Photo Galleries: Family Circle Tennis Center - The Citadel - College of Charleston - MUSC

Prudential Renews Presenting Sponsorship for Fourth Consecutive Year 

In 2001, former tennis pro Leslie Allen envisioned a program designed to give inner city kids an opportunity to explore new frontiers that could help them create and pursue goals. This 10-year WTA Tour veteran’s vision became a reality in 2002 when she founded the Leslie Allen Foundation. That year, the Family Circle Cup became the first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event to fully fund the WIN4LIFE program. Over the past six years in Charleston, more than 250 kids have been selected to participate in the program. In 2005, Prudential signed on as presenting sponsor of this important mentoring program. For a fourth consecutive year, Prudential will once again serve as presenting sponsor. On Saturday, February 2nd, the Charleston WIN4LIFE program will officially begin at the Family Circle Tennis Center on Daniel Island.

“Prudential’s partnership with the Family Circle Cup and WIN4LIFE illustrates our commitment to Charleston’s youth, and we are proud to support each student as they learn, grow, and thrive in this important mentoring program,” commented Monty Shealy, Managing Director - Prudential. “The children will greatly benefit from this interactive educational opportunity as they learn to set goals, overcome obstacles, and achieve their dreams.”

The mission of the Leslie Allen Foundation (LAF) is to help inner city youth develop life skills through tennis so they can be productive citizens of the world. Through her career in professional tennis and accomplishments both on and off the court, including being the highest ranked player ever to compete on the WTA Tour with a college degree, Allen is a shining example for WIN4LIFE participants of what life has to offer if you work hard and believe in yourself. The goal of the LAF is not to produce professional tennis players but to mentor and expose youth who would otherwise not have the access to the 100+ careers behind the scenes in professional tennis. The WIN4LIFE mentoring program includes public speaking, writing, learning tennis history, and social etiquette. The LAF motto is “Tennis is more than just hitting a ball.” The program focuses on the 4D’s—desire, dedication, determination, and discipline.

“The continued backing of the Family Circle Cup and Prudential has made a tremendous impact in the lives of hundreds of children who have experienced this valuable mentoring program,” stated Leslie Allen, founder of the WIN4LIFE program. “Prudential’s participation and support shows their commitment to equipping children with the skills necessary to navigate life’s many challenges.”

A committee of local tennis coaches helped Allen select more than 40 kids from the Charleston area to take part in the 2008 WIN4LIFE program. The WIN4LIFE program spans a twelve-week period and centers around five sessions, all held on Saturdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm, which focus on helping each student maximize various skills needed to excel in life. In addition to the Family Circle Tennis Center, the Harper Student Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), The Citadel, and the College of Charleston have once again agreed to serve as host sites for one or more WIN4LIFE sessions.

The interactive sessions help WIN4LIFE participants develop life skills and improve their tennis game. At the mentoring seminars, topics such as tennis history, college opportunities, physical fitness tips, improving communication skills and information about professional careers behind the scenes in tennis will be discussed. As a testament to the success of last year’s program, many of the kids from the 2007 program have been asked to serve as junior counselors for the 2008 group. WIN4IFE alumni have a strong track record of matriculating to colleges including Trident Technical College, Swarthmore College, Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina.

“The emphasis on the 4D's has been something I have been able to apply to my college life and study habits through out my years here at USC,” commented Brittanni Wright, WIN4LIFE alumni and current University of South Carolina Exercise Science student. “Whenever I felt like I was losing ground, I would refer back to the principles behind the 4D's and how I could apply it to what I was going through at the time. By doing this I was able to refocus and make sound decisions instead of just rushing into a situation without a set goal or plan of action in mind.”

The culmination of the WIN4LIFE program is a unique and exciting look into the world of professional tennis made possible by attending the Family Circle Cup. On Saturday, April 12th, all WIN4LIFE participants will attend the qualifying matches and have the opportunity to see, up close and personal, some of the future tennis stars of professional tennis. Four participants in the program will be awarded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where they will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the most successful Tier I events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. They will meet with top players and key professionals at this internationally recognized Tier I event including journalists, computer technicians, videographers, television producers, Family Circle Cup event staff and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour staff.

Prudential (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $586 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2006, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company’s well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, asset management, and real estate services. For more information, please visit www.prudential.com. 


                   
                      Win4Life Class Visits the Family Circle Cup on Saturday, April 8, 2007

*Click here to revisit the 2007 Win4Life program.