Our mission is "to reach out in a loving, caring way to youth of the Capital Region, using tennis as the medium, especially those in the inner cities" Operating Themes: Within the overall mission, the following seven themes are emphasized: - To stress education - To promote good health (both emotional and physical) - To instill positive values - To foster multi-cultural relationships - To encourage good sportsmanship - To support family preservation - To give back in the community The 15-LOVE Program has successfully completed over two decades of programming in the Capital Region. What was merely a dream (of reaching out in positive ways to inner-city youth) in June 1990, has indeed become a reality. The late Arthur Ashe was instrumental in helping found the 15-LOVE Program. He himself got his start on public courts; his philosophy and ours is to "use tennis to teach the game of life." While there are many inner city tennis programs operating throughout the United States, 15-LOVE operates independently. Many other programs are purely recreational, whereas 15-LOVE's mission is focused upon the whole child. It is a program of prevention. We operate throughout the Capital Region, with special emphasis on the inner cities of Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Rensselaer. Over the years, the program has evolved on a year round basis, impacting more than 45,000 youth and their families.