Hector Arellano, the president and founder of the ACES Foundation (Athletes of the Community Engaged in Service), created an outreach program for boys and girls ages 8-18 focusing on community service via the game of tennis.

Established in 2008, the ACES Foundation "is committed to provide community service: community outreach opportunities for the youth of the community while providing access to the game of tennis to everyone regardless of their social or economic situation," said Arellano. This non-profit organization aims to involve the local youth within the community.

The ACES Foundation has approximately 70 kids involved in its program with the hope of expanding. The foundation is made up of local kids and volunteers in the community. These members have been involved in helping with multiple community service projects such as "Adopt-A-Unit." The group put together care packages to send to selected military units in Afghanistan for the holidays.

The ACES Foundation, building upon their success in the community of Temecula, is looking to expand their vision to other communities through additional sports.

"We want to promote that sports are a vehicle to give back to their community," Arellano said.

The foundation offers multiple programs targeted to give the local youth an opportunity to play tennis. The NJTL (National Junior Tennis and Learning) is a six-week program aimed at underprivileged youth in the community. The program spans from June to August at only $10 per student for 24 hours worth of tennis instruction by the best high school tennis players in the community. It’s a great opportunity for all the volunteers involved.

Along with involvement in the community, ACES also has five USTA Jr. Tennis teams that compete competitively around Southern California. The ACES Boys Under-18 Advanced Team recently won the USTA Jr. Team Tennis Southern California Sectional Championship at Rancho Las Palmas Tennis Club in Rancho Mirage. This team will be competing for the State Title in August at Stanford and they will later play in New York for the State Championships at the US Open.

"The ACES Foundation gives an opportunity for players of all levels to develop their tennis skills and compete in tournaments," Kelsey Post, assistant coach and athlete on the Girls Under-18 Advanced team said. "[ACES] focuses not only on tennis technique and skills, but also on integrity, sportsmanship, and the conduct on and off the courts."

The foundation can be summed up by its mission statement, "Service is the pathway to real significance. It is through the acts of serving others that we discover the real meaning of our lives." For more information about the ACES Foundation, please visit the ACES Foundation website at 

www.acesfoundation.net.