The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the recognized leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US Open.

USTA/National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL), the sponsoring program of the Tennis Leadership Camp (TLC), is a network of community tennis organizations that seek to provide tennis and education for kids that are underserved. Our goal is to give kids (regardless of income, race, gender) the opportunity to fully develop their tennis skills so they can derive a lifetime of enjoyment from the sport. We are a network of 550 organizations around the country, serving 220,000 youth participants. Our organizations vary in size and scope, but the underlying goal is the same: instill in youngsters the value of leadership and academic excellence. Website address: www.usta.com/njtl.

The purpose of the TLC is to hold an all expense paid, week long tennis camp for low-income kids who show promise in tennis. The kids, aged 12-14, are chosen through an application process demonstrating need and skill. We choose 20 girls and 20 boys (total of 40 kids) from across the country. Many of the kids have never left their home town/state before and the camp for them is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  In addition to daily on-court practice, we take the kids to local cultural activities. In addition to local field trips, we also schedule educational/career training sessions to help prepare and get kids thinking about their future. These opportunities include speakers (possibly affiliated with the college, involved in tennis, or successful professionals), campus tour, team building sessions, and volunteering at a local organization.

2010 Tennis Leadership Camp Details
Date:    July 19 – 25, 2010 (Monday – Sunday)
Location: Room and board at the Emory University; Tennis at the Sharon Lester Tennis Center at  Piedmont Park