A Message from our CEO

Dear Sportsmen’s Friends,

Sometimes, it seems like there are no words.

As a parent and grandparent, as a Black woman, as someone who leads a youth-serving organization, this past week has been overwhelming. Most likely, we’ve all witnessed scenes that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. As difficult as it’s been for me to grasp, I keep wondering how it feels to people who are 30, 40 or 50 years younger than I am, trying to understand the images that cycle repeatedly on all forms of social media.

Of course, this hasn’t happened in isolation. The tragic death of George Floyd reminds us of too many recent and not-so-recent senseless deaths of Black and Brown men and women from all walks of life. And it comes as we are reeling from a pandemic that has had devastating human, financial and emotional consequences, felt most deeply in under-served, minority and low-income communities.

In January, Sportsmen’s held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative luncheon, and a dozen of our juniors shared with us Dr. King’s principals of beloved community. How the world has changed in just a few months. We couldn’t have known that by mid-January, half a world way, a virus had already erupted that would take the father of two of our young speakers.

One ray of hope that we can all hang onto is that part of the reason we are all affected by these events is because we are all connected. We share this universe, and Dr. King assured us that the universe is on the side of justice.

Since Sportsmen’s was founded nearly 60 years ago, we’ve invested in Boston’s most vulnerable youth and families. Not their tennis games, but their characters. We educate, mentor and embrace our youth; we stand alongside their parents, guardians and teachers to aid in their development as contributing members of society, to take their place in the universe, where they will personify love, peace and justice.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, not sure how to make a difference, and wondering where we go from here, I can only tell you that I hold onto the fact that we invest in peace, we invest in justice, by investing in our youth.

Wishing you peace and health,

Toni Wiley
Chief Executive Officer
Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center