Tennis Obsession in Middle Schools in the Mid-Atlantic

When you are a middle-schooler there are lots of different things to be obsessed with: the latest fashion trend, that post on social media, the hottest music, hilarious memes and so much more that dominate the world of tweens and teens of today. For some middle-schoolers in the Mid-Atlantic region, they are adding a different obsession to their list – tennis.

As thousands of children participate in USTA Mid-Atlantic youth after school tennis in elementary schools and progress through the program, many are taking their tennis skills with them into middle school. And many middle-schoolers are finding their love for tennis for the first time too. That’s why USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, began after school tennis in area middle schools to introduce the sport to more kids, and give those that have been playing an outlet to continue to pursue their game. It is fundamental to the mission of USTA Mid-Atlantic to offer programs such as these and, thanks to the support of donations, it enables us to offer them in a way that reduces barriers and makes tennis more accessible to all kids.

middle-school-club-320x195 In one local middle school in Loudoun County, Va., participants in the after school tennis program saw a new potential in themselves they never knew existed. Week after week, their tennis skills improved and they were becoming more confident in their game, so much so they set a goal to get to the next level – the high school tennis team.

But to do that, they knew they would need to work hard and take their practice further.

With the encouragement of their after school tennis coaches and USTA Mid-Atlantic, they created their own tennis club team. So far, more than 65 middle school youth have participated in the middle school tennis club.

The club meets on Sundays for two hours and the focus is advancing the kids’ fundamentals of tennis strokes followed by team activities and matches. This allows the participants to bridge the gap between their learn-to-play experience and competition in a fun, low-pressure setting.

And the work is paying off.

Some of the middle school club members had the confidence to enter their first entry level USTA Junior Tournament this past spring, several practiced throughout the summer on a weekly basis, and some have continued to hone their skills with additional lessons.

New shirts for the USTA Mid-Atlantic middle school club team

And now with school back in session, the club is practicing regularly. Recently this fall, 18 tennis club players from two different middle schools played each other in a friendly round robin competition in both singles and doubles matches. Using their improved skills from all the practice sessions, they were able to complete matches and see all their hard work come together in real match play experiences. At the end of the day, the players and coaches talked about the highs and lows of match play and shared best practices with their biggest takeaway – you must get your serve in! They celebrated their success with new team t-shirts and popsicles; a perfect ending to a good day on the tennis court.

For all of the middle school tennis club participants, learning the sport and playing in a team setting is proving to be a powerful experience that is inspiring them to do more and to discover a new talent, maybe even an obsession, with tennis.

USTA Mid-Atlantic wants to bring the power of tennis to more middle school students and children all across our region this school year through after school programs, but we need help to make this happen.

As the school year is just getting underway, your gift can make an immediate difference. Importantly, you can double your gift when you give thanks to an anonymous donor matching all donations up to $10,000 in 2019.

You can help change lives through the power of the USTA Mid-Atlantic after school tennis program. Give today.

USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, Inc. is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 54-1472806. All donations made to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Inc. are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

A Reason Why

We caught up with David K., an active donor to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, and talked to him about his reasons why he supports the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section.

How long have you been playing tennis? What do you love about the sport?

David K.: I started playing tennis in my teens, then later while I was in the U.S. Air Force in Berlin, Germany. Following my military service, I attended college and went to work as a defense contractor from which I was deployed to many locations throughout the world. No matter where you go, no matter what country; no matter the environment, you can always find someone who plays tennis. If you cannot find a court, there is always a wall to practice on. In 2018 I decided to try refereeing. This has proven to be a great way to stay in the game and help our youth, plus the referee has the best seat in the house! You can’t get any closer to good tennis!

Why do you choose to donate to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section?

David K.: I like to support organizations that I know will put donations to good use and I like to help the youth of today become our leaders for tomorrow.

Do you feel you are helping make a difference? How?

David K.: Being a referee in the Mid-Atlantic Section, one has the opportunity to see first hand where the donations go as well as watching our youth compete and improve their skills.

You can show support and directly impact and improve access to tennis for all people in the Mid-Atlantic region by making a tax-deductible donation to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section.

Already a donor? What are your reasons why you support USTA Mid-Atlantic? Get in touch and share your “why.” We’d love to feature your story too!

Make an Impact Beyond the Net

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Create happier, healthier, and more active communities through tennis.

Tennis has the power to transform lives. Tennis gets you physically active and helps you stay mentally sharp. It gives you new challenges to face and a lesson learned every time you play. New friends are made and you connect with people from your community. Above all, tennis is a sport you can play your entire life.

We believe every person in the Mid-Atlantic region deserves access to the transformative power of tennis, especially children. You can help increase access to tennis and grow the sport so that more people, no matter background, location, resources, ability, can learn and play for life.

See how your support will directly influence the Mid-Atlantic tennis community.

Today, you can make an impact beyond the net! By making a tax-deductible donation you will directly impact the access to tennis in the Mid-Atlantic. And now is a better time than ever to make a tax-deductible donation because an anonymous donor will double all donations up to $10,000 for 2019!

