Hand-crafted Les Paul Style Guitar

A handcrafted Les Paul style guitar with upgraded features and components.

Donor and Crafter: George Tavarez

Denver Nuggets Fan Experience

Two lower-level center seats to a 2023-24 regular season Denver Nuggets game. One-night accommodations for two at the Limelight Hotel Denver. The package includes a ball, autographed by Jamal Murray. Subject to availability. Blackout days and special event dates are excluded for the stay. Tickets to the Christmas day game are excluded.

Donor: Altitude Athletic Surfaces, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and Aspen Hospitality  

Ultimate Tennis Fan Experience

2024 US Open Finals Weekend: Loge seats for two in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the US Open Women’s and Men’s singles finals on September 7 and September 8. A $1,000 VISA gift card is included for travel expenses.

Donor: Taryn Archer, Brett Haberstick and the CYTF

VAMOS! by Bruce Sulzberg & signed by Rafael Nadal

First officially licensed painting of Rafael Nadal, featuring a unique 3-dimensional effect created by acrylic paint on top of layers of acrylic glass. The piece is signed by Rafael and the artist. Limited edition.

Donor:  Adam Burbary and Game-Set-Match, Inc.

Broadmoor Tennis Escape

A two-night stay for two people in one room, in classic accommodations at The Broadmoor. Four complimentary daily tennis drills. Based on availability. Expires on October 31, 2024.

Donor: The Broadmoor 

The recipe for success on the tennis court and in life is brewing in Steamboat Springs, and tennis coach Kristyn Wykert loves it.

With its main ingredient being the USTA Colorado SERVES program, a whole lot of life and leadership skills sprinkled throughout and a great turnout of kids between the ages of 8-13 as the topping on the cake, wonderful things are happening at the Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs. The Steamboat Tennis Association, along with NJTL of Fort Collins and Tennis for Kids in Denver were selected as satellite program partners for 2018 and are set to receive grants and other support to help offset costs associated with running their SERVES program.

“SERVES is a great program just because the kids are working on more than just tennis,” said Wykert, who is also the girls’ tennis coach at Steamboat Springs High School. “It’s working on life lessons and what that means on and off the court.”

Partners Mentoring Youth in Routt County, a nonprofit, is a community partner in the SERVES program with the Steamboat Tennis Association. Their mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships between positive adult role models and youth facing challenges in their personal, social, and academic lives. Julia Luciano, lead case manager of the community-based mentoring program at Partners, said it was a natural fit for the Partners staff to become involved in teaching the life skills part of SERVES, an acronym for: Success, Education, Respect, Values, Excellence and Self-Confidence.

“Mentoring happens really naturally when it comes to sports and it seemed like a really natural fit. Along with tennis, there’s a lot of life skills involved,” Luciano said. “What we do here at Partners is we try to teach kids life skills that they might not be getting in their normal day-to-day lives, and so involving a sport with it was a really easy way to incorporate those life skills.”

Loretta Conway, volunteer administrator for SERVES, said Partners helped identify what children would be good to be in the program, provide transportation for those children and deliver the off-court life skills component.

“We’re all partners in this together,” said Conway, who added that an after-school program from one of the local schools and the Boys and Girls Club have also sent kids to the SERVES program. “It’s a real community effort. There’s a lot of different helpers trying to help get the kids here. Because we made it absolutely free to the families, we had budgeted and planned for 24 kids to come every week for an hour and a half. Once the word got out and there was a newspaper article about it, we had 47 kids register. We actually opened it up to two classes.”

Wykert said she likes SERVES because there is so much to teach kids and they’re fun to work with. “They want to learn and they’re so eager to take in what you’re teaching them,” Wykert said.

The first six-week session ran from March 25-April 29. She said three more six-week sessions will be held in May-June, July-August and probably September-October.

“We want them to commit to at least six weeks,” said Conway, who pointed out that she thought the team agreement contract the kids signed was creative during the kickoff of the first class. “It’s about character building. It’s about learning to trust each other in the group and speaking up for yourself in the right ways without losing your temper.”

