Founded 1989.

When the Tennis Opportunity Program (TOP) started in 1989, the goal was to get as many kids as possible interested in tennis.

Academics takes center stage.

A few years in to the program, we aspired to something bigger—we wanted to provide academic and athletic training so our kids could reach excellence beyond the court.

Grades, rankings, qualifications.

Our program is now focused entirely on improving the grades, rankings, and tournament qualifications of our TOP Scholars to help them prepare for college.

Mark Frommer

President

Tennis has always been an integral part of Mark’s life.  Mark recognized early on that tennis was more than just a sport based on athleticism, but provided a constant intellectual challenges.  Mark appreciated how those skill sets transcended the tennis court and how he was able to apply them in his educational, professional and charitable endeavors.  Mark was drawn to TOP’s mission, as it was a reflection how TOP shows up for its students as they navigate through adolescence and young adulthood.  

Luca Serra

Vice-President

Tennis has always been part of Luca’s life—he grew up playing at Waveland Tennis Courts, played competitively in college, and even worked for Billie Jean King. He joined TOP because he wanted to take his lifetime of tennis experience and use it to give back to the kids of Chicago.

Adam Attas

Adam has been playing competitive tennis since he was 12 years old. Tennis has always provided him opportunities to connect with people all over the world. Adam joined TOP to allow others to experience tennis with the same joy and passion for the sport that he has every time he hits the court.

Christine Julian

Secretary

Impressed by the success TOP had helping kids get into college, Christine joined the board in 2011. The most rewarding part of her involvement is seeing kids get the opportunity to change their lives through the program.

Henrietta West

About Henrietta coming soon…

Steve Bonner

Steve was inspired to get involved with TOP by its founder, Roger Mitten. Roger’s mission to help economically disadvantaged kids through tennis, hard work and education has kept Steve on the board for over 20 years, helping TOP Scholars achieve success.

Katrinia Hamilton

Tennis always looked like fun to Katrinia, but it was actually the cute outfits that drew her to the game. She started playing after college and became deliriously addicted. She quickly realized that tennis is a game that grows and GLOWS you. As a board member she finds it rewarding to see the pride, purpose, and pure pleasure in the TOP students as they excel in the sport and in life.

Ryan Horne

Treasurer

About Ryan coming soon…

Jeff Long

Jeff grew up playing USTA tournaments and played D1 tennis at Northern Illinois University. He was the Head Tennis Professional at Midtown Athletic Club when he first came across TOP. Fast-forward almost 20 years later, he’s still an active board member and loves seeing the success stories from graduates of the program.

George Navas

George played tennis competitively from the time he was 8 years old through college, when he played for the University of Michigan. One of his former teammates and closest friends was a TOP Scholar, and his success with the program inspired George to get involved so he could impact the lives of future TOP Scholars.

Hristo Bankov

Hristo started playing tennis when he was 5 and became a TOP Scholar when he was 13. The program made such a big difference in his life that he returned as a board member years later. He wants to help TOP’s current students grow and succeed through the program just like he did.

Bonnie Serra

Bonnie was working at Midtown Athletic Club when she realized how many families just weren’t able to afford tennis lessons. She joined TOP because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids who were passionate about the sport but didn’t have the resources to pursue it.

Julius Dixon

Julius is a Chicago native and proud TOP Alum. TOP helped to provide Julius with the opportunity to go to boarding school, and later Princeton University. Julius will always be grateful to TOP and a supporter of its mission.