Through tennis, lives can be changed and spirits reclaimed"
-Arthur Ashe
Inspiring children and teens to reach their highest potential academically and through the wonderful sport of tennis is the essence of Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA). Inspired by the beliefs of tennis great Arthur Ashe, YTA was formed to honor Ashe’s insistence that academic excellence coupled with tennis instruction could be the catalyst for improving the lives of children and teens who live in poverty. YTA lives up to Ashe’s vision through an innovative program steeped in tennis instruction, life skills training, academic enrichment, academic support, and a myriad of collaborations with private and public tennis facilities and organizations, and collegiate institutions that share YTA’s concern for under served youth.
YTA is focused on enhancing the lives of children and teens age 18 and younger, whose families are living within some of the lowest socioeconomic conditions in the San Francisco-Bay Area, yet who have just as much tenacity for working hard and achieving great results as any of their affluent counterparts. In fact, the overwhelming majority of young people, who participate in YTA programs for a sustained period, proceed to college and achieve personal and professional success. For example, in 2008 several YTA juniors were awarded collegiate scholarships, one will be attending UC Berkeley on a full tennis scholarship, and the other has received the Gates Millennium award which provides for a full four year college education. Many YTA students continue their own passion for tennis by playing competitive collegiate tennis, or by simply becoming a regular, recreational athlete well into adulthood. Also, many of our YTA ‘graduates’ return to YTA providing administrative, academic and coaching assistance. Without YTAs critical resources, many of these youth would ostensibly experience fewer educational opportunities, poorer health, and poorer self esteem than children with substantial after school programs and opportunities available.
For more than 25 years, YTA has provided innovative tennis and educational programs to bay area children through comprehensive programs and expert coaching, both of which have been lauded locally and nationally by the United States Tennis Association, the United States Professional Tennis Registry, and the United States Tennis Professional Tennis Association.
Vision: Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA), a financially strong and stable 501 (c) 3 non-profit, is one of the most recognized and highly respected youth development organizations in teh country. This is evidenced by the high percentage of college graduates that comprise the YTA alumni, by hte long-term collaborations with community organizations, businesses and individuals that support YTA and by the development of a 'premier' YTA facility that serves as a core site for the YTA College Pathway Program.
Core Values: Integrity, Competency, Transparency, Accountability, Diversity, Community
Mission: Youth Tennis Advantage is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving youth in inner city communities through a comprehensive program of tennis and academic tutoring that promotes the physical, educational, and life skills necessary to prepare and empower them for leadership in their communities, and success in their personal lives.
Strategic Goals:
• To build high level of organizational capacity that will be sustained in future years.
• To enhance staff positions and development of staff that lead to growth in participation and broaden impact of the organization.
• To expand and nurture volunteer base of YTA.
• To design and establish ideal site make-up with strong preference to locations that offer designated court and classroom space for YTA.
• To improve programming so it is organized, and accountable and also maintains flexibility to address unique community situations and the individual children YTA serves.
• To continue to maintain a balance among the four YTA components: Tennis, Academic Enrichment and Life Skills at every YTA site.