It all starts with a dream. Longtime tennis enthusiast and USTA volunteer, Sonya Harward, along with the Frankfort Tennis Association (FTA) have dreamed of a day when they could make tennis accessible and affordable for all in their community. They knew if they could make it happen, the result would be a beautiful thing. Well, they did it. Ms. Harward with support of FTA, applied for a USTA Southern Diversity grant back in the spring and were awarded funding to make a program happen.
FTA then rallied support for a Hispanic Outreach program and gained some very invaluable volunteers who would make their program truly special, the Drada Family. Carlos Drada, Head Coach of the University of Kentucky's Womens Tennis Program, along with his father Hosea and his sister Natalia Drada Campbell wanted to give back to the sport they loved and they saw this program as an opportunity to do so. Alongside some wonderful FTA volunteers, the Drada's facilitated tennis programming geared toward the entire FAMILY and as a result, the courts were packed. So much so, FTA had to move the program to a bigger tennis facility to accomodate.
In the end, FTA had roughly 41 particpants in their Tenis Para Todos Program, ranging from little ones to grandparents. FTA's program has been recognized by USTA National and our Southern section. USTA Kentucky is hoping to build upon the program's success by furthering its reach to other communities in Kentucky. This program and it's execution were fine examples of true collaboration, the strength of the family unit and the resourceful and diligent work that can be accomplished when people dare to dream.
More than 40 people from the fall program came together to celebrate at Casa Fiesta on November 7, 2016.