NJTL Community Building Initiative

Vision

The vision that underlies and motivates the NJTL Community Building Initiative is the belief that our local NJTL chapters can use traditional and non-traditional tennis facilities, coupled with innovative programming and partnerships, to become vital community resources in neighborhoods undergoing dramatic societal changes – also known as “Shifting Sands” communities. A Shifting Sands community is a neighborhood undergoing dramatic societal change due to immigration, rezoning, natural catastrophe, gentrification, economic downturn, etc. The medium to long-term expectation of this initiative is that it will enhance and strengthen the capacity of selected NJTL chapters, so that they become indispensable institutions in their cities and communities.

Many of our NJTL chapters have already made themselves into important resources to the communities in which they work by going far beyond just offering tennis. They serve as safe havens, surrogate parents, translators, mentors, coaches, critical after-school providers who augment the mission of the local schools, and social service connectors for children and their families. By recognizing these roles and seeking partnership opportunities with residents and other organizations, our chapters have the assets and the opportunity to make an even bigger impact on communities where the disenfranchised and the voiceless often suffer from the isolation of poverty.

Goals and Objectives

1. To enhance and strengthen the capacity of selected NJTL chapters to become indispensable institutions in their communities and cities.

2. To serve as important resources to the communities in which they work by going far beyond just offering tennis lessons, but rather as safe havens, surrogate parents, translators, mentors, coaches, after school providers who augment the mission of local schools, as well as social service providers for area families.

3. To make an even bigger impact on communities where the disenfranchised and the voiceless often suffer from the isolation of poverty.

4. To connect with other area organizations to provide for the comprehensive needs of the community.

Mission Statement

Recreation facilities can serve as multi-purpose, shared community assets for ethnically and economically diverse constituents, and to increase the number of people who realize the social and health related benefits of tennis.

Desired Outcomes

1. Improved communications and an increased number of personal relationships among community residents and non-residents.

2. Expanded use of existing community tennis facilities for tennis, social, educational and civic purposes.

3. Stronger NJTL Chapters in terms of management skills, financial resources, and community relevance.

4. Enhanced perception of the target community both internally and externally.

About the Five Projects

Each site will report on their activities over the past 18 months. The following is a brief project summary of each site.

This initiative is an innovative effort to re-imagine the role of recreational facilities in changing communities. It builds on the work, experience, and assets of strong tennis and education community organizations. Its innovation is the vision that these organizations can and should play a larger role in fostering social integration through shared active space in communities undergoing dramatic change. This initiative is founded on the proposition that community recreational facilities programmed with the involvement of the communities that they serve provide not only much needed recreational opportunities, but also provide space for disparate groups within a community to find common ground and common purpose.