside professional chefs. They even organized a carry-out meal for their parents, allowing the students to see immediate, tangible results from their work.

Perhaps the most impactful aspect of the BCTA’s work is its dedicated partnership with the Special Olympics and the Brunswick Interagency Program (BIP). While tennis is traditionally a fall sport for Special Olympics, BCTA has made it a year-round endeavor due to high demand.

Volunteers drive vans and facilitate clinics for athletes ranging from ages 18 to 65.

The program includes the Swing into Spring tournament in Wilmington, the State Games in Charlotte and the Winter Chill event at N.C. State University. For the volunteers, many of whom are retired teachers or business professionals, the rewards are just as high as they are for the athletes.

“Once volunteers get involved and see they are really accomplishing something, it becomes a magnet,” Cause says.

With the rapid development of new housing and apartments along Highway 17, infrastructure remains a challenge. As private facilities like Compass Point and Brunswick Forest undergo management changes that can limit public access, the burden to serve players falls on public courts.

BCTA is working with Brunswick County Parks and Recreation to maintain and upgrade facilities at key locations like Smithville, Ocean Isle Beach and Northwest Park.

They are also navigating the rise of pickleball. Dedicated facilities for both sports help avoid the confusion of conflicting lines on a single court, a strategy already successfully implemented at Smithville Park.

As BCTA looks toward 2026, the primary goal is communication. The association wants to ensure that every newcomer to Brunswick County knows that tennis is an option for them, regardless of skill level or background. To facilitate this, they plan to introduce more casual social tennis events.
Structurally, BCTA is also focusing on the next generation of players by launching a new middle school tennis program designed to feed into local high school teams. They are searching for facilities on the northern end of the county that have the necessary combination of courts and classroom space to host their youth education programs.

To do this, they need help. The organization is actively seeking volunteers, from on-court coaches to those with skills in social media and administration. They even have a USTA parent-coach initiative to help parents get involved in training.

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Brunswick County Tennis Association
If you are interested in volunteering, playing or learning more about Brunswick County Tennis Association, you can reach out:
brunswicktennisnc@gmail.com
BrunswickCountyTennis
bcta.net