Programs
2012-13 Saturday Winter Program
For 20 Saturdays, the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center, ICT's home - located at the intersection of 40th St & Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis, opens up its entire center to deliver ICT programming free of charge to our communities youth.
About 300 kids ages 3-17 fill the tennis center each Saturday, learning tennis fundamentals and life skills. Over 100 volunteers, of all ages and abilities, conduct the program alongside the ICT professional staff.
Schedule - The 2012-2013 Saturday program begins September 29th and continues through April 13th (20 sessions in all). Levels I & II run from 3:00 - 4:30pm and levels III & IV run from 4:30 - 6:00pm.
Same Day Registration / Join Anytime - No pre-registration! Kids can be registered on the same day they join the program at the tennis center. Kids can join the program at ANY WEEK throughout the year.
Program Divided into 4 Levels - We place children in a level (1-4) based on their age AND ability. Parents & Guardians decide when a child is ready to move up a level. Kids can participate in only one level at a time.
Level I (ages 3-6)
3:00 - 4:30pm
This program helps preschoolers and early elementary kids build both physical skills (agility, balance, hand-eye coordination) and life skills (teamwork, taking turns, cleaning up together, etc). Skill development stations help kids prepare for a future in any sport.
Level I attracts about 100 kids each week, and requires 50 volunteers of all ages and abilities to run.
Level II (ages 7-11)
3:00 - 4:30pm
This program is for elementary school kids that want to start learning to rally the tennis ball. Pressure-less balls are used to to accelerate the learning process for volleys and groundstrokes. Kids rotate from activity station to activity station every seven minutes in teams - learning tennis fundamentals while working on agility and basic hand eye coordination.
Level II attracts about 95 kids each week, and requires 30 volunteers of all ages and abilities to run.
Level III (ages 12-14)
4:30 - 6:00pm
Junior high kids learn the fundamentals of all tennis strokes - volleys, groundstrokes, overheads and serves. Our goal here is to have kids hit as many tennis balls as possible. In addition to practicing tennis strokes, this program begins to focus on tennis strategy.
Level III averages 50 kids per week and takes 10 volunteers with tennis specific knowledge to run.
Level IV (ages 15-17)
4:30 - 6:00pm
High school kids drill all their strokes - volleys, groundstrokes, overheads and serves. Kids continue to work to develop consistency on all their shots. Advanced tennis skills and techniques such as grips, court positioning and the mental approach to the game are taught.
Level IV averages 40 kids per week and takes 10 volunteers with tennis specific knowledge to run.
Outreach Programs
Some of the most at need children that ICT works with are already involved with other great community serving programs. Programs such as Headstart, the Pillsbury House, the YW / YMCA’s, and many others are already working with our communities youth.
ICT partners with these programs to provide ICT programming in their facility or at Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center for their children.
While its outreach program presents many programming difficulties, these difficulties pale in comparison with the difficulties that face these children. Many of ICT’s staff and CMT’s have stated that the outreach program is the most difficult and demanding, but is also the most needed and rewarding.
Summer Parks Program
InnerCity Tennis has partnered with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Department since the 1970s to bring affordable, quality tennis lessons to the children and youth of Minneapolis.
In 2013, the program will operate at 23 different park sites in North & South Minneapolis. View a map of all the locations where programs will be run.
The program teaches basic tennis fundamentals and strategy. Group drills and games facilitate learning the volley, groundstroke, overhead and serve. In addition, kids build teamwork, confidence and hand-eye coordination. Healthy habits will be modeled by our summer instructors.
An optional individual tournament will be offered on Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21 at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in South Minneapolis.
We will offer 3 different programs this summer:
- North Minneapolis Program Details & Registration (June 17 - July 26, M-F)
- South Minneapolis Program Details & Registration (June 17 - July 19, M-F)
- Match Play Camp (July 22 - August 2, M-F)
Paid jobs are available to young adults ages 16 or older who have a passion for teaching tennis and being positive role models for children and youth.
Northside Initiative
The Northside Initiative, begun in 2007, continues to grow each year. In 2013, the program will operate at 4 park locations: Bohanon, Folwell, North Commons, Webber. There is no charge for participants in this program - it is 100% free.
Jose Williamson, the Northside Director, has a passion for providing positive experiences for youth and introducing them to tennis. He has introduced ICT to community organizations on the Northside, the most notable being the North Community YMCA. His hard work is evident. The program has grown from about 100 kids to over 300 kids.
Jose is a high school graduate of North Community High School - he enjoys helping the community he grew up in. He has worked in ICT's summer program since 1995, first as an assistant instructor, and later as a head park instructor until he began to lead the Northside Initiative in 2007.
The Northside Initiative has provided youth employment for up to 12 teens each summer.
2013 North Minneapolis Parks Schedule (June 17 - July 26, M-F)
Presence & Partnerships on the Northside (pdf)
