First Serve - Education, Life Skills, Tennis

First Serve Miami - FOCAL is a partnership between the First Serve National Office, the Foundation of Community Assistance and Leadership (FOCAL), and the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department. Programming takes place after school and during the summer at the Ashe-Buchholz Tennis Center @ Moore Park in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood.

Office: 3042 North Federal Highway Suite 200 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
Phone: (954) 568-4661 Fax: (954) 568-4676
E-mail: rflader@firstserve.org

Program: Ashe Buchholz Tennis Center
@ Moore Park
765 NW 36 St. Miami, FL 33127

First Serve Miami - FOCAL

Background:

Day to Day Activities:

Education:

Approximately 80 students participate in daily tutoring/homework assistance, science enrichment classes, literacy, and the First Serve National Student Athlete Competition. All report cards are collected and each student’s academic performance is closely monitored.

Life Skills:

A select group of students participate in the nationally acclaimed First Serve Life Skills Curriculum™ and progress through the three levels of the program, GAME, SET, and MATCH. Each level takes approximately one school year to graduate from. For more information on the First Serve Life Skills Curriculum™, please click here.

Tennis:

Students participate in tennis practice a minimum of two times per week during the school year. Students also participate in “play days” and matches with other South Florida First Serve Chapters and other local tennis programs. The goal of First Serve Miami-FOCAL’s tennis program is to foster the enjoyment of the lifetime sport of tennis in its participants, not to produce tennis champions.

Field Trips:

First Serve Miami-FOCAL students have the opportunity to participate in several field trips such as trips to the Sony Ericsson Open and Delray ITC Professional Tennis Tournaments, Space Camp, Disneyworld, local junior tennis tournaments/events, and a host of others.

Kids Quotes:

- Kareem Muhammed, 15 years old:

”To tell you the truth, I thought tennis was a feminine sport. I thought it was dull & boring.... Until I tried it. Now I've taken everything back. Tennis is a great sport and I love it! That's why I'm so happy to be a part of the First Serve Miami-FOCAL program in Miami.”

“At First Serve Miami-FOCAL, I know I can get all the help I need with my schoolwork and also learn a new sport like tennis”

“I love playing tennis. Even when I’m not playing I always imagine myself on the court doing a perfect forehand or backhand.”

- Eric Moss, 11 years old:

- Edward Smith, 11 years old:

Name: Jermaine Stanley

Favorite Food: Anything that looks and smells good

Why you like tennis:

“Tennis is my Anti-drug, My escape from the world. It helps me to relax and keeps me focused. The joy of hitting the ball back and forth. The endless laughter and joy. Its everything I've ever wanted in a sport. Tennis brings me that and much more. Thank god for Tennis.”

- Aminah Muhammed, 11 years old:

“I really like the people here at First Serve Miami-FOCAL and I love learning how to play tennis. It's a really great sport, and it helps keep you in shape.”

Favorite Movie: Mr and Mrs Smith. (We all know why. Angelina Jolie!!)

Favorite Music: Techno, Jpop, BGM(background music) Hip hop, Rock and much more.

Favorite Tennis Shot: Forehands of course!

Jermaine is one of the founding members of the First Serve Miami-FOCAL program. He has a great positive attitude and recently competed in his first official USTA tennis tournament. For that effort he received 10 points in the First Serve National Student Athlete Competition and currently is ranked #8 in the nation High School Boys (as of 9/18). Keep up the good work Jermaine!