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Israel Tennis Centers

Israel Tennis Centers
Formation1976
TypeSports – Tennis,
Children's Charity
HeadquartersRamat HaSharon, Tel Aviv District, Israel
Location

Israel Tennis Centers ("ITC"; Hebrew: המרכז לטניס בישראל) is the largest social service agency for children in Israel,[citation needed] serving more than a half million children and their families since its first center opened in Ramat Hasharon in 1976. With 16 centers across Israel, 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 No. 5); Yoni Erlich (doubles ranking of No. 5); Shahar Pe'er (doubles ranking of No. 14 and singles ranking of No. 11); Anna Smashnova (singles ranking of No. 15); Amos Mansdorf (singles ranking of No. 18); Shlomo Glickstein (singles ranking of No. 22 in 1982; No. 28 in doubles); Dudi Sela (singles ranking of No. 29 in 2009), and Harel Levy (singles ranking of No. 30 in 2001).

The Israel Tennis Center - Ramat Hasharon, Ramat HaSharon, 1969

History

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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 No. 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]

Notable alumni

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Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich
Shahar Pe'er

See also

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References

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  1. ^ The News: Israel Tennis group plans Family Fun Day, 8 March 1993
  2. ^ a b [1][dead link‍]
  3. ^ "ITC Web Site, English". Archived from the original on 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  4. ^ ITC Programs[dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Israel Children's Centres website". Israelchildren.ca. Archived from the original on July 21, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  6. ^ a b 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 Archived August 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Boca Raton News
  9. ^ Tomasson, Robert E. (January 26, 1986). "Social Events; Beneficial Parties". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  10. ^ [2][dead link‍]
  11. ^ Leon, Jack (October 14, 1991). "Soviet Immigrant Coaches Parade At Riklis Classic". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  12. ^ "Bloom seeks to guide tennis youth". The Jerusalem Post. November 29, 1995. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  13. ^ Serving up success | In Jerusalem | Jerusalem Post
  14. ^ Israel News | Online Israeli News Covering Israel & The Jewish World - JPost
  15. ^ ITC Champions Archived February 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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32°07′50″N 34°50′20″E / 32.130605°N 34.838955°E / 32.130605; 34.838955