A Wonderful Reminder of Our Purpose

What a great start to the 2015 Kings County Tennis League (KCTL) season this past Saturday. Bringing tennis to the kids, as our motto goes. KCTL now operates programs in five Brooklyn communities in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. I stopped by Marcy Playground for opening day to experience the program first hand. What an uplifting experience it was.

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The weather was perfect, turnout was high and the court was full of smiling faces. Some were new and others were returning for another year of the program. And the volunteers were as upbeat and enthusiastic as ever. (We have the best volunteers in the New York, hands down!)

The highlight for me was meeting the mother of a girl who has joined the program this year. We chatted while she watched the activities and cheered her daughter on. Her daughter had shown an interest in learning tennis last year, but the season was already nearing an end. She made sure to get registered early to take part this season.

I learned that her daughter also takes piano lessons and learns ballet. “I want her to be exposed to many different activities. When she gets older she can choose what she prefers, but I want her to have options,” the mother explained. I was more than a little impressed, as I wondered if I was looking at a future tennis pro, breakout musician or ballerina. Or even all three.

The conversation brought me back to the organization’s purpose – to empower youth in Brooklyn to learn tennis as both a healthy activity and also to impart life skills. And as this parent so eloquently explained how she wants her daughter to have options to help her make future life decisions, I was reminded of just how important KCTL is to our local communities. And that in turn inspires me to look for creative new ways to support and expand this important program. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them. Please let me know at cmcmanus@kingscountytennisleague.org.

Author Chris McManus is a member of the Board of Directors for Kings County Tennis League.

Season Opener Recap from Tompkins

Tompkins Tennis Club had a spectacular start to the season on Saturday, May 30!

10 students bright and ready to play, accompanied by five dedicated volunteers, participated in a series of activities and drills designed to introduce new students to tennis and to refresh the skills of our returned students.

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We started off with running and stretching, followed by a racquet and ball control drills, all as a group.

After that, we initiated our off-court session, establishing the time as an open space for students, volunteers, and staff to share ideas. For this first session, we also conducted an ice-breaker that used movement and call/response to learn everyone's names.

Following off-court, students were divided into different stations: introduction to tennis and games. For introduction to tennis, students learned how to hold the racquet when not at play, how to move when hitting a forehand, and how to stay on their toes in ready position.

At the games station, students played lobster-trap, which also engaged the practice of being explosive and staying on their toes. They leapt forward to capture the balls tossed by volunteers by trapping the ball with their hands against the sweet spot of the racquets.

To close off the class, students regrouped to do an obstacle course where side-step footwork was emphasized. They then played a few rounds of Red Light, Green Light, balancing tennis balls on their racquets and moving forward or freezing according to the volunteers' instructions. The students enjoyed it; they were really expressive about succeeding and remaining in place or losing and having to start over again.

All of our students, new and returning, were excited about the start of the season, as were our volunteers about working with them. We're looking forward to next week. Go Tompkins!

Our Season Opener is This Saturday!

It's almost time to rally at all five KCTL sites!

We'd like to extend an especially warm welcome to the new kids on the court, Jackie Robinson Tennis Club. As for everyone else--Marcy, Tompkins, Lafayette Gardens and Sumner--we're excited to have you back!

Our season begins this Saturday, May 30 at 1:00 PM; volunteers are expected to arrive by 12:00 PM. We look forward to seeing everyone then.

Parents, if you haven't yet registered your child, you can still sign up here to guarantee his or her spot.

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2015 Volunteer Training Recap

After a successful series of training workshops, our volunteers are officially ready to bring tennis to the kids of Bed-Stuy! Comprised of approximately 90 individuals of all ages, backgrounds and professions, our 2015 volunteer base is the largest in KCTL’s history.

Director of Programming Meredith Brown led two large group sessions on April 25 and May 2. Both meetings enjoyed high attendance rates, welcomed many new faces, and shined with enthusiasm.

April 25 at Marcy

The April 25 session was held at Marcy. Given the relatively pleasant weather and the large size of our group, we deviated from our initial plan to meet in a classroom at Marcy Library. Instead, volunteers absorbed the 2015 tennis curriculum in a much roomier setting: a big, seated circle on the Marcy tennis court.

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Surrounded by several dozen volunteers, Meredith outlined the organization’s history, our goals, typical class structure, and expectations for volunteers. The outdoor space was especially useful for Lafayette Gardens Site Coordinator Candice’s simulation of an off-court activity and discussion. Following the curriculum overview and the mock off-court session, volunteers divided into small groups to practice tennis drills and games. The session commenced with Breakout to familiarize volunteers with our typical end-of-class game.

