USTA Serves, the philanthropic and charitable entity of the United States Tennis Association, announced that it has awarded 26 grants in its 2010 spring funding cycle, totaling $301,000. Included in this were three Philadelphia area organizations, Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, Inc., Black Women in Sport Foundation and The Katie At The Bat Team.

 

The bi-annual grant process, a national initiative of USTA Serves, was developed to provide disadvantaged, at-risk children the opportunity to learn to play tennis and improve their academic skills in a structured format, and to help combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles. Chosen by a Grant Proposal Review Committee comprised of Foundation board members and USTA national staff, with important input from USTA sections, the grants are awarded to programs that successfully combine tennis and education and help children pursue their goals and highest dreams by leading healthier lives, succeeding in school and becoming healthier citizens. To date, USTA Serves has disbursed $10 million to a variety of programs that share those aims.

The mission of Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, Inc. is to create opportunities for a diverse cross-section of young people--especially those from low-income families and communities--to make positive choices in their lives, succeed in school, reject violence and other risky behaviors, and grow into active, responsible and productive citizens. We work to achieve these goals through innovative tennis instruction, education, life skills, and leadership-development programming in neighborhoods throughout the Philadelphia area and at the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center. The USTA Serves grant will be used to support AAYTE's NJTL outdoor summer program, serving 2,000 students, ages 7-18. 

Black Women in Sport Foundation was founded in 1992 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the involvement of black women and girls in all aspects of sport, including athletics, coaching and administration. The Foundation is resolute in facilitating the involvement of women of color in every aspect of sport in the United States and around the world through the "hands-on" development and management of grass-roots level outreach programs. The USTA Serves grant will be used to support summer and afterschool programming which serves 800 area youth, ages 5-16, focusing on physical activity as a means of promoting healthy lifestyles in combination with mentoring in the areas of health, self-esteem, career opportunities, nutrition, and more.

The Katie At The Bat Team is dedicated to empowering Philadelphia inner-city girls to achieve their full potential through participation in athletics. The organization provides school-year programs, summer camp opportunities and promotes partnerships which use athletics as a means to bridge urban and suburban communities. Programs incorporate character development, nutrition, fitness and academic assistance while providing long-term support from coaches and volunteers to help Katie athletes make positive life choices. The USTA Serves grant will support the expansion of the Katie Tennis Program by adding new sites and providing additional opportunities for underserved youth. Additionally, the program hopes to impact 45 inner-city kids during the year, and 40 young players during the summer.

“USTA Serves is excited to continue investing financial and other resources to help support organizations that believe in the powerful combination of tennis and education to help change lives. We applaud the expertise, commitment and the passion for tennis and education that these organizations have shown to the children and people with disabilities whom they serve,” said Deborah Slaner Larkin, Executive Director, USTA Serves. “Our goal is to support as many programs as possible and we look forward to our next grant cycle when we’ll hear from even more programs.”