The Katie At The Bat Team realizes that if we start with sports, but we care about the success of the whole child, we must be involved with a student’s academic performance.  This is done in a number of ways, some subtle, others direct.

School Year:

Basketball – Once a week our “scholar athletes” pile into our Katie At The Bat Team van and head to Bethel Academy in Ardmore – our partner in tutoring.  Here students enjoy working on their homework and study skills in a new environment with kids who attend suburban schools.  We are so grateful for our dedicated tutors who come each week and develop a personal relationship with the Katie At The Bat girls.

Tennis – We are extremely proud of our Katie At The Bat Tennis model which alternates on-court sessions with classroom sessions. While covering the core values of The Katie At The Bat program, the classroom sessions also support the themes and class work of the school teacher.  Homework writing assignments are often given as part of the integration of KATB with school and teacher.  The exciting outcome is that we have documented significantly improved reading levels, report card grades and other academic measures.

Summer:

Basketball and Academic Camp –The Katie At The Bat Team is able to provide 4 weeks of Basketball and Academic Camp to 25 inner city children on the beautiful suburban campus of our partners at Friends’ Central School. The best news is that campers seem to enjoy their classroom sessions as much as their basketball and swim periods!

Tennis Camp Book Club – Consistent with our mission, The Katie At The Bat Team has added book club to the daily schedule of tennis camp.  Each afternoon campers enjoy a 45 minute period during which they can relax with a book at the picnic table or sitting on a blanket under a tree. Students write in their journals and then share their entries with the group, accompanied by Katie At The Bat volunteers and tennis counselors.

Back To School Readiness – The week prior to the start of school, students are invited to a workshop with Katie staff and volunteers.  Strategies for academic success and getting off to a good start in school are discussed in a relaxed, enjoyable setting.  Students are assisted with summer work packets, and of course there is time scheduled for word games and fun.  The aim in developing the Back To School Readiness Program, which is planned for expansion in coming years, is to combat what educators refer to as learning loss or the summer slide, documented to affect inner-city and low income students far more severely than their middle class suburban counterparts.