tennis — basketball
building excellence
providing access
Our vision is to create a vibrant and inclusive community in the Greater New Orleans Area where marginalized youth and our elderly population are empowered and build community through the sport of tennis.
Founded in 2023, Split-Sets Foundation is a non-profit organization that exist to make the “Ease of Entry” into the sport more accessible to the whole community and reduce the financial burden that traditionally exist to develop in this Elite Sport.
who we are
Our goal is to provide an environment where the skills required to play and compete become accessible among marginalized players as well as to provide opportunities for competition.
+ By accessible, we mean providing access and programming for the children of Orleans Parish to play at an affordable rate. This facility will provide training and access to courts (at scheduled times) for public schools who want to offer a court sport as an after school sport.
+ By marginalized, we mean the underprivileged youth of the greater New Orleans area. This also means access for approx. 79,200 Orleans Parish Senior Citizens.
+ By competition, we mean providing local tournaments, for the opportunity to compete in matches. There is a huge disparity for Louisiana residents to compete in tournaments (because there are so few) and because of the cost of travel involved.
Split Sets Foundation
status quo
For generations youth sports meant neighborhood little league games, volunteer coaches and inexpensive recreation programs. They were places where community ties were built. Today that model is rapidly disappearing. Industry reports show competitive youth sports training can easily cost families $5-10,000 per year. With most opportunities to compete include stacking costs for weekend travel accommodations. Many young athletes have real talent and real discipline but not the resources or access that lets them keep going.
At the same time participation has increased- More than half of American children ages 6-17 now play organized sports, according to federal data by Project play. Rising demands and rising costs have turned youth sports into one of the fastest growing sectors in the recreation economy and a burden for parents. There has been an increase in tennis and racquet sports like Padel and Pickleball.
Since the Pandemic, more than 27 million Americans play tennis and it is the fastest growing youth sport in the country and participation has increased dramatically among diverse communities, including Hispanic and African Americans. Basketball is making its own surge as the fastest growing sport internationally. Historically, more girls are now participating in youth sports with a rise in opportunities for Equal Pay for Woman in Basketball and Tennis.