WHY TENNIS?
Tennis demands exceptional mental and physical capabilities from the individual athlete. On the practice court, the tennis player must objectively assess and address his own weaknesses to register real improvement. In match play, the successful player is both coach and student, creating and executing a strategy playing to his own strengths and his opponent’s weaknesses. The game of tennis helps a young person become both more self-aware and self-confident; more physically fit and mentally tough; more highly motivated on and off the court.
>Learn more about our Tennis Curriculum approach
For at-risk kids in urban neighborhoods with high rates of gang-related crime and violence and academic underachievement, the qualities of individual responsibility, good citizenship, inner self-confidence and effective self-control are not abstract aspirations, but essential life skills. At Tenacity we observe on a daily basis that the sport of tennis is particularly effective in promoting these important qualities for our program participants. Why tennis?
• Tennis is an individual sport which is competitive and collaborative at the
same time. In tennis, the greatest shots and matches result from player interaction.
And tennis, unlike many other individual sports, requires competitive participants to
be honest referees as well. Tennis players must be strong and confident
individuals, but good sports and citizens as well.
• Few sports are at the same time as physical and cerebral as tennis, requiring
stamina and quickness, sudden conviction and exceptional patience. That’s why
Tenacity helps young players improve their ability to focus their thoughts while
developing physical strength, speed and flexibility.
• Aspiring players watching the professional game of tennis rarely if ever see disputes
erupt into the physical violence common in many team sports. Thus young tennis
players tend to develop a higher degree of civility and self-control than many other
young athletes.
same time. In tennis, the greatest shots and matches result from player interaction.
And tennis, unlike many other individual sports, requires competitive participants to
be honest referees as well. Tennis players must be strong and confident
individuals, but good sports and citizens as well.
• Few sports are at the same time as physical and cerebral as tennis, requiring
stamina and quickness, sudden conviction and exceptional patience. That’s why
Tenacity helps young players improve their ability to focus their thoughts while
developing physical strength, speed and flexibility.
• Aspiring players watching the professional game of tennis rarely if ever see disputes
erupt into the physical violence common in many team sports. Thus young tennis
players tend to develop a higher degree of civility and self-control than many other
young athletes.
Is tennis involvement a magic bullet for young urban kids? Unfortunately not. But, in combination with academic and life skills tutoring, we observe a substantial, sustainable impact on our program participants. Tenacity promotes tennis for urban youth because tennis promotes tenacity-- a measured, responsible form of tenacity which can be instrumental to kids throughout their personal and professional development.
