Steamboat Stay and Play

A four-night stay for up to four people in a two bedroom, two bath condo at the beautiful Trailhead Lodge in Steamboat Springs. Also included, enjoy eight hours of tennis court time at the Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball Center.

Based on availability and must be used by October 1, 2025.

Donors: Sandy & Sarah McLeod and Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball

Hand-crafted Fly Rod & Box 

A 9ft. 4 Wt. fly rod with Baston single foot guides, a carbon fiber handle with black and gold acrylic reel seat. The Box is a Traditional Japanese woodworking toolbox style made from African mahogany Wenge and Curly maple. Also inside, you’ll find a fly rod tube, fly rod reel, special handcrafted box with hand-tied flies and other fly rod gear.

Donor and Crafter: George Tavarez

Broadmoor Tennis Escape

Those of you who’ve been fortunate enough to stay there know that The Broadmoor provides the ultimate escape for rest and renewal. The resort is the world’s longest-running consecutive Forbes Five-Star and double Five-Diamond resort. And, rated as one of the Top 20 tennis resorts in the country by Tennis Magazine for over 20 years. The Broadmoor Tennis Club is a legendary destination for players of all skill levels. The package includes:

A two-night stay for two people in one room, in “Classic” accommodations. While you’re there you can hone your tennis skills with four complimentary daily tennis drills. The package is based on space availability and must be used by October 19, 2025. Special thanks to The Broadmoor for donating this fantastic package!

Donor: The Broadmoor 

Ultimate Tennis Fan Experience

The 2025 US Open Finals Weekend package includes Loge seats for two in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the men’s and women’s finals on September 6 & 7. A $1,000 visa gift card is included in this package for travel expenses.

Donors: Altitude Athletic Surfaces, Beth Brennan, and the USTA

Broadmoor Stay and Clinic with Mats Wilander

You and seven other players (either four couples of similar level or eight similarly leveled players) will enjoy a private 90-minute clinic with Mats Wilander. Mats is a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion. He has three French, three Australian and one US Open titles to his name!

Also enjoy 90-minutes of complimentary court time for eight players.

A one-night stay in “Classic” accommodations at The Broadmoor is included (four rooms for up to eight people total) on Saturday, August 9^th, 2025.

Donors: The Broadmoor and Mats Wilander

BNP Paribas Courtside Package

You and your +1 will watch the action in courtside box seats during two sessions at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA. The sessions are:

• Thursday, March 6^th (Two Courtside Seats – Day Session)
• Friday, March 7^th (Two Courtside Seats – Day Session)

Also included is a 90-minute clinic with Sharon Walsh at Sunrise Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA. Sharon was a doubles finalist at the U.S. Open and a singles finalist in the Australian Open. For nearly 10 years, Sharon was a tennis professional at The Broadmoor.

Donors: FILA, Sharon Walsh and Sunrise Country Club

In all, 29 applicants received special need scholarships that will help each of them engage with tennis this summer. Support also provides access to equipment (racquets, strings, shoes, tennis balls) so these junior players have the necessary tools to be successful. The number of scholarships granted for the spring cycle in 2024 was 11 more than for the same cycle in 2023.

The following program grants were also awarded to organizations providing tennis opportunities to kids in need:

The Denver Tennis Park will host community-based tennis camps in Northfield and southwest Denver. Both camps will target students from their community SERVES program.

The Denver Tennis Park is also partnering with Montbello High School to promote the return of high school tennis through a summer camp for high school boys and girls from the Montbello area.

Eastern Colorado Tennis Association will expand its USTA NJTL program to include intramural traveling teams between existing sites in Eastern Colorado.

Fraser Valley Metro Recreation District will provide tennis lessons and fun play formats for approximately 50 youth from June through August.

 Steven Nash Tennis Academy will offer daily summer tennis instruction for up to 80 students from April-July.

The CYTF will consider scholarship and grant applications again in the fall. The deadline is September 1 and applications can be found here.

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

See how tennis is helping one student manage social anxiety in the CYTF’s most recent video.

Story by Rachel Morley

In 2018, a great thing happened to tennis in Colorado.  Thanks to a generous donation to the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation, the fundraising arm of USTA Colorado, SERVES officially launched and helped expand tennis to youth who showed a passion for the sport but didn’t have the resources available for them to play.  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.

SERVES is a partnership program between the CYTF and USTA Colorado. In all, three providers have been selected as SERVES satellite providers and both the CYTF and USTA Colorado provide significant dollars and resources to help fund program operations. The three programs are SERVES at the Denver Tennis Park, Colorado Springs SERVES and Steamboat SERVES – each of which has developed successful programs that best service their individual communities. We will profile each program over the coming months, highlighting their challenges and successes and learning more about the participants and what the program has meant to them.

