"Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can."
- Arthur Ashe
Our Story...
The mission at Woods Tennis Center is to develop players and provide play opportunities for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities in an inclusive environment promoting health and wellness in Lincoln and surrounding communities. We seek to make tennis a public sport, working intentionally to change perceptions that surround the game.
The reach of this mission continues to grow every year - 26 junior players in programming back in 2008, Woods Tennis Center now serves over 12,000 players annually. These individuals seek tennis for the mental and physical health benefits as well as for the desire to improve their game, range in age from 3 to 93 and skill from beginner to national champion. Deliberate work is done to provide a comprehensive pathway for all players, centered around supportive relationships, holistic player development, and fostering strong community.
Taking the Game to the Community Since 2008...
Programming
for All
Comprehensive programming and a culture of inclusivity are core at Woods Tennis Center. Our highly experienced team works intentionally to provide positive experiences at all levels of play from neighborhood players to juniors, high school teams, adults, social and USTA players, seniors, local/state/regional/national tournament competitions, Special Olympians, youth and adults in wheelchair and adaptive tennis, and youth enrolled in other community educational programming.
​
All are welcome here.
Holistic Player Development
Our team at Woods Tennis Center prioritizes whole player development. We strive to ensure that our players are developing important life skills that will not only help them reach their on-court goals, but also allow them to succeed off the tennis court. Program curricula centers around tennis skills while emphasizing strong character and leadership development, off-court training, mental wellness, and scholastic achievements. ​
Community
Building
Woods Tennis Center takes pride in being a good neighbor and partner, giving to and investing in our community through volunteering and collaborations. We focus on creating a welcoming community hub where everyone is accepted and encouraged to live healthy lives. We seek to purposefully invite and welcome in all members of our community. At Woods Tennis Center, we celebrate diversity and view our unique differences as assets that ultimately make us stronger together.​
Breaking Down Barriers
Intentional, research-based programming on and offsite at Woods Tennis Center emphasizes inclusiveness by addressing disparities magnified by health, income, opportunity, and educational inequities. Specifically, over 2,000 youth and adults participate in community outreach programming across the city and over 4,500 tennis racquets have been provided free of charge since 2009. Our scholarship program further supports players interested in this lifetime sport, ensuring access.