Luciano said the kids are really loving the program.

“There are definitely some kids who stand out as potential tennis stars for sure, and it’s really cool to see them take the life skills that we teach at the beginning of the class and then incorporate those into their tennis skills,” Luciano said.

Luciano said the life skills taught during the first half of the 90-minute sessions were: team building, communication, perseverance, decision making, goal setting, integrity, self-esteem and friendship.

She said the integrity lesson was huge because of players having to serve as their own line judge during tennis matches.

“That integrity lesson was really interesting. We did a whole thing about what honesty looks like in your day-to-day life, and we played a game of being honest when nobody’s watching,” Luciano said. “To watch them take that and put it on the court was so cool.”

Luciano said the beauty of SERVES is that it reaches more than the kids only interested in tennis.

“We get kids who are really interested in sports and then kids who are there more for the social aspect of it or learning something new, and we’re able to reach both of those types of kids and wrap it all back around to how can you take this out on the tennis court,” she said. “How are you going to apply this to tomorrow or the next day or this summer?”

USTA Colorado is providing support and resources.

“I can’t say enough good things about USTA Colorado,” Wykert said. “It’s just a fantastic opportunity for these kids, and adding in the life lessons portion. It’s not solely tennis. USTA Colorado has done a phenomenal job with this program. We feel very honored to be one of the three sites in Colorado. Hopefully, it grows and they keep having more and more SERVES sites within Colorado. We want to try and make it a great experience for these kids coming in and try to keep SERVES coming back year after year. Most of these kids hadn’t stepped foot into the tennis center. They’re feeling welcomed. They’re feeling a part of this place. A few of them after SERVES, all they want to do is go out and keep playing tennis. ”

USTA Colorado’s role includes coaches’ training, leadership skills curriculum, program administrative consulting and on-court assistance/demonstrations to help enhance the program.

“I grew up here my whole life and I just walked into the tennis center a couple of months ago when we started this. It was always like that was a whole different world,” Luciano said. “Being able to bring that world to these kids who have probably never been in the tennis center was really, really amazing. Getting that grant and being able to share that with youth who would probably never play tennis has been really inspiring to watch on my end.”

Story by Tom Fasano
This story appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Colorado Tennis

For anyone who needs to reaffirm their faith in humanity, talk for a while with Campus Middle School 7th grader Jisele Boker and you will instantly have hope for the future — not just for the sport of tennis, but for the genuine kindness and humanity possible with this new generation.

Encouraged to play tennis by her father, Jacob, who came to the US from Africa to play basketball, this young lady has grace and maturity well beyond her years. Already a competitive player in both tennis and basketball, she is the recipient of USTA Colorado’s 2018 Charlie & Ira Brown Award for Outstanding Youth Sportsmanship, Leadership and Achievement.

Asked where Jisele got her positive attitude and strong sense of sportsmanship, Jacob teases that “it’s no doubt from her mother, Kristen.”

Keeping their daughter’s best interests at heart, Kristen focuses on Jisele’s education to help her stay on the honor roll list, and Jacob focuses on the athletic side of her life. While still in Africa, Jacob would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning watching greats like Steffi Graf play. Once he had his own daughter, he felt the sport would be a good fit.

“I knew Jisele was very athletic, the way she moved, her hand-eye coordination,” he said.

On scholarship with the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation, Jisele had the chance to spend time with Martina Navratilova, an experience that further inspired her to use tennis not just as a way to excel athletically, but to connect with other young people.

“I want to be kind to people that I play,” she said, adding that some players feel too much pressure and that’s what causes poor sportsmanship. “Tennis is supposed to be fun. You have to try to do your best, but really it’s about having fun and making friends.” Jisele is a role model to other young athletes, including her younger brother, Aidan (10).

Setting her goal to be a professional player down the road, Jisele understands the commitment it will take to get her game to that level. She said she most admires the play and confidence of Venus and Serena Williams and what great athletes they are. Jisele said basketball helps with her tennis skills, especially with her footwork. She said her favorite stroke currently is her backhand, but she works hard to have an all-around game. “I know the focus and dedication it will take to get really good. I know the hard work and commitment I have to have to keep getting better.”

