Dear Members, Sponsors, and Supporters,
 

As President of the American Tennis Association (ATA), I am thankful for the opportunity to grow our memberships and partnerships. Since 1916 this proud volunteer organization has survived because of committed membership and generous donors.  We believe the “ATA is where culture comes to play” and look forward to seeing tennis lovers of all ages and backgrounds at an ATA event. 

 

The underlying concepts of Social Emotional Learning such as self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness are what the ATA has espoused since our inception.  The ATA’s original motto of

Sportsmanship, Unity, and Goodwill is something we continue to take seriously since 1916.  Moreover, Emotional Intelligence was a cornerstone taught by Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson to students in the ATA Junior Development Program during the 1950’s and 1960’s. 

We will continue to do our part in growing the game with a focus on boosting awareness and passion in underserved tennis communities.  Playing tennis teaches us problem solving skills and the importance of taking ownership of our results.  These life lessons are being modeled by many of our ATA adult players. 
 

A sincere thanks to our membership, donors, partners, and generations of players for keeping the ATA flame alive.  Our former ATA champion Althea Gibson once said, “No matter what accomplishments you achieve, somebody helped you”.  Please continue to support us and hope to see you at our ATA

Nationals, educational webinars, or ATA regional events. 
 

All the Best,

Robert Foster