EDUCATION THROUGH TENNIS
Donkor Tennis and Education Foundation (DTEF) has been keeping busy with some exciting projects over the past few months! One of the most exiting of these has been the recent start of construction on a facility in Ghana, West Africa that will be the first Tennis and Education facility of its kind in the country.
This Tennis and Education facility will consist of five hard courts, one of which will be a stadium court with flood lights and seating, and one clay court. The facility will also include changing rooms, a gym, offices, and parking and of course, classrooms for the players.
Thanks to the generous donations that we have received so far, building has begun with foundations being laid and a security wall being built to surround the land. We have also connected water pipes to the land with electricity to follow. We are currently attempting to purchase building materials such as iron rods, cement, bricks, sand and blocks to enable us to get the courts and classrooms started.
One bag of cement costs $8 and one truck load of sand is $60 dollars. We estimate needing at least 50 more truck loads of sand to complete the project. We are so excited to see that our facility is now in progress and want to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us with donations.
Other exciting news is that we are now offering a unique opportunity for companies interested in immortalizing their support of our cause. For a $25,000 donation, we will build and name a court after your company so that everyone who plays and learns there will know just how much you care.
On a similar note, DTEF is proud to share that our number one sponsor and special advisor, Sonia Jones, has generously offered to sponsor the building of the fitness/workout portion of the facility which will include Patch Fitness obstacle courses. Below is a description of the Patch Fitness program submitted by the man who created it:
“The Patch Fitness exercise program was developed 16 years ago on the jumps inside an equestrian arena and then was moved to a custom obstacle course next to a tomato patch. The athletes endearingly referred to this course as “The Patch”–thus Patch Fitness was born.
The best way to describe Patch Fitness is for you to close your eyes, and while they’re closed, take yourself back to when you were 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 years old. You are playing on the Jungle Gym, monkey bars, a pile of rockes, mound of dirt on a log or some old tires. You have no inhibitions or restrictions. You duck, jump, crawl, climb, leap and roll around on whatever it is. Your creativity allows you to make up each move as the challenge presents itself. You don’t know you’re not supposed to be able to do these things, you just do them.
Exercising on the Patch Obstacle course allows one to develop muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and body composition. Patch exercises are done on both the Outdoor and Indoor Patch “O” Course. The Outdoor Course consists of a series of suspended wooden beams of different heights that are used for vaulting and jumping and other athletic maneuvers. The Indoor Patch was designed to replicate the Outdoor Course. Collectively, they bring over 30 years of fitness and physical therapy product expertise to the table. ”
“The Patch” is a revolutionary work out method designed and created by Pete Egoscue. It is an obstacle course style fitness system that helps strengthen the body, whilst also helping to prevent injury and restoring function. The patch can be used for all ages of children but at the same time can be intensified to provide the results demanded by professional athletes.
Donkor Tennis and Education Foundation is pleased to have the opportunity to provide this kind of fitness program to the children who will use our facility.
Education is the number one priority for DTEF. We want to help our students to gain the best education possible. Our planned education program will include instruction in life skills, manners, respect, basic math and English, computer skills, and team work, as well as possible scholarship opportunities to a college in the USA for our elite players. DTEF will be focusing on making sure our players not only perform well on the court but also in the classroom, maximizing their potential to go to college and better themselves and their community.
Since our last event in Ghana we have received some awesome feedback from some of our young competitors who took part in our two day clinic/tournament. It seems the Foundation has created a tremendous buzz with the kids who have been asking, “When is the next event happening?” We want to continue to provide these kids with the opportunity to play tennis, which gives them a focus and something to look forward to. One child at the clinic who was given a racket by the foundation was seen putting a small padlock on the strings. When asked what he was doing the child replied,” It is so nobody can use my racket and break the strings”. To host these events at our own facility is a dream for us that we hope can be realized with the help of generous sponsors.
Construction on this amazing facility would never have begun without the support of individuals and companies who believe in giving the children of Ghana a safe, clean and educational environment to develop, grow and become the best that they can be. Thank you for your compassion and your continued commitment to our vision!
www.donkorfoundation.org