With a generous donation to the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation from a partner family foundation, the CYTF was able to assist USTA Colorado in the creation of SERVES in 2018. SERVES has expanded and is now operating in three communities statewide. The program’s comprehensive curriculum and components provide life-changing opportunities for youth who wouldn’t otherwise have the resources available to get involved in our sport and programs.
SERVES is an acronym for Success, Education, Respect, Values, Excellence and Self-Confidence, which demonstrates the breadth of the program and its goal to not only bring tennis, but also life skills and leadership, to those who participate.
There are currently three SERVES programs in Colorado – one in Denver, another in Colorado Springs and the third in Steamboat Springs – each of which has developed successful programs that best service their individual communities. We previously highlighted the program at Denver Tennis Park and are now excited to feature the success of Springs Tennis SERVES in Colorado Springs.
When Marc Knutila, Director of Tennis at Springs Tennis, incorporated SERVES into his existing citywide tennis program, he did so to make sure that any kid who wanted to try tennis in Colorado Springs had the opportunity to participate. He says, “I think it’s our job, as the instructional tennis program for the city of Colorado Springs, to be accessible to everyone and never have money be a factor in whether a kid picks up tennis or not.”
In three years, Knutila’s vision has quickly been realized and the program has grown in numbers each year while maintaining at least a 70% retention rate. While the program is open to youth ages 6 – 18, most of the participants are between 6 – 12. The program runs for 39 weeks from May – November and offers a variety of class options, both in schedule and ability level. Programs include weekly summer classes and a large summer league program as well as after school sessions in the fall.
“We have been able to grow the SERVES piece of the program and be successful in part due to grants from the CYTF,” says Knutila. He continues, “With funding from CYTF, we are able to offer those who need help a minimum of a 50% scholarship, and close to 20% receive a full scholarship.” In addition, CYTF grant dollars are used to buy racquets for those participants as well as help in paying for staff. “We have a staff of 13 outstanding teachers who are invested in the kids, both on and off the court. Having great coaches really is key to our success,” says Knutila.
The investment that Springs Tennis puts into helping kids become well-rounded individuals is such a priority that they partnered with an early childcare professional who developed a proprietary on-court curriculum that was piloted in 2022 and incorporated full time starting last year. Knutila explains, “The teacher came and watched our classes and created a curriculum specific to tennis that seamlessly incorporates leadership, spelling, math and vocabulary skills into our tennis classes through a variety of games.” One example is that every class has a “word of the day” which is used throughout class and, at the conclusion of that class, the kids each discuss the word and what they learned.
With the program operating on outdoor public courts, this customized component was a game changer when trying to add an educational element. “We had been through several phases in this regard and to finally have a professional come in and help us with this was incredible”, says Knutila. He continues, “We only have the kids for an hour each class, so we needed an expert to really analyze our program and our limitations and to develop a plan for us. The fact that we will be adding this value to every child moving forward – without raising our costs – and having it automatically be part of our tennis program is incredibly exciting. This unique and comprehensive program is reaching more kids and providing each of them with tools to help them be successful in life.”
One of the many great stories coming out of Springs Tennis SERVES was featured in a video that debuted at the USTA Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Gala in October 2023. The short video is worth a watch as it really captures the heart of the program – from the instructors to the participants and their families – and the positive impact it has on all of them.
With the 2024 program getting started, Knutila and his team are excited to see what the future holds. “In most cases, we are the first ones introducing these kids to tennis. We are not a high-performance program, but we have had participants who are now playing for their high school teams,” he says.
To further expand their footprint in the Colorado Spring community, the program will be hiring a School Outreach Coordinator to help them with the process of going into schools and establishing after school, lunch, and PE classes in the fall. Knutila says, “All of this is possible through the collaboration we have with the CYTF, USTA Colorado and the USTA Foundation. Giving these kids the opportunity to develop life skills through tennis is invaluable. And seeing them laughing and smiling on the court lets us know that the program is successful and we can’t wait to continue to grow the program and share the sport of tennis.”
Story by Rachel Morley