Community Partners

Kiwanis of San Francisco Are All About Kids!

Kiwanis of San Francisco 

Michael Milstein, member of the Kiwanis Club of San Francisco and avid tennis enthusiast, presents YTA Executive Director Loretta Conway with a check for $2,000.

Oakland Raiders' Fast Forward Pass for Tennis!

 The venerable Oakland Raiders organization known for its rapid offensive recoveries, aggressive interceptions and tumultuous touch downs, are also now becoming known for giving Oakland children an equally thrilling sports experience in the most unlikely places: on public tennis courts in Oakland. The privilege is all part of a recent donation the Raiders presented to the Oakland Park and Recreation Department.

The donation was given to create more opportunities for children in Oakland to learn and play tennis. As a result, Bill Conway, tennis director for Oakland Park and Recreation will be amassing a collaborative effort of which the Raiders, Oakland Park and Recreation, and Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA), will work together to increase the numbers of children introduced to tennis for the remaining months in 2007 and into and throughout 2008.

“Already we’re seeing the wonderful results of the Raider’s gift, just this October we launched an introductory junior team tennis program for kids who’ve never played tennis before and we had 70 children register and show up,” said Conway. “The YTA collaboration has enormous benefits as well, because of the 70 children who are now participating in the league at Davie Tennis Stadium, 25 of them are regular participants of Oakland YTA sites located in outlining areas in Oakland and a little distance from Davie’s. These 25 kids are now getting the opportunity to venture out a bit from their familiar neighborhoods and utilize a bus service the YTA provides to transport children safely from Oakland YTA sites to Davie Tennis Stadium, facility. ”

Conway speculates that the long term impact of the collaboration is huge. Given the new opportunities it creates for children joining the new introductory tennis league, and for those who develop their skill over the next few years could likely mean many more Oakland juniors competing in Northern California youth tennis overall.

Providing substantive tennis programs for east bay children who have few economic resources, is another key component and great outgrowth of the collaboration and new tennis league.

“This new junior team tennis program is proof that children enthusiastically desire the chance to learn, participate and develop in tennis,” said Dr. Ron Grant, president of YTA who stated that YTA’s ‘Empowering Youth through Play’ campaign is a perfect descriptor of the new tennis league and its impact on the participants. “I’m not sure if the Oakland Raider organization knew exactly what the impact of its gift would be, but when we observed the children selecting their team tee shirts and expressing a sense of joy and pride for being part of their new tennis team, we immediately knew how significant it would be for the present and future.”

The Oakland Raiders, Bill Conway and Dr. Grant will continue to work together to develop resources that will bode well for tennis and educational opportunities for children.

“Without a doubt, it is an exciting time for tennis in Oakland and more importantly for any child in the city who has an interest in learning this great sport. I can’t think of a better way to get YTA kids, and all children in Oakland, more excited about tennis than to come out and play in a league format,” Conway added.


    For more information about the introductory junior team tennis league, please contact Bill Conway at Davie Tennis Stadium by calling (510) 444.5663 or (415) 533.3540 or via email bconway@oaklandnet.com