Let’s get started hearing about SERVES at the Denver Tennis Park.

The Denver Tennis Park (DTP) was chosen to launch a SERVES program in 2019.  The program initially had about 30 kids but, like so many programs, it was impacted by COVID.  Fortunately, tennis was an activity that people could still be involved in with low contact, so DTP ran two sessions during the second half of 2020.

Early in 2021, Gabriel Guillaume, DTP President, and his team analyzed the previous two years and made some critical changes to the program in order to increase participation, most notably, taking it out into communities beyond the DTP facility and making it a “no-cost” program, although donations were accepted from those who could afford to do so.  Over the course of 2021, SERVES ran for 48 Saturdays at DTP, offered a program in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood, and reached 72 unique participants.  The steady growth of the program was encouraging to the DTP staff and sparked them to want to do more.

Sonia Schwartz, Community Outreach Manager, says, “DTP believes in community, but we knew that we needed to build trust and relationships within communities for the programs to be successful. We take our high-quality program in to under-served communities at no cost to them.  We explain that this is not about tennis, but about giving kids another opportunity to stay active, be involved in a positive activity, and gain important life skills.   We put our plan in to action and stick around.  It’s a process and takes time, but the results are so worth it.”  With the success of the in-community program at Montbello, DTP knew they would continue being a part of that community as well as move forward with their goal of bringing tennis into the Southwest Denver region, which happened in 2022 with the launch of a program at Lincoln High School.

Guillaume is extremely proud of the community SERVES program and the impact it has had.  He says, “Last summer we had more than 200 kids involved which is amazing!”  He praises Schwartz’s ability to engage with those in the various communities that DTP SERVES is trying to reach. “Sonia is rare in that she relishes the ability to build relationships with the families. She connects with the parents, partners, and even strangers to ensure our program is focused on community needs and culture. She’s built a tennis family in both Montbello and Southwest Denver.  We now have a community advisory council made up of leaders from both communities informing our strategies at nearly every level.”

Schwartz has put her heart and soul into building these community relationships and loves every minute of it.  “I am so lucky to get to be on the sidelines with the families. Many choose to stay while the kids are on the court. Over the course of the 4 – 5 week-long sessions, I introduce myself to each family and get to know them and explain our mission and vision to them.  I ask for their input on things we can do better and some of our improvements have been a result of the community feedback.  We identify the kids that fall in love with our sport and want to go further in it. Then we are able to pipeline them to DTP and other available programming” she says.

The partners that Schwartz speaks of range from USTA Colorado and the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation who also provide funding for scholarships for kids to participate in the program, to community-based organizations such as Struggle of Love Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, KTone Foundation, and Colorado Lions Youth Organization who have provided support ranging from outreach to financial donations.  Guillaume says of these groups, “We have seen them embracing the SERVES program and what it means to the families they support.”

Guillaume stresses that “The program creates a diverse environment for all who play in it – racially, economically, culturally, geographically, and of tennis capacity. This fosters an inclusive culture which allows friendships and family relationships to form. It supports an open and accessible culture for tennis, something that pushes back against the stigma that tennis isn’t for everyone. The curriculum brings more than tennis.  It supports leadership, mental toughness, physical strength, and problem solving. It exemplifies our commitment to youth development through tennis.”

While Schwartz builds relationship and trust off the court, DTP’s tennis instruction team develops confidence and love of game on the court.  Led by Chris Croxton and Mike Phillips, the more than 20 instructors are all committed to advancing overall development through access to tennis.  There is a strict curriculum, but each instructor brings their own style and personality to the program which is a great benefit due to the diversity of race, gender, experience, age and communication style of the participants.  Croxton points out, “We have put a lot of energy in to developing and customizing the SERVES program lesson plan.  However, we want our instructors to use their individual skills and abilities to connect with the kids to develop an effective program with lasting relationships.  That’s the key to sustainability at DTP and in the communities where we are bringing tennis to.”

These concepts of friendship and leadership and confidence are clearly seen in how SERVES has affected some of the participants in DTP’s program.  In 2021, Dr. Darlene Sampson signed her 7-year old granddaughter, Lyric, up for SERVES after seeing a flyer on the internet. She says, “Lyric initially didn’t want to do it because she didn’t want to run back and forth like that to get the ball.”  They look back on that and laugh now as Lyric is already excited to start again this summer.  Sampson says “Lyric is very sociable, so she views tennis as a time to learn, play, and spend time with friends she has made through the sport. The way in which SERVES teaches tennis provides a fun and engaging way to learn the fundamentals. The children have games, engage in movement, and work in large and small groups to enhance relationships.”