View photos from April 25 training on Facebook.

May 2 at Asphalt Green

On May 2, volunteer training was held at Asphalt Green Battery Park City, an athletic facility in lower Manhattan. Though a markedly different space than the Marcy court, this training session was equally effective and engaging.

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Here, volunteers learned about KCTL in a traditional classroom setting complete with a presentation screen to visually reinforce Meredith’s speech. Again, volunteers participated in a demonstration of an off-court discussion—but the relatively smaller space didn’t prevent them from having fun! After a short break, training resumed downstairs on an indoor basketball-court-turned-tennis-court with a portable tennis net. Meredith led a series of drills with the entire group, which included each volunteer's opportunity to practice feeding balls with lots of energy. Again, training wrapped up with a few rounds of Breakout.

View photos from May 2 training on Facebook.

Volunteer training didn’t end on May 2, though, as was originally planned. Following unexpectedly high volunteer interest, we added a medium-sized group session this past Saturday, May 16. We also have a few smaller meetings planned throughout the final days before the season’s start. Volunteers still interested in participating with KCTL who have not yet registered for a training session can contact Meredith Brown to arrange an individual meeting.

Thank you so much to everyone who's come out so far! We couldn't do this without you.

Fifth Site, Jackie Robinson Tennis Club, Joins KCTL

There’s a new team on the court: Jackie Robinson Tennis Club. Watch out, Marcy, Tompkins, Lafayette Gardens and Sumner; you’ve got new competition in this year’s Jamboree!

Joining KCTL as the program’s fifth team, Jackie Robinson Tennis Club will serve the youth residents of Bed-Stuy’s Breevort Houses – literally in their backyard – at Jackie Robinson Park (341 Malcolm X Blvd). A NYC Parks Department facility, Jackie Robinson Park hosts four hard-surface tennis courts in excellent condition. The site’s youth athletes will represent their team in gray jerseys designed to resemble the Brooklyn Dodgers uniform worn by the park’s namesake.

Jackie Robinson Tennis Club is KCTL’s first site addition in three years; previously, Sumner Tennis Club, established in 2012, was the newest team. Located in southern Bed-Stuy a considerable distance from the other four teams’ sites, Jackie Robinson and the Brevoort Houses symbolize great progress in KCTL’s vision of all kids in Brooklyn enjoying regular access to tennis.

If you are the parent of a child living in the Brevoort Houses and would like to enroll your child in our weekly tennis program, please fill out our signup form.

KCTL Kicks Off New Mentoring Initiative at Google!

We recently announced that we’re supplementing our four-month tennis mentoring program with off-season field trips. As the weather only allows for so much outdoor tennis time, periodic educational outings will enable us to fill in the gaps while widening our students’ world views.

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So, on Monday, April 6, we made our first stop: Google’s office in Manhattan! Accompanied by their parents and a few volunteers, about two dozen KCTL kids explored the New York City office of the world’s most admirable employer. We’re very grateful to Sumner Site Leader Bryce Richards – a Software Engineer at Google when he’s not teaching tennis – for arranging the special visit.

The students begin their tour by examining antique computers – which provided a glimpse into how much technology has evolved since before their lifetimes. Next, it was off to Google’s game room, which included video games, pool, ping pong and treadmills. We were impressed to see the skills they have beyond the sport of tennis! The games continued in the LEGO café, followed by the climbing wall.

But we didn’t forget that Google is an office: an environment where employees congregate and accomplish projects together every day. The students observed Google’s uniquely designed conference rooms and workspaces, too. This final component of the trip gave them critical insight into look and feel of an exceptional, forward-thinking professional space – somewhere they might one day strive to build a career.

Thanks to everyone who made this an incredible experience for our students. Be sure to check out additional photos on Facebook.

Time to Register for Volunteer Training

Hey, Volunteers, let's get this season started! We've redesigned our tennis curriculum to equip you better than ever before with the resources to engage and inspire our youth athletes.

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All volunteers--returning and new--are required to attend one training session of their choice in order to qualify to mentor our students this season. Training will be held in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 25 and in Manhattan on Saturday, May 2.

Led by Meredith Brown, KCTL Director of Programming, the training sessions are divided into a sit-down presentation and an on-court demonstration.

Our training sessions are filling up quickly. Be sure to register ASAP for your preferred date and location.