Celebrating 18 years of the Fort Smith Public Schools’ after-school tennis program

Eighteen years ago, the Fort Smith Public Schools After-school tennis program was launched with a simple goal … to introduce elementary students to tennis in a fun and encouraging environment.

The program began with just two schools, Ballman Elementary and Euper Elementary, and was offered exclusively to third-grade students during the spring semester. Each school held an after-school tennis program one day per week for about one hour on the day that best fit the teacher’s schedule. This writer, employed by USTA Southern, worked to establish the program.

Two dedicated teachers

From the beginning, two dedicated teachers, Colleen Orick and Barbara Barry, made the program's success possible by generously volunteering their time to provide this opportunity to students at no cost. Their commitment laid the foundation for what has become a long-standing tradition. They were also strong advocates for the program when it came to recruiting other physical education teachers.

During the first year, 32 students participated. Each school's team practiced together for seven weeks, and during the eighth week, the two schools came together for the very first Schools Competition. It was an exciting way for students to showcase what they had learned while experiencing the fun of friendly team competition.

This year, 98 students from seven schools registered for the competition at the Village Harbor Tennis Center. Local middle and high school students volunteered to make this a special event for the third graders.

Over the past 18 years, this annual event has continued to grow. Because physical education teachers volunteer their own time to host these after-school sessions, we have expanded thoughtfully, adding approximately one school each year. This steady growth has maintained the program’s quality while reaching more students throughout the Fort Smith Public Schools District.

Volunteer Leslie Jackson's contributions

About 10 years ago, Leslie Jackson, a long-time tennis volunteer at the local, state, and sectional levels, and I decided to register our end-of-season event as an official Team Challenge through the USTA. This change allowed every participant to receive a USTA membership while also helping our local Western Arkansas Community Tennis Association receive credit for youth programming and organized play opportunities.

Today, this program's success is the result of an incredible community effort. The program could not accomplish this undertaking without the support of the CTA, the many volunteers who donate their time, the high school and middle school students, and the former participants who return each year to serve as on-court helpers for our newest third-grade players.

Most importantly, none of this would be possible without the dedication of our Fort Smith Public Schools physical education teachers. Their willingness to invest their time and energy in these students year after year has made a lasting impact on thousands of children. Together, they have created more than just an after-school activity; they have built a program that teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, confidence and a lifelong love of tennis.