Highlights and Summary of the SPUT 2010 Summer Program
2010 SUMMER PROGRAM - STATISTICS
Number of players: 3,735
Number of Children on Scholarship Assistance: 2,016 (57%)
Number of Instructors: 85
- 52 of these instructors were once participants in the program.
Number of Tennis Court Sites: 33
Racial Breakdown of Participants:
| Caucasian |
41% |
| Hmong - Asian |
24% |
| African American |
22% |
| Hispanic |
12% |
| American Indians |
1% | |
Age Breakdown of Participants:
| 5-6 |
9% |
| 7-8 |
25% |
| 9-10 |
28% |
| 11-12 |
20% |
| 13+ |
18% | |
Number of Non-Tennis Court Sites: 22
Racial Breakdown of Participants:
| Caucasian |
34% |
| Hmong - Asian |
32% |
| African American |
22% |
| Hispanic |
9% |
| American Indians |
3% | |
Age Breakdown of Participants:
| 5-6 |
9% |
| 7-8 |
37% |
| 9-10 |
28% |
| 11-12 |
20% |
| 13+ |
6% | |
2010 HIGHLIGHTS
"Story" was used to deliver Life Skills -- The Life Skills curriculum that has been part of the program for many years was redesigned and updated in 2010. The delivery of the life skills was woven into each lesson through story telling. This method of delivery was much more engaging for the students and more importantly, telling the story was much easier for the instructors. Because of this the students, staff and families were much more engaged with the life skills.
Nutritional Components were added to each Life Skills lesson -- A nutritional component was added to each life skill lesson that was developed to match the life skill that was discussed during the day. When the life skill being discussed was perseverance, the nutritional component focused on how a person should eat to enable them to work/study/compete for a long period of time without losing their energy. Each of the life skills were matched with similar nutritional strategies/topics so the kids were not given multiple concepts to absorb each day.
"In 2010, SPUT was designated as awarded the title of NJTL Organization of the Year!"
On the court, "match play" became the focus -- Many of the life skills discussed each day can were greatly enhanced when discussed in terms of competition. Tennis was the physical vehicle that was used to promote these lessons. Winning gracefully, losing with integrity, never giving up and being a teammate who makes the rest of the team better were all topics that were discussed with the kids. We moved away from the kids standing in lines and hitting balls during their lessons -- and moved them quickly into "playing" the game, keeping score and having fun doing it.
85 Instructors were hired and trained to provide life skills and tennis lessons throughout the summer season--the Life-SkIlls were given to the kids in the form of stories and each story had a nutritional component developed by the Health Specialists at the Ramsey County Health Department
Over 150 kids submitted essays and art work to the Arthur Ashe National Essay ConteSaint SPUT had two National Champions-Kierman Walsh, and Mira Kammueller, and 6 Sectional Champions as well... congratulations goes out to all of them!
The SPUT Reading Program - The summer reading program was led by 5 specially trained "reading" instructors. Each of these instructors delivered the reading program to two different sites on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday and Tuesday-Thursday rotation. Each instructor carried age-appropriate books for their groups. "Over 1,250 kids participated in the reading program"
The instructors were on the court helping with the tennis and life skills lessons. At the conclusion of the lesson the instructor invited the kids off the court to have a snack. The instructor then gathered the kids and began reading, asked the kids to read out loud or did other academic activities.
The 3 main reasons why the Reading Program was so successful
1. SPUT was able to take the reading program to the kids -- right to their neighborhoods
It is obvious, but if the kids cannot get to their reading program, then they can't participate. This is one of the biggest challenges that these children face each summer. Most of these families do not have a stay-at-home-mom to shuttle the kids from one activity to the next. If there is not a library or community center in these neighborhoods, these kids have no access to things like reading and mentoring.
2. One of the Tennis Instructors was the Reading Instructor
This is a key component because the kids respect and adore the instructors. Since the reading instructors were on the court with the kids, they were able to lead the kids over to the reading area after the classes finished -- the "Pied Piper effect".
3. Life Skills training happens during each and every class throughout the summer program. By tying the messages from the books into the life-skill lessons the life-skills messages were reinforced each day. The kids and instructors experience the "joy" of reading together.
