By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent

For the fourth time in five years, the Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center in Dorchester was awarded a Multicultural Excellence Program Grant from the United States Tennis Association.

The $7,500 USTA grant will help fund the advancement of high-performing junior players, such as Latin Academy junior Di'Andrea Galloway.

Galloway, who has played No. 1 singles for the Dragons since seventh grade, is ranked No. 47 in New England among 18-year-old girls.

"We are among only 10 tennis centers nationwide which were selected for this prestigious grant," Sportsmen's executive director, Toni Wiley, said in a statement. "It is not only the financial assistance that we appreciate, but also the recognition by the USTA for the great work Sportsmen's is doing to develop youth who not only excel on the tennis court, but in school and life as well."

Sportsmen's is the only New England organization to be awarded the USTA grant.

The funding is based on the number of players with sectional and national rankings in a specific program.

Wiley said the funding will be used for a series of clinics geared toward junior players as well as semi-private lessons for advanced players.

Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.

The Boston City Council recognized the Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center's Volley Against Violence program with a formal proclamation on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center

By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent

The motion recognizes Sportsmen's Executive Director Toni Wiley and Frank Williams, founder of the Boston Police Tennis Program, for their creation of the Volley Against Violence program.

The free tennis program serves roughly 140 Boston youth every Friday night at the Dorchester tennis club. It is sponsored by The Boston Foundation and Tufts Medical Center.

Many of the youth are transported to the tennis center by Boston Police officers, who help run the program.

"The evening begins with a discussion of the topic of the week, such as goal setting, teamwork, or respect, for example," according to a press release. "Then, children enjoy ninety minutes of tennis, with drills and games led by STEC coaches and Boston Police officers who have received special training through a US Tennis Association Recreational Coaches Workshop.

"A spirited relay race follows, and the evening ends with a pizza party."

The motion to recognize the program was sponsored by City Councilor Tito Jackson of Roxbury.

For further information about Volley Against Violence or other youth programs offered at Sportsmen's, contact Toni Wiley at (617) 288-9092.

Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.

Tenacity president and founder Ned Eames (left) was awarded the 2012 Samuel Hardy and Tennis Educational Merit Award on Saturday alongside
former New York Mayor David Dinkins and former tennis pro Kathy Rinaldi. (Photo courtesy of Susan Mullane/camerawork usa)

By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent

The International Tennis Hall of Fame awarded the president and founder of Tenacity, Inc. — a tennis and enrichment program for 6,500 youths in Boston and Worcester — with a 2012 Samuel Hardy and Tennis Educational Merit Award on Saturday.

A former pro tennis player, Ned Eames started Tenacity 13 years ago with the mission of improving the academic, character, and physical development of urban youth by combining tennis instruction and competition with literacy instruction and life skills development. The program includes intensive school-year and summer programs.

Eames received the award during the International Tennis Hall of Fame annual awards luncheon alongside former New York Mayor David Dinkins and former tennis pro Kathy Rinaldi, who is a national coach in USTA Player Development.

“At Tenacity, Inc., in Boston, Ned has developed one of the country's finest National Junior Tennis & Learning organizations, opening the doors to education and opportunity for thousands of children,” Christopher Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “These three individuals have applied their love of tennis to such important work, ultimately growing the sport and helping so many individuals. We are grateful for all that they do for tennis and we are pleased to recognize their dedication and accomplishments."

Tenacity is the second largest of the USTA's 660 National Junior Tennis & Learning Chapters.

Tenacity includes a three-year Middle School Academy, which it credits for the academic success of its students.

In 2012, Boston public school eighth-graders in the Tenacity program scored 35 percent higher in English, language, and arts proficiency on the MCAS test than BPS eighth-graders not enrolled in the program. The program also graduates about 95 percent of its students enrolled in BPS, a district with a 40 percent dropout rate.

Eames, who serves as a member of the USTA's Strategic & Creative Planning Committee, played professionally on the ATP Satellite Tour from 1983-85.

Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.

By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent

Volley Against Violence, a free tennis program for children and teens in Boston, will return to the Sportsmen’s Tennis and Enrichment Center in Dorchester on Friday night.

The program, run by the Boston Police Department, will start at 6 p.m. at 950 Blue Hill Ave.

The program provides tennis instruction, life-skill development and mentoring to families during a safe and active Friday night for hundreds of Boston youth.

"Children as young as five and adults of all ages join in an evening of athletics, food, and community fellowship — free of charge," a press release for the program states. "VAV not only puts racquets in the hands of approximately 120 kids every weekend, but it has a unique ability to bridge gaps between police officers and families of the surrounding communities. In a dual sense, officers arrive weekly ready to protect and 'serve' alongside STEC’s tennis pro-staff."

The program was started in 2009 by BPD officer Frank G. Williams, Jr., who also serves on STEC’s board of directors. Williams, who provided tennis instruction to under-served youth in South Boston on public tennis courts, eventually started to drive students from South Boston to STEC to participate in Street Safe programming at STEC, funded
by The Boston Foundation.

"Both Williams and STEC Executive Director, Toni Wiley have worked tirelessly in ensuring the growth of VAV, under the leadership of STEC’s Director of Community Tennis, Jelani Haynes," the release says.

The program also received a grant from the Healthy Dorchester Initiative of Tufts Medical Center, which has allowed more than 900 Boston youth and families to participate in the free weekly programs, including DEUCE (for boys ages eight to twelve) as well as Sunday Community Tennis.

Sunday Community Tennis, which is open to all ages, will resume on Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at STEC.

To learn more about Volley Against Violence visit http://www.sportsmenstennisclub.org and the “Boston Police Tennis Program” Facebook page. You can also contact Officer Frank G. Williams at BPDTennis@gmail.com or fgwill50@gmail.com.

Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.

By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent

Latin Academy's boys' tennis team will host a first-round state tournament match for the second straight year 2 p.m. Sunday at the Sportsmen’s Tennis Club in Dorchester.

The No. 6 seeded Dragons (14-4), who have lost to Andover in the quarterfinals the last few years, will host No. 11 seed Haverhill (10-9) in the Division 1 North bracket.

"The only team in that league we played is the best team, Andover, and we lost 4-1 but it was a match where we were missing one of our players and one of our guys lost 7-5 in the third so it was a good match and that’s really all I have to go by," Latin Academy boys' coach Andrew Crane said.

"Haverhill is somewhere in the middle [of the Merrimack Valley league]," Crane said. "I don't know anything about them at this point other than that."

While Latin Academy's girls' team and both O'Bryant's boys' and girls' teams failed to qualify for the postseason, Boston Latin’s boys’ team will play Marblehead in the first round of the Division 2 North tournament at 2:30 p.m. on Friday at Harvard. The Latin's girls failed to qualify.

“They could make some real noise in the state tournament, they are a strong team,” Crane said of Latin.

If Latin Academy wins, they will travel to No. 3 seed Acton Boxboro (14-2) at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

Last year, Latin Academy’s boys team defeated Methuen before losing on the road to Andover, which is on the opposite side of the bracket this year as the No. 5 seed.

“It gives everybody confidence, their comfortable in their surroundings so the whole thing is easier obviously,” Crane said of playing at home. “But you don’t make that much of it because you are playing a team you don’t know. The other thing is the seeding is all done on the basis of record, sometimes it works to the disadvantage of a really strong team that’s in a really strong league. We’ve seen that happen before.”

Jimmy Ye will play No. 1 singles for the Dragons. Ye won two matches in the individual state tournament this year before being discarded in a close match to Lexington’s No. 1 singles player.

Crane said his No. 2 singles player is likely to be junior Saiful Mahmood while his No. 1 doubles team will comprise of sophomore Gar Paul and junior Ming Lao.

Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.