Review Meeting Overview and Member Bio Prior to Meeting

USTA Advocacy Days Congressional Visits – Detailed Meeting Plan

GENERAL NOTES  Turn off cell phones in meetings  Review meeting overview and member bio prior to meeting o Note: If this is an office that’s already a member of the Caucus make the meeting a thank you and update on new business  Collect business cards and personal information (i.e. sport) on staffer  Call if you will be late for the meeting  Have someone fill-in the meeting report form during the meeting or just following

I. Introduction A. Introduce self and other members of the group, and any other USTA members, staff or youth participating in the meeting. B. If a staff led (no Member) meeting, learn where the staffer is from, college attended and interest/experience in tennis/sports. C. USTA Background  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.  Largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 780,000 individual members and over 8,000 organization members.  Thousands of volunteers and a professional staff dedicated to growing the game.  Tennis participation tops 28 million and increased 4% in 2012.  Each USTA Section is an independent non-profit corporation. D. Share District Information  Walk Member/staff through district/state data  Explain and point out program impact in the district/state (use USTA Impact Map)

II. Facts on the Obesity Crisis and the Benefits of Sports A. Obesity epidemic  Number one preventable cause of death . Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

1  300,000 people die each year from complications related to obesity  In 2008 CDC numbers, $147 billion spent nationwide treating direct and indirect costs  More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese and so are 1 in 6 children and adolescents nation-wide according to the CDC.

B. Underserved Communities at greater risk  Underserved communities (including minorities and kids with disabilities) already have the least number of recreational and sports opportunities and suffer the highest rates of obesity.  These same communities stand to lose the most as a result of budget cuts and pay to play policies.  They are also the communities that have been proven to GAIN the most by participating in sports.

C. Benefits of Sport  Sports participation effectively combats obesity and reduces risk of chronic disease.  Sports contribute to positive outcomes in school, including higher grades, better attendance and lower discipline referrals, improved standardized test scores in Math and English, and increased time spent on homework. o High school students who play sports are less likely to drop out and more likely to attend college.  Participation in sports also decreases the likelihood that youth will engage in risky and violent behavior. o Youth who have a mentor, like a coach, are 46% less likely to start using drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking alcohol. o Sports participation can also play a critical role in reducing youth crimes.

III. How the USTA is Making a Difference

The USTA is different than most professional leagues and governing bodies in that we are intimately involved in the development and growth of our sport at the community level for both adults and children.

A. How the USTA is different  Our primary mission is to promote the development of tennis as a means of healthful recreation and physical fitness.  Invests more than $50 million annually directly to communities throughout the country in order to grow the sport and enhance the lives of those involved in it

2 through grant assistance, scholarships, the providing of equipment and refurbishing of facilities, and the implementation of tennis programming.

 In 2012, more than 1,500 supervised Kids’ Tennis Clubs were established in the United States, with the goal to give young children the opportunity to be introduced to the game and play from the very first swing of the racquet. Kids’ Tennis Clubs provide a low-in-stress, high-in-fun recreational environment that can be set up anywhere – on a blacktop, gymnasium floor, conference room or even a grassy playground – with easy games and fast-paced activities to keep children moving and involved in the action.

 Focus on People with Disabilities: In 2002, the USTA became the first national governing body of both an Olympic and Paralympic sport. In addition to selecting the teams for the US Paralympic, US Para Pan American and US World Cup, the USTA also hosts dozens of sectional and national wheelchair tennis events ensuring that players at every level, have the opportunity to play and compete. The USTA also supports grassroots programming throughout the US through its wheelchair tennis grassroots grant program. B. Explain Community/ After-School Investments  Youth Tennis: o USTA recognizes the need to reach youth at an earlier age and keep them engaged. o Other youth sports are kid-friendly and kid-sized. Tennis needed to make a change so we kid-sized the game with age-appropriate equipment and court sizes, developed an improved play format and changed tournament rules for kids 10 and Under. o Implemented January 1st 2012, children under the age of ten will now play on smaller courts with age appropriate balls and racquets. o Makes the game easier to play, more fun and more accessible for youth.  To promote the growth of Youth Tennis:  Youth tennis is geared toward getting more kids to participate in tennis using modified equipment and courts tailored to a child’s age and ability. By featuring shorter and lighter racquets, slower-bouncing balls, smaller courts and simplified scoring, children learn to play more quickly and easily while having more fun in the process.

 For the past two years, the USTA has invested significantly in 10 and Under Tennis, and the initiative is the organization’s number one recreational tennis initiative.

3 o In 2012, the USTA invested $4.8 million in youth tennis initiatives and programming, including 10 and Under Tennis, Schools Tennis, the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, and Jr. Team Tennis (JTT). o The USTA introduced 10 and Under Tennis to children and their parents throughout the year by hosting thousands of youth tennis events. In addition, thousands of pieces of tennis equipment including racquets, balls and nets were distributed to hundreds of schools and after-school programs nationwide in order to engage children in healthy, fun and safe activities. o In 2012, more than 90,000 youth tennis players participated in JTT, a tennis league for competitors ages 6 to 18.  NJTL Network: o Network of 600+ nonprofits that are located in communities throughout the country. o The Network of NJTL chapters serve more than 300,000 kids - mostly at- risk youth in underserved communities. o USTA works with the Network of NJTL chapters to implement curricula which advance education and youth development through tennis. i. Works in partnership with schools (during the school day and after-school) to support attachment to school, improve behavior and attendance, and improve academic outcomes. ii. Uses an education curriculum designed to teach kids math and reading using tennis programming.

