good morning. welcome to "viewpoint." our focus today is helping underserved youth through the game of life. we are talking about tennis. it's an exciting summer for kids and fans here, thanks to the washington tennis association and the city open coming up august 1. in helping us see the difference it's making in so many young lives here is candy wolf, the board member and executive vice president of city. alanny, is a long term president and whose davis cup and grand slam history is too legendary to list here. and donald the tournament chair. i mentioned august 1st through

the 9th. donald, you go way back to the tournament's infancy. how has this thing taken off? it's amazing. >> well, we started the tournament in 1969 at the public parks there at 16th and kennedy. johnny harris and i were co-chairman. we ran the tournament for three years. and it started to catch on a little, we got some traction. so we thought it would be different -- and we gave the tournament and the sanction of the week to the washington tennis foundation which was just starting up as a foundation for tennis for kids. and our concept was very simple. we thought if we could get a lot of interested tennis fans -- washington is a very good tennis town. historically. and the profits from the tournament and all of the surrounding benefits to go back to junior tennis in the community and we have done that. and i think the wtf and alanny have done a terrific job. like the tournament it's grown and grown. >> i have been lucky enough to go over there to southeast and see the amazing -- really

incredible work you're doing with young lives over there. it's the 60th year, right? >> it's the 60th year. >> talk about the lives you have touched over the decades. >> thousands and thousands of lives. we start very young with the kids, 4 and 5 years old and we stay with them until they're seniors in high school. it's a combination of tennis and academics. all the great lessons you learn on the court of discipline and focus and concentration, we then ensure they translate into the classroom to have success in the classroom as well. >> when i got the tour, i mean, classrooms, computer labs, a big part of this, because this is what happens when -- particularly in the summer. there's so much time on their hands, this is after school and summer. you ramp up over summer as well. >> it's very important. after school hours, people feel like the weekend and evening hours are truly the most dangerous, but after school is most dangerous for the kids. that's when the gangs and all the trouble happens as well as

in the summertime. our program goes deep into august. we only give them literally a week off before school because again criminal activity spikes in august as well when most programs are not out there for the kids. >> i have seen the kids light up and the parents too. it's really a savior them. they depend on the programs there. let's go back to the tournament. we are ramping up for august 1. the actual tournament is that sunday night. but candy, talk about cities' involvement in this. you're in your third year. you started when the wage came on board with the tournament. >> yes, so we started sponsorship in 2012. we started with the women's tournament and the thought is there's a lot of women who are clients, it would great to be part of a women's tennis tournament. the opportunity arose here in d.c. which is also an important business market for us. so we got involved and simultaneously we needed -- we

knew the opportunity was there to support this world class tennis tournament and we did the sponsorship in 2012. it's fabulous and i think you know, we have been really pleased with how the tournament's been run. i think the extra sort of initiative was wtef because it's so unique. there aren't others who have wtef connected to it. so it was that involvement and that addition i think really elevated our interest in the sponsorship. so it's important from a tennis perspective, but it's also really important because it was a community link and to the sponsorship of helping underserved youth. >> we know we're so tapped into tennis and the history of it. this is truly a world class event. we have seen the commercials running for weeks now. andy murray is coming. you have people from all over the world. >> it's well over 182 countries on television internationally, 60 hours of live programming

domestically in washington and throughout the country. we'll do the first ball of the men and the women to the last ball hit with the tennis challenge. so we're excited about that. and we're going to have the finals live on channel 7 simultaneously. we have never done that before, so it's going to be a mammoth occasion. we have murray who is well known and we have curry the number five player in the world. the russian who won the semis last year. and richard gas man is playing. and the one who loves playing on this particular court here. he'll play. but the real surprise, jim, for me, has been the women. because the women came out of

nowhere. the woman who is here is seeded number one. you have the russian player, eighth in the world. we'll have jean bouchard on fire. she was a semifinalist last year. sloan stevens a very good player was seeded one last year. she'll be seeded eighth this year. so you can see how tough the field has become. >> she's very popular, a big draw too. that's great. we have to take a quick break and come back. we'll put up some web addresses if you'd like to learn about the tournament or wtef. you exercise. you choose the salad. occasionally. but staying well - physically, financially, emotionally - its hard on your own. so cigna's got your back and your knees, 24/7.

