Support Tennis Without Borders' Mission

Tennis Without Borders Annual Fundraiser 2024

We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has a mission to help children develop life skills through tennis. Our goal is to help children worldwide pursue life opportunities on and off the court.

Your donation will go directly to helping with school fees and supplies, purchasing and or collecting and refurbishing tennis (and pickleball) equipment, and travel expenses, so we can work with communities in need and provide meaningful mentorship, instruction, and spaces for creativity.

We often say “it’s not about their forehand or backhand” while we are deep in a project. We know that many children will not be seeking anything beyond playing games with their friends and learning a new skill/sport. Many children will also be limited by their life situation, both economically and logistically. In 2023/2024 we decided to try and reach more children in rural areas with no or limited access to programming. We wanted to give them opportunities to play tennis (and pickleball) by leaving equipment to continue when we are not there. We showed them how to create spaces which could be make shift courts right in their community. We had pop up nets, rope and tape for a net. They were able to tie rope and tape to trees and posts. Tennis was now possible anywhere. Our goal was to keep them engaged in healthy activities which in turn offers hope and directs them to a brighter future.

We often spend a lot of time with school teachers, local sports teachers or helpers and sometimes tennis teachers if they have them. We bring curriculum to share and work with them to bring current programming and progressions for them to use or add to theirs. Additionally, it can often be a job opportunity for them in the future.

Below is a quick background on our organization and some of our work. You can find more information, pictures, and testimonials, on our website, tenniswithoutborders.org.

Puerto Rico 2024

In Adjuntus, a rural area, we worked with a social worker from the Villa Valle Verde Housing Project, a small private community that welcomed bringing sports to their youth. They were excited to learn tennis and pickleball to inspire their kids to get outside and be more active. We were also able to show them the ability to create a court out of most any surface area. This allows them to play any time and any where.

We were also able to collaborate with the YMCA in Ponce, PR. The community the YMCA serves is 90% below the poverty line. Our visit in April inspired them to consider incorporating tennis and pickleball as part of their regular summer camp curriculum. Adjuntus, along with Ponce, were two communities to which we introduced tennis and pickleball for the first time. Over 40 tennis racquets, 10 pickleball paddles, nets, balls and sneakers were donated to enhance their ability to continue the sport after we left.

Malawi 2023

We were in Malawi in November 2023 where we worked with local schools, a refugee camp and several remote villages. Malawi is one of the poorest countries on earth. We brought over 100 pairs of donated shoes, clothes, hundreds of tennis and pickleballs, nets, rackets and paddles. Children also received backpacks and school supplies and did some creative art projects. We were able to provide food for children and families in all of the projects we worked with. One racket can change a life..we have seen it firsthand time and time again.

Rwanda 2023

We worked with some of the country’s top players/young coaches with programming and college admission prep for the United States. We also worked with four remote programs/schools using our “STAY AND PLAY” model combining tennis and education (based on our award winning NJTL/National Jr Tennis and Learning) we began in the United States.

We formed a wonderful new partnership with a grassroots program there that will be offering free tennis to all, and we will continue to work together to improve tennis accessibility in Rwanda. We were able to bring over 75 junior rackets, hundreds of balls, shoes, clothes, backpacks, and court equipment. Additionally, we introduced pickleball and left 30 paddles and balls along with basic rules. The junior tennis nets we bring along with makeshift net tape served as a pickleball court as well.

We also did art projects each day which the kids love! We left teachers and children with paints, paper, scissors, and more for kids to continue to be creative at home or at school. Snacks or meals were provided to children each day as well which put a lot of smiles on kids faces.

Ethiopia 2019

In October of 2019, Tennis Without Borders traveled to villages outside the city of Bishoftu, Ethiopia. There we spent a week introducing the sport of tennis to children. Kids participated in various games and drills aimed at building hand-eye coordination, developing a swing, and rallying with one another.

In addition to tennis, Tennis Without Borders engaged children in various art projects aimed to allow them to express themselves artistically. They participated in making friendship bracelets, painting in watercolors, and creating puppets.

Stateside, sixth graders at a coastal Maine school learned about the Ethiopia in advance of the Tennis Without Borders trip. These students participated in school-wide acts of service project to raise money to sponsor a child in Ethiopia. Students wrote letters to share about life in coastal Maine, painting pictures, and made friendship bracelets to be given out to Ethiopian children.

Columbia 2019

In February 2019, we traveled to the Raul Ordonez Tennis Foundation in Cali, Colombia, where we were able to donate tennis equipment, school and art supplies, and hygiene products, as well as provide tennis and art instruction to support the program. With the help of several junior tennis players from Maine and Massachusetts and a special education art teacher, Georgia Ahlers, we brought the community organization in Colombia a unique collaboration of tennis and the arts that emphasized unity. Today, we continue to support the Raul Ordonez Tennis Foundation with donated equipment.

New England

Tennis Without Borders has deep roots in New England.

Many efforts across New England have been made to collect gently used tennis shoes, clothes and rackets for the children we work with in Africa, South America, and locally in the U.S..

We are honored to have many youth tennis players involved with fundraising in their own communities, such as setting up donation centers, refurbishing equipment, and volunteering at their local non-profits, which teaches them the importance of giving back.

We are frequently able to provide tennis equipment, such as junior rackets, grips, and string, to various rural and inner-city tennis programs in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut. In April 2019, we collaborated with the Sportsmen's Enrichment Center in Dorchester, MA to donate a new laptop, hundreds of grips, and tennis shoes and rackets. We have also donated to: Six-Love Tennis, in Stamford CT, The CLC YMCA in Damariscotta ME, Stamford Youth Tennis in Stamford CT, and Norwalk Grassroots Tennis in Norwalk, CT. We have also collaborated with Kids on the Ball in Burlington, VT.

Cameroon 2015-2018

In 2014, Cinda Holbach was introduced to Joseph Oyebog from Cameroon while he was in Connecticut. As a former professional tennis player and current teaching pro, she was asked to offer her teaching skills in Africa to assist their current teaching pros, help teach the children, and design lesson plans for their tennis development. Since then, she has traveled to Cameroon, Africa four times to work firsthand with the Oyebog Tennis Academy. On her Tennis Without Borders trips, she is able to utilize donated funds to support the programs and local community. Our mission is to provide these children the opportunity to rise above their life of severe poverty through tennis and education.

We are fortunate to be able to bring donated equipment, such as tennis shoes and rackets, and give them directly to the kids in Cameroon. We utilize donations to support baggage fees for equipment, trip expenses and the purchasing of other educational tools.

On our 2018 trip, we were able to purchase and donate eight laptops, three phones, three tablets, and additional educational equipment to enhance the children's learning opportunities.

Your support has meant that children have new shoes on their feet, essential school supplies, school fees paid for, and rackets in their hands. We have also had the opportunity to provide meals for families who need them, in Colombia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Rwanda and Malawi.

We are excited to continue to share these experiences with you, and to grow our program so we can touch as many children’s lives as possible. Thank you for supporting our efforts.