November 13, 2020

Meet Marty Woods of Pete Brown Jr Tennis Program

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marty Woods.

(Los Angeles, CA) 6-year-old Marty Woods and his two siblings were strolling through Roosevelt Park in South Central Los Angeles and were stopped by Pete Brown, a tennis instructor who led 4 NJTL sites, with Harvard Park being the main hub. The NJTL (National Junior Tennis Learning) was founded in 1969 and was the brainchild of former tennis champs Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell, along with businessman Sheridan Snyder. The program’s goal was simple: to encourage urban kids to explore the game of tennis.

The following year Marty’s family moved around the corner from Harvard Park on Gage Avenue. He was now within walking distance of Harvard Park. Meeting Pete Brown had a huge impact on Marty. Since Marty’s dad was absent from his life, Pete Brown served as a father figure and mentor. Mr. Brown coached Marty and provided him with financial support, equipment and the opportunity to travel outside of his community to compete in tennis tournaments. After High School, Pete Brown provided Marty with a few college options. Marty accepted the third option and received a full ride to Jackson State University in Mississippi. When Pete Brown passed away in 2009, Marty immediately decided to head up the PBJTP (Pete Brown Junior Tennis Program) to keep Pete’s legacy alive in our community and pay it forward by providing the kids in South Central Los Angeles what Pete provided for him. Marty finds himself repeating the same words Pete shared with him at six years old: “Hey kids, do you want to learn tennis? You get a free racket.” Marty will never forget those words. The Pete Brown Junior Tennis Program is operated at Harvard Park nestled in a residential area of South Central. The courts are literally packed with bright-eyed tennis players. The Pete Brown Program offers free weekly supervised on-court professional tennis coaching and training to children of all levels from ages 5 to 18.

All equipment is provided including tennis rackets, tennis shoes, tennis outfits, and balls. Tennis shoes are required on the tennis court, but Marty Woods guarantees no child is ever left out. Let’s talk about the success metrics of the Pete Brown Tennis Program! Maxi Duncan is currently training at Harvard Park with the Pete Brown Tennis Program before she departs on a 6-month tennis journey in Spain. Maxi is a 16-year-old aspiring tennis professional who began playing tennis with the Pete Brown Tennis Program at the age of 8 years old. Her father Gerald Duncan enthusiastically shared how Marty Woods and Pete Brown Tennis Program helped his family with Maxi’s tennis career. The Pete Brown Junior Tennis Program assisted Maxi with travel costs, coaching, equipment, tennis clothing, training, mentoring, guidance, tutoring, and moral support. Duke, USC, Stanford, and UCLA are currently expressing interest in Maxi. In the future, Maxi looks forward to mentoring and assisting young tennis players. The Los Angeles Sentinel recently did a story on Maxi. https://lasentinel.net/student-athlete-of-the-week-maxi-duncan.html Kent received a full ride to UC Berkeley for Varsity Tennis! Kent and his two sisters began playing tennis with the Pete Brown Program when they were young children. The Pete Brown Program provided them with the resources to play in tournaments, including travel and equipment. Raised in Watts, Kent and his sisters were very active, playing and winning many USTA tournaments. http://calbears.com/news/2019/7/11/mens-tennis-kent-hunter-signs-with-golden-bears.aspx

Anna Spearman began playing tennis with the Pete Brown Tennis Program when she was nine years old. Her coach recommended she apply to private school. As a result of his suggestion, Anna was accepted to Marlborough High School, a prestigious all-girls private school in Hancock Park, partly because of the tennis skills she acquired at the Pete Brown Tennis Program. She is currently a Senior at the University of Virginia majoring in Computer Science, minoring in Technology Entrepreneurship. Anna currently plays tennis on UVA’s Club Tennis Team. Recently, Anna assisted the Mandarin Chinese instructor with her class being taught to the Pete Brown Tennis Program members. Anna shared her 2-month experience visiting china for a language immersion program. The purpose was to share Anna’s experience with her 8-year journey learning Mandarin Chinese. It is important for kids to learn about the accomplishments and experiences of young people that look like them. Anna’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaspearman/ Michael Yvonne Wilkins was recently selected as one of the six Rose Princesses by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. The Pete Brown Tennis Program was instrumental in improving Michael’s tennis game. https://www.maranathahighschool.org/news-detail?pk=1042461&https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64r76xjtfH8

