Our Model
The mission of A's & Aces is to provide academic assistance, life skills and tennis to New Orleans public school children and others who seek access to high-quality academic assistance and tennis. This 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization was founded in 2008 with a tennis-based youth development outreach model that seeks to expose and engage many young children to our sport, while retaining those with high interest in competing to be the best they can be in the classroom and on the courts, and to use these skills to assist their pathway to college and throughout life.
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A's & Aces 2022-23 School-Year Programming
Weekdays (Tournament training players only)
4:30-7:00 Mon-Thu: yellow ball for dedicated tournament training players competing regularly in tournaments
5:00-6:30 Mon-Thu: orange ball cohort
5:00-6:00 Mon & We OR Tue & Thu: red ball cohorts
(contact us at Outreach@AsAndAces.org for more information)
Saturdays (Tournament training players, intermediate and beginner level)
9:00-10:00 (for children ages 6-9 with interest to learn to play tennis - red ball formats)
10:00-12:00 (for players 7-12 ready to train for orange/green/beginner yellow ball tournament competition)
12:00-2:00 (for players 9-18 training regularly for yellow/green ball tournament competition)
Weekdays (Tournament training players only)
4:30-7:00 Mon-Thu: yellow ball for dedicated tournament training players competing regularly in tournaments
5:00-6:30 Mon-Thu: orange ball cohort
5:00-6:00 Mon & We OR Tue & Thu: red ball cohorts
(contact us at Outreach@AsAndAces.org for more information)
Saturdays (Tournament training players, intermediate and beginner level)
9:00-10:00 (for children ages 6-9 with interest to learn to play tennis - red ball formats)
10:00-12:00 (for players 7-12 ready to train for orange/green/beginner yellow ball tournament competition)
12:00-2:00 (for players 9-18 training regularly for yellow/green ball tournament competition)
A’s & Aces Celebrates Black History Month by Launching Dr. James B. Ewers Jr. Fellowship Program
The Dr. James B. Ewers Jr. Fellowship Program is an A’s & Aces Career Development Initiative developed to prepare exceptional participants of sophomore-senior high school status (ages 16-18) for the leadership and responsibility of being a tennis coach while training to improve their own tennis game. The goal is to provide participants with leadership opportunities, mentoring in tennis coaching, as well as the opportunity to practice and improve their own tennis game. Fellows are selected based on several criteria, including leadership potential, academic performance, tennis accomplishments, exceptional character, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills. High school sophomore-senior scholars (age 16 –18) are eligible to apply for this fellowship. The Program will also include Junior Fellows (ages 14-15) as part of this career development pathway. Click here for more details and/or email us at outreach@asandaces.org to receive more information.
The Dr. James B. Ewers Jr. Fellowship Program is an A’s & Aces Career Development Initiative developed to prepare exceptional participants of sophomore-senior high school status (ages 16-18) for the leadership and responsibility of being a tennis coach while training to improve their own tennis game. The goal is to provide participants with leadership opportunities, mentoring in tennis coaching, as well as the opportunity to practice and improve their own tennis game. Fellows are selected based on several criteria, including leadership potential, academic performance, tennis accomplishments, exceptional character, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills. High school sophomore-senior scholars (age 16 –18) are eligible to apply for this fellowship. The Program will also include Junior Fellows (ages 14-15) as part of this career development pathway. Click here for more details and/or email us at outreach@asandaces.org to receive more information.
The December 2019 Louisiana standings include 11 A's & Aces players in the 10 & under division, 4 boys and 7 girls, who together are 11 of the 13 players from New Orleans in this age division, and more than 20% in the state. Our 12 & under players are 2 of the 9 boys and 7 of the 14 girls listed from New Orleans. In the 14 & under girls division there are 7 A's & Aces players among the 16 New Orleanians, and the 16's division includes two A's & Aces participants, one girl and boy. Click here to view a full list of the A's & Aces players in the standings and rankings.
This video was filmed and broadcast by WWL-TV in December 2019
A's & Aces was incorporated as a nonprofit in January 2008, holding its first event that May at Tulane's Goldring Tennis Center.
A's & Aces named
TennisIndustry "National Junior Tennis & Learning 2017 Organization of the Year" 
A's & Aces was honored as 2017 National Junior Tennis & Learning Organization of the Year by Tennis Industry magazine. The publication’s January 2018 issue is the magazine’s 17th annual “Champions of Tennis Awards,” which honors people, businesses and organizations dedicated to improving the sport and business of tennis. The Award was presented at a banquet held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans ballroom. Click here to read the article about A's & Aces in Tennis Industry, on p.37.
Let AMAZON Donate to A's & Aces Whenever You Shop! If you are an Amazon Shopper, please use AmazonSmile! It provides the exact same services, but, by selecting A's & Aces and using the Smile version, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate to help our kids every time you shop!! Click here to learn how easy it is to select A's & Aces and help put smiles on our kids' faces! |
Spring 2020 Saturday Clinics
at Joe Brown Park Tennis Ctr Two A's & Aces students won 2019 NJTL Essay Contests , including our
1st National Winner For their winning Essays in the 2019 NJTL Essay Contest, Keena Hughes and James Bostick won amazing trips.
Kenna won the Southern Section award for Louisiana and continued the multi-year streak for A's & Aces student-athletes who have earned a trip to the Winston-Salem Open! James was one of only 10 winners at the National level to win amazing trips, with a parent, to New York, and he is the first from A's & Aces to win at this level. The USTA Foundation and the Contest sponsor, Deloitte US, made this experience possible. CONGRATULATIONS, James and Keena! 
Keena with pro, Frances Tiafoe
Featured SponsorS
Second Serve Tennis Center maintains a "drop box" where anyone can donate new or used shoes that will be given to deserving A's & Aces student-athletes.
Click this photo to view a slideshow
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NJTL 2012-13 & 2017 National "Chapter of the Year"
Among over 600 NJTL chapter organizations across the country, the United States Tennis Association honored A's & Aces as the National Junior Tennis & Learning "Chapter of the Year" for 2012-13 and produced the video below as part of the award. (Click below to play the 2 min. video.) Tennis Industry magazine selected A's & Aces as NJTL "Chapter of the Year" again in 2017.
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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