Israel Tennis Centers

Israel Tennis Centers
Formation 1976
Type Sports – Tennis,
Children's Charity
Headquarters Ramat HaSharon, Israel
Location

Israel Tennis Centers ("ITC"; Hebrew: המרכז לטניס בישראל) is the largest tennis program for children in the world, reaching more than 350,000 families—5% of the Israeli population. With 14 centers on the country, primarily in underprivileged communities, the not-for-profit Centers use tennis to promote the social, physical, and psychological well being of their students (through other programs such as their Life Skills program).[1] Another of its goals is the development of coaches (such as Oded Yaakov), and building and maintaining courts and facilities at the highest levels.[2]

The ITC is the physical home of the Israel Children's Centers, Israel's largest social service agency for children. The Israel Children's Centers serve 10,000 children every week through a variety of programs that address development and social needs, including coexistence programs for Arab and Jewish children and customized programs for a variety of disabilities.[3][4][5]

The ITC has to date produced the following top-30 players: Andy Ram (career-high doubles ranking of # 5); Yoni Erlich (doubles ranking of # 5); Shahar Pe'er (doubles ranking of # 14 and singles ranking of # 11); Anna Smashnova (singles ranking of # 15); Amos Mansdorf (singles ranking of # 18); Shlomo Glickstein (singles ranking of #22 in 1982; # 28 in doubles); Dudi Sela (singles ranking of #30 in 2009), and Harel Levy (singles ranking of # 30 in 2001).

History

In 1974, at a time when tennis in Israel was a sport played primarily by tourists as beach hotels, Dr. Ian Froman, Freddie Krivine, Joseph D. Shane, Harold Landesberg, Rubin Josephs, and Dr. William H. Lippy began fundraising efforts to launch tennis as a sport in Israel and to build a National Tennis Center on an old strawberry patch in Ramat HaSharon given to the ITC by the government.[6] On April 25, 1976, Leah Rabin cut the ribbon to the Center, and 250 children signed up to participate. Canadian pioneers of the Centers included Joseph Frieberg, Gerry Goldberg, Ralph Halbert, and Harold Green. Their fundraising efforts laid the financial foundation for Canada Stadium, where the Davis Cup and Fed Cup were hosted in Israel until 2009, and the construction and maintenance of the centers, as well as provision of equipment to the children, were funded without any government assistance.[7][8]

Canada Stadium; 2008

By 2008, about 350,000 Jewish, Christian, and Moslem Israeli children had gone through the seven complexes funded by the ITC, and 1951 Wimbledon champion Dick Savitt was overseeing the coaching techniques.[6][9] Anna Smashnova moved to Israel with her family in 1990, aged 15, and trained at the ITC; the next year she won the French Open girls title, and in 2002 she reached a career-high ranking of # 15.[10] In 1991 the ATP donated $5,000 to the ITC, and Argentine tennis player Martín Jaite, who is Jewish, donated $3,000.[11] In 1995, Israeli former Davis Cup player and national champion Gilad Bloom, who was world champion in the under-12 age group, became senior coach role with the ITC.[12]

Thirty years after the centers were begun, in 2006 the first ITC product won a Wimbledon title, as Andy Ram won the 2006 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title. He had learned his tennis at the ITC's Jerusalem Tennis Center, and Yoni Erlich, his men's doubles partner, had learned his tennis at the Haifa Tennis Center. "I can only find words of esteem for the Israel Tennis Center for their support and help", Ram said after his success.[2][13]

In 2007, Issy Kramer, Honorary President of the Israel Water Polo Association (IWPA), indicated that he would like to replicate what the ITC has achieved, by building centers throughout Israel, particularly in poorer neighborhoods and development towns. "Swimming, like tennis, should not have to be an elitist sport", he said.[14]

Relationship with the Israel Tennis Association

The ITC's relations with the Israel Tennis Association ("ITA"), the national governing body for tennis in Israel have been tense.[15] While the Israeli national tennis team had been linked financially and otherwise with the ITC, in 1996 the ITA took over the administration and moved its practice center from Ramat Hasharon to a Hadar Yosef sports complex in Tel Aviv.[16] In 2008, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz criticized the lack of cooperation and called for a major tennis tournament to be hosted by Israel.[17]

In 2009, a dispute developed over where to play the Davis Cup tie against Russia and the case ended up in court.[18][19][19] ITC turned to the Tel Aviv District Court in an effort to prevent ITA from playing matches at Nokia Stadium rather than Canada Stadium in Ramat Hasharon. The court ruled in favor of the ITA after the sides failed to reach a compromise.[20]

Notable alumni

Shahar Pe'er

See also

References

  1. ↑ The News: Israel Tennis group plans Family Fun Day, 8 March 1993
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1
  3. ↑ ITC Web Site, English
  4. ↑ ITC Programs
  5. ↑ "Israel Children's Centres website". Israelchildren.ca. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Franz Lidz (October 12, 1987). "A Young Tennis Star Rises In An Ancient Land". SI Vault, sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008.
  7. ↑ ITC History
  8. ↑ Boca Raton News – Google News Archive Search
  9. ↑ Tomasson, Robert E. (January 26, 1986). "Social Events; Beneficial Parties – New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ Leon, Jack (October 14, 1991). "Soviet Immigrant Coaches Parade At Riklis Classic". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Bloom seeks to guide tennis youth – Jerusalem Post | HighBeam Research – FREE trial". Highbeam.com. November 29, 1995. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ Leon, Jack (October 28, 1990). "Harnik Returns To Head Israel Tennis Association". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  16. ↑ "National tennis teams take up new residence at Hadar Yosef – Jerusalem Post | HighBeam Research – FREE trial". Highbeam.com. May 16, 1996. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  17. ↑ "The Last Word / Now let's get to work – Haaretz – Israel News". Haaretz. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Davis Cup / Win in Sweden lifts Israel to record 8th in world rankings – Haaretz – Israel News". Haaretz. December 24, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ ITC Champions

External links

Coordinates: 32°07′50″N 34°50′20″E / 32.130605°N 34.838955°E