As a result of being involved with Pete Brown Tennis Program, kids have enjoyed spending a week at various Nike summer camps at Pepperdine University, Stanford University, Sonoma State College, etc. Also, the groups have traveled to ATA tournaments in Florida and Washington, D.C. For a number of these kids, this will be their first experience flying on an airplane, visiting a college, and enjoying the luxurious environment of a country club. The Pete Brown Junior Tennis Program is all about having fun. During the year, our children get to play at other venues including private country clubs, tennis centers, and major universities. Imagine a caravan of cars from South Central arriving at The Riviera Country Club. The Riviera Club members welcomed the kids with open arms. They provided the kids with a beautiful lunch that included tablecloths, china and silverware, experience playing on clay courts, which they have only seen on television, and the opportunity to fraternize with a demographic very unfamiliar to most of these kids.

Annually, in December the country club members, USTA executives, Santa Claus, Volunteers, Pete Brown Junior Tennis Program Board Members attend the LaRhonda Amos Children’s Holiday Celebration held at Harvard Park. They literally arrive with a U-Haul filled with beautifully wrapped Christmas Gifts. The gifts are strategically placed on the tennis courts and the games begin. To win a gift, young tennis players must hit the gift box; however, this is not a strict requirement because no player leaves empty-handed. In addition to the gifts, a number of buffet tables display homemade holiday goodies, fresh fruit, food, and beverages. Every year this event is standing room only.

Lastly, in addition to tennis, The Pete Brown Tennis Program provides its students with academic tutoring, a computer lab, coding classes, Mandarin Chinese and exposure to STEM. 2020arrives with strategic alliances with healthy food coaches and chefs educating the players on the types of fresh fruits, vegetables and grains to incorporate into their daily diets. The inner city has long been defined as a “food desert”. Many young people have not been exposed to fresh food. The fast-food industry has a huge presence in our community. Kids in the inner city are much more likely to be obese. We will tour local farmers markets in the Los Angeles area to explore healthy fresh food options. The healthy chefs/coaches will share delicious recipes and meal plan suggestions for the parents to develop better eating habits. The PeteBrown Junior Tennis Program will provide fresh food samples!

Has it been a smooth road?
Sustainable financial support is a really big struggle for our community program. Our community program is free we do not turn any kids away based background or financial situations.

Please tell us about Pete Brown Jr Tennis Program.
PBJTP at Harvard Tennis Park is home to a wonderful community of supporting families who believe and see the uplifting results of the PBJTP. They are always available to volunteer their time to help on the court, to take time to mentor and tutor the children as well as participate and help manage the many special events we conduct throughout the year. Our community volunteers are priceless and are an integral component of PBJTP’s success.

The Pete Brown Junior Tennis Program (PBJTP) is a 5013c organization in honor of Coach Pete Brown who for forty plus years shared, taught and spread his love for the game of tennis to inner-city youth of South Central Los Angeles. After his passing in 2009, the PBJTP was formed to continue his mission of providing a safe and positive place for young people who have the desire to learn and excel at the game of tennis. Based at Harvard Tennis Park, we have eight tennis courts available to us. We offer after-school and weekend tennis, academic and mentoring programs at no charge to children who are willing to work hard in school and on the tennis court. We help our children reach their full potential and use their PBJTP experience to help them go to college, earn a degree which is essential for future success. Your contribution will change a child’s life and will help set the foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle that will last a lifetime.

We are dedicated to training diverse community youth in grades pre-K through 12th grade the sport of tennis. Our emphasis is on developing physical fitness, sportsmanship, teamwork and education. PBJTP strives to provide the opportunity for children to develop into competitive tennis athletes, build self-esteem, personal confidence, lasting friendships and great memories all while having fun.

Youth Retention Rate90
Test Score Pass Rate80
HS Graduation Rate100
College Scholarship Rate85

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Number one goal over the next seven years, to create the next LA2028 Tennis Olympic Champion from the LA Community.

In partnership with several organizations.

Pricing:

Tennis Balls 60.00 per case
Coaching Fees 35.00 per hour
Tennis Rackets 27.00 per
Tournament – Competition 65.00 per event
Shoes 50.00 per

Contact Info:

Website: www.pbjtp.org
Phone: 714-299-7806
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: Pete Brown Jr Tennis Program
Facebook: Pete Brown Jr Tennis Prgram
Twitter: Pete Brown Jr Tennis Program

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