ORLANDO, Fla. – Marc Spittler and Henry Pruitt served their country at different times, and in different branches of services, but both have found that military camaraderie again through the Military Tennis Program.
The free, weekly tennis program for veterans is hosted at the USTA National Campus in Orlando in partnership with Orlando Utilities Commission and meets every Monday from 6-7 p.m. No tennis experience is needed.
Spittler joined the U.S. Air Force in 1986 and served in the security forces in active duty, reserve and Air National Guard roles until 1997. He left the Air Force as a Staff Sergeant or E-5.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
He said he joined to help further his goal to become a police officer, later becoming a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Pruitt joined the U.S. Navy in 1962, just as he was about to graduate high school, retiring in 1982 as an E-6, spending time on ships during the Vietnam War from 1965-67.
“My job assignment was a jet mechanic, but as in the Navy you go in and do some of everything in your field,” Pruitt said. “I was also flight crew, lines crew. shop supervisor, quality assurance. You worked the whole gamut in the Navy.”
Both men found out about the tennis program in different ways.
Spittler started his son with tennis lessons at the USTA when one day a friend messaged him saying the USTA would be starting a veteran’s tennis program. He has been involved since the start of the program.
“We had anywhere from 25 to 30 veterans at some point and just stayed with it,” Spittler said. “Was able to experience some great camaraderie out here.”
Pruitt saw a posted advertisement for the tennis clinic one day at the Orlando VA Medical Center and decided to give it a shot.
“I always thought maybe I’d like to try to play tennis one day, so I decided to come out and see how it goes,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt was already familiar with the USTA campus having served in an ambassador program in the ACEing Autism — a program dedicated to helping children with autism grow through the sport of tennis.
Spittler and Pruitt are still very much involved in the program and can be found hitting the courts on Monday evenings.
Spittler, also an educator, didn’t know much about tennis before he started participating in the program. Now, he serves as an assistant coach on the Lake Nona High School tennis team — something he credits to his time at the Military Tennis Program.
The boys team went on to win the state title in 2022.
Both men even had the chance to visit the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York courtesy of the USTA in 2017 — a tradition the tennis association carries on to this day.
“I grew up watching football, baseball — playing that — watching hockey, but when you walk out onto center court at Arthur Ashe and you’re like, ‘Ok, this is kind of cool!’” Spittler said. “This is something that’s definitely worth being a part of.”
While Spittler and Pruitt may not have trauma associated with their time in the armed forces, they see what camaraderie does for them and how it helps other veterans.
Pruitt remembers a time at the VA when someone had to work to get the veterans to try the tennis program.
”She had to take a pry bar almost to get several of the people out of there to come over here. But the majority of them, once they came over about twice, they were always in a hurry to come back,” Pruitt said. “I’ve seen such big changes in guys and I felt that I helped with it a little bit.”
Tony Stingley, the senior manager for community outreach at USTA, has been volunteering to lead the veteran tennis program since its early days. While not a veteran himself, he sees the impact it has on the men and women who join the program.
Remembering one veteran that Stingley said was in a dark place, spoke about how the tennis program helped him.
“Coming out and being able to play and meeting the other veterans that are out here and socializing with them. And having other people to talk to that’s gone through the same things that he’s gone through just really changed his life. Possibly saved his life,” Stingley said. “They give back to us, too.”
Jo Wallen, senior director at USTA, was instrumental in starting the Military Tennis Program. Her love of the game and giving back to the community. Playing since she was 4 years old and working her way to professional tennis,
“That’s why I love to give back. Tennis has given me everything,” Wallen said.
Knowing the Orlando Veterans Affairs Hospital was nearby, Wallen started working with the VA to get the program off the ground.
“When people come on a tennis court they forget everything that’s going on around them,” Wallen said. “They can just focus on hitting that feisty yellow tennis ball. The mental skills that is takes and the physicality really transfers to their everyday life.”
Looking back on the program since its inception, Wallen remembers what the program has meant to the veterans and herself.
“That’s what we really try to foster here on the campus. From our staff, to our guests, and what we bring is really that camaraderie and friendship,” Walllen said.
If you want to experience some patriotism and tennis in person, the College Matchday on Feb. 17 will feature a matchup of the United States Air Force against the United States Army. More information about the match can be found here.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: