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Case Statement
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Case Statement
Kids 'N Tennis serves the Portland metropolitan community and has been in operation since 1987. Founded by Don Johnson and Andre St. James, Kids 'N Tennis operates out of St. Johns Racquet Center located at 7519 North Burlington in the downtown St. John's area of North Portland.
The mission of Kids 'N Tennis is to increase the number of inner-city junior tennis players by establishing a comprehensive Junior Tennis Program that is culturally and ethnically diversified and affordable for every participant. Our goal is to provide reduced and free lessons to children that have been historically underrepresented in tennis and to train coaches who are interested in working in our Junior Development and Tennis Academy Programs. Kids N'Tennis’ objective is to use tennis as a vehicle to teach and reinforce educational, social, and life skills through a sport that offers boys and girls similar opportunities for success. Our outreach targets children who are minorities, at-risk and/or from lower income households. Kids 'N Tennis works in partnership with many community, regional, and national organizations including the USTA, local schools, businesses, and other agencies to promote the sport of tennis.
Our mission as a Community Tennis Association is to introduce tennis to children through tennis assemblies at local elementary and middle schools; work with the USTA/PNW Section to train and establish a cadre of coaches to serve as volunteers and teaching assistants at summer tennis camps, and various Junior Tennis Programs throughout the Portland Metropolitan Area. Kids 'N Tennis provides reduced rate and free tennis lessons at the St. Johns Racquet Center and at our summer campsites.
Kids 'N Tennis serves kids 1st grade through high school age. Adult programs complement the kids tennis programs and provide access to ready volunteers and assistance for a variety of activities associated with facilitating Kids 'N Tennis programs. Indirectly Kids 'N Tennis serves all age groups after preschool age.
Kids 'N Tennis offers boys and girls more than just the opportunity to learn a challenging and fun sport. This non-profit organization reaches out to minority, at-risk or lower-income youths to equip them with educational, social, athletic, and job skills. The Education and Media Center is outfitted with computers and a printer. Kids 'N Tennis offers high school credit internship programs. There is an athletic center, and, year-round tennis instruction at reduced or no cost to inner-city children and teenagers. Kids 'N Tennis also provides a web site to enhance community outreach and provides operation and training opportunities for students to learn about computers and the internet while servicing the web site. Browse the web site at www.kidsntennis.com and learn more about what Kids 'N Tennis does for its community and for youth in the Portland area.
Kids 'N Tennis meets many criteria for business partnership and provides an important educational and recreational community resource for the community. The program is affordable and culturally diverse. The program has rallied tennis enthusiasts of all ages to assist in promoting tennis, in helping mentor kids to improve their educational endeavors, to provide a first-class community center, to encourage health and fitness and to provide a safe and positive environment for kids to build confidence and self-esteem.
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Business Partnership
The Program
Kids 'N Tennis seeks businesses and corporations to join them in partnership to lay a foundation that will continue an important community program into the 21st Century. A business partnership will promote opportunity, fitness, and community wellbeing.
Kids 'N Tennis offers high quality, low-cost, year-round, structured programming for sports, education and recreation for the North and NE communities.
What a Business Partnership Provides to the Community:
A business partnership will help provide the following opportunities to low-income and minority kids through the sport of tennis:
- Reduced cost and free lessons
- Education and literacy support
- Professional tennis development for athletes and teachers
- Special At-Risk Program for Inner-City Youth
- Community Health and Fitness programs
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Varieties of Giving as a Business Partner
A business partner can participate in the program in a number of ways. Of course, Kids 'N Tennis will benefit from a direct cash donation or grant for operating expenses. The expense of operating an on-going community tennis and fitness center, of providing educational support, of maintaining an up-to-date web site and facilitating important community fitness programs requires community support beyond what comes in from program fees and lessons.
Your business may have the capacity to make a large program grant. Kids 'N Tennis has opportunities for business or corporate sponsors to provide major program funds for the Education and Media Center, the Student Athlete and Mentoring Program, the Athletes in Training Program, the At-Risk Inner-City Tennis Program or the Community Health and Fitness Program. A grant of $10,000 will provide a major business sponsorship of one of these programs for one full year. More than 100 children or adults will benefit from each strategic community program grant. The sponsoring business will have their name and corporate logo prominently featured on all program flyers, community announcements and at the Kids 'N Tennis world -wide web-site.
