Our Programs

We offer three fascinating programs:

• CREATing In School 
• CREATing After School 
• CREATing Expectations for Excellence! 

CREATing In School Program
Our Partner: the DC Public School System (DCPS)

The CREATEing In School Program is designed to develop tennis in the elementary and middle schools through the physical education curriculum, and eventually team tennis. Third through fifth grade students are our focus at Walker Jones Educational Campus, Friendship Charter School at Woodridge Campus and Thurgood Marshall Elementary School.

Objective:

• Increase participation among elementary and middle school students in the game of tennis.
• Develop the tennis games of third grade students and up and create a pipeline of tennis players that will go on to play high school and college tennis.
• Train PE teachers to work with teaching tennis to students. Assist with tennis PE in the gym by implementing tennis into the curriculum as an alternative to other sports activities and requirements. Include a nutritional element to the health education component.

CREATing After School Program
Our Partner: the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)

The CREATing After School NJTL Program focuses on introducing the game of tennis through on-court activity and educational tutoring at the Fort Lincoln Tennis Courts in Northeast, Washington DC.

Objective:

• QuickStart Tennis! – We’ve adopted the United States Tennis Association (USTA) recommendation of working directly with schools to get kids immediately into tennis using the QuickStart Tennis format. This format uses short courts, modified equipment, and simplified scoring so children can experience success at the first strike of the ball. QuickStart Tennis programs are set up on school grounds, inside or out, which allows kids in every neighborhood the chance to learn the lifetime sport of tennis.
• Mentor students with strategies for life skills.
• Coaches incorporate match play with life skills training to focus on the “NJTL” ideology, which instills in youngsters the values exemplified by Arthur Ashe throughout his life – humanitarianism, leadership, and academic excellence. Such pathways can be the Arthur Ashe Art & Essay Contest or debate, chess, and of course, tennis matches.

CREATing Expectations for Excellence! Program
Our Partner: High School Teachers, Parents, College Recruiters, Grass Roots Organizations

The CREATing Expectations for Excellence! Program focuses on character development and mentoring. The program’s purpose is to identify high school students who have enough tennis ability to coach in our other programs. We mentor them and provide them with part time assistant coaching positions during after school and in the summer. This program gives them a feeling of confidence while giving back. We also help them obtain scholarships to elite tennis programs at a United States Tennis Association (USTA) facility and universities. These exceptional students are provided tennis instruction from well qualified teaching professionals and receive tutoring/study help with school homework and special projects.