15-LOVE
>> Free tennis lessons throughout the Capital Region will begin on June 25th. The complete schedule is posted below. Tennis lessons will be held at parks in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Rensselaer, Monday through Friday, for kids ages 4-18 and adults. Everyone is welcome to participate, and there is no pre-registration process. For more information, and to read an FAQ about our summer program of free tennis lessons, click here>>
The Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation's (CRYTF) 15-LOVE program has successfully completed over two decades of programming in the Capital Region. What was merely a dream (of reaching out in positive ways to inner-city youth) in June 1990, has indeed become a reality.
CRYTF was founded to provide the community-based aegis under which the 15-LOVE Program could be developed and managed. The late Arthur Ashe was instrumental in helping found the 15-LOVE Program. He himself got his start on public courts; his philosophy and ours is to "use tennis to teach the game of life." While there are many inner city tennis programs operating throughout the United States, CRYTF operates independently. Many other programs are purely recreational, whereas CRYTF's mission is focused upon the whole child. It is a program of prevention.
We operate throughout the Capital Region, with special emphasis on the inner cities of Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Rensselaer. Over the years, the program has evolved on a year round basis, impacting more than 35,000 youth and their families.
Mission Statement
The mission statement of 15-LOVE is:
"To reach out in a loving, caring way to youth of the Capital Region, using tennis as the medium, especially those in the inner cities"
Operating Themes:
Within the overall mission, the following seven themes are emphasized:
- To stress education
- To promote good health (both emotional and physical)
- To instill positive values
- To foster multi-cultural relationships
- To encourage good sportsmanship
- To support family preservation
- To give back in the community