History

 

24 Years of EPATT History

(1988 - present)

 

1988 -- Founded by former Stanford All-American, Jeff Arons.  Originally conceived as a “summer, tennis-only” program, conducted on leftover courts of the closed “Ravenswood High School.”  Founding Advisors:

  • Paul “Red” Fay, Former Undersecretary of the Navy (JFK)

  • Jack Gifford, Founder and CEO, Maxim Integrated Circuits

  • Dick Gould, Men’s Tennis Coach, Stanford University

Early Scholarship providers: John McEnroe, Tim Mayotte (former top-10), Jim Grabb (former world doubles # 1)

 1989 - Program visited by Jack Kemp of HUD.  Then, these courts were also torn down.

1990 - Money raised to build 4 courts -- the only courts in East Palo Alto! -- on the site of Caesar Chavez Middle School.  EPATT becomes year-round program.

1991 - East Palo Alto earns title of “Homicide Capital of the United States."  Also, has the highest per capital murder rate in U.S.

1993 – Initiated Annual Fund Raising Dinner.  Built 4 more courts to meet demand.

1994 -- Added after-school tutoring by Stanford students via Haas Center for Public Service students in Chavez school classrooms.  Hired first Academic Director, Dee Dee Terzian. Over 70 Stanford University students are transported to East Palo Alto weekly to provide academic tutoring for students.

1995 – EPATT receives national recognition.  Featured nationally on CNN and Dan Rather’s “Nightly News” as a symbol of hope for the East Palo Alto.  EPATT featured in Tennis Magazine.

 1997 - Courts usurped by space needed due to mandated class size reduction to 25 to make space for portable classrooms, parking, etc.  Classrooms used for after-school tutoring burned down.  Jeff Arons retires after 10 years of dedicated service.  

1998 - Program moves to Stanford University’s new Taube Tennis Center, with a new Executive Director and a new Academic Head.

1999 - Stanford signs 10-year facility use agreement.  $1 million raised in one evening to “build out” classrooms under tennis stadium seating and to light the tennis courts.

2000 - Staff offices move from Haas Center to Taube Tennis Center.  Vans donated for transporting EPA students to Stanford.  Original format expanded to include 1 ½ hours of daily after school one-on-one tutoring by Stanford students and 1 hour of daily tennis instruction. Over 100 students and 100 tutors involved daily. 

2002 - Named one of top three tennis & tutoring programs in U.S. by Tennis Magazine.

2003 – EPATT develops its "Parent Component."

2004 - Receives Stanford University’s first Annual “Community Service Award” as a benchmark outreach program.

2008 - Named by First Serve as nation’s #1 after-school tennis and tutoring program.  Considered the model such program in the U.S., and visited by people from throughout the country to see “how EPATT works.”

2009 -- EPATT becomes an independent non profit 501(c)(3) organization.  Stanford signs 5-year facility use extension (runs through August 31, 2014).

2011 - EPATT reaches back out to the community with introductory tennis on resurrected court space and basic group academics in EPA. 

2012 – EPATT will hold its 20th Annual Dinner Fundraiser.