"Sports are wonderful; they can bring you comfort and pleasure for the rest of your life. Sports can teach you so much about yourself, your emotions and character, how to be resolute in moments of crisis and how to fight back from the brink of defeat. In this respect, the lessons of sports cannot be duplicated easily; you quickly discover your limits but you can also build self-confidence and a positive sense of yourself." ~ Arthur Ashe

Joy of Sports Foundation (JSF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1989 and has since served over 30,000 children. Our mission is to inspire at-risk children to grow healthy in body, mind, and spirit by teaching them critical life success skills through sports. Utilizing a variety of sport-based educational programs, we currently serve children in the Washington, D.C., San Francisco and San Diego metropolitan areas.

JSF programs have been recognized as models by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Bureau, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the United States Tennis Association. The White House has also recognized JSF as a Point of Light in appreciation of our service to at-risk children. Generous support from foundations, government, corporations, and private individuals, has fueled our continued growth over the past sixteen years—enabling JSF to make a significant and lasting positive impact in the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children in the communities we serve.

JSF has a sixteen-year track record of developing and implementing programs which effectively help children develop key life skills through sports. Through our tennis, soccer, basketball, and multi-sport programs, including our award-winning Healthy Kids Program, JSF teaches children critical life success skills proven to positively enhance their school performance and ability to attain personal goals. In addition, we address the alarming childhood obesity epidemic by teaching healthy lifestyle choices, including nutritional awareness and the value of an active lifestyle.

Progress of all JSF program participants is evaluated by an outside consultant to ensure the quality and success of our efforts. Formal evaluations by a professor at Harvard Medical School show that our programs are working. For instance, our Healthy Kids program in San Diego achieved a virtually unprecedented 22% reduction in obesity. Children participating in our programs consistently:

JSF programs focus on teaching life skills development and healthy behaviors to at-risk children ages three to thirteen. Our “Seeing the Star In Every Child” approach helps kids discover the joy of physical activity without pressure to perform or compete. Children who had previously been inactive and had low self-esteem are instilled with a love of sports and a new belief in themselves. We are proud to have such a strong track record of delivering high impact sports-based educational programs.

For more information on our programs, please click here.

Our Vision for the Future….

We believe in a brighter future for those that need our help the most. We have worked hard to awaken and empower children and adults to the integral role that life skills, physical activity and nutrition play in children’s healthy development. The future is brighter for many children and young adults as a direct result of our beliefs and our hard work to help others.

Physical activity and sports, as well as proper nutrition, will be fully appreciated by parents, teachers, and coaches as an integral part in children’s healthy development. Schools and community organizations throughout America will offer programs which empower children to build self esteem and develop key life skills while building their health and fitness.

Awards

Joy of Sports has been recognized as a model by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the United States Tennis Association, the ATP Tour, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Points of Light Foundation.

Our Founder

Andrew Oser is the Founder of the Joy of Sports Foundation. Andrew is the creator of the highly successful "Effortless Tennis" method and author of The Joy of Tennis, The Tennis Plus Program, Joy of Sports Star Program, The Star Soccer Program, and Star Power for Preschoolers. He has 25 years experience teaching tennis to children and adults of all ages and ability levels. Over the years, Andrew discovered that his approach not only enabled students to make rapid progress in their tennis games, but also helped them to develop skills such as concentration and relaxation which were very useful off the court as well.

He started the Joy of Sports Foundation in 1989 as a vehicle to reach at-risk children and expand the focus of his work beyond tennis. Andrew has spoken and given workshops throughout North America. His clients have included General Dynamics, First Interstate Bank and HBO. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1976.