Setting her sights on playing both basketball and tennis at Stanford, Jisele knows that keeping her grades strong will also be key. “I’m most interested in science,” she explained of her academic interests, but said she also really loves to write. “I like to write non-fiction and realistic fiction,” she said of her pursuits off the tennis and basketball court.

Whatever future Jisele writes for herself, no doubt her success will be measured in more than tournament wins. She will no doubt make many friends along the way.

Sport your Colorado tennis pride AND support the CYTF all at the same time through LINE 3’s giveback program A percentage of  their PLAY CO line sales will be donated back to the CYTF!

LINE 3 is a sponsor partner of USTA Colorado and in keeping with their mission, owners Sarah Campbell and Alisa Quinn incorporate a “giveback piece” into the partnership to benefit the CYTF. They worked hand-in-hand with USTA Colorado to develop a co-branded line designed to celebrate tennis in Colorado. The PLAY CO line includes tees, pullovers, hats and visors. It was unveiled in July, 2018 with 10% of the product price benefiting the CYTF. Due to the line’s popularity, LINE 3 donated back nearly $1,000 to the CYTF from sales last year alone! These dollars helped support the Foundation’s scholarship and grants program. “Our customers are enjoying the high-quality products and the fun design, said Campbell. “It’s been so exciting to see the enthusiasm for the PLAY CO line,” she went on to say.

LINE 3’s offerings go well beyond the PLAY CO line. Check out their unique offerings here. Enjoy 15% off by entering PLAYCO15 at checkout. 

Racquets for All turned 10 in 2018, and of the racquets donated last year, 90 came in the form of new frames provided by longtime USTA Colorado partner, Subaru of America who fittingly also had a big birthday in 2018, celebrating 50 years of existence. 

“Each year, Subaru contributes dollars earmarked for the CYTF’s Racquets for All program as part of their official vehicle partnership of USTA Colorado so that new racquets can be purchased and added to the Racquets for All inventory”, said Lisa Schaefer, Associate Executive Director for USTA Colorado and the CYTF.  “In any given year we need more youth or adult racquets than we have on-hand. Subaru’s contribution really helps us keep up with the demand in areas of need.” 

A Conversation about Impact with Tony Graziano, Subaru of America’s Regional Vice President 

CYTF: Subaru has been part of the success of Racquets for All for many years. Since the program’s inception, we’ve given out over 6000 racquets to those in need. What does it mean to you to be involved with getting racquets in the hands of people who need help in order to play tennis? 

TG: Congratulations to Racquets for All for celebrating its 10th year! It shows there is a need and that this program is making an impact. For me personally, I know that exposing kids to this great sport can help them keep active, have fun and provide an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors all while teaching them a sport that can last a lifetime. It also provides an avenue to meet new people and expand your world — you never know who you might meet on the tennis court or the places that tennis can take you in life! 

CYTF: How does the RFA program match up with Subaru’s values? 

TG: The RFA program matches up well with Subaru’s values in a couple of ways — recycling is in our DNA – our automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana was the first zero landfill factory in the U.S. And on a local basis, our Subaru Retailers have partnered with a company called TerraCycle where they collect all types of disposable cups and lids, candy and snack wrappers and any brand of single serve coffee and tea capsules -retailers collect them, send them to TerraCycle who then repurposes the waste into high quality products like park benches, picnic tables and playground material. In fact, we have a couple of their Adirondack Chairs on our patio in our Denver Regional Office! Add that Subaru strives to be more than a car company and works hard to ‘Share the Love” and we find that the RFA program fits perfectly with our brand. 

CYTF: What does the support of Racquets for All mean to Subaru? 

TG: We are honored and proud that Subaru is able to support the RFA program — keeping kids active, having fun and enjoying the Colorado outdoors is certainly what this state and the Subaru brand is all about!

