Tennis Venue Services expands East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring
The challenge isn’t whether you can go home again, it’s whether you can make it better upon your return. East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring in California is doing that in the affirmative, as it opens up its EPATT Center at the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School.
It was there, back in 1988, that EPATT, a USTA National Junior Tennis & Learning Chapter, began enriching children’s lives at a summer-only program on what in recent years had become four well-worn courts.
After a 1999 fire destroyed classrooms, the program moved to the Stanford campus in Palo Alto. (From year one, legendary Stanford tennis coach Dick Gould has been on EPATT’s Board of Directors.) The renovation of Stanford’s tennis home then forced another move in 2020 back to East Palo Alto. Coincidentally, a major investment was being made in and around EPATT’s original location, so the organization began a fundraising operation to tie into the upgrades.
EPATT was formed to offer children an introduction to tennis as a safe summer alternative, then it quickly expanded to include an academic support option that overlapped with the Ravenswood school district's needs, hiring Stanford students as tutors. The program built the courts for everything from beginner instruction to tournament teams, all of which is combined with math and literacy instruction. More than 600 K-12 students currently participate in the year-round in-school, after-school, and summer offerings.
The Ravenswood district was the recipient of a major bond issue to upgrade facilities and space around EPATT’s original location at Cesar Chavez. Although the organization’s return was not included in the original plans, EPATT leaders recognized an opportunity. Money was raised from multiple sources, including the USTA Foundation, to add four portable classrooms, restroom facilities, and a courtyard for an EPATT campus.
A mural at the EPATT Center at the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School.
USTA Tennis Venue Services aided with supportive funding for six courts, providing, “essential no-cost consulting to help us make the best possible decisions in designing the EPATT tennis center. Their expertise was instrumental throughout—from the initial planning stages through to execution and follow-up,” says EPATT Development and Communications Director Amy Kohrman
The courts at EPATT Center at the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School.
“We provided an engineering review of court dimensions, surfacing materials, lighting specifications, and all other technical elements,” adds Lynne Schachte, a TVS consultant.
Summer programs followed a June grand opening, K-4 students engaged in reading, math and tennis, as did students through high school. Some worked on catching up to their grade level, while others joined programs specific to college readiness.
During the school year, the courts will also be used for EPATT alumni tennis days and Mom/Daughter and Father/Son tournaments, among other events.
The facility hosts USTA junior tournaments, helping to showcase USTA Northern California’s involvement. Describing the section’s commitment, Outreach Representative Cherryl Silva explains:
“Tennis is more than a sport, and its impact can change the trajectory of someone’s life in a very positive way. EPATT is the perfect example of how tennis and education can be leveraged to create a meaningful change. We are incredibly excited to see how much more they can accomplish. The potential is limitless, and we can’t wait to witness the next chapter of EPATT’s impact."
As for next steps, Korhman says tennis is in the organization’s DNA, but expansion of the mission includes “a bigger focus on health outcomes, and the hosting of parent tennis nights to get families more involved. We’re looking forward to being back on the map and serving more people.”
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