Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation

MTEF provides year-round tennis and youth development programs to help students reach their greatest potential. We encourage and support academic achievement to help develop lifelong learners. Through life skills training and positive adult coaches and mentors, MTEF empowers students to develop strong characters and critical life skills that will lead them to success. 

WHY TENNIS? 

Years ago, MTEF leaders observed that in a city with hundreds of tennis courts and thousands of avid players, there was little opportunity for less affluent Milwaukee kids to learn the lifetime sport of tennis. The beauty of tennis is that it is free of limitations based on gender, physical size, or age. Skills learned early encourage young people to embrace an active lifestyle. MTEF recognized that given low cost, high-level tennis programming, children could learn the game of tennis and all the skills that go along with it—hard work, strategic thinking, resiliency, and sportsmanship. And by capturing the hearts of these youth, MTEF could have an even greater impact by teaching children about health and wellness, the importance of a good education, and critical life skills necessary to succeed. 

OUR CORE VALUES

• Integrity: We offer what we can deliver and work hard to achieve it. 
• Responsibility: We are responsible for our actions and their consequences. 
• Perseverance: We do our best in spite of any challenge.
• Fun: We find enjoyment on the court, in the classroom and in our interactions.
• Learning & Growth: We seek to constantly improve, learning from our everyday experiences.

PROGRAMS 

MTEF provides a pipeline of activities to help students progress through all levels of development. Our programs are neighborhood-based and offered at low cost with scholarships available for those lacking the resources to pay. We have three main components to our program: 

• MTEF Summer Tennis Camp provides 6 weeks of safe, challenging, and fun full and half-day programming for youth of all abilities. Players ages 8-18 engage in the learning the lifetime sport of tennis while weaving in life skills, enrichment sessions and normal camp hijinks. 
•  TEAM (Tennis Education And Mentoring) is the MTEF School Year Program for children grades 4th through 12th. Participants are provided weekly tennis sessions and bi-monthly enrichment sessions as well as access to tutoring. TEAM is for dedicated youngsters who hope to grow their tennis skills, compete around the city, and eventually play on their varsity high school tennis.
•  In School & After‐School Programs provide the opportunity for us to introduce tennis to youth that might not normally have exposed to it. Through the convenience of portable tennis nets MTEF can be anywhere the kids are – gyms, playgrounds, etc. We build the program to the needs of the community we are serving.

 HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT

• Small and Local – Our sponsors, volunteers and most importantly kids can truly “feel” our impact.
• Minimal Infrastructure – Almost all funds go toward programming for the youngsters we serve.
• Tennis as the Vector – Tennis is not a sport that most urban youth have an opportunity to experience, and it offers lessons and opportunities not provided by many others.
• Well-Rounded Offering – Tennis is merely one component of the mission, with education and mentoring to prepare participants for higher education, careers, and life as productive adults paramount.
• Breadth and Depth – MTEF has programs for those who want to “put their toes in the water” as well as those who want an immersive experience.

MTEF relies upon the generosity of foundations, businesses, and individuals.