Dream big. Play big. CVC Foundation and WTA Foundation bring girls together through tennis
Every champion starts with a dream. And sometimes, that dream begins with something as simple as stepping onto a tennis court for the first time. For 40 girls from the local New York community, a tennis court became a place to imagine what might be possible.
Ahead of the US Open, the CVC Foundation and the WTA Foundation came together to launch a new girls empowerment series centered on a simple idea: tennis can open doors.
Through the first Dream Big. Play Big. community tennis clinic, girls ages 7–12 were given the opportunity to step onto the court, learn new skills, build confidence and experience the joy of playing together.
The activation facilitated by Riverside Tennis marked the beginning of a collaboration between the CVC Foundation and WTA Foundation that will increase access to tennis, build confidence and leadership skills, and develop female coaches and role models.
The partnership builds on the WTA Foundation’s existing work in girls’ empowerment, with Dream Big. Play Big. designed to create greater access, build future female leaders and expand opportunities for girls worldwide.
“One of the goals about training big is to look into the future and be excited about what's to come,” said Jocelyn Cruz, Director of Riverside Tennis.
That sense of possibility was at the heart of the day. For some participants, the clinic was an introduction to tennis. For others, it was an opportunity to try something new, meet other girls, and discover that sport can be a place where they belong.
The experience was more about engagement than learning how to hit a forehand or keep score. It was about the lessons that can come from being part of a community, working together, trying something difficult and finding the confidence to try again.
“Getting out there and playing sports, you make great friends. You have healthy habits. You learn to be ambitious,” said Cathrin Petty, Co-head of USA Private Equity and Global Head of Healthcare, CVC.
“You also learn, actually, how to fall down, and get back up again, because sport is never linear, and life is not linear, and learning how to deal with some of those challenges is also really important and doing that with a great support network around you. That's the heart of being a sportsman.”
For the WTA Foundation, that connection between sport and opportunity is central to the partnership.
“The partnership really is about shared values, and about the shared belief in sports as a powerful tool. Together, we're using the reach and influence of women’s tennis to open doors for girls and women, helping them build confidence, develop leadership skills, and realize their potential both on and off the court.” said Ann Austin, Executive Director, WTA Foundation.
Those shared values are reflected in the design of Dream Big. Play Big., which combines free tennis clinics with coach development, equipment support and investment in local community organizations. The goal is to create experiences that extend beyond a single day on court, helping build the local capacity and support networks that allow girls to continue participating in sport.
The New York activation is the first step in a broader effort to grow Dream Big. Play Big. Building on the WTA Foundation’s existing community outreach work, and as the series grows, its model will combine on-court experiences with coach education, community support and digital learning, creating a scalable platform that can reach girls and coaches well beyond each individual activity.
The New York clinic provided a first look at what that model can make possible. Creating opportunity starts with giving a girl a racket, a court and a community that tells her to go for it, and see where her ambitions can take her.