Students from West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, engaged in a charity pickleball tournament recently as part of a Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) community initiative, directing the proceeds towards Family Promise of Forsyth County, a nonprofit aiding families towards sustainable independence.
On The Crest Of A Wave
This event was spearheaded by Dani Mason, Alex Hamm, and Baxley Woodruff, three West Forsyth seniors who are also DECA members.
In a double elimination bracket featuring 18 teams, the duo comprising sophomore Lane Margaret Dyer and junior Brooklyn Hoffmann, both tennis players from West Forsyth, emerged victorious.
Woodruff, 17, initially conceived the idea for the pickleball tournament, recognizing that the sport was on the crest of a wave in terms of its popularity, particularly among high school students.
The Ideal Vehicle
She saw pickleball as the ideal vehicle for a successful tournament and thought it would also be a fantastic way to bring the student body together. Hamm, 17, agreed, believing the tournament would pique significant interest among their fellow schoolmates.
Alex belongs to a local pickleball players’ group and was able to spread the word about the tournament, helping to increase player numbers and attract support for the cause.
“Everyone was very competitive, and everyone was really into it,” Hamm said. “We’ve had people text us after, like saying, ‘You guys should run another one’ and stuff like that.”
Exemplary Coordination
Laura Martin, the DECA advisor at West Forsyth, praised the students for their exemplary coordination and execution of the tournament, securing sponsors, and fundraising for the charitable cause.
“The students did an outstanding job coordinating the tournament, securing sponsors, and raising funds for the charity,” she said.
Martin also emphasized that DECA students apply the skills honed through their high school marketing education when engaged in community initiatives.
“The experience provides them with the opportunity to gain marketable and in-demand aptitudes that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.”
An Opportune Time
Mason, 18, having volunteered with Family Promise through her church previously, saw the holiday season as an opportune time to contribute.
Contributions to the West Forsyth DECA Community Giving Project remain open for those wishing to support. Individuals can directly donate to Family Promise by checking the box to make their donation on behalf of the project.
About Distributive Education Clubs of America
DECA’s main aim is to provide Innovative Learning services to Engage Students
The DECA experience starts in the classroom, where students learn business concepts in preparation for college and careers.
A powerful instructional component, DECA brings the classroom to life by empowering the teacher-advisor to make learning relevant with educational programs that integrate into classroom instruction, apply knowledge, connect to business, and promote competition.
The successful integration of these four interconnected components forms part of DECA’s guiding principles and results in a strong program that produces college- and career-ready students.
Forsythe, Georgia
Forsyth is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Georgia, and is part of the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area, lying about 55 miles southeast of Atlanta. The population was 4,384 in 2020.
The Forsyth Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a tourist attraction. Forsyth is also home to the Confederate Cemetery, Tift College, and Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area.
