Mission

At the Austin Tennis Academy, our students, parents, and entire Austin Tennis Academy are living the sport of tennis. Our mission is to help junior tennis players reach their full potential as tennis players and human beings. It is the goal of the Austin Tennis Academy to develop citizens of significance, not only of success.

And, through the ATA's work with A Glimmer of Hope Foundation, we give back to the community by helping that organization fulfill its mission. Working with organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and A Glimmer of Hope's Camp Glimmer, the coaches, parents, players, and members of the community who support the Foundation help make a difference in many lives.

Austin Tennis Academy players, parents, and coaches raise funds for water wells in Tigray region of Ethiopia

One example of this difference is the funds raised by the players, parents and coaches to have numerous wells drilled in the dry Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The results of this passion to the pursuit of life skills and to the sport of tennis are clear.

Our academy students are better prepared for to take their game to a higher level, be it collegiate tennis or further. And they are better prepared for the challenges they'll face in whatever career they pursue.

Parents considering tennis academies, need to consider the track record of the coaching staff. The Austin Tennis Academy staff has consistently developed their students to become top ranked juniors and scholarship-ready collegians.

This speech to the academy members to kick off the 2008-2009 season, by Director of Coaching Jack Newman exemplifies the philosophy and approach the Austin Tennis Academy takes.

Boys & Girls Club of Austin

The Austin Tennis Academy provides services free of charge to the Boys & Girls Club of Austin and Travis County, whereby the ATA provides professional coaching for Boys & Girls Club participants and awards scholarships to a few of its members to our grass roots Junior Development (JD) program. The JD program is held Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. from September through May.

The ATA started a relationship with the Boys & Girls Club in the Spring of 2004 to teach life lessons through the sport of tennis, using its proven, positive and fun-filled methods.

Last summer, ATA also assisted Boys & Girls Club members to attend its high quality summer camps. It is the goal of the ATA to one day to develop one of the Boys & Girls Club members into a nationally-ranked player, ideally receiving a Division 1 college scholarship. This is a lofty, but realistic goal. In fact, ATA has a proven track record in this regard by developing scholarship player, Santiago Montoya, and seeing him receive a Division 1 tennis scholarship to Notre Dame.

Camp Glimmer

A Glimmer of Hope's Camp Glimmer is a seven week summer camp, which this past summer served 250 at-risk children in East and South Austin. Two-thirds of the children were from the Boys & Girls Club of Austin and one-third of the children were from Lifeworks, an organization which serves severely at-risk children from abusive homes.

The mission of Camp Glimmer is to build a bridge across I-35 by exposing at-risk, underprivileged children to positive life enhancing experiences through sports, team building, activities, and motivational speakers, such as former University of Texas Quarterback, Major Applewhite.

The camp is held on the property of the Philip and Donna Berber family’s 30 acre estate on Lake Travis. Children participate in such activities as tennis, basketball, soccer, volleyball, pottery making, arts and crafts, and reading. The children also enjoy trips to such places as Sea World and Schlitterbahn. All Camp Glimmer activities are geared toward fostering self esteem and respect.

This past summer, A Glimmer of Hope spent approximately $40,000 to cover Camp Glimmer meals, transportation and professional staffing by the Boys & Girls Club of Austin and Lifeworks. ATA provides volunteer assistants, including coaches and players, for the tennis activities; however, professional staffing is also always required for the children, especially the severely at-risk and abused children.