Mission

The Sportsmen’s mission is to build leaders on the court, in the classroom and in the greater community by providing academic, wellness and social development programs alongside recreational and competitive tennis instruction for youth and adults. Sportsmen's is committed to improving life opportunities for youth in Boston’s Blue Hill Corridor while welcoming a diverse community from the Greater Boston area.

What We Do

Founded in 1961, Sportsmen’s is the first indoor, nonprofit tennis club in the US built by and for the African-American community. For over 50 years, Sportsmen’s has provided the communities of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury with a place for youth and adults to gather, to learn and play tennis. Today we educate, train, and develop the academic and tennis skills of over 5,000 youth and young adults annually.
MISSION AND GOALS
The Sportsmen’s mission is to build leaders on the court, in the classroom and in the greater community by providing academic, wellness and social development programs alongside recreational and competitive tennis instruction for youth and adults. Sportsmen’s is committed to improving life opportunities for youth in Boston’s Blue Hill Corridor while welcoming a diverse community from the Greater Boston area.
SPORTSMEN’S AND THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE
Sportsmen’s is a year-round, family centered organization offering tennis, academic and social enrichment programs for K-12 aged youth, adult basic education, financial literacy courses, health and wellness screening and classes. Our primary target population is low-income, school-age youth and young adults up to age 24 and their families residing in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury. Our youth are 71% elementary school age, 16% middle school, 12% high school age, and 1% young adults who are not in school; gender distribution is even. 87% of the students in our programs are underprivileged (based on a scale used to determine financial aid and free or reduced lunch at school). Our work directly addresses what studies show are the most pressing challenges faced by youth and families in economically depressed neighborhoods: poor academic performance of K-12 children; obesity, chronic illness and cardiovascular disease, stemming from limited physical activity; and lack of quality, affordable after-school options for children.