VOLUME 4 # ISSUE 1 # 1ST QUARTER 2004 MassMutual Partners With USTA T&EF in College Scholarship Program More than $500,000 to be Awarded Nationwide During the Next Three Years MassMutual Financial Group has joined the USTA Tennis & Education education. MassMutual’s partnership with the USTA Tennis and Education Foundation’s College Scholarship program to fund a total of $525,000 in college Foundation is a natural outgrowth of our more than decade-long affiliation with scholarships over the next three years. Beginning with graduating high school the US Open as a corporate sponsor of that event and of the US Open Junior seniors in the “Class of 2005,” thirty-five $5,000 scholarships (two per USTA Championship.” Section) will be awarded annually by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Since 1995, the USTA T&EF has awarded $760,000 in scholarships. The Company (MassMutual) to students who demonstrate academic excellence, tennis application process includes input from each USTA Section, which ranks candi- participation and expertise, and community service. dates from their respective region, and forwards the The MassMutual-USTA Tennis & Education applications along with their recommendations to the Foundation scholarship program builds upon Foundation Scholarship Committee. Led by MassMutual’s existing $250,000 annual Scholars Foundation Board Member Barbara S. Wynne, the Program and partners two organizations that share Committee, along with USTA National staff, reviews similar goals: encouraging academic achievement each applicant’s grades, essay, financial need, commu- and ensuring educational opportunities for disadvantaged, at-risk youth. nity service involvement, participation in USTA tennis programs and letters of MassMutual will provide $175,000 each year under the terms of the three-year recommendation before making their determinations. partnership program. Currently the Foundation’s scholarship awards include the Dwight Davis “MassMutual’s philanthropic initiatives continue to focus on education,” Memorial Scholarship, the Dwight Mosley Scholarships, the Eve Kraft said Robert J. O’Connell, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Education and College Scholarships, the USTA T&EF College Scholarships and MassMutual. “Through this scholarship program, our aim is to help talented, the College Textbook Awards. The USTA T&EF’s 2004 College Scholarship athletic and deserving students achieve their dream of attaining a college recipients will be announced in May. Foundation Awards 18 Program Grants It was a banner year for the USTA T&EF in 2003 as it awarded grants to 18 The program is young, but we are seeing amazing progress in most of the stu- programs, and continued its funding commitment to USA Tennis-National dents…our major philosophy is accountability for each student in this program. We Junior Tennis League (NJTL) programs. The four programs funded under the feel that we can change the lives of these students and help them to become an inte- original NJTL Urban Strategy Initiative received a second year of support as gral and productive part of our country. part of their three year commitment from the Foundation. Birmingham — Eleanor Brenner, Founder, First Serve New Mexico (Alabama) Area Tennis Association and Tenacity (Boston) each received a year- There are many worthwhile charities hoping to change the world in their own special to-date total of $50,000; Greater Miami Tennis Foundation and Houston way. DhhEAF is honored to receive the USTA T&EF Grant. Your generosity gives us Tennis Association-NJTL received $75,000 respectively. A fifth program, Love the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many. Thank you so much! to Serve of Chicago, received a total of $50,000 in 2003. — Roy Trafalski, Executive Director, DhhEAF The following descriptions illustrate the various types of programs we have funded: • Portland After-School Tennis Inc., Portland, Oregon, $20,000 The grant will support the “Serving Up Literacy Program,” for 300 children, • DhhEAF (Deaf & hard of hearing Educational Athletic Foundation), ages 6-18. Tennis instruction, social interaction and reading are provided. Long Beach, California, $20,000 The program collaborates with other organizations to provide tutoring, Dhheaf serves 100 hearing impaired children. The program is designed to mentoring and useful life enrichment activities. improve socialization, provide a fitness/health maintenance vehicle, improve academic performance, good citizenship qualities and self-esteem. • 15-LOVE, Albany, New York, $7,500 The grant will serve children ages 4-18 in their Excellence Program, Book • San Diego Youth & Collegiate Student-Athlete Tennis & Education Power Club, College Prep Program and Leadership Program. Program, San Diego, California, $5,500 This is a pilot program at