Camp WIN Enriches Lives of Local Girls

Introducing children to sports at a young age can help them far beyond the field–or the court, when it comes to tennis. Being involved in a team setting with coaches who encourage players to be their best selves can go a long way in helping our youth become confident, resilient adults–and Kansas City’s Camp WIN wanted to help kickstart this process.

Camp WIN, part of the Kansas City Sports Commission and its WIN for KC initiative to help empower women and girls through participation in sports, set out to help change the lives of girls ages 6-12 by introducing them to a variety of sports and activities–including a tennis–from June 6 through July 1. The tennis component was organized by the Stephanie Waterman Foundation, a local National Junior Tennis & Learning Chapter. 

Each four-day session was held at locations across the metro area, including at Notre Dame De Sion High School, St. Theresa’s Academy, St. Michael the Archangel High School, and Lincoln Middle School. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the girls in attendance were introduced to 14 different sports and fitness activities in a fun and safe environment by qualified coaches and instructors from local high schools, colleges, and universities, and were further encouraged by team captains–students from local middle and high schools currently involved in athletics. And while learning new sports was a main focus of the camp, it’s far from the only one: campers were also taught the power of teamwork, good sportsmanship, and other valuable life skills that come with being involved in athletics. 

Each girl who attended Camp WIN was provided with sports equipment and a LIVE ACTIVE workbook to use throughout their sessions and was provided healthy snacks and lunches each day. A complimentary T-shirt and water bottle were also given to attendees–two mementos they can hold on to as a means to look back at the memories made and lessons learned during camp.

USTA Heart of America would also like to thank the following volunteers for their help at Camp WIN:

Beth Azan

Marissa Brown

Cara Gosnell

Scott Hanover

Scott Howes

Carli Hurtt

Laura Jager

Jimmy O'Connell

Akki Poojari

Wendy Robinson

Ron Woolford

Julia Wulff

Natasha Wulff

Armaan Yarlagadda

If you’d like to learn more about Camp WIN, please visit sportkc.org/win-for-kc/camp-win.