The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), has awarded grants totaling more than $1,070,000 to 105 National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters (NJTL) in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The grants are designated to support under-resourced youth through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character and strive for academic excellence. This is an initial investment as the USTA Foundation will award approximately $4 million in grants in 2021.
Among those receiving grants was the Treasure Coast Tennis Association in Vero Beach, Florida. The NJTL chapter, run by former Baylor University varsity tennis coach Tim Palmer, is the organization that executes the youth tennis programming on behalf of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the charitable foundation of the U.S. Davis Cup captain and former top 10 star. The Treasure Coast Tennis Association conducts most of its tennis programming at Vero Beach’s beautiful Riverside Park tennis complex, the public park which is the site of where Fish first began to learn the game with his father Tom Fish.
These grants, targeted towards community programs designated by the 105 NJTL chapters, are anticipated to support 60,000 youth participants at the selected chapters, including 30,000 who are estimated to pick up a racquet for the first time. In total, these chapters will offer more than 56,000 hours of education and 95,000 hours of tennis activities, including the creation and expansion of after-school and summer camp programs. The USTA Foundation also designated $100,000 of the grants towards 20 new NJTL network members.
“We’re thrilled to provide grants to help these NJTL chapters fund their essential programming for under-resourced children during these difficult economic times,” said USTA Foundation President Kathleen Wu. “These grants are a reflection of the tremendously impactful work that NJTL chapters do every day in local communities.”
Cycle 1 grants cover the first of two annual grant periods. Applications for Cycle 2 grants will open on Aug. 2, with Cycle 2 grants ranging from $2,500 to $40,000. Selection is based on each NJTL’s stated goals, including the number of youth, implementation of educational curricula, mentoring, social-emotional learning, and improved tennis delivery using USTA on-court resources.
The USTA Foundation also recently launched the Rally for the Future campaign, the largest single fundraising campaign in USTA Foundation history with a $20 million target over the next three years. Rally for the Future is targeted towards planning and building the future strength of NJTL chapters, which are supported by the USTA Foundation. NJTL chapters provide free or low-cost tennis and education programming for more than 160,000 under-resourced youth across the country in over 250 diverse communities to ensure all children have equal access to participate in the sport.
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USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTAF or USTA Foundation), the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), utilizes the powerful combination of tennis and education to enhance the lives of under-resourced youth through its support of the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more than 50 years, NJTL has impacted thousands of youth across the nation, and today the network features more than 250 chapters that reach more than 160,000 young people annually. The USTAF supports these chapters by providing financial grants, scholarship opportunities, curricula, technical assistance, and training. USTAF raises money and public awareness through private donations, corporate sponsorships, foundations, and fundraisers, including the US Open Opening Night Gala, the US Open Paver program, and various Pro-Ams, to name just a few. To date, the USTA Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants and scholarships. For more information on the USTA Foundation, visit www.ustafoundation.com, or stay connected through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok (at @USTA).
