Growing up in Lansing Michigan, Todd Martin is a name everybody in the community knows. He grew up playing at the same athletic club I played at and was at one point ranked number 4 in the world. He reached the finals of two Grand Slams and has devoted countless hours giving back to the Greater Lansing tennis community. Founded under the National Junior Tennis League, the Todd Martin Development Fund was created to allow any kid no matter what age, race, or economic situation to enjoy the game of tennis.
While I never attended the camp, I was familiar with it since my coach had worked at the camp for many years. He recommended me to Nancy Danhof who is the executive director of the whole charity. As she was explaining how the whole program works I immediately wanted to be a part of it. She explained to me how the weekly field trips every friday were meant to let many of the kids explore the world beyond the 20 block radius around their house. These field trips turned out to be some of the most rewarding parts of working because you can see the kids' eyes light up as they explore the various museums and events we went to. The field trips included going to the Binder Park Zoo, Boys Junior Nationals, the Arab American Museum, and the Michigan Science Center.
This summer I am working at the camp again and it will be great to see how many of the kids have not only grown as tennis players, but as people as well. Returning home after work each day made me realize how lucky I had it growing up. It exposed me to the real importance of giving back because I could see the impact we were having on some of these kids' lives.
While I never attended the camp, I was familiar with it since my coach had worked at the camp for many years. He recommended me to Nancy Danhof who is the executive director of the whole charity. As she was explaining how the whole program works I immediately wanted to be a part of it. She explained to me how the weekly field trips every friday were meant to let many of the kids explore the world beyond the 20 block radius around their house. These field trips turned out to be some of the most rewarding parts of working because you can see the kids' eyes light up as they explore the various museums and events we went to. The field trips included going to the Binder Park Zoo, Boys Junior Nationals, the Arab American Museum, and the Michigan Science Center.
This summer I am working at the camp again and it will be great to see how many of the kids have not only grown as tennis players, but as people as well. Returning home after work each day made me realize how lucky I had it growing up. It exposed me to the real importance of giving back because I could see the impact we were having on some of these kids' lives.