ABOUT TENNIS WITHOUT BORDERS The work of this not-for-profit organization began in 2002 with a trip to Uganda by Kelly Gunterman. The tennis-teaching couple accepted an invitation to help instruct children, train school and club staff, and practice with Uganda's Davis Cup team. The learning experience off the court was powerful, Gunterman says.     "Everyone was so eager to learn the game and to improve," says Gunterman, who is director of tennis at Florida's Amelia Island Plantation and Gunterman Tennis Schools, which also operates at Summit Lodge near Killington, Vt. "It didn't seem to matter that they were playing with old balls and racquets with broken strings."     Gunterman devoted himself to building awareness and collecting resources for communities from Africa to South America where tennis passion is plentiful, but tennis resources are not.     Tennis Without Borders received its 501(c)3 status in July 2009 and accepts contributions of cash and gifts-in-kind of tennis equipment. Donations are tax-deductible. TENNIS WITHOUT BORDERS 1927 S. Fletcher Ave. Fernandina Beach, Fla. 32034 Email: guntermank@gmail.com      Helping students pursue life opportunities on and off the court by providing gear, instruction and academic support to clubs and schools. Click here to read about Tennis Without Borders' trip to Uganda in 2004 [PDF] "What an opportunity for me to learn how to play tennis!" -Teep Ssendawula, Uganda PLEASE JOIN ME "Please join me in supporting the effort to bring our great sport to those who want to play, but who don't have the resources...yet," says Kelly Gunterman, who is donating 100% of his profits as author from Tennis Made Easy to Tennis Without Borders.      Tennis Made Easy: Essential Strokes & Strategy for the Modern Game by Kelly Gunterman will be published May 2010. HOW TO HELP Individuals & Groups: Make a financial contribution toward the purchase of equipment, instruction and academic opportunities by sending a check, payable to Tennis Without Borders, to the address at left. Donate frequent flyer miles toward our international travel by emailing guntermank@gmail.com with details. Tennis Manufacturers & Retailers: Make an in-kind gift of string, balls, racquets or soft goods, or a financial contribution. Send to address at left. Letter from Tibursious "Teep" Ssendawula, who went from tennis novice to college player with help from Tennis Without Borders Deep in my home village Nkuke, in the Masaka district of Uganda, I had never believed that one day I could hold a tennis racquet or attend college in the United States of America. I was raised playing soccer--or football as we call it.       My love for playing tennis began when my brother John Nsambu tried to teach me how to play. Instead of hiring someone to hit with at Lugogo Tennis Club, he decided to teach me so that I would become his partner. We always enjoyed playing at a private school tennis court.       Because of John’s love of tennis, he invited his friend Kelly Gunterman to come to Uganda to prepare the Uganda Youth Team for the Davis Cup in 2003. Kelly was fascinated by my soccer skills and he promised to bring me to America to attend school and play soccer. This sounded great to me, but I was kind of skeptical about this idea because it was too good of a dream to be true. Well, I was wrong. In the fall of 2003, Kelly secured me a place at a local high school, Long Trail School in Dorset, Vt.       While staying with Kelly, I discovered I had as much passion for tennis as for soccer. I can still see my first lesson with Kelly so vividly--when he taught me how to hold a racquet, and showed me a video of my wild toss on a serve. After taking tennis lessons from Kelly for two summers, I couldn’t believe that I played tennis on my college’s team after only two summers of lessons.       I played four years of college tennis at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt. For a person who had never played tennis until I was 18, I am very proud of my college tennis career. My placement on the team varied from No. 1 seed to No. 3 seed. It seemed to me that I was mostly matched with people who were better than I was, but that just made me improve my game. I am now playing intramural tennis at my graduate school, where I study pharmacology.       Thank you to John for initiating my love for tennis, and to Kelly for igniting and teaching me, and providing me with tennis gear. What a great game that (unlike football) requires only one partner to enjoy.