“The coaches made every student feel seen, encouraged us when we struggled, respected our efforts, valued our progress, and empowered us to believe in ourselves.”
Our Mission
…is to bring together students, families, educators, and community leaders to develop the confidence, leadership, resilience, and future-ready skills our youth need to thrive.
Leslie Banks
Founder & Executive Director
Serve the Future
Serve the Future
use tennis as a platform
for something bigger than sport.
Our Impact
Every story deserves to be heard.
When students know someone is truly listening, they become more willing to share, connect and recognize their own growth.“Coach reminded me that everyone has a story and experiences; encouraging me to be more open, talk about who I am and how I've grown.”
Brandon · Grade 12
Our Programs
Phoenix Youth & Seniors Combat Isolation with “Generation Connect”
Possibility becomes personal.
Empowerment is the moment a student's belief moves from someone else's encouragement to their own conviction.
“I joined Serve The Future to play a sport and be with my friends, but now I've grown a passion, a community, and a new belief in what I'm capable of.”
DESI · GRADE 12
POSSIBILITY BECOMES PERSONAL.
Empowerment is the moment a student's belief moves from someone else's encouragement to their own conviction.
“I joined Serve The Future to play a sport and be with my friends, but now I've grown a passion, a community, and a new belief in what I'm capable of.”
DESI · GRADE 12
“Coach reminded me that everyone has a story and experiences; encouraging me to be more open, talk about who I am and how I've grown.”
Brandon · Grade 12
Our Sponsors
Follow Us On Social
Our Community
Our Board
Leslie Banks
Founder & Executive Director
Steve Macias
Board Member
Matt Bock
Board Member
Thu Huynh
Board Member
Kristy Lubeck
Board Member
Our Story
About Serve the Future
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, 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.
FAQ
Who started Serve the Future?
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.
What made you want to create your own nonprofit?
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.
How many students are in your program?
Currently 900 students participate in the Serve the Future program.
Do any of your students go on to play competitively?
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.
What is the nonprofit's mission?
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.
Where do you see the organization in 10 years?
We envision Serve the Future impacting 10,000+ underserved youth with continued support for the entire Phoenix valley.
Where are you located?
Serve the Future is located in Phoenix, Arizona.
Who are the students you serve?
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.
How can I get involved?
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
How can I donate?
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
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.