What's In a Name?

After nine years of providing a free summer camp to the children of Cleveland, ICTC found itself outgrowing its current name and logo. By growing the organization to provide both tennis AND education programming AND recently adding an after-school program, we believed it was time to find a name that better expressed the value of what we do. We are no longer just a service organization that provides a fun, safe and healthy environment for Cleveland’s youth during the summer. We are an organization committed to social change for the entire city of Cleveland.

We reviewed several different names for over a year. We asked the kids in the summer camp and surveyed the staff, many of whom had previously attended the camp. We didn’t take this change lightly. Most importantly, we wanted a name that is empowering for kids. We wanted to remove any barriers and encourage kids from all over the city to join us. We ultimately decided on Advantage Cleveland Tennis and Education (#AdvantageCLE) with a logo that is intended to express movement and change.

The word “advantage” in our name has significant meaning. In the game of tennis, the player who has an advantage or “ad” is one point away from winning a game. For example, in a professional tennis match, when the chair umpire says “Advantage Williams” we know that Serena Williams is on the verge of winning the current game.   It is an exciting moment in each game- one in which fans are on the edge of their seat and the player with the advantage is motivated to seal his or her victory. 

By providing the curriculum that we do each summer: tennis, fitness, wellness, literacy, STEM, and creative expression, and by adding an after-school program for younger students as well as indoor tennis clinics for our advanced players, we believe we are giving our children an advantage to achieving their own goals and for leading healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. And when our children--our future citizens--win, the whole city wins. Advantage Cleveland. 

We also wanted to make clear that we are an inclusive, welcoming organization for ALL kids in the city of Cleveland. Although we are situated in the Hough neighborhood, our new name is a reminder that our summer camp kids come from over 70 schools in the Cleveland area. We are about providing an inclusive program for all of Cleveland’s urban youth, no matter their race, gender, socio economic status or ethnicity. 

We are excited to announce this new change and hope that you will join us in spreading the word, liking us on Facebook and Instagram, and helping us and our kids, supporters, and stakeholders adjust to our new brand. Our programming will be similar to what it has been in the past- we will offer the same programs in the summer, with some enhancements. And our after-school program will continue to focus on tennis and literacy, because for our youngest members, we want to make sure we help them start off their academic journeys on the right foot- reading at grade level. And finally, we will continue to look for ways to grow the game of tennis throughout Cleveland.

Thanks for all your support and please feel free to schedule a visit to the camp this summer to see it in action!

Take care,

Liz

Liz Deegan

Executive Director

AdvantageCLE: Tennis & Education