Miguel Ferrero’s 7-year old son got involved in the program in 2022 and says that, besides the friends he has made that he looks forward to seeing every week, it has “helped him with discipline at home.  He is responsible for preparing everything he needs for practice the night before.”

Another thing that Guillaume and Schwartz are deeply committed to is peer mentorship.  Just one example is 11-year old Thalia Wilkins who joined the program in 2020 and is an advanced scholarship recipient, which allows her access to lessons, equipment, tournament entry fees and court time.  She started the program at the most basic level of tennis and now competes in tournaments and has developed a relationship with the University of Denver women’s team coach.  Guillaume says, “Thalia’s game, confidence and leadership have exploded in the past year, and she has taken on the role of being a mentor to the younger kids in the program.”

With such positive reception from participants, it’s no surprise that DTP’s SERVES program has had such great success, including a 42% increase in participation in fall 2022 over spring 2022 and reaching about 250 unduplicated youth in 2022.

But that doesn’t mean that 2023 won’t be without improvements.  DTP is in the process of training parents to assist with on-court coaching.  This will allow for a greater coach to student ratio as well as provide more opportunities for kids to play with these parents outside of the program.  They also hope to establish more funding to increase their scholarship number from 44 to 60.  Guillaume says, “One way to ensure youth who can’t yet get a scholarship is to enroll them in our SERVES program which will be done with more intention this year.”

DTP also plans to grow the program in different communities as long as they have access to courts.  The passion and enthusiasm that Guillaume, Schwartz and the entire DTP SERVES coaching staff has for the kids is undeniable.  Schwartz says, “I love the kids; every single one of them. They are spunky, honest and so much fun. They come from a variety of backgrounds and the one thing that stands out is their appreciation. They are grateful and the ones that really fall in love with tennis (and many have) make sure they express it to their families and their coaches and to me.  The kids are the focus.”

Watch USTA Colorado SERVES at the Denver Tennis Park in action.

In all, eighteen youth received a special need scholarship that will help them engage with tennis this summer.  Support also provides access to equipment (racquets, strings, shoes, tennis balls) so these junior players have the necessary tools to be successful.

The following three organizations also received funding in the form of grants to help support youth tennis offerings.

The Denver Tennis Park will host a community-based tennis camp in Northfield this July and will target kids from Montbello who have been engaged in tennis over the past few years as part of their community SERVES program. In all, 30 kids between the ages of 5-14 are expected to participate in the weeklong camp.  The grant will help support instructor costs and healthy snacks for participants.

Fraser Valley Metro Recreation District will provide tennis lessons and fun play formats for approximately 50 youth between the ages of 5-13 twice a week from June through August, in partnership with their summer day camp program.  The grant will specifically help support programming costs, staff and the purchase of orange and green dot low compression tennis balls.

Valverde Elementary School is an anchor in a community in southwest Denver. The neighborhood is often referred to as a “desert” in terms of after school programming, safe outdoor spaces and access to healthy food. Valverde Elementary serves a critical role in the community. Students were recently exposed to tennis and organizers are expanding offerings through an after school tennis club. CYTF dollars will support the painting of permanent lines on the playground, equipment, staff and healthy snacks for the 18 kids (3rd-5th grade) who are expected to participate in the first session.

The CYTF will consider scholarship and grant applications again in the fall. The application deadline is September 1.

In our new video see how the CYTF and USTA Colorado work in partnership with community organizations, in this case the Denver Tennis Park, to positively impact kids, families and communities through tennis.

And, special thanks to Denver Parks and Recreation – they provided access to tennis courts in a neighboring community while court renovation planning is underway at Montbello Central Park.

Aspen Stay and Play

Experience the newly renovated Limelight Hotel Aspen, located in the heart of downtown Aspen, where you’ll discover the perfect mix of chalet chic and laid-back comfort.  Your stay includes a standard hotel room for two people for two nights and amenities include expanded continental breakfast, wireless internet, concierge, fitness center, pool hot tubs, and more. The package includes two one-hour tennis lessons with Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer, Randy Crawford, who is also a former coach of Martina Navratilova, at the exclusive Maroon Creek Club. Also enjoy complimentary tennis court time during your stay. To get you from door to door, USTA Colorado official vehicle, Subaru of America, has donated a four-day vehicle rental* for the excursion through a local Subaru retailer. *A ten-day advance vehicle rental request is required and renter must qualify for all rules in regards to the eligibility of a rental car and any and all rental car rules and regulations. Type of Subaru vehicle will depend on the availability of vehicles at the time of rental. Gas not included.

