Fourth Grade Tennis
Sponsored by Woodland Tennis Club
by James Ousey
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Ever since I happily volunteered for a couple of years to teach tennis on a trial basis at Woodland Christian School I have thought that a larger program for all the public schools in the vicinity would be an even more rewarding endeavor. Teaching a mix of 12 young student’s grades 2 through 6 once a week was a rewarding and educational experience for me as well as them. They loved to play and although I am not a professional instructor most of the kids learned quickly and some of them still play tennis. The Woodland Tennis Club (WTC) could be the ideal sponsor for a larger tennis program because its mission states that "the purpose of the WTC is to promote, encourage and foster the development of tennis for the Woodland Community. The WTC strives to make tennis accessible to all ages and skill levels through social, instructional and team-based activity." In the eleven years since the club started we have successfully raised thousands of dollars, paid for kids’ tennis lessons, and promoted tennis playing and social gatherings for club members. I propose that we could do significantly more for the children in our town by creating Fourth Grade Tennis.
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Donate a vehicle to help raise funds for Fourth Grade Tennis. All of our board are volunteers and no board member is permitted to profit in any way from the club’s activities.
Donate a vehicle 1 (855) 500-7433 We accept donations on our website. Also cars can be donated and are tax deductible. Car donation specialists are standing by right now (24/7), ready to take your call. The car donation process is quick, very easy, and professional. You will be kept in the know from the first call, to the visit by a car inspector or tow driver, to the sale of the vehicle at auction. All paperwork is taken care of with your interest in mind. Putting together this tennis program is like winning a tough tennis match. You got to want it! Download flyer with information on how to donate a car to support this program |
Rationale
In my experience teaching varied ages and grade levels of students I have noticed that fourth graders are at the perfect age to begin learning the sport. I have observed a definite jump in the ability of kids to learn physical skills quickly between the third grade students and the fourth grade students. For example, I once taught a boy who was very enthused and tried his best, but after a year of lessons he was only slightly better than the first day. His sister, who was just one year older in the fourth grade, advanced much more after one year. Our Woodland Tennis Professional, Michael Kwong, commented that “When they are still small at 5, 6, or 7 they don’t really improve too much, but when they get to 10 and their muscles get a bit bigger and they have grown some they learn and progress much more quickly.” We should start teaching the kids when they are ready to learn.
If we place same age boys and girls from more than ten different elementary schools together once a week, having fun and getting to know each other, we create a continuing social group that will make the kids closely bond with each other. If the kids were different ages and grades, they would have less chance of developing such strong friendships.
The fourth grade is three, perhaps four years from the big changes that everyone experiences at puberty. Middle school changes everything. If students have developed tennis skills for those three years the sport can get to be not only fun, but satisfying. They will have been given the support they need to continue with the sport all throughout the distractions of middle school. Tennis programs in the US have a big problem losing their players in middle school. We would be fighting the social battle for the kids’ attention with our own socially cohesive group.
Overview
Fourth Grade Tennis would enroll 36 fourth graders to learn how to play tennis throughout the school year, for 1 ½ hours one afternoon per week at the nine Woodland High School tennis courts. After one year the first fourth graders who have continuing interest may stay in the program, but their group is now the fifth grade group, and another 36 fourth graders would join in. Fourth Grade Tennis would grow into a continuing multi-year program that over time seeks to develop skilled tennis players in every grade, 4 through 12. They will have had weekly tennis lessons for eight continuous years. All of the players will have begun their tennis career in Fourth Grade Tennis. One end result would be that Woodland could become a center for kids’ tennis in Northern California. For the kids the result would be scholarships, confidence, lifelong friendships, and of course, tennis skills.
Employees
As a 501© 3 charity the WTC can hire, pay, and direct employees in performing work that promotes our mission. The following positions and possibly more are necessary for Fourth Grade Tennis to move forward.
