OUR PURPOSE:
A's & Aces is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization founded in 2008 with a mission is to provide academic assistance, life skills and tennis to New Orleans public school children, and a goal of promoting social change. Social-entrepreneurial methods and the sport-based youth development model are used to engage and retain under-served youth and others who have lacked access to quality academic assistance and tennis.
A's & Aces is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization founded in 2008 with a mission is to provide academic assistance, life skills and tennis to New Orleans public school children, and a goal of promoting social change. Social-entrepreneurial methods and the sport-based youth development model are used to engage and retain under-served youth and others who have lacked access to quality academic assistance and tennis.
OUR METHOD:
Our 'schools-to-spokes-to-hub’ programmatic structure introduces young elementary school children throughout the City and provides opportunities to retain thorough high school graduation in our ‘Pathway to College’ programs.
Seven full-time coaches and administrative staff, and up to 35 part-time staff during summer camps, are aided by many college service-learning students and adult volunteers who serve about 1,000 children annually with high-quality programs that promote scholarship in the classrooms and healthy lifestyles and sportsmanship on the tennis courts at at multiple sites through in-schools, after-school, Saturday, school-holiday camps, and at four simultaneous 7-week literacy & tennis summer camps.
With financial support from individual donors, charitable foundations and corporate sponsors, and access to facilities provided by Dillard University and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, our programs continue to grow. Meanwhile, A's & Aces continues to seek an organization home; a permanent hub tennis and learning center site to help address unmet demand for programming, increase efficiency, and build sustainability.
Our 'schools-to-spokes-to-hub’ programmatic structure introduces young elementary school children throughout the City and provides opportunities to retain thorough high school graduation in our ‘Pathway to College’ programs.
Seven full-time coaches and administrative staff, and up to 35 part-time staff during summer camps, are aided by many college service-learning students and adult volunteers who serve about 1,000 children annually with high-quality programs that promote scholarship in the classrooms and healthy lifestyles and sportsmanship on the tennis courts at at multiple sites through in-schools, after-school, Saturday, school-holiday camps, and at four simultaneous 7-week literacy & tennis summer camps.
With financial support from individual donors, charitable foundations and corporate sponsors, and access to facilities provided by Dillard University and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, our programs continue to grow. Meanwhile, A's & Aces continues to seek an organization home; a permanent hub tennis and learning center site to help address unmet demand for programming, increase efficiency, and build sustainability.
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Latest News |
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A’s & Aces 2017 Gala
‘We're Going To State!’ State Street that is … for our Annual Fundraiser! Wednesday, November 15, 2017 
Ask your friends to come with you to STATE and join us for an evening of great food, wine and community at the homes of three State Street neighbors. We look forward to your support as you bid on fantastic auction items and exciting experiences.
6:00 pm STATE starts at 1207 State Street (the Cooper home) 7:00 pm Move up to REGIONALS at 1205 State (the Waring home) 8:00 pm NATIONALS are at 1112 State Street (the Fitz-Hugh home) Tickets $50 in advance, $60 at the door. Click here to visit the Gala page for more information, and to purchase tickets in advance.
A's & Aces 2017 November Tournament
In partnership with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC), A's & Aces holds 5 USTA junior tournaments in 2017 at the Joe Brown Tennis Center. To register for our last tournament of 2017, click the link for your division:
A's & Aces' President Receives
2017 Zurich Classic Community Impact Award 
If you are an Amazon Shopper, you can select A's & Aces and AmazonSmile Foundation will donate to our kids every time you shop!!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to help support A's & Aces every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same experience of shopping on Amazon.com—but the difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com,) the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of your purchases to the charitable organization you select.
Click here to learn how easy it is to select A's & Aces and help put smiles on our kids' faces! Thank You
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Excellence Team Travel Provides
Valuable Tennis & Learning DC Cup - 10 & U Teams Competition
Six members of the A's & Aces Tournament Training Team traveled to College Park, MD, July 27-30, with two A's & Aces coaches, Tennis Director, A.J. Varnado, and Coach Eddie Garcia, for the USTA National Excellence Teams 10 & under competition.
A's & Aces is one of 12 USTA National Junior Tennis & Learning designated "Excellence Teams" across the nation. Each team adopts the name of a tennis personality. The A's & Aces Team is the "Mike McNulty Excellence Team." Mr. McNulty has served as President of the Louisiana and Southern Tennis Associations, and is on the national board of the USTA. Mike is committed strengthening and growing tennis at all levels. In addition to tennis, they also shared birthday cake with famed coach Nick Bollettieri, toured Washington, DC monuments, and enjoyed the opportunity to attend the Washington Kastles, one of six teams currently competing in World Team Tennis. Three Attend Southern Tennis & Leadership Camp
Attendees and coaches at Ga Tech Tennis Stadium
Three of our Tournament Training campers (Michael Griffin, Ethan Morgan, and Jahlil Cambrice) traveled to Atlanta for the Southern Tennis Association NJTL Leadership Camp at Georgia Tech. In additional to tennis and workshops on the college campus, they attended the BB&T Atlanta Open pro tournament, toured CNN and the APEX Museum ( African-American Panoramic Experience).
William Bostick Wins NJTL Essay Trip to Winston-Salem
Over 140 campers ages 7-16 learned on the courts and in the classrooms during our 2017 Summer Literacy & Tennis Camps. Campers drafted, edited, and submitted compositions to the USTA NJTL Essay Contest. Starting in 2011, an A's & Aces student-athlete has won a trip to New York or Winston-Salem to attend an ATP professional tennis tournament. This year is no exception; A's & Aces' William Bostick, the 2017 LA winner, joined 7 others from the Southern Tennis Association states for an all-expense paid trip for him and his parent to the Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., Aug 19-21.
Teah Johnson Earns Southern Teams Challenge Invite
Melanie Oudin (R) & Teah Johnson (L)
USTA Southern invited top 10&U players to the Southern Teams Challenge held June 24- 25 in Chattanooga, TN. Selection was based on results from the three Southern Regional Championships held earlier that month. A's & Aces' Teah Johnson, one of our Tolmas Scholars, earned an invitation based on finishing 5th in the Southern Closed 10s Championship West (LA, ARK, MS). Invitees were divided into 4 teams, each with a coach able to coach during match play. (Among the coaches was former US Open quarter-finalist and mixed doubles champion Melanie Oudin.) Teah won 4 of her 6 matches in Chattanooga!
12s & 14s Teams Train at USTA Orange Bowl Event
Coach AJ with Excellence Team
As one of the USTA NJTL Chapters to earn the Excellence Team designation, A's & Aces was selected to participate in the age 11-14 Excellence Teams Jr. Orange Bowl Workout in Key Biscayne, Florida. Four of our top players meeting all Excellence Teams goals and criteria, Chris Brown, Nick Crockens, Jude Edwards and Troy Houston, traveled with Coach A.J. Varnado and participated in this special “Earned Advancement” opportunity on Dec 8-10.
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Tennis Life Skills Academics
Some may, initially, think that tennis is "just a game" and is the least important component of A's & Aces' tripartite mission. Actually, tennis is the key. It unlocks barriers. Sports-Based Youth Development is recognized as an unparalleled way to engage underserved, disadvantaged, and minority populations. While character developing life-skills and academic support are critical to having successful, productive lives, the sport of tennis also provides the ability to build social, academic and career networks through playing a fun, life-long, global, non-contact, co-ed, team and individual sport. This provides incredible benefits to our participants - and for society.
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all kinds of discrimination.”
– Nelson Mandela, May 25, 2000
– Nelson Mandela, May 25, 2000
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