 Direct Financial Assistance in Community Tennis Programs: USTA makes it a priority to assist all communities especially underserved in obtaining the facilities, equipment, and resources needed to engage youth in tennis: o Facilities Assistance Program – In 2012, the USTA dispersed $2 million in grants and technical assistance. o In all, the USTA has constructed or refurbished 10,000 kid-sized courts since 2005 in 371 markets in 44 states. o The courts were built in public parks, school yards, tennis facilities and at local community based youth organizations, like the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs. o In total, the USTA through its facilities assistance program, has built more than 35,000 tennis courts across the country in the past six years, for all ages and abilities to enjoy the sport of a lifetime. o Equipment Assistance – The USTA has provided over 170,000 racquets to hundreds of after-school programs that offer more than just tennis. C. Military Outreach

4 USTA has expanded its reach to include military service members, veterans, and their respective families. The goal is to utilize tennis to help reconnect service members with their family and community. This goal is achieved by providing a recreational outlet for active duty service members, and a resource to help wounded, ill and injured service members to heal.

 Wounded Warrior Outreach - In 2012, the USTA conducted 8 tennis clinics/camps impacting hundreds of wounded, ill and injured service members. In addition the USTA oversees Tennis Therapy Programs at the following; Balboa Tennis Park (San Diego, CA), Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center (Augusta, GA), Brooke Army Medical Center (San Antonio, TX), Fort Belvoir (Alexandria, VA) and Fort Campbell (Fort Campbell, KY). The USTA is currently drafting a curriculum to educate rehabilitation therapists and community partners on tennis. The guide will allow trainers to run tennis programs and ultimately link participants to community tennis programs.

 Adopt-A-Unit - The Adopt-A-Unit effort is designed to guide tennis organizations and individuals to ‘adopt’ a military unit of anywhere between 25- 100 service members deployed to Afghanistan by sending care packages of necessities. Since its launch in December 2010, USTA Serves has shipped 470 tennis equipment packages at a cost of close to $150,000 to 450 units. Each of these adopted units also received portable tennis equipment through a grant administered by USTA Serves (see below).

 Pro Tournaments - In 2012, the US Open, Emirates Airline US Open Series, and USTA Pro Circuit tournaments presented a unique opportunity to honor service members, veterans, and their families, bringing awareness to the civilian communities in which the tournaments are held.

 The US Open is the most widely attending annual sporting event in the world and in 2012 included more than 700,000 fans in attendance during the tournament. In 2013 we will again honor service members, veterans, and their families.

 Youth Programming- In 2013, the USTA will host 20 pilot programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America-affiliated youth centers on military installations in the United States and abroad chosen by the individual services branches.

5 IV. How USTA Serves is Making a Difference

A. Funding for Tennis and Education Programs and Adaptive Tennis USTA Serves is a not-for-profit entity dedicated to enhancing the lives of at-risk children and individuals with disabilities through the integration of tennis and education.

Since its founding, USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the United States Tennis Association, has awarded more than $15 million in grants and scholarships to people and programs throughout the country in order to provide at-risk and underserved youth with greater opportunities to realize success.

In 2012, USTA Serves awarded close to $1.7 million for program grants and scholarships.

B. Providing Recreation Equipment to Active Duty Military

In combination with USTA’s Adopt-a-Unit initiative, USTA Serves sends portable tennis equipment with instructions and educational information on tennis to deployed service members, including adopted units. Through this program, USTA Serves sent 450 kits of recreational tennis equipment to service members deployed overseas impacting 45,000 military service members. This effort continues in 2013.

V. Policy Discussion A. USTA Policy Focus - Use tennis as a tool to improve lives and enhance communities.

B. Development of the Congressional Tennis Caucus [Pull out the tennis caucus insert and show it to them and briefly go over its content]  Created to foster discussion of how sports (like tennis) can be a solution to addressing social issues.  Chaired By Rep. Tim Bishop (D-1st NY), Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-2nd WV), Rep. Nita Lowey (D-17th NY).  Mission: To promote the positive work of the USTA and the benefits of organized tennis in the United States including: o encouraging healthy people and lifestyles (public health, increased physical activity, and good nutritional habits); o education and positive youth development for all ability levels; o enhancing community health, wellness, and safety; access to quality after- school programming; and o providing support for active-duty military, National Guard and Reserves, wounded warriors, veterans and their families.

6 Ask: Will the member join the Tennis Caucus? To join, contact: Stan Gorrell (Rep. Capito) at [email protected] or (202-225-2711).

 ASK: Site Visit/ Attend Event o Invite them to come out to a USTA event in their district, whether it be a visit to facilities, a court opening, gala, youth or college tournament, or even a professional tournament. o Note that some of the local activities in their district may be listed on their bio page. o If you are from the district, make a personal invite to your program and record that on your meeting report.

VI. Closing  Thank them again for taking the time.  Present and walk them briefly through the leave behind packet.  Remind them about the Congressional Tennis Caucus and visiting an USTA event.  Ask whether they have any questions or would like us to follow-up with them on any particular subjects discussed [make sure you include response on “meeting summary”].  Ask if they will pose for a group picture [make sure you take a picture of the office’s name plate after the group picture so that we can easily identify the Member/ staffer in the photo].