Tennis Central Staff

Delaine Mast

Delaine Mast

Executive Director

For more than 30 years Delaine has developed and implemented programs that transcend traditional sports and use tennis as a platform to improve our communities, increase our focus on empowerment of our citizens and generally showcase tennis not only as a lifetime sport, but as a social connector as well.  To date she has touched the lives of more than 1 million people and she is not done yet.

Mast graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee in 1983 and embarked on a long career in tennis. She was the head women’s tennis coach for George Washington University from 1984 to 1985 and has served since 1986 as the men’s and women’s tennis coach at J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, where she mentors inner-city students.
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She was the first female coach in the Lancaster Lebanon League to coach a men’s varsity team. Since 1986, she has also served as the National Director for World TeamTennis (WTT) Recreational Leagues, and as the co-founder and Executive Director of the Junior Tennis Corporation of America, which has provided national, coed team tennis programs and free instruction for more than 1 million players of all ages and ability levels.  Locally, she serves as the Executive Director of Tennis Central, a National Junior Tennis and Learning Chapter and 2015 Middle States NJTL Chapter of the Year, whose mission is to serve up opportunities to strengthen the community through tennis and education.

In 1998, Billie Jean King and WTT created the “Delaine Mast Award” to be given annually the top WTT League Director. Mast has been inducted into the USTA Middle States Tennis Hall of Fame, named the Lancaster Lebanon League High School Coach of the year along with being recognized in 2015 with the USTA Volunteer Service Award for 25 years of service and in 2016 she received the USTA’s highest honor being named the Eve Kraft Community Service Award Winner.  She received the USPTA’s Norman Bromall Service Award for her contributions to the game. In 2010, was selected as the Professional Tennis Registry Member of the Year for Pennsylvania for her contributions on and off the court and received the prestigious Mangan Award from USTA Middle States.

Mast has a long history of volunteerism within the USTA, having served on ten national committees or task forces since 1987. Currently, she serves on the USTA National High School Task Force. She was a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors, 2011-2012, where she was Vice Chair of the Strategic and Creative Planning Committee and the board Liaison to the Service Council. She served on the Leadership Competencies Task Force that determined the current National Volunteer Leadership Competencies. She served as a  member of the Creative Opportunities Task Force, 2009-10, and was the presidential appointee on the Executive Committee and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, 2007-08 where she helped to create the “USTA Strategic Directions”. She also served as a member of the Nominating Committee, 2001-04; chaired the USA Tennis 1-2-3 Committee, 2001-02; and, as a member of the Community Development Committee, 1997-2000, assisted in creating and developing the concept of Community Tennis Associations. She has also served as a Community Development Volunteer National Trainer since 1993; she was, in fact, one of the nine original national trainers and has conducted more than 50 workshops.

On the sectional level, Mast has served in a variety of capacities with the USTA Middle States Section, including as President, 1999-2000, and Delegate, 2001-02. Since 2005, she has served as the Chair of the USTA Middle States Scholarship and Grant Committee, which she initiated in 1992, and she previously served as the Central Penn District President, Executive Secretary and the first Area Training Center Administrator.

Mast resides in Lancaster, Pa., with her husband, Doug, and sons, Darran and Alex. In 2002, the Masts were named the USTA Middles States Family of the Year, and they received the USTA Ralph W. Westcott Family of the Year Award one year later. Mast is a proud member of the PTR, Chair of the PTR Women’s Committee and resides in the USTA Middle States Section.

Jeff Kitsock

Jeff Kitsock

Steinman Cup Director

Jeff Kitsock has been a teaching professional for more than thirty years. He received certification from the Professional Tennis Registry in 1988. Kitsock serves as a Program Director for Tennis Central. He has directed the Fred W. Steinman Patrons Cup program since 2003. Kitsock has coached tennis at the collegiate level at Penn State University’s Schuylkill campus. He is also a writer who has contributed columns to NET PLAY Magazine and feature articles to Tennis Pro–The International Magazine of PTR Tennis Teachers and Coaches.

Whit Evans

Whit Evans

Special Olympics Director

After 33 years as a 6th grade teacher and middle school guidance counselor, Whit retired an became involved with the local tennis Community. He continues to coach and direct the Lancaster County Special Olympics tennis team, which he has done for 20+ years. He served as the Director of Tennis ACES for 10 years while also coaching the Hempfield girl’s tennis team. Whit directed the junior tennis program at Bent Creek Country Club and was a tennis instructor. He served on the Lancaster Tennis Patrons Association Board and is a member of the Manheim Tennis Club.

Jody Wilson

Jody Wilson

Education Director/ Lancaster Summer Aces Program Director/ Junior Team Tennis Director

Jody Wilson, USPTA Certified Tennis Teaching Professional, has been teaching and coaching tennis players of all ages and ability levels since 2006. She is eager to instruct individuals to help them achieve success on the court and have fun. Jody enjoys promoting tennis as a lifetime sport and healthy lifestyle. She says, “Playing tennis benefits the whole person not only physically, but also mentally and socially as well.”

Jody served two years as a board member of Tennis Central, an NJTL chapter supported by the USTA Foundation. She has helped to promote the growth of tennis in the community through various programs including Steinman Patrons Cup, Freedoms World Team Tennis, elementary, middle and high school tennis clinics and local tournaments.
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Jody, a Tennis Central staff member, directs Tennis Central’s Winter and Spring Jr. Team Tennis Leagues and she has coached teams from Lancaster and Ephrata. In 2014, Jody was awarded USTA Central PA District JTT Director of the Year. Jody has established a successful and growing, year-round tennis program for juniors that is run through the Ephrata Recreation Center, including QuickStart tennis, private lessons and camps. She was also involved with the planning and development of New Holland’s Junior Tennis Camp program and the New Holland YMCA.

A 1999 graduate of Messiah College, Jody earned a BA degree in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration. Jody, a PA Guest Certified School Teacher, is managing Tennis Central’s educational programming. Additionally, she directs the summer Tennis ACES Program held at F&M College. Jody has completed Cardio Tennis Workshop training at the BJK National Tennis Center in NY. She is also certified as a USTA Recreational Coach, with QuickStart Tennis training. She has enjoyed the sport of tennis for 30 years, playing varsity tennis for Ephrata High School all 4 years. In her free time, Jody plays tennis, stays active and enjoys spending time with her husband, Jason and 3 boys, Chase, Lance and Reece.