SCHOOL TENNISNotebook

Tennis Skillastics®

LaunchedTennis Skillastics® is a series of standards-

based, fitness and sport-specific games thatallow one to 100 children of varying ages andfitness levels to participate and enjoy tennis atone time. The USTA joins other national sportsorganizations in offering a sport-specific versionof the Skillastics game, which launched at theNational AAHPERD Convention in March. TheUSTA will now have access to a growing network that exceeds 15,000 schools and youth programs currently utilizing the Skillastics product. USTA members can receive a 15% discount onTennis Skillastics. www.skillastics.com.

USTA Schools StaffJason Jamison, National Manager Karen Green, National Coordinator Barb Stones, National Assistant schooltennis@usta.com

2010 YEARLY REPORT

The Adopt-a-School Handbook created!The Schools Committee and staff developed

an Adopt-a-School materials package to beused by youth tennis advocates to take tennisto schools and connect to follow-up programs.Targeted groups include: Jr. Team Tennis coordinators, NJTL chapter leaders, CTA organizers, tennis professionals and volunteers. The handbook provides “How-To”recipes for setting up student tennis clubs,hosting tennis events and reaching out to decision makers.

Get on the Bus with Adopt-a-School!This past year, each member of the National

Schools Committee agreed to adopt a school.With 100 percent participation, the combinedoutreach represented 12,555 children by 11 committee members! “The possibilities are

endless if we canmobilize everyonewith tennis DNA to get involved,”said NationalSchools ChairmanGary Pina.

CTAs Target Schools for a QuickStart 252 Community Tennis Associations committed to taking tennis to children on school grounds

for the 2010 school year! The CTAs received sample equipment packages with racquets, balls, curriculum kits, laminated station signs, QST tape for modified courts, and materials to help programleaders adopt schools and grow tennis programs on school grounds.

Record Number of Schools and Teachers TrainedSchool Tennis trainings feature how to manage kids in limited spaces and how to implement the

QuickStart Tennis play format on school grounds without tennis courts. Through 12/31/10 SchoolTennis trainings were conductedfor 167 school districts, impacting2,230 schools and 3,430 teachers.The estimated number of childrenparticipating in PE Tennis as a result of these trainings is718,467. A free equipment package was provided to eachworkshop host, and registered Org Members received equipment discounts and the USTA’s Guidefor Teaching Tennis in School.Florida teachers at School Tennis Training

For the latest information and resources: www.USTA.com/schools

New Equipment Program Underway

An enhanced multi-manufacturer equip-ment program was launched in October 2010to support the equipment needs of USTA Community Tennis and its vast network ofschools, parks, CTAs, NJTLs, JTT programs,and on-court workshops.

The new program affords USTA programleaders with discounted pricing from fivemajor manufacturers. Additionally, USTA offices can order direct at a special internalprice. A second phase of the program to berolled out in spring 2011 will allow programleaders to purchase equipment online via Tennis Warehouse with 24/7 access. Contact your section office to obtain discountequipment information.

USTA Aces National Physical Education ConventionIn March, the USTA made a strong showing at the National Convention for the American Alliance

of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance. The convention, which annually draws 4,000 to6,000 attendees, included ahalf-day tennis workshop, seminars, demonstrations andsponsored functions featuringthe QuickStart Tennis play for-mat, Tennis Skillastics and theUSTA School Tennis initiative.Thanks to USTA Midwest andfeatured guests Dr. Robert Pangrazi, Sandy Slade and KirkAnderson for their involvementwith the convention. Recreational Tennis

Grants LeveragedCross-functional teamwork among

Schools, CTAs, NJTLs, Tennis in the Parks,staff and volunteers generated $873,900 infunding for organizations in 2010. In additionto this support, USTA School Tennis workedwith the Outreach and Advocacy Departmentto provide more than $200,000 in financialsupport for after-school agencies working with underserved populations.

School Tennis 2010 Yearly Report

®

Growth Continues with No-Cut Tennis Initiative3,400 coaches have been recognized for their special efforts to bring tennis to high school and

middle school students since April 2006. No-cut coaches work with an average of 35 players perteam, impacting 119,000 players, and 70 coacheswork with 100+ players on their teams.

From all USTA-registered coaches, two individualsrepresented the no-cut initiative outstandingly in 2010:Dave Steinbach of Brookfield, Wis., and Bill Wagstaff ofSpokane, Wash. Collectively, they have been coachingfor 60+ years and have positively impacted thousandsof players. These two coaches were honored with theUSTA’s No-Cut Coach of the Year Starfish Award duringthe USTA Tennis Teachers Conference last summer. Dave Steinbach Bill Wagstaff

High School Workshops & New On-line CourseThe USTA provides materials and support for high school coach workshops across the country.

For workshops being held in conjunction with a state interscholastic association, the USTA provides a master trainer who conducts a nationally standardized outline at no charge to the host organization.Nineteen workshops nationwide have been supported in the past year, impacting 768 coaches.

The American Sport Education Program (ASEP) Coaching Tennis Technical and Tactical Skills online course is now available with contributing content expert Kirk Anderson, USTA atwww.ASEP.com.