A Kids 'N Tennis 2002 Business Partnership can be fulfilled in other ways too. There are many additional opportunities for business partnerships. Your In-kind donations can help us update computer and software programs. Health and fitness equipment for the fitness center, tennis racquets for low-income kids, new tennis balls for lessons, and court time for low-income kids will all help to make Kids 'N Tennis an available thriving community resource.
A business can become a Kids 'N Tennis 2002 Business Partner by providing paper and printing services for the quarterly newsletter, advertising, and or assistance with fund raising. Providing employee volunteers to assist at tournaments or other special events, providing trophies or cash awards for tournaments or providing special business expertise or services. In addition, a business partnership may be fully tax-deductible.
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Program Strengths and Needs
Special attention is focused on developing and providing activities and programs for younger players, for those with limited resources and for those without positive or available role models. Though Kids 'N Tennis can not be everything to everyone, it does provide growth opportunities in tennis, education, recreation, and fitness. And employment too. Kids 'N Tennis is limited only by lack of funding, resources such as racquets, balls, computers, and supplies and available volunteer staff.
Program Successes
After successfully achieving the goal of teaching tennis to ethnic populations who were often unable to play tennis because of a lack of money, Kids 'N Tennis broadened its outreach and evolved into a multicultural/ethnically diverse tennis program. Over the past twelve years Kids 'N Tennis has taught tennis to more than 1,200 children. Graduates from Kids 'N Tennis include three current Portland area teaching professionals, and numerous college graduates. Kids 'N Tennis makes a positive community impact.
Connected Within the Community
Kids 'N Tennis is connected with many organizations in the local community and at the regional and national levels. Kids 'N Tennis promotes diversity at all levels of participation.
Kids 'N Tennis has on-going partnerships with many schools including elementary and middle schools. Other nonprofit organizations such as Self-Enhancement Inc. are regular partners when reserving court time and facilitating after-school activities. Kids 'N Tennis is a member of Pacific Northwest Tennis Association and the United State States Tennis Association. Kids 'N Tennis maintains regional contacts with other local schools and tennis organizations throughout the State of Oregon and the Northwest to promote tennis, present tournaments and create opportunities for all kids regardless of ethnic, cultural or income diversity.
Kids 'N Tennis maintains a site on the world-wide web to provide information on lessons, classes, tournaments and tournament results, and to educate interested persons about tennis. The web site is located at http:\\www.kidsntennis.com.
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Additional Information
Contact Information
Don Johnson, CEO
Kids N'Tennis, Inc.
P.O. Box 11128
Portland, Oregon 97211
Phone: (503) 823-3629 Fax: (503) 823-3630 (call first)
IRS Tax ID No: 91-1579529
Evaluation of Community Need
Kids 'N Tennis was founded by tennis enthusiasts Don Johnson and Andre St. James. Both noticed that although there were quite of number of African American and ethnic adult players in Portland very few children of color were playing tennis, though many were watching. The need was apparent for a summer tennis camp in Northeast Portland. Irving Park was selected for the first camp because of its location to Portland’s predominately African American community. At the conclusion of the summer camp quite a few children were interested in continuing lessons. Rather than direct these children to existing facilities for lessons that their families couldn't afford, Johnson and St. James began purchasing court time at local tennis centers. A Tennis Association was formed and the demand for kids educational and recreation activities has continued to expand. St. John's Racquet Center, currently the local center, is easily accessible to Northeast Portland residents.
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Programs Provided to Enhance the NE Portland Community
The programs that Kids 'N Tennis sponsors are divided into four areas: education and literacy; student athletes and mentoring; at-risk youth and inner city tennis; health and fitness.
- Our Education and Literacy programs provide students with a study area located in our Education and Media Center. This center has computers and printers for students to use. A Certified Teacher and volunteers are available to tutor and assist students with their studies before and after tennis lessons. High School students can earn elective credits through their participation in our Student Internship Program. Credits in Journalism, Business and Vocational Education are available offers youth the opportunity to enroll in our Student Internship Program where they learn about employment opportunities in the Tennis Industry. High School students can earn elective credits in Vocational and Business Education through their participation in the Internship Program. Our Education and Media Study Center was completed on Jan. 19, 1998. This center, complete with computers and printers will be used as our study center and to produce our Quarterly Newsletter.
