I am a coach because I want to be a positive influence on youth and their perspective on tennis; I want to foster a love for the sport that will benefit them for a lifetime.

My name is Raith and I am a coach in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section after school tennis program. I’ve been a tennis coach for a few years and I enjoy coaching in this program because you can see your students getting better and having fun! In this tennis program, children learn how to be successful, in sports and in life, and to me, that speaks volumes for their future.

I started playing tennis when I was very young, around five or six years old. I loved sports growing up, but what I loved most about tennis was that I could really focus on my game and improve. Tennis helped me be a better athlete overall, developing my hand, eye and foot coordination. Now as a coach, I get to see this type of growth from the children I teach in the after school tennis program.

USTA Mid-Atlantic’s after school tennis program is structured in a unique way that I haven’t seen from other tennis programs. I love how we focus on ensuring kids have fun, while actually playing tennis so they can successfully build skills. The use of lower bouncing balls and equipment sized right, meets children where they are so they have success, have fun and want to keep coming back to learn more. There is a real emphasis on the overall development of the child as a whole person and whole athlete, which is a real differentiator.  

I saw this, first-hand, in one of my students that had a little bit extra energy and a hard time being patient during our sessions. I was able to have that child channel the energy into a fun game that works on hand-eye coordination to bump the ball on the racquet while waiting for a turn in the larger group activity. The student did this while waiting and quickly got into focus. Very soon, the student got really good at the activity so we stepped it up to hitting a ball against the wall. The student’s focus and control improved and it was a great lesson that the child can take into the classroom and in life – when you put your mind to it and focus, you can do great things.  

Tennis is a lifetime sport and through the USTA Mid-Atlantic after school tennis program, children are developing skills for a healthy, active life that will benefit them for years to come. This is why it is so important to support the USTA Mid-Atlantic’s after school tennis program. More children need to be exposed to tennis through this program and USTA Mid-Atlantic is on a mission to introduce tennis to many more kids.

You can help by making a tax deductible donation.

When you make a tax deductible gift of $100.74, that donation will cover the cost of equipment, high-quality curriculum, and instruction for one child in the program. And USTA Mid-Atlantic has an anonymous donor that will match all donations made up to $10,000 for 2019, which is a great chance you don’t want to miss to double your impact when you give now.

I hope you will join me in supporting USTA Mid-Atlantic as they bring tennis to more children throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Tennis is a great opportunity for children to be successful in building skills that will serve them their entire lives.

Thank you for reading my coaching story and why I support USTA Mid-Atlantic’s after school tennis program. You can also read other stories from coaches like me to continue to learn about the impact of this program.

I hope to see you and more children on the courts soon!

Sincerely,

Raith

Proud Coach, USTA Mid-Atlantic After School Youth Tennis Program

P.S. USTA Mid-Atlantic has reached more than 1,300 kids so far in 2019 and more than 10,000 overall since the program’s inception in 2016. Your tax deductible gift of $100.74 will help another child experience the love of tennis.