In 2023 the Spearfish Tennis Association (STA) received a $2,000 donation from the family of June Dickey to establish a fund to help youth in Spearfish develop their tennis skills and abilities. David & Meghan O'Bryan donated an additional $1,000. The STA will use the June Dickey Player Development Fund to support youth players who wish to take lessons or attend tennis camps.

The Spearfish Tennis Association, a federal non-profit organization, partners with the high school varsity and middle-school programs to help young people enjoy the game, improve their skills, and become more competitive. The June Dickey Player Development Fund is a significant addition to the STA’s efforts to help Spearfish’s young players enjoy the game while improving their performance and level of competition. Anyone who wishes to contribute to the fund can contact by emailing spearfishtennis@gmail.com.

Click here for more information on June Dickey.
Click here to download the funding request form.

Player Development Funding Request Information

Overview:
The June Dickey Player Development Fund was established by the descendants of June Dickey, a Spearfish player who won numerous national and international tournaments in both singles and doubles. The fund is administered by the Spearfish Tennis Association and is intended to help young players attend tennis clinics and camps and to take private and/or group lessons that will help them improve their level of play and their enjoyment of the game.

Eligibility and Deadlines:
Any person between the ages of 12-18 residing in Spearfish or attending a school in Spearfish is eligible to apply for funding. Priority will be given to individuals who demonstrate a commitment to tennis by such things as having taken tennis lessons before, having played on a school team, being a member of the STA or the USTA, or otherwise showing that they are committed to improving their level of play. Applications will be reviewed on or about December 15 and May 15. Applicants should be sure the STA receives their requests by these dates, so the committee can consider the application before the event in question takes place.

Types of Eligible Activities:
The following are examples of eligible activities to which funding can be applied:

• Individual lessons;
• Tennis camps—e.g. RC Christian’s camp; Gustavus Adolphus Tennis and Life Camp; Doug Stevens' summer camp;
• Tennis clinics—e.g the STA’s Winter Clinics;
• Other tennis activities designed to teach the game of tennis or develop individual skills.
• Competitive activities such as tournaments are ineligible for funding.

Limits on funding:
Individual funding requests will generally be awarded at 10-25% of the total cost of fees only (excluding travel, lodging, and other such expenses), for a maximum of $100.00. The percentage of funds awarded is the STA’s decision and may depend not only upon the quality of the application but upon the amount of funds available and the number of applicants, among other things. Thus, individuals may not necessarily receive the full amount they request. Individuals who receive funding will receive reimbursement when they provide the STA with a copy of the receipt for the activity for which they were awarded funding, and proof that they completed the activity. This proof might take the form of a signed statement from the teacher/organizer. The STA reserves the right to refuse reimbursement for lessons that are not attended, even if the organizer charges the participant for them. Fees cannot be reimbursed without these two items, and it is the individual’s responsibility to provide them.

 An individual may ask for funding for more than one activity per year, but additional requests beyond one per year will receive a lower priority.

June Dickey
 June Dickey was one of the Black Hills’ area’s most accomplished athletes. After attending Spearfish High School, she earned fifteen varsity letters in tennis, basketball, field hockey, and softball at Principia College in Illinois. In 1972, June received a Master’s of Science Degree, Phi Kappa Phi, from Louisiana State University and went on to administer the Women’s Intramural departments at LSU and Rice Universities.  She achieved the United States Tennis Association (USTA) No. 1 ranking in the State of Texas singles and doubles in her relevant age group from 1986-1996 and the No. 1 National Ranking in doubles with her partner, Elaine Mason, of Fresno, CA from 1999-2004.  Together they won the USTA Women’s Doubles Gold Slam title in 2003 and 2004, meaning winning on all four USTA venues on grass, clay, hard, and indoor courts for which they were honored at the US Open in Flushing Meadows.

June and Elaine were on the 2001 United States 44th European International Veterans and Friendship Cup team and together won the doubles Championship. June was the finalist in the singles Championship. She is included in both Spearfish High School’s and the Spearfish Tennis Association’s Halls of Fame, and a tennis court at Spearfish high school is named for her.

June was a wonderful analyst of the game of tennis and was always willing to help others improve, whether she was playing with them or competing.  She is an inspiration for Spearfish’s young players, and the June Dickey Player Development Fund is intended to carry her spirit forward and help generations of new players learn to love the game that she loved. Her children, Larry McFall of Reno, Nevada, Sandra Kamrath of Houston, Texas and Nancy Clay of Woodbridge, England have established the fund with a $2000.00 contribution in order to keep her influence and spirit alive in the community of Spearfish. In a letter to the STA, they said, “We are hoping that other family, friends, and other interested parties will see the benefits this fund can promote and continue to make it grow.”