On May 7, a group of six African-American female teenagers won a St. Louis city-wide tennis tournament at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. The “Net Rushers” team included: Journee White, 12; Nia Cooper, 12; Mary K. Townsend, 16; Amadi Muse-Morris, 16; Natalie Malone, 16 and Janel Dean, 16.
White attends MICDS, Cooper is in the Chesterfield School District, Townsend goes to Webster Groves High School, Muse-Morris is home schooled, Malone attends Ladue Horton Watkins High School and Dean goes to Parkway North High School.
The girls competed in four singles and four doubles matches every Sunday for six weeks. Net Rushers competed in the 18 and under section of the tournament, which was made up entirely of girls. They finished undefeated.
The Net Rushers Tennis Association is a historically black tennis organization in St. Louis targeting African-American teens and children. The organization was founded in the 1988 by Erma J. Owens. Today, Owens and her sister Mary Hudson work together to help maintain the program.
The participants in the program largely come from North County. When Owens started the organization, she expressed concern to her sister about the lack of opportunities for children in the area to get into tennis.
“It is such a privilege to work with such a nice set of young ladies who not only have an interest in sports, but also in their academics,” Hudson said. “Whatever they do, they will excel.” Participants have gone on to attend and receive substantial scholarships from Harvard, Yale, Tuskegee, Alabama A&M, and more.
Net Rushers is split into three levels that are inclusive of all age groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Many of the participants start at a young age, and Hudson estimated that 90 percent of them go on to receive either academic or athletic collegiate scholarships.
Net Rushers offers free tennis lessons every Sunday during June and July from 5-6:30 p.m. There are both paid and volunteer coaches available for help. Children who show that they are seriously interested in tennis are offered the opportunity to receive private lessons. These are funded by grants, contributions from parents, and money from the organization itself.
The organization also typically holds three or four fundraisers every year. The events are engaging and range from raffles to adult tennis tournaments. One of the largest donors to the organization is the United States Tennis Association.
The mission of the Net Rushers Tennis Association is to promote tennis, and aid in the development of new program initiatives that will provide recreational and competitive tennis experiences for children in the St. Louis area. The organization provides training in tennis, character development, and academic counseling.
“It’s a joy to me,” Hudson said. “My sister saw a need for black kids to get more involved with tennis. It’s not just about the game, it’s a way of life. It teaches them how to strive to be the best, and how to be professional both on and off the court.”
Hudson also emphasized the importance of strategy when it comes to tennis, and added that Net Rushers began a chess program two years ago. Those who are interested can arrive early and play chess from 4-5 p.m. before tennis practice begins.
Hudson has had a lifelong love for the game of tennis, but revealed that she and her sister didn’t actually begin to play until they had already graduated college. “We just started taking lessons, and we loved it,” Hudson said. “Now, I go to the U.S. Open every other year and travel to compete in other states all the time.”
If there’s one thing that still nags at Hudson, not just concerning Net Rushers but the sport of tennis in general, is the lack of interest coming from African-American males. Compared to about 22-25 girls, there are only “about three or four” boys that consistently come to Net Rushers.
“They don’t seem to be interested in tennis,” Hudson said. Young black males seem more drawn to sports like football and basketball, which are portrayed to be more masculine. “We’re really searching and seeking to find more boys,” she said.
The membership fee is $25 per family and covers the year-round program for intermediate and advanced players. Contact Mary Hudson at 314-479-2511 or maryowenshudson@sbcglobal.net. The mailing address for the Net Rushers Tennis Association is 130 Rhinegarten Drive, Florissant, MO, 63031.
Tashan Reed is a former St. Louis American editorial intern and current freelance reporter for the paper.
