HighFIVE: Kristy Jenkins

Colorado kids, schools benefit from USTA School Tennis program

USTA School Tennis is a free national program that enriches the lives of elementary, middle and high school youngsters through tennis. Colorado has close to 400 schools who receive support through the program and a large part of this success is due to Kristy Jenkins, USTA Colorado’s School Tennis Coordinator.

It all started 20 years ago when Kristy was an elementary school teacher in Castle Rock. Always motivated to share her passion for tennis with others, she would offer summer tennis lessons to groups of her students. USTA Colorado heard about her, reached out and the rest is history. Kristy says, “I started off as a School Tennis Clinician and after a few years I took on the part time roll of School Tennis Coordinator.” 

Kristy’s combined passion for teaching and love for tennis made her the perfect person to fill this role. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native says she doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t have a racquet in her hand. 

 “I played tons of junior tennis around the Midwest starting in the 12s. I also played No. 1 for my high school all four years.” 

While Kristy has many great memories of her playing days, she says “High school tennis was the best. I am still friends with many of my teammates and we love to reminisce about all the great times we had. I went to a high school that wasn’t a tennis powerhouse so it was amazing that so many of us could work hard, play together, have fun and do well competing.”

During college, Kristy would come home during summers to serve as the Director of Tennis for Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation. 

“I felt so lucky to be out on the court, with my peers, teaching lessons to kids while thinking how awesome it was to make money teaching the sport I love.” 

Kristy may not have realized it then, but it seems like this may have been the start of her heading down the path to her ultimate profession.

Kristy’s current role is to work with schools throughout the state to make sure they have access to the many free resources available to them, including programs and curriculums that allow schools to easily set up tennis programs – whether through PE classes or after school clubs. USTA Colorado offers teachers free on-site training to help them become comfortable introducing students to tennis – no courts needed. Another benefit for schools, once connected to a community partner, is the free equipment package which contains enough racquets and foam balls for a class of 30, ensuring that the program is sustainable.

Kristy Harris, USTA Colorado’s Director of Community Services, has worked with Kristy Jenkins from the start and says, “Through Kristy’s community outreach efforts with USTA Colorado since 2001, she has been part of enhancing the experience of countless youth and professional development opportunities for those teachers, coaches and administrators throughout the state. In the past 10 years, $190,000 of equipment has been given to schools, 580 physical educators have been trained on the USTA School Tennis curriculum and nearly 200,000 students (K-12) have been introduced to tennis under Kristy’s impactful leadership.” 

It's no surprise that Kristy excels at connecting so well with so many. 

“I am a people person so being engaged with teachers and coaches is my favorite part. They are the ones putting in the hard work with our children and I’m grateful that they, too, see the value in exposing children to the lifelong sport of tennis. I just try to help put all the pieces together.

Appreciation for Kristy’s contributions are strongly felt by those she works with in the community. Kenny Webb, Instructional Coordinator for Art, Music, PE, Dance and Drama for the Aurora Public Schools, (APS) says “I met Kristy about 14 years ago when I was a PE teacher in APS. We started a partnership with Aurora Parks and Rec that was a great program for our students. Our relationship also included a partnership with SHAPE Colorado where Kristy presented at numerous conventions and sessions to help people expand the understanding that tennis is for everyone and can be taught anywhere. We also partnered together on a grant to increase students’ physical activity and nutrition between two school districts. The energy she brings to everything she does is infectious”.

The importance of tennis in Kristy’s life goes far beyond her current professional involvement. In 2021, the Jenkins family was honored as Family of the Year at the Colorado Hall of Fame Gala which was followed up with recognition as the Family of Year for the Intermountain Section in 2022. 

“My husband, Chris (who she met through tennis!), and I have tried to instill a love for the game in our children. We are very lucky that all three of them picked it up and enjoyed the benefits tennis has to offer. We have been participating in tournaments, JTT, high school tennis and volunteer opportunities together for over the last dozen years. Our family knows what a gift tennis has given us – friends, family time, mental/physical health benefits, character building. It has contributed a lot to who we all are today. Our family tries to give back to the sport that has given us so much!”

One of the ways that Kristy and her family gives back is through Special Olympics Colorado. 

“A special friend and coworker, Vicky Matarazzo, was a BIG part of Special Olympics Tennis and after she passed away, the organization was in need of help.” Kristy says. “I wanted to contribute so for the last several years, I’ve helped run both their regional and state games. I’ve also got my family volunteering as ball shaggers, score keepers and unified partners. Working with the athletes is incredibly rewarding – watching the joy tennis brings to them is all it took. I’m hooked!”

True to Kristy’s nature of giving back, she feels incredibly lucky to do what she does every day. She says, “School Tennis is incredibly important to me. My work life is the best – I get to promote tennis with so many passionate, amazing people AND I essentially “sell” a free program that benefits teachers and students for life. It is not lost on me the impact School Tennis has made on the community, and I feel very proud to have been a part of that. And we are still moving full steam ahead!”

To learn more the School Tennis program, visit usta.com/schools.

MidFirst Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks and this combination of size and private ownership provides our customers with a special brand of banking. We are a strong supporter of the communities we serve, investing time and money in important educational, charitable and civic organizations. Our volunteerism is powered by our employees from all of the communities in which we live and share with our customers. MidFirst Bank is a proud partner of USTA Colorado.