Robert Foster was recently elected as president of the American Tennis Association (ATA). Along with a proficient knowledge in accounting and finances, Foster brings a fervor for maintaining the legacy of the 109-year-old organization.
Foster has a passion for helping the ATA thrive for future generations. He looks to recruit tennis and non-tennis players to join and volunteer for the ATA. He wants to raise the general awareness and digital presence of the organization.
“They may be a digital content creator, they may be writers, they may be influencers,” Foster said. “They may have relationships with national brands where we can try and do partnerships where we can get sponsorships.”
The ATA is the oldest African American sports association in the United States. Their first national tournament took place in August 1917 at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. It consisted of three events.
Since its inception, the event has expanded to accommodate a variety of ages and skill levels. The ATA partners with the USTA to have the tournament at the USTA campus in Orlando, Florida. Foster mentioned how the USTA gave the ATA 40 courts for the tournament.
With a mind on the youth, the ATA is offering tournaments for youth of various skill levels. There will be junior L5 tournaments, singles events for youth 10 and younger, and tournaments for beginners.
“This year, we have for kids who are not interested to pursue tennis to get a scholarship in college but just want to come and enjoy the experience, we have an unsanctioned tournament for them,” Foster said. “They can come and fellowship and have fun with other kids.”
For adults, there are events for players with NTRP 3.0-4.5. There are also events for people in their 30s up to those who are 80 and older. The ATA Men’s and Women’s Open tournament includes a $1,000 prize for the winners, $500 for the finalists, and a special prize from the USTA.
“The USTA has given us a wild card into one of the 25k Tournaments around the country,” Foster said. “I think that’s a good motivation to try and get everyone from those aspiring to be professional, to get into college, to the kids that are just there for the experience and the adults to come and play.”
Several notable players competed in the ATA National Tournament over the years, including Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Coco Gauff, and James Blake.
Foster noted that this year is the 75th anniversary of Gibson competing in the 1950 U.S. National Tennis Championships and the 50th anniversary of Ashe winning Wimbledon.
Foster was a member and board member of the Rancho Cienega Tennis Club. He competed at the 100th anniversary celebration of the ATA in Baltimore and became involved in the organization soon after.
“This is something that is a treasure that we must preserve,” he said. “The folks at the organization, they take you in, treat you like family and I became treasurer shortly thereafter.”
Foster also served on the board of the Pacific Coast Championships Tennis Association of the ATA Section and the Whirlwind Johnson Foundation in Virginia.
To prepare for being president, Foster relied on the mentorship of the former president Roxanne Aaron.
“She really mentored me without saying “Robert, I’m mentoring you,”” Foster said. “She would ask me to do things and as I look back, I’m almost thinking those were opportunities to evaluate me.”
Dr. Franklin Scott told Foster to focus on the youth and acknowledge past presidents when they attended events.
Along with tennis organization knowledge, Foster brings his experience being an accountant, auditor, and finance manager to the position. He worked for several companies, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Northrop Grumman, and Gerber and Foster.
“Volunteering with the ATA, it allows me to bring skills that I didn’t realize I had that I had acquired,” he said. “A lot of these are social skills that you have to have. Nowadays, they call it EQ or social emotional learning.”
Foster aspires to preserve Black tennis history while looking for ways to bring more awareness to the ATA. The organization will be hosting events in Washington DC this weekend; it will include mixers and a juniors tournament.
The ATA will also be in Atlanta on the weekend of June 8 and Houston on the weekend of June 27.
“What I feel is that we have a fiduciary responsibility to this organization, to our community, to plant the seeds to get younger people in positions of responsibility so they can carry this thing forward,” Foster said.
For more information about the ATA, please visit www.yourata.org.