Tennis Tutors: These are the high school students that teach and supervise the fourth grade students. We need a total of six tennis tutors once a week, two for every 12 students that will be in each of the three sections of the Woodland High School tennis courts. We should have about ten high schoolers potentially available from the Woodland and Pioneer High School tennis teams who have been taught some teaching skills by our Tennis Professionals.
Tennis Professional: We need one qualified tennis professional on the courts to organize and assist the Tennis Tutors with teaching their kids. Here in Woodland we are fortunate to have some highly skilled young men who currently teach tennis, or have in the past: Michael Kwong, Sunny Mallinson and Dooba Eibensteiner.
Fourth Grade Tennis Coordinator: This important but part time position could be filled by a current employee of the Woodland Joint Unified School District (WJUSD) or a retired professional with a great interest in promoting tennis. Finding a dedicated volunteer would be ideal. Responsibilities:
Estimated Payroll Costs
Woodland Tennis Club would fund all of Fourth Grade Tennis through grants and donations. The following estimate is for payroll only.
6 tennis tutors earning $25 per session for 36 weeks $5400.00
1 Tennis Pro earning $120 per session for 36 weeks $4320.00
1 Fourth Grade Coordinator earning $150 per session for 36 weeks $5400.00
Less $5 per student every session over 36 weeks -$6480.00
Payroll estimate……………………………………….$8640.00
Other Estimated Costs
This amount is certainly unknown. Before the WTC is able to attract significant donations and grants to fund Fourth Grade Tennis we will need to hire professionals to polish our website and improve our public presentation. I estimate $7000.00 in “other costs,” making our start up goal about $15,000.00. I approve, by the way, of a policy whereby no member or former member of the WTC Board of Directors may earn any salary from any club activities, as is appropriate for any tax free organization.
Our Partners
Woodland Joint Unified School District: The WJUSD is our most important partner, for without them we would have no kids to teach and no tennis courts to play on. We hope they will love our program and be excited about making it successful. We will require unfettered access to the tennis courts at Woodland High School. A storage locker on school property close to the courts is needed to contain tools for drying the courts and for teaching. Permission and cooperation is also needed from the WJUSD to help us find interested Tennis Tutors from the two high school tennis teams. Soliciting the young kids to join Fourth Grade Tennis involves visiting many elementary schools and meeting with teachers, kids and their parents. If the WJUSD is highly motivated to help us make the program a success then these tasks and others will be much easier to accomplish.
United States Tennis Association: Cheryl Silva in Vacaville is our local representative with the USTA, and she knows us well. Since the USTA has been so generous to Woodland tennis in the past I think we may be eligible for financial support -- most likely for the purchase of equipment rather than for paying instructors, since grants from USTA normally follow that pattern.
Cello International Tennis Academy. The CITA, owned by Phil Cello and located in Fairfield, CA, is known throughout the world as a quality facility that produces world class tennis players who compete at the highest levels. In contract with the City of Woodland Mr. Cello has raised the level of tennis at City Park. Two CITA tennis professionals teach tennis to kids and adults in Woodland, and CITA puts on an annual professional tennis tournament at City Park. We hope to employ their tennis professionals in the Fourth Grade Tennis program.
Soliciting the Fourth Graders
Our target elementary schools are all 10 WJUSD elementary schools in Woodland, Woodland Christian Elementary, Holy Rosary Elementary, and the elementary schools in Winters, Esparto, Knights Landing and Plainfield. With permission of the school administrators we will meet with an assembly of fourth graders early in the school year. After an exciting tennis show we move on to a motivational talk. Kids will go home with a written description of the program and a phone number to call to sign up. An evening meeting with parents could help to convince them to enroll their children, answer many questions, and insure that the kids stay throughout the full first year.
Funding
Primary ways to pay for the program:
The Fourth graders will be required to pay $5.00 per session. Charging money gives value to the lessons in the eyes of both the parents and the kids. I would prefer to not offer any scholarships to cover this payment since it is so low. 36 payments brings in $180.00 per session.