Expires November 12, 2023. May not be used during holidays, special events or blackout dates.

Donors: Aspen Skiing Company, Andi and Jim Gordon, Subaru of America, Maroon Creek Club and Randy Crawford

Broadmoor Tennis Escape

The world’s longest-running consecutive Forbes Five-Star and double Five-Diamond resort, The Broadmoor provides the ultimate escape for rest and renewal. And, rated as one of the Top 20 tennis resorts in the country by Tennis Magazine for over 20 years, The Broadmoor Tennis Club is a legendary destination for players of all skill levels. This package includes a two-night stay for two people in one room (Sunday-Thursday) in classic accommodations and four tennis drills (two per person per day) based on space availability.  Enjoy unlimited court time during your stay, based on availability.

Valid through February 28, 2023

Donor: The Broadmoor

Tennis Fan Experience – 2023 BNP Paribas Open & Clinic with a Legend

The BNP Paribas Open is the best attended tennis tournament outside of the four Grand Slams, featuring the best players in the world. This package includes courtside box seats for two people for two different sessions of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open. Choose from either day or night sessions, or one of each on two of the following dates:  March 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15. Also enjoy a 90-minute tennis clinic at Sunrise Country Club in Rancho Mirage with Sharon Walsh, a former doubles finalist at the U.S. Open and a singles finalist at the Australian Open. In 1982, she won the world doubles title with Billie Jean King. Sharon was coached by Dennis Ralston and was a tennis professional at The Broadmoor for almost ten years. The package also includes a gift card for dinner out – ($200 value).

Donors: FILA, Sharon Walsh and Sunrise Country Club, Karen Schott and Cindy McLemore 

Steamboat Springs Stay and Play

Enjoy time in one of Colorado’s most beautiful mountain towns at arguably the most gorgeous time of year. Three-night stay in a 2-bedroom, two bath Steamboat Springs townhouse that sleeps six comfortably (one king bed, two queen beds). Relax in the private hot tub and play a few games on the pool table. Two hours of tennis instruction for the group and unlimited tennis play during your visit at Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball. Reservation for the townhouse must be made by August 1, 2023, and tennis arranged in advance.

Valid between October 6 – November 27, 2023.

Donors: Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Center and the Antonucci Family

Ultimate Tennis Fan Experience – 2023 US Open Finals Weekend

Finals weekend at the US Open is like no other. The atmosphere is nothing short of ELECTRIC and the stars are out in full force as the best of the best battle it out on court for America’s Grand Slam title. The package includes Loge seats for two in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the men’s doubles or mixed doubles final followed by the women’s singles final on September 9, and the women’s doubles final followed by the men’s singles final September 10. Also included is a $1,000 Visa gift card for travel expenses.

Donors: Taryn Archer and Brett Haberstick

In all, fifteen youth received special need scholarships to help them play tennis this summer.  Support also provides access to equipment (racquets, strings, shoes, tennis balls) so these junior players have the necessary tools to be successful.

The following four organizations also received funding in the form of grants to help with tennis programs for kids from under-resourced communities.

From May through October, the Colorado Lions Youth Organization will offer weekly tennis programming for kids from the Montbello community for the second year in a row. Many past participants are excited to get back on the courts and the word has spread to new kids from the community. In all, about 40 players are expected to learn and play tennis thanks to the organization and the involvement of the Denver Tennis Park and volunteers who help make it happen.

The Eastern Colorado Tennis Association (ECTA) is a newly formed USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning chapter serving up tennis to youth and families in Fort Morgan and surrounding communities on the eastern plains of Colorado.  The organization works in close collaboration with schools and park and recreation districts to introduce tennis and provide follow up program opportunities available year-round.  The ECTA aims to work with 250 youth in 2022.

The Denver Tennis Park is initiating a new program at Abraham Lincoln High School in west Denver to create interest around the sport of tennis and serve as a potential springboard to establish boys’ and girls’ tennis teams in the future. Targeting approximately 20 students, ages 15-18, who may never have considered tennis as a viable option from the school, the program is specially designed to get students excited and quickly playing.

The tennis program through Fraser Valley Metro Recreation District continues to grow and will provide lessons and fun play formats to 115 youth, ages 5-18, in the valley twice weekly for ten weeks during the summer. This year, children from a local pre-school within walking distance to the courts will have the opportunity to get involved as well, paving the way for the development of life-long tennis players.

The CYTF will again consider scholarship and grants applications in the fall. The application deadline is September 1.