Friends. Family. Community. Service. This past weekends Scholarship Shootout 2008 encompassed all of these things while joining them in a collaborative effort to give something back to those who need it most. With a banquet on Friday night, and a pro-am doubles tournament on Saturday, the Austin Tennis Academy community was able to come together, bringing home alumni from all over to participate in this annual community event and generate support for A Glimmer of Hope Foundation while celebrating 5 years of success for ATA.
“We are connected to others in everything we do, from our families that live in the same house as us, to our neighbors in Ethiopia who live on another continent, in a another world,” coach Newman said.
Started by ATA’s Philip and Donna Berber, A Glimmer of Hope is dedicated to making a direct sustainable difference in the lives of Ethiopia’s poorest and at-risk youth in inner cities. By creating projects that provide necessities like easy access to clean water and stable structures for schools, the Foundation is able to offer a much healthier and safer way of life to those they serve.
The Saturday night party involved a live auction and a silent auction to encourage support of the Foundation. The teams participating in the Saturday pro-am were auctioned off, while many pieces of sports memorabilia and special hitting sessions were featured in the silent auction. With the beautiful backdrop of the west Austin hill country, and an extraordinary dinner provided by Spanish Oaks, the banquet was a huge success.
The Sunday pro-am format was set up with two groups of four teams competing in a round robin, with the winners of each group meeting in the finals. The day began at 8:30 with breakfast and a warm up, followed by the first round of competition at 9:30. After two rounds of intense doubles play, Bee Cave Bistro catered a delicious lunch to refuel all of the athletes for the final rounds. In the end it came down to Hackett’s Hackers against Youth and Wisdom battling it out for a years worth of bragging rights.
By encouraging students to participate in service projects and community events, the Austin Tennis Academy is living up to its standard of developing students to their fullest potential in tennis and in character.
“When I spoke to the young men and women who are here tonight, they were excited to come back and share their experiences,” Coach Newman said. “They have had and continue to have an impact on this program.”
Since ATA’s commitment to the Foundation in 2000, their work has produced 27 water wells in Ethiopia, with a goal of another 11 wells, one health post, and one school, for this year alone. Teaming up with A Glimmer of Hope allows ATA’s students to experience first hand the kind of direct influence their efforts can have, while contributing to a truly humanitarian organization.
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