the George E. Barnes Family Junior Tennis Center • Mills College, Oakland, California, $20,000 for 45 children at three schools. Tutoring, life skills and mentoring will be One hundred children, 3rd-5th grades, will be provided with tennis instruction, provided by college student-athletes from University of California-San academic tutoring, mentoring and computer literacy. Diego, University of San Diego and San Diego State University. The program continued on page 4 also will serve as a resource to collegiate tennis programs in their efforts to promote community service. OUR MISSION STATEMENT • El Paso Tennis Development Foundation, El Paso, Texas, $20,000 THE USTA TENNIS & EDUCATION Since May 2000, this program has given tennis instruction to more than FOUNDATION SUPPORTS ORGANIZATIONS 32,000 children in grades K-12 in their after-school and summer programs. AND PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE They promote tennis and healthy lifestyles to prevent obesity and diabetes in THE LIVES OF PEOPLE THROUGH TENNIS children, teach the avoidance of high-risk behaviors, and provide positive AND EDUCATION. adult and youth role models. From Pam Shriver Grantees Honored at Annual Luncheon Thank you for taking time to read this issue of the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation’s newsletter. As usual, we are highlighting the pro- grams that received our support and our college scholarship recipients, along with our Gala and first ProAm. A Donor List acknowledges your generous support, which helps us to meet our mission of “building lives through tennis and education.” The reports we are receiving from programs we’ve funded around the country indicate that our support is having a positive influence on children. We are continuing to encourage program directors to measure and track the progress of their kids. To keep us on track and let us know if we are moving in the right direction, it’s important that we understand how to mix the right combination of tennis, academics and healthy lifestyles. We know that a “cookie-cutter” approach isn’t the answer and that what works in Boise may fail in Bakersfield, so we’re looking toward standards and measures of accountability to ensure that goals are met and programs are delivered effec- tively and efficiently. Front row, left to right: Bronal Harris, Larry Dillon, Dr. Thelma Spencer, Karen Martin-Eliezer, Barbara I am delighted that so many of you are supporting our mission and that Wynne, Helen Petersen, Emily Schaefer, Linda Curtis, Terri Florio. Back row, left to right: Todd Edwards, Marc Weinstein, LaMont Bryant, Harry Shur, Amber Ablan, Jay Massart, Roy Trafalski, Kevin Theos, Lee we are able to report that your contribution is being used wisely to help chil- Hamilton, Areon Atkinson. dren learn the game that we love! Representatives of programs funded over the past three years by the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation joined Foundation Executive Director Karen Martin-Eliezer, Foundation Board Member Barbara S. Wynne and USTA Executive Director D. Lee Hamilton at its Annual Grantee Luncheon at the USTA’s Community Tennis Development Workshop on February 7 in Las Vegas. This meeting provides an opportu- nity to share and exchange ideas between program recipients. The Foundation encourages them to develop a network of funded programs— all have shared the USTA T&EF’s vision of building lives through tennis and education. Eliezer addressed the group and focused on accountability and program reporting. “We have an obligation to our donors to make certain that the pro- grams receiving our support provide an opportunity for children to learn to play tennis, to succeed in school and to develop life skills. The Foundation expects that our grantees serve as model programs that will encourage others around the country to develop similar opportunities.” Accepting the honors for their respective programs were Roy Trafalski, Deaf & hard of hearing Educational Foundation (California); Harry Shur, Rodney Street Tennis (Delaware); Helen Petersen, Hamilton County Community Tennis Association (Indiana); Amber Ablan, 15-Love (New York); LaMont Bryant and Lori James, Love to Serve (Illinois); Mark Weinstein and Todd Edwards, Mills College (California); Linda Curtis, Lee County Tennis Association (Florida); Jay Massart, Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation (Wisconsin); Dr. Thelma Spencer, An Achievable Dream Academy (Virginia); Kevin Theos, Birmingham Area Tennis Association (Alabama); Larry Dillon, Sports, for Life! ( New Jersey); Bronal Harris, Community Tennis Association (Pennsylvania); and Terri Florio and The Board Makes a Difference Areon Atkinson, MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation (Florida). The Board is an administrative, policy-making body that establishes