Tennis Plays for Peace
All of us here at SotoTennis Academy have been following the war in Ukraine with horror and sadness. We’ve also been in awe of the bravery shown by the people of Ukraine and we want to do as much as possible to help all the innocent people in the war area.
We are supporting the tennis community’s joint initiative (ATP, WTA, ITF and the four Grand Slams) to bring the community and tennis fans together to support the humanitarian relief efforts for the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian tennis players Elina Svitolina and Sergiy Stakhovsky, who has himself returned to the Ukraine to join the reserve army, have produced a powerful and emotive video with a message of hope for their country:
Sergiy also spoke to our Academy Director Dan on our podcast, Control The Controllables, about his decision to enlist to defend his country, and about what life is like there currently. A sobering but important listen.
How You Can Help
The videos and pictures from Ukraine that we are all watching on the news and on social media channels are horrendous. You might be feeling at a loss, and wondering how you can possibly help Ukraine.
We have linked below some organisations that are providing aid…
Tennis Plays for Peace & Global Giving
Click here to join the collective effort in providing financial support for Ukraine by making a donation to Global Giving in support of the humanitarian relief efforts.
Ukranian Rescue Appeal (Facebook Group)
Alternatively, if you are a tennis club or academy like us, you might be able to help by hosting some aspiring young tennis players.
The Ukrainian Tennis Federation has created a telegram group for these players, which already has over 700 members and counting.
If you are able to help in this way, please email: contact.illyamarchenko@gmail.com with basic information about what you can provide – for example, the age, level, and number of players you can host, accommodation options for them and their families, food, etc.
It doesn’t have to be completely free, but big discounts and transparency is highly appreciated. Let’s be human before businesspeople.
You can find more information in Illya Marchenko’s video below:
If you can’t donate, or host young players and their families, you can still help spread the message by sharing posts and spreading awareness of these organisations on social media.
We are sending all of our thoughts to the people of Ukraine. 💙 💛
