At the core of ICT’s programming is an approach called Kidspeed. Kidspeed has been developed and improved over the years by Executive Director Roger Boyer and his staff to create a nurturing, fast paced and educational environment. The key to Kidspeed’s success is the cadence in which it delivers ICT programming. As Boyer often says, “I have modeled Kidspeed and ICT programming around my attention span, which is no longer than the children we work with.”

All of ICT’s programming utilizes multiple skill development stations. Children move from station to station at intervals of every seven minutes. Boyer believes that by introducing children to the station, allowing them to play and interact and then move them to the next station before they become disinterested or complacent, that children stay engaged and concentrate on mastering the station.

While concentrating on playing and mastering, ICT’s programs intertwine its seven key life skill assets from its Learnings for Leadership™. Its CMT's, who encourage, nurture and deliver the programming are trained by Boyer and his staff to identify behavioral issues with the children and appropriate coaching points to modify or correct this behavior in a positive way.

Kidspeed, the ICT approach, has proven to be very successful, yielding a measurable 20 to 40 percent behavioral improvement in the life skills it teaches to over 5,000 children annually. In 2005 ICT expanded its station design to introduce physical skill development for basketball, soccer and golf as well as mathematic and literacy elements. Additional program expansion is being developed to promote positive nutrition decisions.

SUMMER PARKS PROGRAM
ICT and its summer program is the largest provider of programming for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation summer activity program. With programming provided over 5 weeks in 16 parks throughout Minneapolis, ICT brings Kidspeed and its unique programming approach to children throughout the community.

ICT’s summer program has a small fee for those children that come from families that can afford the small enrollment fee. For those children and families that can’t afford the program fee, scholarships are available. You won’t get turned down.

Another benefit of ICT and its summer program is the summer jobs that it creates for many older youths. Young adults who have participated in the ICT program and mastered its skills may be offered a summer job through ICT. ICT’s summer job program provides employment opportunities to the communities’ children and teaches them the values of accomplishment and community.

Summer Program Quick Links
-Program Locations Map

-South Minneapolis Schedule
-South Minneapolis Registration Form
-North Minneapolis Schedule
-North Minneapolis Registration Form

Our Northside Initiative, begun in 2007, continues to grow each year, impacting kids with the most need in the toughest neighborhoods of North Minneapolis. The program has focused on 3 park locations: North Commons, Webber and Folwell. There is no charge for participants in this program - it is 100% free.

Jose Williamson, the Northside Director, has a passion for providing positive experiences for youth and introducing them to tennis. He has introduced ICT to community organizations on the Northside, the most notable being the North Community YMCA. His hard work is evident. The program has grown from about 100 kids in 2007 to well over 300 kids in 2010.

ICT’s headquarters are in the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center, formerly the Nicollet Tennis Center at 40th and Nicollet in South Minneapolis. For 21 Saturdays during the winter, the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center opens up the entire center to deliver its programming free of charge to our communities youth.

Starting at 1:30pm our 3-6 year old kids, along with their families, fill the tennis center along with dozens of CMT’s and professional coaches for an hour and a half of fun, tennis and life skill development.

As the music blares over the PA system, Roger Boyer, ICT’s Executive Director and program architect, hand selects and places children in teams. His ability to catalog and remember children from week to week allows him to select teams of diversity and create a positive learning dynamic within each team.

In short order the teams are selected and the fun begins. As children move from station to station they play, learn and master a variety of physical and life skills. Parents are invited to watch, interact and encourage their children as they move at ICT’s Kidspeed.

At the end of the session, all the participants are brought together for one last team building competition and round of encouragement leaving a lasting and positive impression until the next week.

After the 3-6 year olds are finished, the next group of older kids begin their session at 3:00 pm. This time period is split. Level II kids ages 7-11 have the front bubble and and Level III junior high kids take the back bubble. Their program begins to focus on tennis specific drills.

The last group, our Level IV high school kids, begin at 4:30 pm and end at 6:00 pm. Here ICT provides its programming with a full staff of professional tennis coaches to build on the physical and life skills the ICT’s children have developed in its Level One and Two session.

While the emphasis here is about honing tennis skills, ICT’s volunteer tennis professionals continue to instill its Learning for Leadership assets. In doing so ICT is helping build well rounded, productive children and role models for their peers.

Program Details:
InnerCity Tennis' 2011-2012 Saturday program begins October 1st and continues through April 21 (20 sessions in all) at the Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center located at 4005 Nicollet Avenue South in Minneapolis. Please keep in mind that we place children in a program based on their age AND ability. Kids can join the program at ANY WEEK throughout the year.

Level I (ages 3-6) - Front & Back Bubble - 1:30-3:00
This program helps preschoolers and early elementary kids build both physical skills (agility, balance, hand-eye coordination) and life skills (teamwork, taking turns, cleaning up together, etc). Skill development stations help kids prepare for a future in any sport.

Level II (ages 7-11) - Front Bubble - 3:00-4:30
This program is for elementary school kids that want to start learning the fundamental strokes of the game of tennis. Kids use pressureless balls to accelerate the learning process for the forehand, backhand, volley, overhead and serve.

Level III (ages 12-14) - Back Bubble - 3:00-4:30
Junior high kids rotate from court to court drilling all their strokes. Our goal here is to have kids hit as many balls as possible. In addition to practicing tennis strokes, this program begins to focus on tennis game strategy.

Level IV (ages 15-17) - Front & Back Bubble - 4:30-6:00
High school kids rotate from court to court continuing to drill all their strokes. In this program there is a considerable amount of time spent on advanced tennis skills and techniques such as grips, court positioning and the mental approach to the game.

Click here to see a complete schedule of dates for the 2011-2012 Saturday Winter Program.

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