25 Years of Building Community Through Tennis
Highland Park Tennis Club (HPTC) is built on a simple yet powerful mission: providing free, high-quality tennis opportunities to the local community. What began 25 years ago as an effort to grow the game has evolved into a driving force for both economic and social impact across the Pittsburgh region where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities come together through tennis.
When founder Fred Crawford helped launch these free clinics in 2002, his goal was to use tennis as a bridge to unite families and friends. Since then he’s watched the club grow from a volunteer effort into a multi-faceted non-profit that provides vital community services far beyond sports. The impact includes academic scholarships, CPR training, food drives and adaptive athletics.
HPTC has donated more than $100,000 to charitable and educational organizations, and provided free clinics, racquets and tennis balls to more than 20,500 juniors and adults.For Crawford, the club's greatest accomplishment is about the community.
"The real achievement of HPTC is that it has revitalized the culture of Highland Park and the surrounding neighborhoods," Crawford said. "We've built a community rooted in diversity, inclusion and the belief that tennis should be accessible to everyone."
As HPTC celebrates the 25th anniversary of its free Saturday summer clinics in 2026, that commitment remains as strong as ever.
"Our priority is to keep the courts welcoming, inclusive and accessible, especially for people who may not have access to instruction otherwise," said acting president Katie Conlon.
Conlon has witnessed firsthand how the program impacts more than just tennis skills.
"Watching the sport reach entire families through Highland Park clinics has been incredibly meaningful," Conlon said. "I've seen one little boy's confidence and skills grow week after week, not just in tennis, but in how he interacts with his peers. For him and so many other kids, these clinics are more than instruction. They're a place to practice social skills, build friendships and experience success in a supportive environment."
According to board member Lori Geist, the clinics have made inclusivity an everyday, visible part of Highland Park.
“Seeing wheelchair athletes, blind and low-vision players, young children, seniors and beginners all sharing the same public space is helping shape how our community thinks about sport, ability and public parks,” Geist said.
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