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welcome back to "viewpoint." again, we are talking tennis

with our friends from wtef. elani, talk about the transformation in young lives. you start them early. when i started the tour back in february, you talked about how you go to college campuses every year and they're not juniors or seniors. how young are they? >> right. we start kids fourth, fifth sixth grade going on the college tours. but they don't know it's a college tour. they're going to play tennis. we take them to the tennis tournament and they're interacting with other programs and playing matches so they think they're going to have fun and play tennis matches but we're taking them to see the colleges. they stay in the dorms. they got back from chicago where they stayed at roosevelt university and they had a wonderful speech from the provost there. so we are getting kids very focused, very young, you know, on thinking about college and what they're going to do. we have a -- we have dr. johnson and dr. williams who leads the reading program. you asked me about the transformation in the kids.

we were talking about one girl who is in our program. and this summer she told dr. dawson she didn't need any help in math. she was working on her review and this is a girl that came in the program she's in the seventh grade. she came in at a third grade math level and in one year dr. johnson has gotten her to the -- her to grade level and this summer she is doing a review. she said i don't need any help. i mean, the staff we have is really tremendous. and the dedication -- >> the dedication out there. they're truly committed. because a lot of times it's an extended family. a lot of mentors you have there because it's a one-parent house. sometimes the parent's working and don't have the time to help them in the afternoon or stay with them as you guys do. donald, talk a little bit if we can bigger picture and share your wisdom. we talked about the women and we have got the william sisters of course, and sloan and strong bench strength -- >> the williams have dominated for 10 or 12 years in all world tennis really.

>> what do we need to get young women up there with the eastern europeans? the spaniards and the south americans and the russians? >> the question is always asked what's wrong, or what's the problem with american tennis for men, and the answer is very simple. the world globally of tennis has caught up with america, australia and england. who would have thought 50 years ago you'd say the number one player in the world is da joko vick from serbia. we have paul and fritz who were in the finals of the french open on clay. the player who drew up in washington is a good player and we have reilly opalko who beat fritz in the semis and beat the number one british player in the semis. so we have four or five world class young kids, 17 and 18, who

would rank in the top sixth or seventh in the world. one or two or three of those they stay healthy and committed. >> there's all it takes. a couple of names. >> they'll break through. they're just too good. >> it is exciting. >> it is exciting. >> you know, we talked about women coming on board with the city. i tell people it's a bit like a miniu.s. open because you transform that place into this festival. even if you're not a tennis fan there are so many different things to do. great cafes. great place to get wine and beer and souvenirs and people have a blast because there's the proximity to the players. you can see them practice. >> yes. >> talk about what people see when they buy a ticket and go out there. >> they come in the door and there's lots of noise to begin with. and lots of booths along the way and then as you said, jim, great food. i mean, some great food out there. if you want the crab cakes, i

think there's lobster rolls and wine and beer. the other thing we'll have is called speed surf. it is something that will benefit wtef. come by the city booth and if as a player if you can serve above a certain designated speed then we'll donate money to wtef. we're doing that with the players, so players that hit a certain designated serve speed then there's going to be money that's donated. so it's a great opportunity so you get to you know, practice in a booth for a little bit and practice your serve. but also it's going to benefit wtef. so encourage these lots of fun activities and things to get out. it's really a community event. really a family event. >> it is a family event. >> yeah. >> i'm coming. look out. i think bryant brothers are they slated to play? >> they're coming to play. dwayne bryant will be the host. >> as he does. >> he's terrific. >> come out during the day so there's all the courts around,

