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© Brenda Gilmore
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© Brenda Gilmore
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© Brenda Gilmore
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By Nicholas J. Walz, USTA.com
Since 1993, Prince George's County Tennis & Education Foundation in the suburbs of Washington D.C. has taught each child and parent who walks through its doors that pledging allegiance to the "four C's" will lead to A-plus kids.
The “four C’s” of consistency in work ethic, confidence in ability, control of attitude and commitment to excellence aim to produce kids who will work harder than all others when playing the game, attend college and be leaders in their communities.
It is an ethos exemplified by an 18 & Under Intermediate Team that competed at the USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championship last October in Mobile, Alabama, and were considered a most remarkable group: not because of where they finished - 14th out of 15 teams - but how.
"The kids walked away from the experience disappointed, but inspired," said coach Zach Tobias, who, like his kids, himself grew up in the program from the age of 10 as a beginner and went on to become a scholarship player for Temple University. "The team received a lot of compliments from the other coaches and parents there, and I let them know. The consensus was that our team was the most fit of them all, and we were the most supportive of one another. Even after the losses, the kids would stay right there, smiles and loud cheers, by the court for the next teammate until the very last match."
“Our kids represented themselves and Prince George's with great pride, and that was the expectation,” he added. “As the only all-black team participating many times, we impress upon them that when you compete anywhere, you're representing our Foundation."
Comprised almost entirely of African-American leadership, coaches, and participants, Prince George's is a year-round NJTL outfit that places special emphasis on mentoring and educational assistance, in addition to tennis instruction for all levels. As they reach high school and want to participate in the organization's High Performance program, kids are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA or better and to donate two hours per week to community service, in addition to honing their tennis skills.
As part of their “Summer Enrichment” initiative, a large group of participants from the NJTL spend classroom time in developing essays and artwork for the annual Arthur Ashe Essay Contest. In 2009, PGTEF product Edward Harding III won the national prize for outstanding essay in the Boys’ 15/16 age division and earned the trip to New York City and the US Open.
The strong work ethic and disciplined training habits of all the Prince George's kids can largely be attributed to the influence of Brenda Gilmore, who has led the charge for over 15 years for the PGTEF and today serves as its Executive Director. Gilmore has also been involved intricately with the USTA over the years, recently serving as the Community Development Division Manager for the USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section.
"Let me say this: I am old-school, and one of the things I've always spoken about when advocating tennis is that tennis is different in how it forces you to control yourself-- your attitude, your shot, your temper," said Gilmore. "I call 'controlled aggression.' In an era now where athletes feel the need to be compelling, we don't condone expletives or tantrums-- the kids are taken off the court immediately. We're teaching our kids to always rise above the situation."
A commanding presence from a seated position - severe spinal injury from an automobile accident at the age of 27 took away Gilmore's ability to walk - her hardships and subsequent triumphs over adversity make her a tremendous role model for her charges. Self-described as only a "summer-hacker" prior to her disability, Gilmore didn't get serious about the game until she mastered it on two wheels, becoming the first African American woman to play on the wheelchair tennis circuit and maintain a national ranking in the top 10 for five years.
"(Playing tennis) was very crucial to reacclamating myself, and reaffirming my confidence as a human being," said Gilmore.
Tobias offered praise for a woman he considers "a mother, an aunt, and a sister."
"I can't express how she's helped me grow as a player and a person, and all that she's done for everyone involved with the Foundation. The love she has, and the heart she has - we're all her kids. She's incredibly proud whenever anyone goes on to play in college."
Indeed, for Gilmore, Tobias, and all those involved with running the organization, graduation is the most satisfying ending for the kids of Prince George's. Through their College Preparation & Personal Development program, 40 participating students have received academic or athletic scholarships to universities all over the country from historically black colleges such as Southern University and Howard University to Ivy League representatives such as Duke University.
As Black History Month continues on, so does Prince George's. Gilmore remembers a time, however, when such progress was a faraway wish.
"I grew up in the civil rights era, when blacks were not allowed to ride the same bus or sit at the same counters. You hear some kids nowadays brush it off, saying 'I wasn't born back then!' It is important for everyone, no matter what color, to recognize Black History Month and the activism and change that came before. Many of our kids know the stories and the names associated with the struggle, but don't really understand. It is when they get older and into college that they tend to have greater appreciation. They'll find it out for themselves."
Before then, however, there are places to see and tennis to be played. The 18U Intermediate team is but one example of the PGTEF trying to expand the horizons of their youngsters, many of whom have never been on a plane before, or even out of their hometowns.
"We work hard to make sure these kids get to go on this trip, playing with kids from all walks of life and other parts of the country," said Gilmore. "Tennis wise, our kids train and prepare hard because they know that they're going to have to fight hard to win. That never changes."