Summary of activities 2024 Throughout this year, the programme continued its philanthropic mission, delivering tennis lessons in schools located in disadvantaged contexts in the capital , its suburbs and other towns in Uruguay. With a slight increase in the number of participants compared to 2023, the students now total: Montevideo (340) - Canelones (240) - Rivera (60), reaching a total of 640 children receiving weekly tennis lessons. The programme’s schools are located in diverse areas, including a special needs school, two rural schools, the metropolitan zone, and Casavalle (a very disadvantaged neighborhood ) This year marked the completion of the final stages of the pilot project: Cultural exchange with the WTEF foundation in Washington. Ten children from schools 35, 47, and 268 participated in activities , exchanging through videos on values , customs and ideas. We concluded the first year of work at the CEA Centre in Villa el Tato. This year’s efforts with Year 7 students yielded highly gratifying results. For 2025, the expectation is to work with both Year 7 and Year 8 students. Participating Schools Housing complex Euskal Erría 70 - School 267 El Buceo district - School 35 Guatemala Lavalleja district - School 92 Borro district - School 48 Marconi district - Obra Banneux School Pinar Norte, Canelones - School 268 / El Pinar Tennis Club Villa el Tato, Canelones - School 47 Villa el Tato, Canelones - CEA Centre Support and follow-up for Tennis Rivera Project - Rivera department Adaptive Tennis Wheelchair Tennis In 2024, the wheelchair tennis programme saw an increased participation through the creation of a new teaching group in Maldonado. With the support of ADIMO (Association for Motor Disability) and Woodside School, through a working group led by Bruno Pérez (a player-member of IC Uruguay), this new endeavour was successfully developed. The programme began with a tennis tournament featuring eight players from Montevideo, Colonia, and Artigas, transforming the day into a true celebration. The total group of players currently includes 19 individuals of mixed ages, distributed across five venues in different departments of the country. Regarding competition, five players with ITF rankings participated in various tournaments in the region and Europe, including Luciano Varela, ranked No. 1 in the national ranking and No. 100 in ITF ranking. On a national level, two competition dates were held: one at Médano Tennis Club in Maldonado and the other, now a staple event, at La Chacra de Washington González in Colonia del Sacramento. Each stage included financial support for travel and cash prizes for the players. Tennis for the Blind This activity, which has been running for over four years in Montevideo and Canelones, expanded in 2024 to the Costa de Oro region in Canelones, forming a second participant group. The total number of players currently ranges from eight to ten. By the end of the year, the programme achieved its first national representation at an international event: the Blind Tennis Open in Argentina, held in the final month of the year. Conclusion Approaching 14 years of work, our "Growing up with Tennis" programme continues to present new challenges, which we will embrace with enthusiasm. Once again, we aim to positively impact the lives of every student and trainee. Through tennis, children and individuals with disabilities have discovered more than a sport; they have found a space for personal growth, resilience, and education in values. Looking ahead to 2025, the programme remains committed to building bridges between sports and social integration, inspiring participants to dream and realise those dreams.
