CLUB TENNIS DESCHAPELLES AT HOSPITAL ALBERT SCHWEITZER, HAITI

Help kids in haiti

thrive through tennis

In Deschapelles, a small village in rural Haiti, kids who might not even have sneakers are playing tennis! Tennis gives the kids of Deschapelles something fun to look forward to every day. It has the potential to change the course of their lives, and in turn, to lift up their families.

History

They've been playing on an ancient concrete court built by the U.S. owned Standard Fruit Company before it left Haiti in the 1950s. Now, the tennis court is on the grounds of Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS), founded in 1956 by Larry and Gwen Mellon, to serve those in need of healthcare.

At first, only foreign hospital staff played on the court. But then, street kids began to pick up the game with sticks as rackets and dead balls they found scattered nearby. Noticing the interest of these young players, Hospital staff started collecting old rackets and giving impromptu lessons. The Deschapelles community realized that tennis could be a transformative opportunity for the local kids who had little else.

After the 2010 earthquake, five residents of Essex, CT, including the Mellons’ daughter, Jenifer Grant, formed Sister Cities Essex Haiti (SCEH), a group that partners with Deschapelle's Organization for Economic and Social Development. The local community leaders were eager to build a library and enhance the town's fledgling music and tennis programs—all of which SCEH accomplished.

For the nascent tennis program, SCEH sent a US pro and some equipment to train Haitian coaches. Private donors have paid the small stipend for 2 coaches. On a shoestring budget, the Club Tennis Deschapelles was born!

Club Tennis Deschapelles

Developing Skills, Thrills, and Sportsmanship

Club Tennis Deschapelles (CTD) serves about 50 kids daily. The kids share the single court that, until now, didn’t even have a fence. Of course, they chased down every ball!

CTD runs a 1-2 month-long summer camp for all interested, which serves up to 100 children.

The coaches are similarly dedicated. Walter (right) is paid $75/month, and Jude (left), is paid only $50 dollars per month. Jude was the volunteer fitness coach until he started receiving a stipend in 2021. Their intern, Youdancy, a girl who has aged out of tournaments, is paid $30 per month. None of the coaches' stipends are guaranteed because they depend on individual donors.

Many players walk long distances on dirt paths from homes that lack running water, electricity, and adequate food and clothing.

Yet, they never miss a day of
practice!

The Travel Team-

Opportunity of a Lifetime

For the 8 years prior to the COVID pandemic, CTD has been fielding travel teams to competitions sponsored by The Haitian Tennis Federation. Up to 25 kids traveled to about 10 tournaments per year in the Port-au-Prince area. Some have even competed in the Dominican Republic!

This team is the only opportunity for many of these kids to travel beyond their community. CTD supplies all their food and transportation.

CTD also hosts tournaments, providing food and medals to the competitors. The CTD players have had a distinct home court advantage—they know where to aim for the cracks on their opponents’ side of the court!

Winning Championships, Moving Forward

With hand-me-down rackets and shoes, coaches working for little or nothing, older players helping to coach the younger kids, and lots of grit and determination, CTD players are winning tournaments. They brought home 7 trophies from a qualifying tournament in early 2020!

The players of CTD did even better at the 2020 National Championship, where Elivert Philotherene (below, second from left) won the Boys 18 title (see video) and Auguste Christanelle (below, left) was runner-up in the Girls 12 division!

Elivert Philotherene, the 2020 Boys 18 National Champion
(on the right in video below)

Click here to watch video

Tennis helps these kids overcome tremendous odds. One CTD player, James Adler Greminal, had achieved a top national ranking in his age group when his mother left Haiti to seek work in the US. It wasn’t clear he would be able to continue playing tennis, but a coach in Port-au-Prince, knowing Adler’s potential and work ethic, invited him to train in Haiti’s capital. Eventually, the coach took him to competitions in Florida, where he now lives and plays on the circuit. Tennis has changed the course of Adler’s life.

Shoestring Budget

The CTD tennis program makes all of this happen with a variable annual budget ranging, in recent years, from $2800-$4600, provided by SCEH and private sponsors for the coaches' stipends. But these funds barely meet the program’s basic needs. The court desperately needed to be resurfaced. With generous donations and despite tremendous obstacles due to the pandemic, political unrest, and natural disasters, this effort is currently underway.

Purpose

Investment

Hope

We know what tennis means for us and how valuable sport is for our kids. We learn to work hard for ourselves and our team. We set goals and reach them through persistence and resilience. We handle setbacks and celebrate successes. We have a purpose.

For the kids in Deschapelles, the CTD tennis program, which is open to all, is their only opportunity for organized sport. Because most of these kids lack basic necessities, have little education, and sometimes go hungry, CTD serves not only as an opportunity for sport, but an opportunity for social mobility.

Your contribution would go a long way in Haiti. For relatively little, you could help to complete the renovation of the court or pay a coach. A year’s salary equals the cost of just 6-7 private lessons in the United States. More importantly, your contribution would make a tremendous difference in these kids’ lives.

Reflections

Coach Walter (right) Trainer Jude (left)

Tennis is a lifeline. Please help extend it.

The Coaches and Players Have:

Enthusiasm ✅
Drive ✅
Dedication ✅
Talent and potential ✅
A successful track record ✅
Community appreciation ✅
Community contribution ✅
Dreams ✅

CTD Needs:

To Complete Court Renovations
$4000

Salaries

Head Coach: $75/month
Assistant Coach: $50/mo.
Junior Coach: $30/mo
Intern: $30/mo.
Holiday bonuses

Nutrition

Travel day for the team: $50
Home tournaments: $250
Practice sessions: $1/player*

*Nutritious shake consisting of whole milk, fruit, potatoes, bread fruit, salt and sugar

Transportation to Tournaments

Single day : $350
Multi-day: $450

Passports for Tournaments (DR)
$500/year

Shipping Costs for clothing, sneakers, rackets, balls.

Accomplishments
Despite setbacks due the pandemic, political disruptions, an earthquake, and rising prices of materials and transportation:

Thanks to generous donations from 33 individual donors, The Haitian Tennis Federation, and The Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, FL, Director Max Mangones (former Davis Cup player for Haiti):

A fence has been installed around the court
The court was resurfaced
We have a new net and posts
We hope to have lights to practice into dusk

Thanks to ADV Tennis and founder, Lavie Sak (a sponsor of the Cambodian Davis Cup Team):

The players have an infinite supply of new ADV strings, grips and dampeners.
15 talented and promising players will participate in additional Advanced Training sessions

Thanks to Argentinian tennis coach and coaches' coach Martin Grieco, based in Hong Kong, and founder of Coaching the World:

The players have uniforms so they can arrive at tournaments with esprit d'equipe -team spirit!
Coach Martin will help develop the curriculum for the Advanced Training program, help brainstorm how to train 50-100 players of different ages and skill levels with one court, and will provide tips for individual players with specific training needs, advised on how to continue fitness and tennis skills training while the court was undergoing renovations.