so you can see the women play. and then you know there's just lots of things going on. you're not going i'm going into center court. there's matches all day so that's what's really fun. you can come and see some of these up and coming players and others -- yeah. who are all playing. >> i think what candy pointed out which is important is the proximity. nowhere in the world can you get this close to the players. you talked about the u.s. open but you can't get that close to the players. you can get autographs, watching them practice. you are right there. no other tournament in the u.s. can you get that close and be that intimate and the players are so -- they're really wonderful with the fans. >> i think they love -- and the fans love them. >> she made a very, very important point because you have a different atmosphere. much more -- >> right. >> you can take a selfie shot with a player. photos all the time. so it's -- so that never happens at the major tournaments. because they're sent out with

security. you can't get near them. >> or other sports. >> that's true. >> and you're watching in the nose bleeds. >> every seat is a good seat. >> 7,800. we didn't try to make it 10,000. 7,800 seats. >> got to take another quick break. if you want to learn more about tickets or how to donate to wtef, here is the address on your screen. we'll be right back on "viewpoint" so stick around.

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welcome back to "viewpoint." we're talking about the city open. it kicks off august 1st. donald, this is a world class event. tell people the importance of this in the year round calendar for professional tennis. >> you have to understand that the players are play on a global circuit and they're getting points and prize money every week. and then the final eight play for the championship. many of the endorsements let's take a player like murray who is awfully good, if he's ranked in the top five versus the top 15 he has endorsement benefits and

bonuses in the contracts. the women are all the same. so the points become almost as important as the money. in tennis we're the only 500 series event in america. what does that mean? that means you get 500 points if you win the tournament. we're double the points of all the 250s. there's 11 -- there are 11 500 series in the world and we're in the top 20 tournaments in the world circuit for players. and because of our location and the prize money we put up, and the history, we're probably ranked about 12 or 13 if you took a poll of the players. we're in the top 15 in the world so it's really changed. and what's so important now is that being a combined event, there's only four of them in america other than the u.s. open. so when you come out there you're going to see a smorgasbord of different kinds of tennis. somebody pointed out earlier about three years ago we set up the courts where we have a path

and some seats to watch them practice. that became so popular that the usca has copied that. they have put in a whole new practice area where you can watch the players practice. and that was something our people came up with three years ago. >> and what a stored past. we have seen the names up there. roddick lendl who knows what the name will be there. could be murray, but there's a lot of depth on the men's and women's side. >> yeah. someone like john isner loves to play. he'll take a shot at murray. that helps ranking if he were to win. ishikori has never played very well here. he played very well last at the open. got to the finals. and so we have the u.s. open finalist. it's just the feel this -- field this year, the entry, is the strongest i have ever seen since we started the tournament.

>> it's a great warm-up to the u.s. open because it's a little hotter here in august. you played pro, you played for stanford. talk about mentors in your life and what you're trying to -- i guess replicate that in your program with mentorship and having people really take people under their wings. >> oh, i appreciate the opportunity. so it's very interesting the tournament is very interesting. you talk about mentors and coaches and how it all comes full circle. our vice president of programs who is my coach on the pro tournament i grew up in washington, d.c. through my relationship with him i started to volunteer at the organization and it's why i'm president of the organization now. what i find amazing is i grew up in washington, d.c. and so this tournament was a very big part of my life. i was a ball girl you know, it's the true honor to be working with donald on this tournament and to see the growth and the explosion in this event. i know the impact it had on me as a child. what it is doing for our children and the program.

