Tennis "N" Tutoring
Modeled after other successful Tennis “N” Tutoring programs around the country, the Utah Tennis Association, in cooperation with its community partners, launched a pilot tennis and tutoring after school program in September 2008. Community partners include Liberty Park Tennis Center, Friends of Liberty Park, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake, Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office of Education Partnership, Salt Lake Education Foundation, Salt Lake School District, University of Utah Lowell Bennion Community Service Center, Third District Juvenile Court, Scott Matheson Jr., the Bastian Memorial Fund, Dan Johnson and Chevron.
While raising the academic achievement level of the participants is the main goal of the program, tennis is also important because it helps raise kids’ optimism and self-esteem; it helps with tactical thinking and development of positive personality characteristics. Tennis teaches good sportsmanship, promotes a healthy lifestyle, competition, discipline, social skills and exercise, but most of all, it’s fun. The first session involves students from the 5th and 6th grades from Lincoln Elementary School. Students with an interest in tennis and in need of additional academic support will be targeted for participation in the program. The program is free, but participants must enroll through an application process and parental involvement will be a key factor to the program’s continued success.
Participating youth from the Tennis “N” Tutoring Program will be invited to attend and be involved with activities that are being planned for the Wallace Stegner Centennial Celebrations at the University of Utah in 2009. Wallace Stegner was a member of the University of Utah’s men’s varsity tennis team, and this program is designed to link Stegner’s athletic and academic legacies to foster self improvement within Salt Lake City’s disadvantaged communities.
See pdf for more details.