REASON

04-067A1422

Serve the Future was born during the first summer of the pandemic when Leslie Banks helped organize a small tennis camp for students in the Phoenix Union School District. Witnessing their hunger to learn and their lack of access to tennis resources, Leslie became passionate about creating a more comprehensive program to empower these hardworking and inspiring teenagers through the sport.

Seeing the joy and eagerness in their eyes, Leslie knew she wanted to share her love for tennis and provide them with an opportunity to play a sport that could positively impact their lives. Besides learning how to play, they also gain essential life lessons like responsibility, self-confidence, and perseverance. Their dedication and excitement for the game are truly contagious.

Based in Phoenix, the organization chose this area because of its diverse and nationally recognized school district, serving a 95 percent minority population and facing economic challenges. Many students come from non-English speaking households, and access to sports like tennis is limited. With a strong commitment to making a difference, Serve the Future aims to break barriers and provide these youths with a sport they can cherish for a lifetime.

MISSION

Serve The Future’s core mission is to positively impact youth from underserved communities. Building self-confidence, perseverance, and responsibility through the game of tennis. By providing positive opportunities to learn and grow through the sport of tennis they develop a more healthy lifestyle which impacts their family, peers and community. Consistency and repetition through a year-long tennis academy complemented by transformative and engaging programs is the path to achieving change.

By specifically choosing youth from the Elementary, Middle and High School Districts within the Phoenix Union, the organization hopes to alleviate some of the disparities noted previously. The pandemic has exacerbated this well-documented academic and social gulf among school districts. Serve the Future wants to contribute to the solution by giving these youth healthy and positive opportunities and environments on and off the tennis court.

VISION

Looking to the future. Serve the Future’s core mission is to positively impact youth’s self-confidence, perseverance, responsibility, and healthy lifestyle through the game of tennis. In order to accomplish this, these youths need a year-long tennis academy complemented by transformative and engaging programs. Reaching out to partner with Elementary and Middle School Districts that feed into Phoenix Union School District, the organization will engage more students in the year-long academy.

Phoenix is a large geographical city and in order to reach more students there needs to be a presence in their community. The program is looking to grow its impact by using city tennis facilities close to schools, and thus being more accessible. If we find that some of the youth have a talent for the game they will have the opportunity to capitalize on it. Furthermore, to enhance the whole community, we will explore partnering with outside, nonprofit organizations that provide wrap-around services when certain needs become apparent. Serve the Future strives to build a solid foundation for young people through the game of tennis to help them gain confidence, pursue their dreams on and off the court, and build a future that is healthy, prosperous, and fulfilling.