The More Than a Sport: Tennis, Education and Health Full Report presents the major findings from a first-of- its-kind nationwide study by United States Tennis Association (USTA) that compares the educational and health profiles of adolescent tennis participants with participants in other non-contact sports and contact sports, as well as high school students who do not participate in sports. The results confirm USTA Serves’ belief in tennis as a sport of opportunity and validate our mission to support programs that enhance the lives of children and families through the integration of tennis, health and education. An executive summary is also available from ustaserves.com.
About Those involved
USTA Serves, Inc., is the national charitable foundation of the USTA. Its mission is to support, monitor and promote programs that enhance the lives of at-risk youth and people with disabilities through the integration of tennis, education and health programs. USTA Serves encourages children to pursue their goals and highest dreams by succeeding in school, improving their health and nutrition, and becoming responsible citizens. USTA Serves has funded hundreds of programs in 172 cities and 47 states, providing more than 18 million hours of mentoring, tutoring, nutritional guidance and tennis instruction to more than 300,000 youths.
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the recognized leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US Open. The USTA is a progressive and diverse not-for-profit organization whose volunteers, professional staff and financial resources support a single mission: to promote and develop the growth of tennis. The USTA is the largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 770,000 individual members and more than 8,800 Organizational Members, thousands of volunteers and a professional staff dedicated to growing the game.
The study was conducted by the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) on behalf of USTA Serves. The WSF, founded in 1974, is the leader in promoting sports, health and education for girls and women. With Billie Jean King as its founder and ongoing visionary, the Women’s Sports Foundation continues to have a profound impact on female athletics, from its vigorous advocacy of Title IX legislation to providing grants, scholarships and grassroots programs for underserved girls and groundbreaking research.
The study was authored by Don Sabo, Ph.D., Center for Research on Physical Activity, Sports, and Health, D’Youville College; Phil Veliz, Ph.D., University of Michigan; and Lisa Rafalson, Ph.D., D’Youville College.
The full study is available here!