We will need to seek grant money after we make professional videos of our kids playing tennis and work on our website to make it attractive to potential donors.
The Future This program will take a lot of time and energy to start and manage. It also does not stop at any future date: it is a continuing responsibility. All of our club members want to see a growing tennis program in Woodland. Club members working together as volunteers along with a bit of funding to pay for administration and tennis teachers could really change the face of tennis in Woodland. In a way it is a bit like coming from behind to win a difficult tennis match. You got to want it.
In my experience teaching varied ages and grade levels of students I have noticed that fourth graders are at the perfect age to begin learning the sport. I have observed a definite jump in the ability of kids to learn physical skills quickly between the third grade students and the fourth grade students. For example, I once taught a boy who was very enthused and tried his best, but after a year of lessons he was only slightly better than the first day. His sister, who was just one year older in the fourth grade, advanced much more after one year. Our Woodland Tennis Professional, Michael Kwong, commented that “When they are still small at 5, 6, or 7 they don’t really improve too much, but when they get to 10 and their muscles get a bit bigger and they have grown some they learn and progress much more quickly.” We should start teaching the kids when they are ready to learn.
If we place same age boys and girls from more than ten different elementary schools together once a week, having fun and getting to know each other, we create a continuing social group that will make the kids closely bond with each other. If the kids were different ages and grades, they would have less chance of developing such strong friendships.
The fourth grade is three, perhaps four years from the big changes that everyone experiences at puberty. Middle school changes everything. If students have developed tennis skills for those three years the sport can get to be not only fun, but satisfying. They will have been given the support they need to continue with the sport all throughout the distractions of middle school. Tennis programs in the US have a big problem losing their players in middle school. We would be fighting the social battle for the kids’ attention with our own socially cohesive group.
Overview
Fourth Grade Tennis would enroll 36 fourth graders to learn how to play tennis throughout the school year, for 1 ½ hours one afternoon per week at the nine Woodland High School tennis courts. After one year the first fourth graders who have continuing interest may stay in the program, but their group is now the fifth grade group, and another 36 fourth graders would join in. Fourth Grade Tennis would grow into a continuing multi-year program that over time seeks to develop skilled tennis players in every grade, 4 through 12. They will have had weekly tennis lessons for eight continuous years. All of the players will have begun their tennis career in Fourth Grade Tennis. One end result would be that Woodland could become a center for kids’ tennis in Northern California. For the kids the result would be scholarships, confidence, lifelong friendships, and of course, tennis skills.
Employees
As a 501© 3 charity the WTC can hire, pay, and direct employees in performing work that promotes our mission. The following positions and possibly more are necessary for Fourth Grade Tennis to move forward.
Tennis Tutors: These are the high school students that teach and supervise the fourth grade students. We need a total of six tennis tutors once a week, two for every 12 students that will be in each of the three sections of the Woodland High School tennis courts. We should have about ten high schoolers potentially available from the Woodland and Pioneer High School tennis teams who have been taught some teaching skills by our Tennis Professionals.
Tennis Professional: We need one qualified tennis professional on the courts to organize and assist the Tennis Tutors with teaching their kids. Here in Woodland we are fortunate to have some highly skilled young men who currently teach tennis, or have in the past: Michael Kwong, Sunny Mallinson and Dooba Eibensteiner.
Fourth Grade Tennis Coordinator: This important but part time position could be filled by a current employee of the Woodland Joint Unified School District (WJUSD) or a retired professional with a great interest in promoting tennis. Finding a dedicated volunteer would be ideal. Responsibilities:
- Be present at the Woodland High School tennis courts every session just inside the only unlocked gate to the courts. He or she will check in the kids as they arrive and collect $5.00 from those kids who have not paid in advance. At the end of the class he/she assures that they are re-united with their guardian. This is very important so no child is left behind.
