GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Southern Tennis Foundation (STF), the charitable arm of United States Tennis Association (USTA) Southern Section, announced today the establishment of the Paul Scarpa Scholarships.
A native of Charleston, S.C., Scarpa served as the Furman men's tennis coach for 45 years, during which he became the winningest NCAA Division I tennis coach in America with 853 victories and longest tenured head coach in any sport in Furman and Southern Conference history. A recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor, he led the Paladins to 17 Southern Conference regular season titles and 14 SoCon tournament championships and was named SoCon Coach of the Year nine team. A member of seven Hall of Fames, including the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, Scarpa is a graduate of Florida State, where he played No. 1 singles and doubles.
Friends of Scarpa, including a number of his former players, have contributed over $60,000 to establish the initial endowments for these two scholarships, which will run in perpetuity. The scholarships will be awarded to high school graduates from the nine-state USTA Southern. One will begin in 2021 and the other in 2022.
With more than 20 donors, family members and friends on a surprise video call earlier this month, Scarpa was shocked with the announcement of the scholarships.
"I am super honored. I had no idea," Scarpa remarked. "I remember everything about tennis and those who have been around me in tennis. All of you are special. Thank y'all for the kind remarks. I'm really touched by this, believe me."
Rex Maynard, who served as USTA Southern President & CEO and STF Chairman, said, "Paul was a tireless ambassador for Furman, recruiting students and spreading the word about the university wherever he goes. He is best known for developing his players and bringing out the best of them both on and off the court."
Bobby Austell, South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation Trustee and former head coach of Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, S.C., added, "Always one to promote the game at every opportunity, when I was finishing a 40-year business career, Paul gave me over-the-top encouragement and practical help to begin a high school coaching career that lasted for 13 years."
USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Nancy Yeargin Furman added, "When I think of Paul Scarpa, I think of all the many lives he has impacted over the years … all ages, from right here in South Carolina to people from all over the world! There are many words to describe Paul … I think of heart, passion and opportunity!"
Furman Athletic Hall of Fame member David Ellison said, "Paul Scarpa is the personification of 'necessity is the mother of invention.' He conceived of and sold his idea to the NCAA for the current dual-match scoring system to shorten matches and to assure the relevance of doubles for every match."
Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 to help offset the expenses of his or her first year of school. The awards will continue for three additional years, provided the recipient remains a student in good standing, giving each of the two scholarships a total value of $4,000.
To qualify for these awards students must demonstrate financial need and must have participated in tennis for at least two of their high school years, either on a school team or through tournaments, National Junior Tennis & Learning, Junior Team Tennis or other USTA programs. The primary consideration in awarding the scholarships will be academic performance and potential, but community service and sportsmanship will also be considered.
