In summer 2002, the East Lake YMCA launched a 6 week pilot program led by 2 tennis instructors for 400 low-income youth ages 5 through 13. The Georgia Tennis Foundation donated rackets and balls along with tennis fees due to the lack of funds. With the success of the pilot program, other metro Atlanta YMCAs requested a tennis program of this kind in order to offer ongoing tennis instruction to their low-income youth. The goal was to continue the instruction at the East Lake YMCA as well as expand to all other metro Atlanta YMCAs locations and eventually throughout the state.
Thanks to a founding grant from Publix Super Markets Charities, the Georgia Tennis Foundation launched YMCA Tennis Georgia on June 17, 2003. YMCA Tennis Georgia began as a summer program providing 8 weeks of professional tennis instruction to children in Metro Atlanta YMCAs.
YMCA Tennis Georgia has been successful in introducing the sport of tennis to disadvantaged children in a safe neighborhood environment, Disadvantaged kids who are at-risk of drug/alcohol abuse, obesity, violence etc. are offered a positive life/sport alternative. In addition, tennis courts in those neighborhoods, which have fallen into dilapidation, have been given new nets and grooming which not only improves the neighborhood appearance, but also encourages other neighbors to play tennis together contributing to a safe neighborhood environment.
Evaluation of the 2004 program revealed a need to continue tennis throughout of the year to children who exhibited interest, talent and potential, however they lacked an opportunity to continue due to lack of money for continued instruction. Those children were identified and offered tennis instruction throughout the school year beginning in 2005-06. In spring of 2008, inter-league play was initiated through USTA Junior Team Tennis; achieving further expansion of the year round tennis program for disadvantaged children through YMCA Tennis Georgia. The Georgia Tennis Foundation funding is providing USTA junior team tennis membership for 5 YMCA teams through YMCA Tennis Georgia.
It is the goal for YMCA Tennis Georgia to expand to every YMCA throughout the state and to make the program year round. There are 60 YMCAs in Georgia. The YMCA system provides an ideal structure for YMCA Tennis Georgia to easily expand statewide. As a statewide tennis program, YMCA Tennis Georgia provides an ideal model to be duplicated in other states and ultimately nationwide.
In summer of 2007, YMCA Tennis Georgia introduced over 4000 disadvantaged kids to tennis taking the number of kids introduced to tennis to over 24,000 in just 5 years. In summer 2008, YMCA Tennis Georgia will expand from 24 YMCAs to 28 YMCAs in Metro Atlanta and 5 YMCA Centers in Columbus, Georgia and 1 YMCA in Rome, Georgia. By the end of summer 2008, over 30,000 disadvantaged children will have been introduced to the sport of tennis through YMCA Tennis Georgia.
