TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On the sun-soaked courts of Pueblo High School, young athletes are rising early to beat the summer heat and sharpen their tennis skills, thanks to the Tucson Community Tennis Program.
The nonprofit offers affordable access to tennis for children on Tucson’s south side — a part of town where cost can often limit sports opportunities. “It’s just the way that you hit the ball, and how you run around… it’s just fun!” said camper Mitzael Salomon, one of dozens of kids enjoying the summer camp.
While many summer sports camps come with hefty price tags, TCTP charges just $5 per child for the entire summer.
For parents like Ashley Ramirez, who has two children in the program, that makes a huge difference. “When you have multiple kids, it’s hard to pay for a sport for multiple kids,” she said. “So it’s amazing that my kids get to be part of a sport where it’s not stretching me money-wise.”
The low cost is made possible through generous grant funding and community donations. “We actually receive a lot of donations from different companies in Tucson and families as well,” said Hilda Cortez, former TCTP head coach.
TCTP’s mission goes beyond tennis.
It’s about introducing kids to a sport traditionally seen as exclusive to country clubs, while also offering academic support. “We head over to a classroom here at Pueblo that they let us borrow, and the kids can do tutoring,” Cortez said.
For many campers, tennis was not their first sport of choice. Salomon admitted, “I’m really like a basketball person, like I’m not really a tennis guy. And I was just like, 'I’m just gonna try it out,' and after trying it, I really liked it.”
The program is also building future leaders. Sofia Ahro, a former camper turned coach, says the skills she learned on the court extend far beyond sports. “Just relationships in general and how to solve problems in the moment — that’s really what tennis is,” she said.
While the first five-week session has wrapped up, a second session begins July 7 at Pueblo High School. Registration is available on the TCTP website, tctp.org.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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