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Youth for Tennis Liberia Court & Expenses
0% complete
$1,630 raised of $2.2K
28 donations
From the board of Youth for Tennis Liberia (YFTL), we thank you in advance for taking the time to read about our work. Our team is comprised of head coach Alfred Kandakai, John Carpenter, Chuck Tomlin, Helen Mason-Payway, Felix Kandakai, Sarah Lowder, Emma Sapong, Marie Gilman, and Tessa Darke.
We have very exciting news which is that, thanks to our sponsors, Youth for Tennis Liberia has built a tennis court in Liberia. The court was built on the grounds of a school located on the outskirts of Monrovia. Not only will Coach Alfred have use of the court, but the school is incorporating tennis into their curriculum. This is the first time tennis has been incorporated in a school curriculum in Liberia and, other than three government owned courts at a sports complex, it is the first court being built for a community to use since the beginning of the first Civil War in 1989.
The court does need some improvements, namely an extension farther behind the baseline and to the side of the alleys. YFTL is therefore asking for donations to extend the court as well as for some operational expenses. This crowdfunding aims to raise $2,200 USD to accomplish this. We hope you will join us in supporting this effort.
Over the past 3 years I've been part of the board of directors of YFTL and we have raised funds for YFTL. We have collected about $8,000 through gofundmes and a $2,000 grant which we received from the Professional Tennis Registry Foundation (PTRF). PTRF was started by Dennis Van de Meer; he coached Billy Jean King for many years, including through the Battle of the Sexes tournament!
Our most recent gofundme raised the funds we used to build the tennis court at a school in the community where the children live. Other gofundmes have supported tennis tournaments, building a website and a tennis clinic.
Since its inception in 2017, YFTL has introduced hundreds of Liberian children to the game of tennis. In Liberia, one of the poorest countries in the world, organized youth recreation is a rarity. Instead, youth violence is rampant and juvenile drug abuse is on the rise. YFTL has been a saving grace for some.
About 75 youngsters, ages 4 to 24, participate in YFTL’s programs each year. Many of YFTL’s participants are girls, and the program is intentional about including female players to deter early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy. YFTL has also begun training young women as tennis coaches; to date all coaches in the country are male. Overall, the constructive engagement of tennis has resulted in improved academics and increased self-discipline for all participants. Word has been spreading and interest in YFTL continues to grow. In FY 2024 YFTL received its first grant from the Professional Tennis Registry Foundation in support of the weekly classes Coach Alfred teaches.
We would really appreciate your donation, and it would mean a lot if you could share this fundraiser page. Thank you
More information is available at:
YFTL’s website
The video made from our first day long clinic
Article about an Easter tournament we funded.