Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education After-School Tennis 'n' Tutoring Program
Goal: Provide a quality structured after-school tennis and educational program for elementary and middle school children
Program Size: Serving 2,850 children at 50 inner-city schools and community centers
First year: Spring 2003, 17 Schools, 610 students
Second year: Fall 2004, 28 Schools, 1,000 students
Fourth Year: Spring 2006, 50 schools, 2,850 students
Location: Philadelphia
City/Community Size: 1,517,500 (2000 census)
Lead Advocate Organization: Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education
Length of Program: Year-round
Budget: $161,385
Funding Sources: Legislative and foundation grants; federal earmark
Introduction: Philadelphia needed more quality out-of-school programs to improve students’ physical, academic and overall well-being. Approximately 36,000 urban students each year do not have access to out-of-school programs due to issues of cost or availability and two-thirds of Philadelphia‘s children ages 6-14 have parents who are unable to care for them between the hours of 3-6:30 p.m. (more than 65 percent of all juvenile crime in Philadelphia occurs between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.)
History: The AAYTE After-School Tennis ‘n’ Tutoring program was born from the combined needs to (1) provide quality structured after-school programming to Philadelphia’s underserved city youth during the hours in which they are most vulnerable and (2) to provide a year-round opportunity for many of the 6,000-plus participants in the AAYTE Summer National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) to play the sport of tennis. One of the predominant problems was the gap between the eight-week summer program and the rest of the year. Typically, AAYTE was faced with the task of thanking its youngsters for participating in a very successful summer program and telling them that it hoped to see them next year. The gap between summers made it difficult for AAYTE to retain the interest of its youngsters from year to year. AAYTE decided that the solution was to target schools close to its summer sites (i.e., within a block or two of the AAYTE’s NJTL program) that could be linked seamlessly to the summer program. By doing so,
AAYTE was able to funnel kids from the summer program directly into the fall after-school program, and from the spring after-school program into the summer NJTL. As a direct result of this strategy, both programs have grown and prospered—players are acquiring and sustaining the skills necessary to compete in USTA tournaments and for their respective scholastic teams. To educate the added influx of students, AAYTE recruited teachers from the local schools, many of whom were paid by the school district's extracurricular budget. The after-school program takes place at 50 inner-city schools and community centers on a daily basis between the hours of 3:30 and 6 p.m. Grades and school attendance are closely monitored by the AAYTE administrative staff. (Note: AAYTE recruits and trains tennis pros to teach the incoming students, with those pros becoming either full- or part-time employees. All tennis pros undergo an extensive training program and gain certification from either the PTR or the USPTA.) It is requisite that the parents of each child sign a waiver allowing AAYTE access to such records. AAYTE students are allowed to participate in the tennis program so long as they maintain a "C" standard grade point average. If a child's GPA slips below this mark, tennis privileges are revoked and extra academic assistance is provided until the child is back on track. Since the 2004 inception of this program, 100 percent of the AAYTE participants are matriculating from one grade to the next. They truly are on the graduation track.
Funding:
- Public funds via state legislative grants (Department of Community and Economic Development)
- Federal earmark from former Pennsylvania Senator Richard Santorum
- Private funds via foundation grants (Pew Charitable Trusts, Independent Educational Consultants Association, the UPS Foundation)
- Partnering organizations: The School District of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Department of Recreation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Independent Educational Consultants Association
- Benefit in April 2007 raised $1.2 million Tips from the Pros: Scott Tharp, Executive Director, AAYTE: "Tennis is the privilege that our participants earn each day after their homework and various other school assignments have been completed. Certified teachers oversee the daily classroom activities and certified tennis professionals provide the structured game-based tennis component. During inclement weather, board games and other indoor recreational activities take place."
Lesson: Tailor your message appropriately. AAYTE was able to secure funding and grants largely because they filled a need and targeted an area close to the hearts of politicians and the local community: Children. By presenting its case as that of helping kids, not furthering tennis, AAYTE was able to accomplish its goals and get a quality after-school program in place.
Contact Information: Scott Tharp, Executive Director, AAYTE Telephone: 215-487-3477 • E-mail: stharp@ashetennis.org • Website: www.ashetennis.org