After School Tennis Programs Reach Milestones

Since 2016, USTA Mid-Atlantic’s TGA Premier Youth Tennis after school and summer camp enrichment programs have been introducing children to the lifelong sport of tennis. The program has had more than 10,000 in participation and is delivering on the promise USTA Mid-Atlantic envisioned at the onset – every child in the region learning, and loving, tennis.

As the spring sessions come to close and the school year ends, our impact through the programs has never been more apparent. Record numbers of children are participating and interest is growing among school communities to offer tennis to students. In just the winter and spring sessions alone there have been more than 2,400 in participation – this is an increase of 38% compared to this time last year.

This is incredible growth, but what you may not realize is that we depend on generous donations to help us reach children with the benefits of tennis.

A number of our USTA Mid-Atlantic TGA Premier Youth Tennis programs had significant milestones so far this year (winter and spring sessions) and we’ve got the incredible highlights below:

In Howard County, Md., programs had more than 600 registrations combined which is the highest for any of our locations, ever!
A new program was started to serve home schooled children in Loudoun County, Va., to provide a healthy enrichment activity.
In Richmond, Va., 91 students – a record number – participated in tennis after school at Woodbridge Elementary.
Richmond also saw a record number of participants in the spring with 193 registrations.
A new program was started in Prince William County, Va., at Springwoods Elementary with 26 students in the first season, this is almost triple the students than usual for a new program.
At Barrett Elementary in Fairfax County, Va., student interest in tennis was so strong that we held three sessions during one season to serve 41 students.
In West Virginia, we started a new after school program at North Elementary. More than 123 participants went through at least one season which is the most from any one school!
Also in West Virginia, a record number of participation happened in one season across all schools served in the area with more than 350 children participating!
And in the Glen Oben community in Anne Arundel, Md., they’ve highlighted tennis as their “community sport” to help neighbors get more activity. The Homeowners Association has partnered with us to deliver tennis enrichment programs for their community.

With our mission in mind to promote and develop the growth of tennis and our vision to make tennis the most accessible sport in the region, we are passionate about our after school and summer camp tennis programs; through these programs, more children are introduced to the game and gain vital skills from playing the sport.

We are so committed to introducing ALL youth in the Mid-Atlantic to tennis that we offer our programs at significant discounts; provide scholarships; and deliver incentives for school communities that help remove barriers to play. With your support, we can continue accomplishments and milestones like these every season. We can continue to put racquets in hands and change lives. We can show children how healthy, active lifestyles can be fun and we can give them gifts of life skills that will benefit them for years to come.

It is through the love of tennis we can change lives together. You can be part of this great change and help us deliver more after school and summer camp tennis programs to ALL children in the Mid-Atlantic. Make a tax-deductible donation today.

Building Relationships through Tennis

“I always tell the kids, find the joy in tennis and have fun. More fun means more tennis!”

My name is Max, and I am a coach in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section’s after school tennis program. As a high school tennis player and certified tennis coach, I’ve always found tennis to be a special sport because it brings all types of people together. I see this happening in the USTA Mid-Atlantic’s after school tennis program too – children of all backgrounds and experience levels coming together and having fun with one another, all thanks to tennis. Let me share an example.

Recently, I was working with a larger group of children of all different ages during an after school tennis session. I observed a first grade student playing tennis with a third grade student. This was quite an accomplishment because the younger student was very shy, and had a harder time getting involved in the games. With the help of the older teammates, over the weeks of the after school tennis program, the child really opened up and became comfortable playing tennis with all the students. This was special to see because it showcased the transformative power of tennis. It took teamwork and friendship to allow this student to be encouraged to play the game.

The USTA Mid-Atlantic’s after school tennis program helps kids connect with one another, and make breakthroughs both with their tennis skills and social skills to open up in new ways than before. This is a positive experience that lasts a lifetime.

This is why it is so critical to support this program. The way it is structured helps bring children together that are all different levels and helps them all succeed and grow in the sport together.

Ensuring that USTA Mid-Atlantic can continue to make the tennis after school program affordable and accessible to all while delivering high-quality experiences is critical. It is truly a special program and I encourage individuals to make a tax deductible donation today to help the program grow.

As the after school session is coming to an end for the spring, I feel I have had a positive impact working with the kids in the tennis program. Through this program, I make a difference in their day and I see their excitement to play tennis.

When you make a tax deductible gift of $100.74, it not only covers the cost of equipment, high-quality curriculum, and instruction for one child in the program, you are supporting a program that is rewarding for children and one that allows them to focus on enjoying the fun of the sport while learning so much about themselves and others who may not be like them.

And USTA Mid-Atlantic has an anonymous donor that will match all donations made up to $10,000 for 2019.

Thank you for reading my coaching story. I invite you to read perspectives from two other coaches, Noe and Raith, and learn more about USTA Mid-Atlantic’s tennis after school program and the impact being made.

Sincerely,

Max

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.