(Washington, DC) - David Wendt, President of Mid-Atlantic Tennis & Education Foundation (MATEF), presented Ellen Miller, Director of Junior Programs at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), with a check for $15,000 to be used to fund matching grants for JTCC’s summer camp program.
“We are thrilled to work with JTCC,” said Wendt, “because we are offering eligible youngsters the opportunity to play at the USTA’s Regional Training Center to receive the highest caliber training.”
This is the second year of the program. MATEF’s grants are matched by USTA Districts, various clubs, and other tennis organizations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to provide eligible campers with scholarships to attend summer tennis camp.
The check was presented on May 12 at JTCC’s sold out annual gala honoring Patrick McEnroe and Jay Berger. The event, held at the Swedish Ambassador’s residence for the third year, featured match play by JTCC juniors on the embassy court and introduction of JTCC’s star juniors, including Skylar Morton, who has earned a full scholarship to UCLA, and Mitchell Frank, also a scholarship winner, who will play for the #1-ranked University of Virginia.
The Mid-Atlantic Tennis and Education Foundation (MATEF) is a non-profit corporation which supports tennis and education programs for financially disadvantaged youth living in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Foundation strives to encourage education, health, good citizenship, sportsmanship, and high performance among the youth within the Mid-Atlantic region.
In 2010, MATEF partnered with the USTA Districts to provide matching camp scholarships to more than 70 at-risk youth throughout the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section. Participants enjoyed beginner, intermediate, and advanced tennis training paired with a motivational education curriculum.
Since 1989, MATEF has awarded hundreds of scholarships and grants which have helped fund primarily summer camp programs that improve the quality of life for financially disadvantaged youth and minorities.
The Foundation also awards individual grants to highly ranked players who wish to participate in USTA/Mid-Atlantic Sectional competition, National or International events in the United States or abroad, as well as organizational grants to assist Community Tennis Associations and other such organizations.
Tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime, and it can be a positive influence that promotes self-esteem and contributes to improving one’s quality of life. Our mission is to provide at-risk and financially disadvantaged youth an opportunity to attend a camp experience that combines tennis with education. In addition to developing tennis and social skills, the campers are taught life lessons and study skills such as speed reading, essay writing, and public speaking.