Israel Tennis Center children’s exhibition shows triumphs over disadvantages

For many children, playing tennis is just a fun, extracurricular activity, but for the students at the Israel Tennis Centers, the game means a new shot at life.

The nonprofit tennis operation, based in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, has trained more than 500,000 disadvantaged children at its 14 centers since 1976, providing a haven where their disabilities don’t define them.

To celebrate 40 years of success, some of its students and trainers are traveling to the U.S. for an exhibition tour aimed at sharing their mission and accomplishments. The tour includes a stop at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“The ITC quickly became much more than just playing tennis,” said Jacqueline Glodstein, the Israel Tennis Centers’ executive vice president of global development. “Whether the children became champions on or off the court, our focus is on training them to learn skills that will help them succeed in life no matter what they face.”

The majority of students who train at the center have special needs, and they come from diverse religious backgrounds. The ITC’s goal is to give a structured environment where they can learn to overcome their disabilities, coexist with different ethnicities and excel as tennis players.

“The ITC is all about children coming together on one court with tennis transcending everything,” said Ms. Glodstein.

Coaches at the tennis centers evaluate students over several months based on their skills and alignment with ITC values. Trainers then recommend who should make the exhibition team.

Then training begins. For eight weeks, the students work together on skills to show their American supporters. Students also prepare to share their unique stories about how the Israel Tennis Centers have affected their lives.

One of the exhibition team members is 13-year-old Jennifer. Her single mother immigrated to Israel from Nigeria 14 years ago with no money or worldly possessions. Jennifer’s mother eventually needed help watching her children after school, and the ITC stepped in.

For the past 10 years, Jennifer has been learning skills at the center to become a professional tennis player. She said her lessons have transformed her life off the court.

“Igal [her trainer] is like the father I never had,” Jennifer said in a press release for the tour. “He is a man that loves everybody regardless of where they come from. He is a man of principle, and I hope to return the favor one day.”

While the exhibition tour is in the D.C. area, Ms. Glodstein said, the students will take in local culture by touring the monuments and attending a Washington Nationals baseball game. On Tuesday evening, the children will show local supporters firsthand how learning to lob has brightened their futures.