Portland Tennis & Education | Portland, OR

Words by Karen Edwards. Photography by Lester Tsai.

When teacher and counsellor, Doctor Ernest Hartzog, launched Portland Tennis and Education (PT&E) in 1996, tennis was considered – by many – to be a white, elitist sport. As a Black man, and life-long tennis player, Dr. Hartzog had personally experienced the disparity in diversity on the court. His mission was to make tennis more accessible to children from all walks of life. Today, PT&E welcomes over 75 young people to its free tennis program. Of those students, 91 percent identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (BIPOC). Here, PT&E’s Executive Director, Campbell Glenn Garonzik, shares the compelling story of how this tiny neighbourhood non-profit organisation grew to be a vital pillar of the North Portland community.

PT&E is based in the midst of St. John’s in North Portland, Oregon – an under-served community that faces many systemic challenges. These include a much higher poverty rate than the city’s average, under-resourced schools and even gang violence. Over 60 percent of students in the neighborhood fail to meet reading and maths standards in elementary and middle schools. As an underserved community, the schools also have a large number of students who qualify for free school meals. 

When it began, Portland Tennis and Education (PT&E) was a tennis-only program. However, when social worker Danice Brown – who succeeded Dr. Hartzog as Executive Director – arrived in 2006, she understood that the children also needed education, socio-emotional learning and character development. In 2010, Danice struck a deal with Portland Parks and Recreation to take over a three-court indoor tennis facility. At the time, the building was in disrepair – so the deal agreed was a 20-year lease for just $1 a year. We are still located here today. Having an indoor facility in Portland, where it often rains, is huge for the kids. The building is now our community centre and a safe haven for so many children.

PT&E also offers a holistic program for young people between four and 18-years-old. The average child stays within our program for more than five years. Our work is centred around tennis because it brings out confidence in kids. Many of them have never played before, so we start from the basics and, step-by-step, they gain the skills on the court and engage in a healthy lifestyle. They also learn resilience; understanding that if they stick with something, they will improve. As they get older, they learn the disappointment of not always winning. These are important life skills to learn. We offer free court time to family and friends who want to join the children, so they can share in this community education. 

Our academic classes allow the children to focus on areas they struggle with at school. Often this is in English or phonics. We bring in several tutors to lead these subjects. We also teach fun, hands-on projects such as film-making. Meanwhile, our life skills lessons cover subjects like how to open a bank account, how to be financially literate, or how to approach a job interview. In order to be eligible to join the free programs of PT&E, the children must qualify for free or reduced school meals, according to the joint income of their parents or guardians.

We have a large team of volunteers who work on the court and in the classroom. They range from parents and past students to members of local organisations. Lessons take place after school, four times a week, throughout the academic year. We also offer a nine-week summer program for those who live too far away or can’t make it after school. We ask students to commit to a minimum of three sessions per week. Court rental, lesson fees and meals are covered by the program.  

We see PT&E as a two-way commitment. Often, families feel they are not able to provide academic support for their children. So, in return for our teaching, we ask family members to commit volunteer hours on the court and in the classroom. This helps them to support their kids in other ways. Once a month, we bring everyone together and share the children’s achievements. Then, we all play tennis together.

In the hours that the kids aren’t with us, we also provide public tennis coaching. This is how we are able to generate enough revenue to support the non-profit arm of PT&E. People of all ages come from all over the city, because they know their dollars are going to local kids. Some people even volunteer with us. 

We still face some challenges – such as transportation to the facilities. Even if they absolutely adore tennis, the kids are beholden to their families to bring them to PT&E. This year, we hope to secure a bus and our partnership with On means we are able to offset staff costs, so tutors can stay and build even greater relationships with the children.

Find out more about how Right To Run and Portland Tennis and Education are working together, and how you can get involved here.