Tennis Corps is a program that brings U.S. military veterans and young people together through tennis in a fun new way, and it will soon hit courts in Southern California.
The program provides weekly beginner/intermediate tennis clinics for local veterans, pairing advanced junior players as hitting partners. As veterans bring life experiences, the young players offer tennis experience, and together they learn from each other and form a unique bond.
ThanksUSA, a non-profit organization that serves our troops and their families, partnered with the USTA and the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland back in 2018 to create Tennis Corps, which garnered the attention and support of American tennis star Frances Tiafoe.
“It is much more than a rehabilitation program for Veterans and an instruction program for junior players,” said Jean Pletchette, ThanksUSA Director of Sports Initiatives. “It is a social inclusion program that brings together two groups of people that would likely never meet, puts tennis racquets in their hands, and creates opportunities for emotional and physical growth. It is evident that interaction with youth players and other Veterans positively impacts the Veterans who look forward to participating in Tennis Corps each week.”
Next month, Match Play Tennis Academy will play host to Southern California’s inaugural Tennis Corps program. The program will kick-off on Sept 11 with weekly programming for beginner and intermediate veterans to follow.