Together with the ITA, the USTA is pleased to offer a one-time grant of up to $10,000 awarded to your athletic department if you actively operate your tennis facility as a new “Collegiate Community Hub”.
Click Here to download the application.
What is a Collegiate Community Hub?
A Collegiate Community Hub is a full-service tennis center that engages the student body, faculty, staff, and local community by offering instruction and playing opportunities for all ages, levels, and abilities.
What qualifies as a “new” Collegiate Community Hub?
A new Collegiate Community Hub is a full-service tennis facility that opened to the public within the last 12 months.
What are the funding levels for this Grant program?
- $5,000 minimum
- Max of $10,000 per facility
Who is eligible to apply for this Grant?
The Grantee must be a collegiate organization and in good standing with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and guidelines.
What requirements must a facility meet to be eligible for funding?
In order to qualify for this one-time grant the facility: (1) must be a current member of the ITA; and (2) meet the following criteria as a new “Community Hub”.
- Applicant must run a tennis business by actively operating as tennis delivery providers (“Tennis Facility”) and provide access to the local community through a number of possible mechanisms such as membership, guest fees, clinics, etc. through the School’s Athletic Department or a separate corporate entity;
- Applicant must have or appoint a director/manager/operator to run the Tennis Facility;
- All teaching professionals must be either USPTA or PTR certified (Attach certificates);
- The Facility must be open to the public for a minimum of 10 hours per week;
- Applicant must offer youth and/or adult private and group lessons on a weekly basis;
- Facility will host a minimum of 2 community events during the calendar year, which can include tournaments, league play, or other special events; and
- Applicant shall submit a business plan outlining programs, participation, and hours of operation. The business plan should identify, at a minimum, the way the Tennis Facility provides access (membership, guest fees, etc.), what it offers (e.g., tennis and other racquet sports), the current and proposed revenue streams and any community involvement. See attached for an example…
Up to $5,000 in additional grant funding may be available. What is required to receive additional grant funding?
Your facility may be awarded additional grant funding, up to $5,000 above the minimum, for a maximum grant award of $10,000 per facility, if your facility offers any or all of the below programs:
Wheelchair Programming – Courts open for wheelchair play. Provide top-flight programming and developmental opportunities to wheelchair athletes of all ages and backgrounds. The goal, above all else, is for the athletes to learn the sport of tennis and have fun.
Tennis on Campus – (Club tennis) Work together with the club tennis team allowing access or host social events with the varsity team. Tennis On Campus is a program for college club tennis players designed for and organized by college students who want to stay involved in the game, make friends, and compete in events all around the country.
Indoor Court Access – Public access to the indoor courts.
Camps/Clinics/Programs – Offer junior and/or adult camps, clinics, and/or programs. Can be summer or winter, day camp or overnight.
Physical Education (“PE”) – Host PE classes on the varsity courts.
Serve Tennis – Serve Tennis is a powerful tool made for tennis. It is an automated, administrative process that takes online payments and registers players. Serve Tennis is designed to make a Collegiate Community Hub’s administrative process easier. A couple of easy-to-use features are: manage programs, marketing tools, court bookings, and custom website.
Community Tennis Associations (“CTA”) – Work with the local Community Tennis Association(s) to host an event centered around connecting the varsity team with the community. Community Tennis Associations (CTAs) are not-for-profit, volunteer-based organizations supporting programs that grow the game of tennis. They are located in towns across the country and are great entry points if you’re looking to get started in the game, to play more often, or to give back to our lifetime sport.
National Junior Tennis and Learning (“NJTL”) – Is the NJTL network accessing the facility? The NJTL network features more than 250 nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free or low-cost tennis and education programming to over 160,000 under-resourced youth each year.
Generally, who is the Director/Manager/Operator of a Community Hub Tennis Facility?
This can be the Varsity tennis coach, one of the assistant coaches, Director of Tennis Operations, an outside certified teaching professional, or a General Manager.
How do I and the coaches that are part of the Community Hub become certified teaching professionals?
The USPTA and/or PTR are the two organizations accredited through the USTA to offer certification.
What is considered “open to the public”?
For purposes of this Grant, your Organization makes its programs that qualify for this grant, available to the public.
What tournaments or special events do you suggest for a Community Hub?
Examples include: Adult Social, Leagues, Wheelchair, Adaptive, Adult, Junior, etc.
The Collegiate Community Hub playbook (linked below) contains many more options when it comes to tournaments, leagues, and social tennis.
Collegiate Community Hub Playbook
What needs to be in the business plan for a Community Hub?
The business plan must outline the programs, participation, and hours of operation for the Tennis Facility. The business plan should identify, at a minimum, the way the Tennis Facility provides access (membership, guest fees, etc.), what it offers (e.g., tennis and other racquet sports), the current and proposed revenue streams, and any community involvement.