- Our Student Athlete and Mentoring program allows youth the opportunity to begin their training as tennis teachers. Students are paired with a Teaching Professional who serves as their mentor and instructor. Upon completion of this nine-month program students are eligible for employment as summer camp assistants. A racquet stringing mentorship program is also available for students interested in learning how to string racquet and become certified racquet stringers. This past summer a new component was added to our student athlete program. "Athletes in Training" provides professional instruction for speed, agility, and quickness. Ken Taylor formerly of Speed City, Inc. provides training to teach athletes how to reach their athletic goals with smart, safe exercises. All children in our Junior Development Program train twice a month for one hour with Mr. Taylor.
- The At-risk and Inner-city Tennis program is where Kids 'N Tennis has made its greatest impact on the youth of Portland. Since our inception we have taught tennis to over 1,000 children in the Portland Metropolitan Area. Future plans call.
- For us to form new partnerships with the Portland Trailblazer Boys and Girls Club and Self-Enhancement, Inc. Both of these programs serve similar populations as ours but do not offer tennis as part of their curriculum. However, they can help us immensely by providing transportation for youth to continue their training year-round at the St. Johns Racquet Center.
- Health and Fitness is promoted by Kids 'N Tennis through its Fitness Space. Juniors, Adults, and seniors use our center, complete with Treadmill, Lifecycle, Stairmaster, and Four-Station Weight Equipment. Juniors use this center for free and all Academy Students must use this center three times a week.
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Number of Children To Benefit From Programs
Eighty-five kids are currently active in Junior Development Program with an additional 108 kids enrolled in After-school programs. Three tennis pros, 12 mentors and nearly 20 volunteers assist with other activities of the organization.
Volunteer Opportunities
Kids 'N Tennis is always ready to accept willing and skilled volunteers. A partnership with Fred Meyer would be most welcome including the help and assistance of business employees for specific tasks, projects and helping address needs of Kids N'Tennis.
History
Kids N'Tennis, Inc. was founded in 1987 by Don Johnson and Andre St. James. Both men noticed that very few children of color were playing tennis. They agreed to start a summer tennis camp in Northeast Portland to address the community need. Irving Park was selected for the first camp because of its location to Portland’s predominately African American community. The Camp was successful and at its conclusion quite a few children wanted to continue their lessons. Johnson and St. James began purchasing court time at one of Portland’s Public Tennis Centers. After a couple of years and learning more about the United States Tennis Association, its mission and programs, Don and Andre with the help of the USTA/PNW and other community leaders decided to form a Community Tennis Association in 1989.
Within two years it became apparent that in order for Kids 'N Tennis to continue its work, a non-profit status was needed. In 1992, Kids 'N Tennis received its temporary 501(c)(3) determination and permanent status was recognized in 1993. Kids 'N Tennis has managed the St. Johns Racquet Center in partnership with the City of Portland's Park and Recreation Department for three years.
After successfully achieving the goal of teaching tennis to ethnic populations who were often unable to play tennis because of a lack of money, Kids 'N Tennis broadened its outreach and evolved into a multicultural/ethnically diverse tennis program. Over the past twelve years Kids 'N Tennis has taught tennis to more than 1,200 children. Graduates from Kids 'N Tennis include three current Portland area teaching professionals, and numerous college graduates. Kids 'N Tennis makes a positive community impact.
The program has rallied tennis enthusiasts of all ages to assist in promoting tennis, in helping mentor kids to improve their educational endeavors, to provide a first-class community center, to encourage health and fitness and to provide a safe and positive environment for kids to build confidence and self-esteem.
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The ball is in your court.
Will you help Kids N'Tennis:
- Rise to the challenge of helping kids?
- Assist low-income children & families?
- Encourage the student-athlete?
- Promote positive role models?
- Build community?
In support of Kids 'N Tennis and the Kids 'N Tennis 2002 program,
Please join the Partnership Commitment
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