USTA CELEBRATES NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BY ANNOUNCING GROWTH IN HISPANIC YOUTH PARTICIPATION

 

USTA’s Diversity and Inclusion Department Awarded a Total of $139,000
In Grants to Programs Serving Hispanic Communities
A total of 15,230 Hispanic Youth Participants Since 2015

 
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2018 – The United States Tennis Association today concluded its celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month – a month highlighted by multiple Hispanic engagement accomplishments led by the USTA’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) department.
 
Within the last four years, USTA D&I has seen an increase in Hispanic youth tennis players as a result of grant funds, including the Hispanic Outreach Grant, NJTL Hispanic Outreach Grant, and the USTA Section D&I grant that are awarded to many programs serving Hispanic communities.
 
This year, 15 local community tennis and other outreach organizations across the country were awarded a total of $31,500 in Hispanic Outreach Grants. ADVERTISEMENT These grants foster an opportunity to increase Hispanic participation through multiple outreach events and follow-up initiatives. 
 
In addition, for the third consecutive year, the USTA's D&I team also awarded 10 National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters in select markets across the country with NJTL Hispanic Outreach Grants. In partnership with the USTA Foundation, which helped D&I select this year’s recipients, a total of $40,000 was awarded to support the recipients’ efforts in increasing Hispanic youth participation in their respective NJTL programs. Grant recipients were asked to create a new six-week or longer tennis program in their local community and then host a kick-off event to promote and register youth for a new program.
 
As a result of this grant funding, more than 1900 Hispanic youth from across the country participated in the six-week program with over 90% registering as first time tennis participants. Due to the success of the program, several NJTLs are generating opportunities to continue this programming in the fall. To date, there are 4,634 new participants from local NJTLs as a result of the NJTL Hispanic Outreach grant.
 
Since 2015, USTA D&I has awarded multiple USTA sections with a Section D&I grant that is aimed at driving Hispanic participation and retention. This year, nine USTA sections were awarded a total of $70,000. This led to 4,103 new registered participants, including children and adults registered in entry-level programming. Since the grant’s inception, 10,596 new players from local Hispanic communities have registered to play tennis through USTA sections.
 
“We have made some tremendous strides in our efforts in engaging with multiple Hispanic communities and programs that impact these communities all around the country,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President, Katrina Adams. “At the start of my tenure four years ago, I made it my mission to see to it that our sport grows and thrives specifically amongst this demographic. We have put in the work of educating ourselves and equipping our section and regional teams with the proper tools and resources needed in order to generate outstanding impact.”
 
“It all starts with our youth, and what a great accomplishment it is when we can positively change their lives through our sport. I could not be more proud of the D&I team for leading these efforts in developing the best strategies on ways to properly engage. The future is certainly bright with tremendous opportunities within tennis still to come for Hispanic youth as well as their families.”
 

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The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 655,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network.For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.
 
USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTAF), the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), brings together the powerful combination of tennis and education to change lives of under-resourced youth. The Foundation utilizes financial grants, scholarship opportunities, curricula, technical assistance and training to make a lasting difference, and it’s with a primary focus is to develop and ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. The NJTL network features more than 350 chapters that reach more than 200,000 youth on an annual basis. The Foundation raises money and public awareness to support these life-changing programs through private donations, corporate sponsorships and foundations, as well as its special fundraisers held throughout the year, including the US Open Opening Night Gala, the US Open Paver program, and Pro-Ams, to name a few. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $28 million in grants and scholarships to more than 270 programs, helping to serve up dreams for thousands of children throughout the country. For more information on USTA Foundation, visit www.ustafoundation.com. Or stay connected through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/USTA/, and on Twitter at @USTA.