First Serve OKC receives $118,000 USTA Foundation grant to resurface courts

OKLAHOMA CITY – The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), announced that it awarded a $118,000 grant to First Serve OKC to help resurface eight tennis courts at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.

First Serve OKC is a youth development organization that provides a year-round safe environment for students from under-resourced communities to participate in tennis and educational programs designed to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of life.

The grant is part of the USTA Foundation's Court Resurfacing Initiative. This forward-looking project aims to help resurface more than 200 tennis courts utilized by chapters of its flagship National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, of which First Serce OKC is part.

The network, created in 1969 by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, along with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, provides more than 150,000 under-resourced youth with access to free or low-cost tennis and academic programming. The USTA Foundation's Court Resurfacing Initiative's long-term vision is to support the NJTLs as part of a sustainable tennis ecosystem that nurtures talent and promotes inclusivity.

This grant helps to ensure NJTL chapters have access to consistent playing surfaces, extend the lifespan of their courts, enhance player performance and increase tennis play opportunities within their communities. The USTA Foundation anticipates funding approximately $3 million in resurfacing projects nationwide by the end of 2025.

"Tennis is more than just a game; it offers youth lessons in discipline, teamwork and resilience," said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. "By investing in tennis courts in under-resourced communities, we are helping to ensure that more youth and their families have a place to reap the physical and mental benefits of our sport."

The USTA Foundation's mission is to use the powerful combination of tennis and education to change lives. For three decades, the USTA Foundation has helped to make tennis more inclusive and accessible to young people, regardless of race, gender or economic circumstance. To learn more about the USTA Foundation, its NJTL network and ways to get involved, click here.