Fans cheered as local tennis professionals volleyed in support of disadvantaged children during the 27th annual King of the Hill Tennis Tournament at the Boulevard Village and Tennis Club to benefit the Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy.
Participants were thrilled to see a return to pre-pandemic play, with 32 participants vying for the coveted King of the Hill title at the first evening of the seven-week tournament. Lines were good-naturedly drawn on the courts, as tennis enthusiasts gathered to cheer on their clubs’ professionals. And, while they may have been playing for the “love” of the game, it was clear they were also playing for keeps.
Tournament founder and director Gigi Casapu established the competition in honor of his brother, Jonny, a world-class tennis professional remembered for a soft spot for children, who died 27 years ago. It made the choice of Youth Guidance as the longtime beneficiary an easy choice for Casapu, who has raised more than $600,000 since the tournament’s 1996 inception.
He also annually awards a Youth Guidance high school senior with a $1,000 Gigi Casapu Scholarship, which will be presented this year on March 3, the final night of play.
“You make what we do at Youth Guidance possible, which is providing the one-on-one and group mentoring programs to 250 kids right here in this county who are disadvantaged,” said Phil Barnes, YG executive director, during his opening night address.
“They come from low-income families; they may not have the best support system at home. By coming here tonight, you are giving them vocational training programs. We’re teaching these kids what they need to become successful citizens.”
In addition to afterschool and summer mentoring and recreational programs, Youth Guidance students participate in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), life skills classes such as cooking and sewing, and trade and vocational skills training, including boat and bicycle mechanics.
One of its newer programs is a woodworking class for the younger children, to get them interested at an early age.
“That’s our way of planting the seed, getting them interested in maybe pursuing a trade or at least working with their hands. Hopefully, that leads to something more as they get older,” said Barnes.
Their vocational skills training programs for young adults ages 16 to 24 is an eight-month program of immersive classes, with graduates obtaining six professional certificates and experience in welding, HVAC, plumbing, carpentry and electric.
“The idea is to provide the kids with a taste of those different trades. It gets them the base-level certifications they need to get their foot in the door with local employers,” said Barnes.
“We are actually paying the kids to complete the [vocational] course to provide an actual level of incentive. There is a lot of bookwork in addition to their regular schoolwork. We want to get them in those seats and committed to completing the course.”
Their bike repair program has already netted positive results. Several students have been taken on as interns at local bike shops, and one is now employed in the field.
“We’re really pushing the trades, life skills and vocational training. We see that as a gap that needs to be filled within our community. There are so many trade companies that need employees. This is something that our kids can really get into, and we’ve seen it happen,” said Barnes.
King of the Hill Tournaments are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each Thursday through March 3. For more information, visit youthguidanceprogram.org.
Photos by Kaila Jones
