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InnerCItytennIs
raIse
Closethe roof
the Gap
2
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Dear Friends,
As InnerCity Tennis (ICT) looks to the future, we are very excited about the development
of our programs serving Minneapolis children and youth. For over 60 years, ICT has
been serving kids who otherwise would not have access to youth development
programs like the ones we offer. Our innovative programming, which includes physical
activity, tennis and education, is the vehicle that inspires all youth to attain their highest
potential.
We reach approximately 4,000 young people each year, ages 3 to 18, including at-risk
kids, children of color, children from low-income families and children diagnosed on
the autism spectrum. Our programs attract diverse families from all over the city, and
through free programs and scholarships, we make sure our programs are available to
children at all income levels.
In addition to our signature Kidspeed® program, we launched two new programs
this past year:
z academic Creative engagement (aCe), a nationally accredited literacy, math and
social/emotional wellness curriculum, developed by the USTA’s National Junior
Tennis & Learning organization, in collaboration with the Search Institute.
z Cities academy, in partnership with acclaimed tennis coach John Wheaton, a
unique multi-dimensional tennis and life training program for teens.
The epicenter of our organization, and a significant source of our ongoing financial
resources, is the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center in the heart of South Minneapolis.
This indoor tennis center is open 7 days a week, 16 hours a day, serving an average of
3,500 players each week. After nearly 20 years, the two domes are at the end of their
useful life and need to be replaced. Our campaign will enable us to replace our domes
and meet the growing demands of our programs, to create innovative classroom space
for youth and enhance educational programming, and to secure the future of a vibrant
community organization for youth to reach their full potential.
Because of ICT, children and youth have access to programs that they normally would not.
I hope you will consider joining us to Raise the Roof and Close the Gap. Together we can
help in the development of our children and youth and strengthen our entire community!
Thank you,
Robert W. Oberrender, Board Chair
every kId Can suCCeedwith InnerCity Tennis
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ChIld poverty rates
GraduatIon rates
Native American & African populations
White students Students of color
66%
67%
Black & Asian populations
40%
39%
InnerCity Tennis was founded in 1952 by city leaders who wanted to open up the
sport of tennis to those with fewer opportunities. Today, that mission is still with us,
but those we serve are struggling with an opportunity gap that is wider than it has
been in decades. Children of color and youth living in poverty are at special risk.
Sixty percent of the children we serve at InnerCity Tennis are children of color who
represent many community cultures and speak multiple languages. Our youngest
come from the Fraser and McKnight Head Start programs, where 90 percent of those
enrolled are children of color.
InnerCity Tennis offers unique programs that provide opportunities that are missing
for many children and youth. We do this by providing instruction, play, and a setting
and curriculum that build character traits needed for success.
Last year, InnerCity Tennis served more than 4,000 young people and provided more
than $50,000 in scholarships. We provide programming at no fee to children and
kIds at rIsk
3
ChIldhood obesIty
of kids ages 6–13
the rates from 1980
physICally aCtIve (at least 1 hour of activity per day)
of Minnesota children are overweight
32%
trIple 25%
of teens
16%
partner schools based on revenue generated from adults and families who use our
tennis facilities year-round for practice, lessons and tournament play. That means it’s
doubly important to keep our facilities in top
condition; our programs and the community
we serve both depend on it!
While numbers are impressive, what really
counts is our impact on an entire community.
That’s why we’re investing now to replace
our aging domes and fund infrastructure and
program expansion to provide benefits for
many years to come.
Join us now to support this community asset in
the heart of Minneapolis.
Together, we can change lives.
“based upon my youth program development work in hundreds of cities, InnerCity tennis is the best
sports-related program I have seen. Its success is measured not
by athletic achievement but by its impact on young people’s values
and life skills. InnerCity tennis grows caring and responsible
young people. It’s exactly what our society needs.”
peter benson, search Institute founder
Sources: Minneapolis Public Schools, Hennepin County SHAPE Survey
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Kidspeed® connects 3- to 7-year-olds in a dynamic, fast-paced program run at “kid
speed.” Through our unique tennis, play and learning curriculum, we ignite an
enduring love of physical activity and working with others, and we deliver this program
in a multigenerational community of supportive volunteers.
We developed our signature Kidspeed program partnership with the world-renowned
Search Institute, known for their ground-breaking work on the 40 Developmental
Assets that young people need to become
successful and contributing adults. Kidspeed
programs encompass the seven core values tied
to these developmental assets. We also deliver
programming for children with autism at three
elementary schools, providing an innovative
way to reach the growing numbers of youth
with this condition.
