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USF Tennis Teams to Mentor At Risk Youth In San Francisco
Sept. 17, 2004
Sept. 17, 2004
(San Francisco)--The entire University of San Francisco men's and women's tennis teams (18 players) will participate in a year-long project to mentor some of San Francisco's at-risk youth, providing them with free tennis lessons and classroom instruction on sportsmanship.
Every Saturday morning from 9 a.m.-noon, USF will bring about 30 kids ages 6-16 to campus from some of the city's tougher neighborhoods, including Bayview/Hunter's Point and the Mission District. Members of the USF tennis team will engage them in one hour of discussion on such topics as sportsmanship, discipline and strategies for winning, followed by on-court instruction including drills and one-on-one practice with team members.
The new program will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 25, 9 a.m.--noon at the USF tennis courts on Lone Mountain. The University is providing all necessary transportation, equipment, instruction and snacks. The program will continue until the end of the academic year in May 2005.
"Our mission at USF is to educate leaders to help change the world, and that mission begins right here at home," said Hilary Somers, project organizer and coach of the USF women's tennis team. "The youth we bring in are hungry to learn, and eager to work with strong role models who can inspire and guide them. But no matter how much we teach them, at the end of the year, I believe it'll be our USF students who will have learned the most."
Somers hopes this community-service project will become a model for other tennis teams and other collegiate sports programs across the country.
