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PMC hosted the WIN4LIFE Tennis Weekend in May, honoring the
memory of tennis great Althea Gibson, America’s first
African-American tennis professional. Thirty young African-American
women tennis players from the city of Boston participated
in the weekend, staying in the PMC residence halls and playing
at the Sportsmen’s Tennis Club of Dorchester.
The idea for the weekend came from a number of Gibson’s
pupils, including tennis greats Leslie Allen, Zina Sands,
and the late Andrea Buchanan, who had participated in a similar
event 25 years ago. The weekend was co-sponsored by the Sportsmen’s
Tennis Club of Dorchester, the Leslie Allen Foundation, and
PMC.
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Leslie Allen, President Nemerowicz,
and Alveta Haynes of the Sportsmen's Tennis Club.
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In welcoming the participants at breakfast,
President Nemerowicz said, “We are delighted to be
hosting the WIN4LIFE Tennis Weekend. We are in the business
of preparing young women for lives of inclusive leadership
and social responsibility, and the sponsors of this tournament
seek to support young women athletes in envisioning their
futures and setting goals by encouraging them to develop
self-esteem and self-reliance. It is appropriate that
we collaborate on this important undertaking.” |
From left, back:
Barbara Wade, Kim Sands, John Wildenson (tennis coach),
Kyle Copland (WTA Tour), Leslie Allen. Front: Dolores
Gibbs, participant, Lias Thomas (former WNBA player).
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The Sportsmen’s Tennis Club of Dorchester
is the only African-American owned and operated, nonprofit,
indoor tennis club in the country. Founded in the early 1960s,
it annually serves more than 1,000 low-income, inner-city
youth, teaching them the love of tennis, as well as the development
of critical life skills, including discipline, perseverance,
self-esteem, self-reliance, goal setting, a sense of healthy
competition, and good sportsmanship.
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Leslie Allen (second
from left) with PMC faculty and staff: Lisa Breger,
Assistant Professor of English Composition; Denise Alleyne,
Dean of Student Life; and Joy Miller, Assistant Professor
of Psychology
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| The Leslie Allen Foundation was founded by the former world-ranked
tennis professional. Its WIN4LIFE program attempts to teach
both tennis and life skills to young, ethnically diverse, urban
females to help them become valuable and productive citizens
of the world. The program emphasizes four key “D”
words: desire, determination, discipline, and dedication, and
how they can be used to be successful both on and off the court. |
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