“Many of these children (with autism spectrum
disorder) struggle to participate in general
physical education classes and also don’t
participate in outside sports. to see them doing
athletics, building their skills, building their
confidence and having fun is truly amazing …
I believe that their experience will impact their
future interests in athletics, be it tennis or
another activity.”
Michele Glynn works with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder at Hale School in Minneapolis. Her students in Kidspeed are in grades K–3.
Core valuesservInG up
aGes 3–7
at the speed of kids
kidspeed
“all of us want the best for
our kids. the InnerCity tennis
program plays an important part
in developing into a well rounded
person. While it teaches younger
kids skills and valuable lessons
while participating, it helps older
kids grow through volunteering.”
Chris Exted is the parent of three youth
in the program.
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Core values:
teamworkresponsibility
perseverancerespectintegrity
enthusiasm
service
volunteers brIdGe the GeneratIon GapOur unique organizational model enables us to
effectively grow our programming through the
efforts of our outstanding group of volunteers. We
work with 250 volunteers of all ages, but primarily
seniors, who support staff in delivering programming
to children, both on site at our Saturday Program and
in the community through our Outreach Program. The
intergenerational relationships forged between volunteers
and children and youth are integral to the success of our
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5
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aCe
This year, we expanded our educational programming with ACE (Academic Creative
Engagement), a nationally-accredited educational curriculum, developed by United
States Tennis Association’s National Junior Tennis and Learning.
The ACE curriculum was also developed in concert with the Search Institute and
integrates math, literacy, and social/emotional and physical wellness with tennis for
students in third to fifth grade. Our goal is
to become the premiere tennis organization
delivering ACE, evaluating impacts and
contributing to the national
development of this unique
educational approach to youth
development.
“for me, finding tennis made a big difference. My
parents wanted for me what every parent wants
for their child — to learn a sport and have a well-
rounded education. InnerCity tennis opens up
a world of opportunities for many kids
that would otherwise not have access
to the sport.”
Braulio Carrasco, of Dominican heritage, is a teacher at Emerson elementary school and connected the mostly Latino population at the Richard R. Green
Central Park School in South Minneapolis to InnerCity Tennis. Braulio also volunteers
at the Saturday Program.
kIds Who aCe ItGrades
3–5
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USTA Serves Special Report
Cities academy
of tennis program participants are engaged in their community
In 2013, we created Cities Academy in partnership with John Wheaton, a nationally
esteemed tennis coach and educator. Cities Academy is designed to provide holistic,
character-based programming for our teens to encourage them to aspire to excel to
the best of their ability, in sports, academics,
and life, as they mature through middle and
high school. With tennis as the foundation,
Cities Academy encompasses training of mind,
body and physical prowess.
“not only does Cities academy continue to advance
my daughter as a national competitive junior
player, they are advancing her with defining her
values and character that will take her so far in life.
Cities academy is teaching my child the lessons of
becoming a champion on and off the court.”
Julie Lindbloom is the parent of a daughter in Cities Academy.
raIsInG up our teens
aGes 13–18
of tennis program participants are at a healthy weight.
70%
82%
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super saturdays: Where CharaCter CountsInnerCity Tennis’ Saturday Program is an
amazing opportunity for Minneapolis families
to bring their children, starting at age three,
to engage in fast-paced exercise in a team, led
by volunteer team “captains,” set to music and
imbued with the core values and character traits
that distinguish our program. We devote our entire
11-court facility to youth – at no charge – from 3:00
to 6:00 p.m. each Saturday between mid-September and
mid-April. The older teen players volunteer to help the younger
children, alongside dozens of seniors. Each week, students learn
about commitment, teamwork, sportsmanship, perseverance and responsibility.
Saturday programs also offer another chance to teach nutrition; we serve healthy
snacks and engage in conversations about choices to fuel our bodies for sports and life.
tennIs for allbuilding community through tennis
suMMer tennIs In the parksBy numbers alone, our Summer Tennis in the Parks program is wildly successful. We
create more than 50 jobs each summer for youth, many of whom grew up learning
tennis with us. They’re hired as coaches for this program serving 23 Minneapolis parks
on the north and south sides of the city.
Approximately 1,250 kids participated in
our long-standing Summer Tennis in the
Parks program in 2013.
“I was amazed to see a flyer for the summer tennis
in the parks program with full scholarships available.
tennis was only for wealthy people in ecuador
where I grew up. We live in north Minneapolis;
unfortunately, I can’t say to my kids, go and
play outside – it can be dangerous. so for us,
the tennis helps a lot. We know that moms
are there, the coaches are there and we
feel safe in that area.”
