Hawaiian Isles Tennis / Forward Foundation

Area of Focus: Youth
Website: www.hitennis.net

The mission of Hawaiian Isles Tennis (HIT) to “promote community through tennis.” HIT’s Principal is Leilani Magee. HIT is undertaking several youth development programs with the fiscal sponsorship of the Forward Foundation.

Play Tennis! Is an after school and summer tennis program that takes in and engages underserved youth during unstructured parts of the day and year when they are vulnerable to trouble from lack of direction, inspiration and supervision. HIT community sports nad development programming fills this critical gap with play, fun, friendship, games, competition, community and character building.

Play Tennis! Engages local resources: youth, professional educators, businesses, volunteers, high school and college standout. Volunteers and assistant coaches work with quality professionals, gaining skills and career training to help cultivate community awareness, pride and qualifications for the jobs.

The Play Tennis! Program is a partnership currently with the Boys & Girls Clubs on Kauai, Maui and Oahu. HIT anticipates that 14 to 16 sites could develop a tennis program and that each site may involve 30-50 children. In the future, the most interested children would be able to participate in league tennis.

In addition, HI plans to develop curriculum materials – a coach’s manual, player handbook and instructional DVD’s – to provide some consistency across coaches and sites.