Nov. 14, 2003
The Santa Clara University men's and women's tennis programs hosted a day of tennis, food and fun for boys and girls of Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA) last Saturday at the SCU Tennis Center. Close to 50 kids from Hunters Point, Mission Playground and Oakland traveled south with their parents for the field trip, organized by YTA and Bronco men's tennis coach George Husack.
"It was great to show the kids our campus, as well as introduce them to Bronco tennis," Husack said. "We weren't quite sure if the weather was going to hold up, however, somebody was watching over us as we had dry weather the entire time."
The event began with tennis instruction and point play, with several members of both the men's and women's teams. They included Erika Barnes, Taylor Bedilion, Ted Blosser, Catherine Cochrane, Nicole Jackson, Kelly Leathers, Kevin McQuaid, Bobby Rasmussen and Francisco Zepponi. Following the two-hour clinic and visit from Bronco mascot Bucky the Bronco, lunch was served in the Leavey Center. A campus tour was then given with questions answered relating to admissions, financial aid, housing and other general inquiries about life at Santa Clara University.
Bronco tennis partnered with Youth Tennis Advantage last spring and successfully implemented a six-week after-school program for low-income youth in San Jose. Santa Clara Pathways to Success is one of 10 programs currently operating in the Bay Area. Other YTA sites include Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley and Stanford.
"The field trip to Santa Clara University turned out very, very well," YTA program director John Chen commented. "The weather held up and the kids, parents and YTA staff alike all enjoyed the tennis and campus tour. Even Bucky the Bronco mingled with the kids. YTA is extremely grateful and looks forward to continuing our strong working relationship with Santa Clara University."
More than 1,400 children participate in Youth Tennis Advantage programs each year, including hundreds of children who learn tennis for the first time. YTA's mission is to inspire inner-city children to achieve their full potential in tennis and academics. Youth Tennis Advantage is headquartered in San Francisco and can be contacted at 415-617-1120 or www.youthtennis.org.