About SATA
The San Antonio Tennis Association is a community tennis association of the USTA, United States Tennis Association-Texas Section, founded in 1946, and is a non-profit membership organization that works year round to promote and develop the growth of tennis.
SATA’s mission statement is: “To promote and develop the lifetime sport of tennis as means of healthful recreation and physical fitness, social skill development, self-esteem and character building, and to provide programs to players of all ages and abilities, to the physically and/or mentally challenged, regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin.”
Based at the City of San Antonio’s McFarlin Tennis Center on San Pedro, SATA has approximately 2500 individual and organizational members. Along with its own events and programs, SATA supports all of the programs of the USTA that benefit the San Antonio community. These include the USTA Adult Team Tennis League, USTA Junior Team Tennis League, the USTA Schools Program, the National Junior Tennis League (NJTL), USTA Junior Competitive Training Center, USTA Wheelchair Tennis and the USTA Tennis Pathway Programs. SATA works in close cooperation with the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, schools, clubs, and other tennis organizations in the surrounding area.
Currently the programs that are being implemented in the city are 1) USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL), which is a free eight week tennis program and held during the summer months of June and July, 2) USTA Junior Team Tennis which runs in the fall and spring, and 3) USTA School Program. Locally trained volunteers teach this free after-school tennis program. The new rules of tennis for Ten and under children are used. Nine elementary schools were chosen to start this inaugural year, 2011. Forty children per school participated.
SATA’s goal for the coming years is to incorporate NJTL into a year round program and to start adopting additional USTA School Tennis to an after-school instructional tennis program at the community recreational and school facilities that currently have other after-school programs. By providing this after-school activity, we can grow and develop the game of tennis at these facilities. This provides the student(s) the opportunity to pursue their interest in tennis that was sparked by the USTA School Tennis Programs. Our vision is to keep our children off the streets and out of trouble by providing them with a safe haven, adult role models, and an opportunity to develop positive social skills and learning disciplines.
Once the programs are in progress, SATA will then implement USTA Junior Team Tennis League at the participating facilities. This is a 6-to-8 week program of team practice and match play much like USTA Adult Team Tennis League. League play would be in the fall and spring.
SATA is committed to take tennis to the next level to the hearing-impaired, wheelchair and to the mental and/or physically challenged player. These clinics would be conducted at McFarlin Tennis Center or at multiple sites throughout the San Antonio community.
We welcome volunteers to assist with our programs and with tournaments and other events. There are opportunities to serve on the SATA Board of Directors or Committees. Offering your time and talents to help lead the organization can have an impact on the future of tennis in San Antonio.
The San Antonio Tennis Association is committed to the USTA mission statement to "Promote and develop the Growth of Tennis."