Building a QuickStart Tennis Pathway for Crozet ES
A true "Tennis School." Crozet Elementary School (CES) is located in the designated growth area of Crozet, VA and is one of four elementary schools in the western Albemarle County feeder pattern. The 120+ year-old school community has been in a new building since 1990 and is currently home to 351 students in grades K-5, plus a Head Start classroom.
About 30% of the CES students qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program and 6% of the kids have disabilities. The student demographics at CES are significantly different than those at the three other elementary schools in the feeder pattern (10% or less lunch program participants), and CES kids often feel the difference when they get to the local middle school. Our hope is to help "level the playing field" through tennis as kids learn tennis skills and life skills such as integrity, determination, dedication and teamwork. Winning and learning (aka losing) on the courts teaches kids how to handle success and adversity in all areas of their lives. As with other small schools in Albemarle County, CES also faces issues which threaten its rural, small-town atmosphere. The designated growth area will have over 20,000 residents at build-out. The population grew by 97% from 2000 to 2010 (almost 6,000) and the growth rate is accelerating. There is now a plan to increase the size of the school to accommodate 250 additional students in the near future.
Both PE teacher Dawn Laine and Principal Gwedette Crummie are BIG QuickStart Tennis supporters! Ms. Crummie also serves on our Board.
QCV has been involved with CES for a decade. WOW!!! We will be celebrating ten years in PE in September 2019.
- SuperStarters Sports Girls Tennis Club -- Fall 2014
- Crozet/Yancey Elementary Girls Clubs PlayDay -- November 2014
- Gave racquets and balls to all 70 first graders -- April 2015 (Thanks to the BB&T Crozet Branch for buying the equipment for the kids!!!)
- Back-to-School Night, September 2015
- Go Bananas! visit for 182 kids - PreK through second-grade classes, March 14, 2016
- QuickStart PRO in summer school -- summer 2016
- Third annual racquet giveaway for all 57 first-graders was held in April 2016. It was CROZET TENNIS DAY.
- Back-to-School Night, September 2016
- Fourth annual racquet giveaway for all 62 first-graders was held in April 2017. Thanks to the Bana Works Fund for making this possible. Later in April, second-graders were treated to a visit by a tennis pro from the Boyd Tinsley Tennis Tournament at the Boar's Head Sports Club.
- Open House at Crozet Elementary, August 2017
- Back-to-School Night, September 2017
- "Apples for Aces" visit to kindergarten classes, October 2017.
- Fifth annual racquet giveaway for all 60 first-graders was held in April 2018. Special guests included UVA Assistant Tennis Coach Gina Suarez-Malagati, UVA player Camille Favero, UVA tennis alumnae Gabriela Chase, WAHS Coach Ellen Markowitz and members of her team. Thanks to the Inez Duff Bishop Charitable Trust for supporting us.
- PE visit, May 2018
- Regripped racquets used in PE, summer 2018. Many thanks to QCV Board member Barbara Bozsik for stepping up.
2018/2019 School Year
![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/004(1).JPG) Students are Going Bananas for QuickStart! at Crozet Elementary School
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Tinsley Pros Jackie Cako and Sanaz Marand told CES kids how much FUN tennis is after great college careers
QCV undertook an ambitious plan to build three 36-foot QuickStart courts at CES and equip all kids in first, second and third grade with racquets and balls to keep. We did them both thanks to some very generous donors.
CES Field of Tennis Dreams -- QCV turned the field in the northeast corner of the school's 21-acre site into a tennis magnet for kids ages eight and under or anyone who wants to play tennis on 36-foot courts. The courts complement the three 36-foot courts QCV had built at Claudius Crozet Park in June 2012. The courts were started July 1 and were completed on-time at the end of August 2014. BEFORE AFTER ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/006(3).jpg) What a difference a year can make . . . CES QuickStart Tennis Court Supporters
- Bama Works Fund in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
- Better Living Foundation
- Mary Gregorie Burns
- Charlottesville Area Community Foundation -- Community Endowment
- Harris Teeter, Inc.
- Inez Duff Bishop Charitable Trust
- Ix Foundation
- Camilyn Leone
- Luck Companies Foundation
- Ricky Pietsch
- USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section -- Target Market Initiative
- USTA Facilities Assistance
- UVA Community Credit Union
- Anonymous matching donor
QCV donated two picnic tables for the courts.
QCV Wish List Item Comes True -- All CES first, second and third graders were given racquets and balls to keep thanks to a grant from the Smyth Foundation Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. THANK YOU Mrs. Smyth!!!
A racquet in every hand! A smile on every face!
![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/IMG_6703.JPG) 165 first, second and third graders received tennis racquets and balls to take home thanks to the Smyth Foundation Fund November 8, 2013 ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/20131108_135707.jpg) Closets and halls in a every public elementary school should look like this! ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/20131108_135006.jpg) Every classroom should look like this! ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/IMG_7230(1).JPG) Tinsley Pro school visit -- April 2014 ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/011(2).jpg) ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/035(1).jpg) ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/025(2).jpg) QuickStart PRO in Summer School -- June/July 2014 ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/IMG_7566(1).JPG) SuperStarters Girls Club PlayDay -- November 2014 ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/030(1).jpg) All 70 first graders received racquets and balls -- April 2015 ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/054(2).jpg) One of six PE classes (182 kids) that went bananas in March 2016
![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/062(3).jpg) And they got photos of the UVa Men's Tennis Team ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/20170411_140428 (3).jpg) 2017 racquet and ball giveaway - they just found out they get to keep them ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/20170411_135348.jpg) ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/heart with red tennis balls.jpg) ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/1(3).jpg) School Visit to second-grade PE class by Tinsley Tournament Pro - April 25, 2017 ![](../../../pages/vaquickstartcentral/image/6 (2).jpg) Want to be a great adult? Be a QuickStart kid!
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