Veronica Bedon, a native of Ecuador and mom of Gabriella, 14, and Carolina, 7, sees
her daughters growing in self-confidence, communication and tennis skills in their three years
with the Saturday and Summer programs.
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CoMMunItyIMpaCtLast year, InnerCity Tennis programs served nearly 4,000 children and youth
in Minneapolis at our tennis center, at outreach programs and at parks across
Minneapolis.
We delIvered: z More than 225 community outreach programs to children at Head Start,
Green Central and four elementary schools, free of charge to the students
and schools.
z Kidspeed® programming to children diagnosed on the autism spectrum
during the entire academic year at three Minneapolis elementary schools,
at no cost to the students or schools.
z More than $50,000 in scholarships to youth participating in Summer
Tennis in the Parks and Junior Instruction programs.
z Nutrition information and free healthy snacks to 1,200 children at
Saturday programs.
z Dedicated volunteers who donated more than 2,750
hours to help run our exceptional programming.
z Approximately 200,000,000
steps through physical activity, burning
10 million calories in 2013 alone!
“InnerCity tennis is
doing a terrific job providing
programs that really make a
difference to kids in Minneapolis. We
are contributing to this campaign because
having the infrastructure in place and in
good repair is essential to the positive
impact they make on the entire
Minneapolis community.”
Christine Nickels, Director of Community Tennis
USTA Northern
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InnerCity Tennis is evolving and expanding to serve our young participants as they
grow and develop as teens. Children start with us in Kidspeed®, our unique, fast-paced,
widely varied curriculum that puts children ages 3 to
7 through physical rigor set to fun, upbeat
music. From Kidspeed, children move up
to Tennis Fundamentals and ACE, as
we integrate tennis and academics
in a dynamic fashion to support
diverse learning styles.
Ultimately, youth move on to
participate in Cities Academy
as they progress through
middle and high school,
with a supportive emphasis
on tennis skills, academic
success and career
orientation, and the mental
tenacity and perseverance
that will propel them toward
their highest potential.
Our high-school-aged players
circle back to become coaches to
the youngest players at our Summer
Tennis in the Parks
program. Both middle
school and high school
participants volunteer and serve the young children
in our Kidspeed program, fulfilling one of our seven
goal character traits.
InnerCity “graduates” have gone on to college
and a wide range of careers, including attorneys,
educators, physicians, mental health professionals,
and yes, tennis instructors!
froM 3 to 93
kIdspeed aGes 3–7 aCe Grades 3–5
CItIes aC
ad
eMy
aG
es 13–18
hIGh perforManCe aGes 12–17
tee
n v
olu
nte
ers
suMMer proGraM
tennIs In the parks
volunteers
(all aGes)
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Artwork created by our ACE program youth using discarded name tags with a
InnerCity Tennis is undertaking a major renovation project with poignant urgency after
our especially harsh winter in 2013–14. We must replace our aging domes to continue
delivering programming that children and youth in our city depend upon. We will also
be able to increase generated revenue by enhancing infrastructure to create greater
energy efficiency and renovating to improve the customer experience. This, in turn,
allows us to increase programming work in education and youth development that
benefits 4,000 children and youth in the city of Minneapolis.
Our goal is $2.2 million, and thanks to the generous support of a few
lead donors, we have secured $840,000 in pledges. We seek
to secure an additional $500,000 by July 1, 2014,
allowing us to place our order for the domes in
time for the domes to be installed during
our slowest period, the last two weeks in
August. Dome replacement, with new
lights, HVAC, and electrical and
environmental controls, will cost
approximately $1.3 million.
An additional $1 million
will fund expansion of our
ACE and Cities Academy
programs and renovate
the common areas of
the facility by early
autumn 2014.
Close the GapWe’re raIsInG the roof to
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JoIn the effortWe are excited to speak to individuals and
organizations who are committed to serving our
children and youth through this proven, responsive
community program. With your support, InnerCity
Tennis will be here to serve Minneapolis families
for decades to come. Please call us to schedule a
personal visit to learn more or to make a pledge.
Get In touChSamantha Smart Merritt
Executive Director
4005 Nicollet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55409
(612) 655-5363
thank you to our lead donorsGage family foundation
Carlson family foundation
ronald and Joan Cornwell
Wheelock Whitney and kathleen blatz
robert and Jane oberrender
usta northern
Jann ozzello Wilcox and John Wilcox
Ellen Doll and Jay Swanson
EJ and Nicole McNulty
Samantha Smart Merritt
Will and Karen Prest
David Sommer Family Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Linda Stratton
Lori and Christopher Van Holmes
Amy and Alex Ware
David and Lisa Weigman
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InnerCItytennIswww.innercitytennis.org