In partnership with Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis &Swim Club, Advantage Kids offers Free! Tennis + Yoga sessions year-round on both indoor and outdoor courts at this beautiful tennis facility. Coach Scott McDougald leads sessions for kids of all ages with a certified yoga instructor. Also in the great city of Nashua is the Boys & Girls Club Tennis PLUS program, which takes place at either or both facilities in the winter months.
Our relationship with Nashua is a bit of a love story. Coach Scott McDougald has been teaching tennis for over 25 years and, being the main youth tennis coach in parks out there, was the obvious choice when Advantage Kids sought a partnership with Nashua Boys & Girls Club. He worked hard to recruit kids who would take tennis seriously, commit to stay for entire sessions, and who he felt would benefit from a well-rounded program.
Then, we were invited to partner with Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club by their owner Laury Hammel, who is a longtime friend and business partner of our Board President Tim James. We worked with the team at Longfellow to bring a group of hand-picked kids from Boys & Girls Club to their beautiful indoor facility, where we then launched a pilot of the new Tennis PLUS (yoga + meditation) Program. The kids and staff were blown away by the notable social, emotional, and physical growth these children displayed, so we knew the new program was a success and would continue!
Not only does Tennis PLUS happen in Nashua, but it is also the tennis-home of our Junior Ambassador and Excellence Player, Oziera Ahmad. Laury has been her coach and supporter for many years, and introduced her to us as a volunteer and, later, Ambassador. Now, Oziera is thriving at a Tennis Academy in Greensboro, NC, thanks to support from her team here at Advantage Kids, with Longfellow, and of course help from the USTA and our regional USTA New England.
Nashua Boys & Girls Club
Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club
USTA New Hampshire
USTA New England
USTA Excellence Player Program
Greensboro Tennis Foundation Program
Nashua Boys & Girls Club
Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club
Eastern Slope Inn
Mount Cranmore
Tennis PLUS (Yoga + Meditation) introduces kids to the lifelong activities of tennis and yoga with beginner instruction from professional, certified instructors in a low-pressure, fun, social environment. No equipment is necessary; participants will learn all the skills they need to hit, play, keep score, and rally in tennis along with gaining self-confidence, resilience, and mental toughness through yoga and meditation. All ages are welcome.
Oziera Ahmad is ranked #2 in New England at fifteen years old. She has been volunteering with Advantage Kids for three years on and off the court while focusing her time on improving her tennis game. Now living and learning in Greensboro, North Carolina, Oziera continues to be an example of excellence to other Advantage Kids.
Head Coach: Scott McDougald
Yogi: Hannah Isabelle
We are eager to get back to our kids in Nashua! We see year-round Tennis PLUS programs happening at Longfellow, after school programs at the Boys & Girls Club through the colder months, and a continuation of our thriving partnerships for years to come.
One day, we hope to hold a fundraising tournament event at the club to continue supporting our work and these kids who love and need these programs.
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Advantage Kids (dba Lakes Region Tennis Association) is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization with EIN 46-2774258. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Be sure to ask your employer about corporate matching programs!