The USTA Foundation has announced that the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation (MWYF) has been named one of its first Community Impact Hubs, a bold new initiative designed to leverage the power of tennis to grow impact and grow the game in under-resourced communities, offering young people and families unparalleled opportunities to play, learn and thrive right where they live.
MWYF currently serves 500 students through afterschool and summer programs. This new designation will allow the foundation to expand its work in the local community through no-cost school and family play opportunities, coach training and investment in courts.
Through this initiative, the USTA and USTA Foundation will provide MWYF with approximately $250,000 in funding over two years to support its efforts to reach more than 11,000 new young people and families by the end of 2027. The funding is also projected to enable MWYF to implement new youth tennis programming in 10 schools, refurbish at least eight tennis courts, and recruit more than 150 new coaches in the Jacksonville area during that time.
MWYF is one of 10 hubs selected from the more than 270 community organizations that are part of the USTA Foundation’s NJTL network. Created in 1969 by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, the network is the core initiative of the USTA Foundation and prepares young people from under-resourced communities for life on and off the court by providing them access to tennis, academic support services, career readiness programs and mentorship opportunities.
“This opportunity accelerates our mission to develop strong individuals both on and off the court,” said Terri Florio, executive director. “With this opportunity, we can open even more doors, offering tennis as a pathway to health, discipline and personal achievement for even more young people and families.”
“Tennis is thriving across Florida, and this initiative will only accelerate the sport’s continued growth,” said Laura Bowen, USTA Florida executive director. “The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation has long been a pillar in the community, and we’re excited to see how this new designation will expand access, helping even more people discover tennis as a way to build connection, confidence and community.”
“Community Impact Hubs will provide unprecedented access to tennis and all of its benefits to youth and families in under-resourced communities," said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “This initiative reflects our deep commitment to harnessing the transformative power of tennis to open gateways of opportunity in the communities that need it most.”
The USTA Foundation will raise funds to support the growth of its Community Impact Hub initiative, with the ultimate goal of scaling into additional communities, affording more people access to the benefits of tennis — on and off the court. These hubs will also serve as anchors for broader community connection while helping meet high levels of unmet demand and supporting the USTA’s broader “35 by ’35” goal: growing tennis participation to 35 million Americans by the year 2035.