to have access to this tournament, to come and watch you know the pros every day, to actually work it. we have them working at the tournament too. they get wonderful opportunities through city who set up, you know, the city kids day. it is incredible what city has done for our children over these four years. they have really come on and supported the organization at the tournament and the time of this incredible growth as you know we wouldn't be where we are today without donald and the tournament and without city support. they came in, the year we opened the center. without their additional support and with it the programs that they're putting together we wouldn't be where we are at today. i like to tell a quick story. we have one of the girls in our program and when she hit high school, you know, she -- she didn't come back in her tenth grade. and vina garrison who is one of the folks that works with our kids and in our program, she went out and got her. i want you to come and watch the matches with me. so she was watching the women's matches and she just is watching

the focus and the dedication of these players. she said, what have i been doing? that september she was back in the program and got a full scholarship, tennis scholarship to college, you know, and is finishing up college now. so -- so many benefits. yes. >> really they touch people and get people involved in this. it seems like a perfect fit for any organization to get involved with. because you see the results. >> you see the results. that's why i'm on the wtef board. i came in because of city and the sponsorship. you see the kids at the center, you can't help but want to be involved. i mean, you're immediately like what can i do, how can i be supportive? both being on the board and then for city, we wanted to look at some additional opportunities around the tournament. so one of them is the city kids opportunity that elani mentioned. we're able to bring in some of the players and they can talk

about their experiences, the challenges they face, what it's like being successful what it means being a pro tennis player and having that conversation with the kids. then we talk about financial savings. so there's a learning part to it. an opportunity, because if you are successful if you are, you know, making some money on the tournaments, what do you do with that money? >> right. >> how do you learn to save? and so we have -- you know, a dialogue around financial savings. so it's a nice opportunity to mix fun, with, you know, a little bit of an education. >> we'll take another quick break. then we'll pick it up on the other side. we'll be right back on "viewpoint." as we go to break, here are the web addresses again.

welcome back. talk a little bit about the wtef hall of fame. >> again, city came to us, this is the 60th year, you should have a hall of fame. so candy, i'd love for you to announce the inductees. >> we have three folks inducted in. nina garrison. william h.g. fitzgerald whose name is on the tennis -- >> of course. >> the tennis tournament. on the courts. congressman norm dax, a big tennis player. >> a tough competitor out there. i played him on the other side of the net. you want to be on his side. donald talk about the uniqueness of this tournament. >> well, there are two things that jump out. one is we're the oldest location in american -- in the pro tennis game. being at 16th and kennedy for 47

years, even the u.s. open moved from west side to flushing meadows. so we're the oldest site in american tennis. number one. number two, i believe we're the only pro tournament in the world that is owned by a charity. the wtef. which is the way i hoped for and designed it. i never thought it would grow the way it's grown. but when you really think about it, if you're going to donate money as a sponsor it's nice to give it to the baltimore orioles or something. and legg mason said they wanted to benefit from a charity. >> and i want to ask you, life long tennis icon that you are, if a kid is out there and wondering, hey, should i play football or basketball, baseball with my friends or tennis how do you convince them that tennis is a life long game. >> good question. >> what are you saying, why

tennis? >> it's very unique because it is an individual sport. tennis. you can't call time-out. you can't have a substitute. i think what really -- what you try to attract them with first it's travel. tremendous opportunity to travel. and then the prize money is a big incentive. i remember we did a tennis clinic with arthur ashe years ago and the first question was how much money did you make on the tour? they kept asking that over and over again. the prize money is a big feature, but again it's opportunity. this is what the wtef gives young kids, the opportunity to play tennis. >> and your friend, arthur ashe the legacy lives on at wtef every day. thank you all for coming in and sharing your story. hey the city open, you'll have a blast. august 1st through the 9th. see you next week.

right now on "news4 today," pleasant outside to start. then it will really heat up. but there's a chance for rain also. will it impact your sunday plans? >> developing now. a frantic search for a restaurant owner after his brother's body was found in the chesapeake bay. >> "news4 today" starts now. >> and good morning. on this sunday, welcome to "news4 today." i'm adam tuss. >> i'm angie goff. things look clear. 60s or 70s, not too bad. >> i think the temperature is going to heat up. chuck's got the forecast. >> yeah,