About TennisWorks
Like our founder, Fred Wells, we believe that the tennis court can be the site of powerful life lessons. That's why tennis is at the heart of all of our programs, and why we strive to offer access to students who might not otherwise have a chance to participate.
We hook youth into our program with tennis, but we're really about life skills—we want them to succeed on the courts but, more than that, we want them to succeed in life. Our vision is to empower youth to be successful on and off the court through relationship building, teamwork, and perseverance.
Our TennisWorks youth development programs serve youth in grades 3 - 12. 94% of the students who participate through our school partners qualify for the Federal free and reduced lunch program and over 90% identify as youth of color. Through a combination of facility revenue, grants, and the generous support of individual donors, all TW programming is offered to students at no cost!
At the core of our programs is our deep commitment to provide a safe, supportive environment with caring adults who reinforce our Fort Five—Safety, Respect, Commitment, Integrity, and Kindness.
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Youth who report regular participation in after-school programs tend to score higher on these development skills indicators: Commitment to learning, positive identity, social competence, family/community support, teacher/school support, self-reported grades.
Of women who have achieved careers in the C-Suite, 94% played a sport and 61% say that has contributed to their success.
Tennis players, regardless of socio-economic background, perform better than their peers across several categories:
48% have an A average
Are more likely to have college aspirations
Are less likely to be sent to the principal's office
Are more likely to be engaged in their communities
Are less likely to engage in risky behaviors
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TennisWorks programs focus on the following Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management. Responsible Decision-Making, Relationship Skills, and Social Awareness.
Using tennis to capture a child's interest, we are uniquely positioned to leverage play and competition along with cooperation and teamwork to stimulate the development of the SEL competencies mentioned above.
All TennisWorks programs reinforce our Fort Five core values of Safety, Kindness, Respect, Integrity, and Commitment.
86% of our after-school students identify as tennis players.
Youth in TennisWorks participate in college visits and career exploration activities.
10+ TennisWorks students annually receive scholarships to attend Tennis & Life Camp at Gustavus College.
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39% of MN Youth are connected to a caring adult; whereas, 97% of youth in TennisWorks report that they have a trusting relationship with an adult through Tennis Works.
TennisWorks school programs have a maximum 6:1 student to adult ratio.
All TennisWorks coaches and volunteers receive training and have successfully completed a background check and the USTA Safe Play program.
All TennisWorks students receive tennis instruction from certified coaches.
TennisWorks school programs have an astounding 74% retention rate from one school year to the next!
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Youth who live in households with the lowest incomes are half as likely to participate in sports compared to youth from wealthier homes ($100,000+).
More than 90% of the students who participate through TennisWorks partner schools qualify for the federal F/R lunch program and more than 90% are youth of color.
FWTEC awards approximately $30,000 in scholarships annually for participation in our fee-based junior programs.
Transportation is provided for all TennisWorks school programs that take place at The Fort with additional programming on-site in school gyms.
Monthly drop-in events are hosted for Middle and High-School players
Our Goals
We evaluate the impact of TennisWorks by measuring data on attendance, retention, and demographics, as well as the following outcomes:
Youth have fun coming to the program.
Youth feel safe while at tennis.
Youth establish a positive, trusting relationship with an adult.
Youth set individual and team goals, identify how their decisions impact their ability to achieve their goals, and recognize how their decisions affect others.
Youth develop skills in self-managing emotions, responding appropriately to disagreements and experiencing what it is like to win and lose. Youth demonstrate listening skills, consistent effort, and team problem solving.
Youth enjoy being physically active and learn the lifelong game of tennis.
To judge how effective TennisWorks is in achieving these objectives, we measure the growth and development that our youth experience as they move through our programs via our own Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) surveys, the DESSA (Devereux Student Strengths Assessment) SEL Assessment, and the Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA).
For more information on TennisWorks programming or to get involved as a volunteer, please contact Coral Gordon.