About

Based in Phoenix, Serve the Future is a non-profit organization committed to using tennis to uplift the lives of underserved youth in our community. Through a variety of tennis events tailored to players of all levels, beginner to advanced, we strive to impart essential values in sportsmanship, education, leadership, and life. With our dedicated certified coaches, we prioritize not just skill improvement but also the nurturing of confidence and character both on and off the court. We warmly welcome you to join us in spreading positivity and making a difference in our community or explore our participating schools page to see if Serve the Future is active in your or your student's school! We look forward to teaming up with you on or off the court!

Meet the Board

  • A woman with a tennis racket smiling outdoors, wearing a yellow sports top.

    Leslie Banks

    Founder & Executive Director

  • A smiling man with dark hair, a beard, and blue eyes wearing a light gray suit and white shirt, sitting outdoors in a professional setting.

    Spencer Kirschner

    Co-Executive Director

  • Smiling woman wearing a blue Wilson baseball cap and a green top, sitting outdoors near a cactus plant.

    Valerie Andrus

    Board Member

  • A headshot of a smiling man with short hair and a beard, wearing a dark shirt against a light background.

    Bryan Howell

    Board Member

  • Close-up of a smiling man with short, curly hair, wearing a dark blazer and a blue checkered shirt in an indoor setting.

    Steve Macias

    Board Member

  • Headshot of a bald man with glasses and a goatee, wearing a tan blazer and blue shirt, smiling at the camera.

    Matt Bock

    Board Member

FAQ

  • Leslie Banks is the Founder and Executive Director of Serve the Future AZ, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth in Phoenix through tennis and education. With 25 years of coaching experience, she blends skilled instruction with compassionate mentorship, helping underserved children in Phoenix develop leadership, build focus, and embrace their value.

    A passionate advocate for diversity in tennis, Leslie received the 2022 USPTA (now RSPA) Star Award for her impact on multicultural communities; as well as the 2023 Champions of Equality award, recognizing her passion to ignite change in the next generation of leaders. 

  • Through my career, I continuously observed the need for leadership and compassion for our underserved young people; on and off the court. 

    While observing this need and understanding their process for learning, I witnessed the student’s powerful dedication to learning the sport of tennis. For this reason, I developed a year-round program that supported the students; not just during the summer but throughout the entire year.

  • Currently 900 students participate in the Serve the Future program.

  • We are proud to empower kind, caring young adults who use their determination, leadership and competitive skills acquired in the Serve the Future program to drive their success in college and beyond.

  • Our mission is to help young people from underserved communities grow in self-confidence, perseverance, and responsibility through tennis. Together, we can offer purpose, potential, and a brighter future.

  • We envision Serve the Future impacting 10,000+ underserved youth with continued support for the entire Phoenix valley.

  • Serve the Future is located in Phoenix, Arizona.

  • We proudly serve the Phoenix Union High School District and its feeder schools.  

    95% of the population we serve is minority, with 81% of students identifying as Latino.  

    This large refugee community speaks over 71 languages and over 1/3 of families live at or below the poverty line.

  • Are you ready to serve? If you‘re a community member looking to lend a hand in our mission or sign up for an event; reach out to us and we will get right back to you. Contact us at https://www.servethefuture.org/#contact

  • Be a changemaker! Our mission is to help young people from underserved communities grow in self-confidence, perseverance, and responsibility through tennis. Together, we can offer purpose, potential, and a brighter future. https://www.servethefuture.org/donate

Media Kit One Pager

(click to read)

A printed promotional flyer introducing Leslie Banks, founder and executive director of Serve the Future, featuring her photo, a brief biography, a growth chart, confidence statistics, a quote, and photos of her with youth participating in tennis activities