By Karen Harris, ALTA Foundation Secretary
The ALTA Foundation START (Support for Teaching Recreational Tennis) Program for Title I high schools continues to grow because of your generosity. Thanks to your donations, we have added 10 new Title I schools for the 2025 school year, located in Clayton, Hall, Henry, DeKalb, and Atlanta Public Schools (APS). This brings the total to 18 Title I schools across metro Atlanta. Our goal is to increase the number of schools benefiting from the START program by 60 percent each year, and we are exceeding that goal!
The START program provides resources that reduce barriers and create opportunities for at-risk and underserved students who might not otherwise be able to participate in high school tennis. Your donations help eliminate financial obligations for students, such as team dues, and assist in purchasing essential items that foster an inclusive environment for Title I students in team sports. These resources include team uniforms, equipment, food, court shoes, water bottles, cooling towels, coaching fees, and, in some cases, MARTA passes to help with transportation to and from practices and matches.
The addition of 10 new schools in 2025 has significantly impacted the lives of many students, but some schools still need additional resources. We are grateful for our partnering companies that step in where help is needed most. Thanks to the generosity of several racquet manufacturers, more than 50 racquets were donated to the foundation, which START students can keep and use both in school and at home. These racquets were distributed to Cross Keys High School, Clarkston High School, and North Druid Hills High School during a recent match and team practice. The joy and appreciation shown by the players were genuinely heartwarming, and having personal racquets ensures players can continue the sport into adulthood. We could not do this without you!
Your support and passion are how we make a difference. Together, ALTA members, volunteers, coaches, and foundation partners improve the physical and mental health of young athletes across the metro Atlanta area while promoting sportsmanship and an appreciation for the sport. When asked how START best supports Title I high school sports, Coach Chris Anderson from North Druid Hills explained that it creates opportunities for kids to get involved in tennis, builds passion, and provides them with a basis to learn and apply valuable life lessons, helping to keep them engaged in positive activities and off the streets.
As the foundation expands its outreach into more counties and disadvantaged neighborhoods, foundation representatives will collaborate with coaches and athletic directors to ensure we reach kids of all ages. Coach Kandi-Lee Reid from Clarkston High School expressed that her biggest challenge is engaging young boys and middle schoolers, and she believes that, with the foundation’s help, hosting a summer tennis clinic within her district would attract the broader community and children of all ages. With your continued support, we can make this a reality! Let’s work together to build stronger communities in Atlanta and surrounding areas!
If you would like to learn more about the ALTA Foundation and how you can help advance its mission, consider making a year-end donation through your donor-advised fund, donating by check, or providing in-kind donations. Please contact Cameron Turner at foundationpresident@altatennis.org.
To donate online, please scan the QR code or visit the foundation’s webpage on the ALTA website at altatennis.org. You can also add a donation when you renew your membership. Thank you for your support!
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