The 2019 Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Gala drew a massive crowd in early February to celebrate the induction of Jeff Cathrall and Randy Crawford. USTA Colorado welcomed Wayne Bryan, father and coach of the Bryan Brothers, who led a clinic, conducted a parent seminar, and hosted a Q&A to help raise money for the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation. 

More than 500 attended the event, which recognized the achievements of local players, coaches, enthusiasts and facilities who distinguished themselves over the last year with their play, their sportsmanship, and their overall contributions to the sport of tennis in Colorado. In all, nearly $100,000 was raised to help the CYTF continue to serve youth across the state.

Thanks to our emcees, Andy Zodin and Christine Chang Gillette, and all those in attendance who made the evening such a success. We invite you to relive the night in pictures at facebook.com/USTAColorado.

The Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation’s Racquets for All (RFA) program turned 10 years-old in 2018. For all those years, gently used and new racquets have been collected, re-conditioned and re-strung, then given to those who need equipment in order to play tennis. Nearly 700 racquets have been donated to the program so far this year and more than 7,750 in all since the program’s inception in 2008. This year alone, 723 racquets were distributed to 32 organizations across Colorado. More than 6,000 have been re-purposed in RFA’s 10-year existence.

“If you put this in terms of impact, we’re not simply talking about tennis racquets here. It’s so much bigger than that,” said Kristy Harris, Community Development Director for USTA Colorado who is staff lesion to the volunteer Racquets for All committee that oversees the program. “It’s all about access and opportunity because each racquet equates to a person gaining access to tennis in order to learn or develop their game,” Harris went on to say.

Racquets for All is always on the lookout for new community-based groups and schools in need of equipment. An equipment request form is available here.

For over two decades, USTA Colorado’s Star Search program developed, nurtured and promoted the tennis and leadership skills of identified youth from culturally-diverse communities who demonstrated a passion for and commitment to tennis, but didn’t necessarily have resources available for coaching.

Through quality instruction, the free program provided a platform for players in the metro-Denver area to further develop tennis skills and expand their involvement in more formal competitive play including Junior Team Tennis, high school tennis and sanctioned tournament play. The leadership component of the program focused on concepts like respect, responsibility, teamwork and service, just to name a few.

A goal for years has been to expand the Star Search concept to other geographic areas of the state and impact more kids and coaches to create a network of public tennis offerings that offer comprehensive programs for youth development both on and off the court. In 2018, this dream became a reality thanks to family foundation donations to USTA Colorado’s fundraising arm, the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation. An infusion of dollars became available to develop and initiate the expansion.

The rebranded program USTA Colorado SERVES officially launched in 2018, and is a partnership between USTA Colorado and the CYTF. SERVES is an acronym for: Success, Education, Respect, Values, Excellence and Self-Confidence and these principles are built into the fabric of the program — a program that incorporates more than just tennis. Athletic skills development as well as learning and practicing life and leadership skills round out our holistic approach for youth development.

“We couldn’t be more grateful for the funding support and are excited about all that’s possible with the expansion designed to positively impact even more youth in communities across Colorado,” said USTA Colorado and CYTF Associate Executive Director, Lisa Schaefer.

“We’re humbled by the financial support and trust family foundation representatives have placed in us by their gifts,” said Schaefer. “This initiative dovetails beautifully with our overall goals to reach out to more communities, to make our sport more accessible to people of all backgrounds and to focus on expanding our base through youth tennis — so our sport can flourish and benefit more people and communities for decades to come.

Again this year, as part of the SERVES support, satellite program partners have received grant dollars to help offset costs associated with the day to day running of their programs. Additional support and resources in the form of coaches’ trainings, leadership skills curriculum, program consulting, player scholarship and event assistance that will help enhance their program offerings will be added. “We held our Program Leader Summit in February again, and selected partner leaders participated from all three programs to connect and share ideas. It was a great way to kick things off,” said Cindy MacMaster, USTA Colorado’s Director of Player Development, who oversees SERVES. “Each satellite program has different needs, and we’re meeting each one where they are in order to best help set them up for success,” she also said. 2019 SERVES partners include — Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs, Tennis for Kids and Denver Tennis Park.