Woodcraft Rangers is one of ten hubs nationwide that will serve as a blueprint for growing access to tennis and its impact on young people in under-resourced communities
LOS ANGELES, August 25, 2025 – The USTA Foundation today announced that Woodcraft Rangers has been named one of its first Community Impact Hubs, a bold new initiative designed to leverage the power of tennis to grow impact and grow the game in under-resourced communities, offering young people and families unparalleled opportunities to play, learn, and thrive – right where they live.
Woodcraft Rangers currently serves 25,000 TK-12 students at over 140 schools across greater Los Angeles County in afterschool, summer learning, and outdoor education programs. This new designation will allow the organization to expand its work in the local community through no-cost school and family play opportunities, coach training, and investment in courts.
Through this initiative, the USTA and USTA Foundation will provide Woodcraft Rangers with approximately $250,000 in funding over two years to support its efforts to reach nearly 10,000 new young people and families by the end of 2027. The funding is also projected to enable Woodcraft Rangers to implement new youth tennis programming in eight schools, collaborate with schools and community spaces on the refurbishment of tennis courts, and recruit over 30 new coaches in the Los Angeles area during that time.
Woodcraft Rangers is one of ten Hubs selected from the more than 270 community organizations part of the USTA Foundation’s NJTL network. Created in 1969 by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, the network is the core initiative of the USTA Foundation, and prepares young people from under-resourced communities for life on and off the court by providing them access to tennis, academic support services, career readiness programs, and mentorship opportunities.
“Being named a USTA Foundation Community Impact Hub is a game-changer for us,” said Danny Salas, Chief Program Officer, Woodcraft Rangers. “It means more courts, more coaches, and more families discovering their potential through tennis. We’re excited to scale our programs and build future leaders—on and off the court.”
“Community Impact Hubs will provide unprecedented access to tennis and all of its benefits to youth and families in under-resourced communities,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “This initiative reflects our deep commitment to harnessing the transformative power of tennis to open gateways of opportunity in the communities that need it most.”
The USTA Foundation will actively fundraise to support the growth of its Community Im pact Hub initiative, with the ultimate goal of scaling into additional communities, affording more people access to the benefits of tennis–on and off the court. These Hubs will also serve as anchors for broader community connection while helping meet high levels of unmet demand and supporting the USTA’s broader “35 by ’35” goal: growing tennis participation to 35 million Americans by the year 2035.
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USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTAF or USTA Foundation), the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), supports the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, a nationwide group of more than 250 sports-based youth development organizations that use tennis as a vehicle to prepare young people from under-resourced communities for the challenges and opportunities of life. The NJTL network, co-founded in 1969 by tennis and cultural icon Arthur Ashe, along with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, provides thousands of youth access to tennis, academic, and life-skills programs that help shape them into well-rounded adults. USTAF supports these NJTL chapters by providing grants, scholarships, capacity-building resources, and training, fortifying their local communities. USTAF raises money and awareness through donations, corporate support, and fundraisers, including the US Open Opening Night Gala. USTAF has awarded approximately $64 million in grants and scholarships to date. For more information, visit ustafoundation.com and stay connected through Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.