The USTA Florida Foundation is helping communities get more people involved with tennis through their grant system and changing lives through the sport. One of the organizations the Foundation grants have benefited from is the South Collier Country YMCA, which has been growing rapidly the past few months. 

The South Collier YMCA offers junior tennis to all kids aged 5-15 and helps teach them life lessons on and off the courts. “Our goal is to offer a well-rounded program that meets the needs of our families on the island and encourages a healthy lifestyle, good habits, and a positive social environment for these children,” said a spokesperson for the South Collier YMCA. 

However, with their community growing and tennis courts around being taken away, the South Collier YMCA needed some assistance. “We are a growing island with younger families moving here,” they said. “But, the island’s only other facility is the community park, which is turning their tennis courts into pickleball courts.” 

Thanks to the USTA Florida Foundation, the South Collier YMCA was awarded an Equipment Grant and a Program Support Grant, enhancing the experience for participants and aiding them with their rapid growth. 

“These grants will allow us to continue offering fundamental tennis skills to our community’s youth,” they said. “The quality of our program encourages repetitive enrollment for future success.” 

South Collier serves a diverse community, with many youths coming from disadvantaged homes. Their tennis program, which offers Red Stars (ages 5-6), Orange Stars (ages 7-8), Green Stars (ages 9-10), and Junior Team Tennis, has seen a boost in participation since receiving funding.  

These grants have helped provide much-needed equipment such as racquets, balls, shoes, and other tennis gear, making tennis accessible to the underserved families of South Collier County. 

“We now have enough equipment presently to sustain our program thanks to the grants we received from the USTA Florida Foundation.” the South Collier YMCA said. They also noted that they immediately saw an increase in other programs like their summer camps. 

The South Collier YMCA is grateful for the support of the USTA Florida Foundation and looks forward to continuing to provide enriching tennis experiences for youth in the community.  

To learn more about applying for grants through the USTA Florida Foundation go to ustafloridafoundation.com/apply-for-grants. The 2024 Grant Cycle opened on February 20 and will remain open until October 25, while funding lasts.   

To help aid these grants, you can donate to the Foundation in multiple ways. The USTA Florida Foundation “Play Tennis” License Plate is a great chance to show your tennis pride, with 90% of all proceeds going to the Foundation. Also, in honor of USTA Florida’s 75th year as an organization, the Foundation has a goal to raise $75,000 for 75 years!

ABOUT THE USTA FLORIDA FOUNDATION       

With a mission of “Changing Lives through Tennis,” the USTA Florida Section Foundation provides financial support to organizations that help people of all ages and abilities improve their health and quality of life through the great game of tennis. To learn more or to apply for a grant go to ustafloridafoundation.com.