- The coordinator has all parents’ contact information and handles communicating with parents.
- This employee also schedules the tennis tutors and the tennis pro and keeps their work time for the WTC.
- Performs administrative tasks while working at home.
- Works closely with the WTC to insure the program is running smoothly and also handles communicating with the WJUSD.
Estimated Payroll Costs
Woodland Tennis Club would fund all of Fourth Grade Tennis through grants and donations. The following estimate is for payroll only.
6 tennis tutors earning $25 per session for 36 weeks $5400.00
1 Tennis Pro earning $120 per session for 36 weeks $4320.00
1 Fourth Grade Coordinator earning $150 per session for 36 weeks $5400.00
Less $5 per student every session over 36 weeks -$6480.00
Payroll estimate……………………………………….$8640.00
Other Estimated Costs
This amount is certainly unknown. Before the WTC is able to attract significant donations and grants to fund Fourth Grade Tennis we will need to hire professionals to polish our website and improve our public presentation. I estimate $7000.00 in “other costs,” making our start up goal about $15,000.00. I approve, by the way, of a policy whereby no member or former member of the WTC Board of Directors may earn any salary from any club activities, as is appropriate for any tax free organization.
Our Partners
Woodland Joint Unified School District: The WJUSD is our most important partner, for without them we would have no kids to teach and no tennis courts to play on. We hope they will love our program and be excited about making it successful. We will require unfettered access to the tennis courts at Woodland High School. A storage locker on school property close to the courts is needed to contain tools for drying the courts and for teaching. Permission and cooperation is also needed from the WJUSD to help us find interested Tennis Tutors from the two high school tennis teams. Soliciting the young kids to join Fourth Grade Tennis involves visiting many elementary schools and meeting with teachers, kids and their parents. If the WJUSD is highly motivated to help us make the program a success then these tasks and others will be much easier to accomplish.
United States Tennis Association: Cheryl Silva in Vacaville is our local representative with the USTA, and she knows us well. Since the USTA has been so generous to Woodland tennis in the past I think we may be eligible for financial support -- most likely for the purchase of equipment rather than for paying instructors, since grants from USTA normally follow that pattern.
Cello International Tennis Academy. The CITA, owned by Phil Cello and located in Fairfield, CA, is known throughout the world as a quality facility that produces world class tennis players who compete at the highest levels. In contract with the City of Woodland Mr. Cello has raised the level of tennis at City Park. Two CITA tennis professionals teach tennis to kids and adults in Woodland, and CITA puts on an annual professional tennis tournament at City Park. We hope to employ their tennis professionals in the Fourth Grade Tennis program.
Soliciting the Fourth Graders
Our target elementary schools are all 10 WJUSD elementary schools in Woodland, Woodland Christian Elementary, Holy Rosary Elementary, and the elementary schools in Winters, Esparto, Knights Landing and Plainfield. With permission of the school administrators we will meet with an assembly of fourth graders early in the school year. After an exciting tennis show we move on to a motivational talk. Kids will go home with a written description of the program and a phone number to call to sign up. An evening meeting with parents could help to convince them to enroll their children, answer many questions, and insure that the kids stay throughout the full first year.
Funding
Primary ways to pay for the program:
The Fourth graders will be required to pay $5.00 per session. Charging money gives value to the lessons in the eyes of both the parents and the kids. I would prefer to not offer any scholarships to cover this payment since it is so low. 36 payments brings in $180.00 per session.
We will need to seek grant money after we make professional videos of our kids playing tennis and work on our website to make it attractive to potential donors.
The Future This program will take a lot of time and energy to start and manage. It also does not stop at any future date: it is a continuing responsibility. All of our club members want to see a growing tennis program in Woodland. Club members working together as volunteers along with a bit of funding to pay for administration and tennis teachers could really change the face of tennis in Woodland. In a way it is a bit like coming from behind to win a difficult tennis match. You got to want it.