2022 NWTO Grant Recipient
Lou Armstrong
Black Girls Tennis Club
1524 Colonnade Drive
Va Beach, Va. 23451
757-714-1220
Black Girls Tennis Club, one of the recipients of the $2500 NWTO Community Grant Program, checked the majority of the boxes as outlined in NWTO’s grant application.
The organization was founded by Virginia Thornton and Kimberly Selden. Virginia played high school tennis, while Kimberly was a social player wanting to play more and deterred from the lack of representation at the courts near her.
BGTC was launched during a casual unrelated conversation where the two realized they both had a shared interest.
“To address the lack of access to the sport of tennis and increase diversity, representation, inclusion and belonging in tennis: The mission of BGTC is to recruit Black women and girls interested in tennis, help them learn more about the sport through group and individual training, enhance their skills and create meaningful bonds — all within a space that allows them to be their authentic selves.” Virginia and Kimberly
Their program model started with a summer program to expose girls to the game, starting with just ten girls in April 2022. After seeing the success and becoming inspired by the first cohort of girls Virginia and Kimberly knew they were on the right path and started to find ways to expand the program.
The summer of 2022 BGTC partnered with Norfolk State University and hosted 3 more clinics serving 30 more girls, and since then they have partnered with the city of Norfolk and Hampton University to expand their reach and access to courts. This Spring and Summer BGTC is launching 10 free clinics serving over 100 girls and possibly more as they look to secure indoor courts.
The NWTO Grant along with other fundraising events will allow them to hire an additional program manager and more coaches.
BGTC is excited about the future and looking into unique ways to use technology and the brand to break barriers in tennis. Virginia and Kimberly believe this club is way more than tennis and utilize the sport as a catalyst to radical wellness and joy equity.