Form a School Partnership

Fall semester schedules are out, summer classes are wrapping up, and notebooks and pens are on full display in stores - all highlighting the fact that it is finally time to start thinking about the new school year, and with that, thinking about USTA School Partnerships to get tennis in schools. 

With a new school year comes many great opportunities for kids to get into tennis, whether to feed their competitive edge or just to have fun with friends. Tennis is a great fit for children in schools, as it is a safe, non-contact sport that can be played virtually anywhere by nearly everyone. 

USTA has long been involved with tennis at the foundational level through its Tennis in Schools programs, as a child’s first experience with tennis is often in their PE class. In-school exposure to tennis at a young age may often lead kids to play competitively on teams in middle school, high school, college and into their adult lives. 

In 2018, USTA Missouri Valley introduced further opportunities to get schools involved with the game of tennis through School Partnerships and continues to promote and improve the program into the new school year. 

Many schools in St. Louis have previously taken advantage of USTA Tennis in Schools programs and are now taking a step forward with School Partnerships. USTA St. Louis has completed 18 School Partnerships and is still expanding.

Upon completing a School Partnership, schools will receive free tennis equipment, tennis curriculum, and other teaching aids, along with a trained School Partner serving as a resource for teachers to assist their PE tennis programs. School Partners teach children the basics, train PE teachers in how to teach the provided curriculum, and often connect children to or provide further tennis opportunities outside of school.

The path for a PE teacher to get tennis in their schools is now easier than ever. Teachers can visit the NetGeneration website, click on “Become a Provider,” fill in their school information, and follow the prompts. 

If a teacher in the St. Louis district wants to be set up with a School Partnership or has questions about the previous steps, contact Susan Riemann at riemann@movalley.usta.com in order to be paired with a School Partner and issued a partnership agreement between the two parties.