Week 15 Recap from Jackie Robinson

Site Leader Michele says that the final week of class at Jackie Robison Park can only be described as bittersweet. She's extremely proud of all the hard work that her students and volunteers have put in over the past four months. She's incredibly grateful to have been able to work with such an amazing group.

Although Michele and the rest of Jackie Robinson tennis club are saddened that this season is coming to a close, they are especially excited to be competing in the Jamboree next week. Since this is Jackie Robinson's inaugural season as part of KCTL, this is also their first time participating in the Annual Jamboree Tournament.

Class on Saturday focused on match play in preparation for the Jamboree. The site conducted a mock tournament to acclimate the students to competition. The friendly matches were fun and the children felt well-prepared for the Jamboree afterwards.

As a complement to the off-court session included a discussion about our expectations during the Jamboree as well as how was can continue to conduct ourselves with good sportsmanship.

The anticipation of our final stand at the Jamboree has everyone feeling a bit nervous--but, above all, excited. After their second-place finish at Davis Cup, Jackie Robinson is more motivated than ever to capture the number one spot at the Jamboree!

Highlights from Serving Courtside, Our Sixth Annual Fundraiser

Last Wednesday, September 9, Kings County Tennis League held its Sixth Annual Fundraiser at M1-5 Lounge in TriBeCa.

Entitled "Serving Courtside," the celebration was a fantastic night out in support of our goals to expand, extend, and enrich youth development and community building through tennis.

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To complement our fundamental operations--bringing tennis to children right where they live--Serving Courtside brought tennis to the masses in a centrally located space. Complete with synthetic grass, portable tennis nets, racquets, tennis balls everywhere, and a Serena Williams cardboard cutout, Serving Courtside presented the ultimate tennis party experience to more than 200 guests.

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The fundraiser was immensely successful for the organization. We can't say thank you enough to everyone who joined our celebration.

We're extremely grateful for our beverage sponsors, Sixpoint, Flatiron Wines & Spirits, and Purity.Organic, as well as for our synthetic grass sponsor, SYNLawn New York. We'd also like to thank our raffle donors, whose names and generous prize contributions are detailed on the official event page.

View the event highlights on Facebook.

Peruse the event program to learn more.

Week 14 Recap from Marcy

At our second-to-last regular class of the season at Marcy, we opened class with a school-themed game called Tennis Academy in honor of the first week of school. The objective of Tennis Academy is to graduate through a series of levels of education by successfully performing various tennis drills. When you've completed all of your education, you're eligible to become President.

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Marcy's Tennis Academy curriculum looked like this:

• Elementary School: Hit one forehand
• Middle School: Hit one backhand
• High School: Rally against the wall for five groundstrokes
• College: Rally against a volunteer for five groundstrokes
• Master's Degree: Hit two forehand volleys and two backhand volleys
• PhD: Hit two forehand volleys, two backhand volleys, and an overhead
• President: Rally against a volunteer for 10 groundstrokes

After all of the students graduated from Tennis Academy, Gary conducted an off-court discussion about the start of the school year. As usual, the conversation prompts mixed emotions from the students, who are happy to be reunited with friends, but less than thrilled by the demands of studying and homework. Despite the range of attitudes expressed, the talk provided the kids with the freedom to talk candidly about their returns to the classroom and their goals for another school year.

Class concluded with one round of Breakout followed by a game called Three Strikes, which was new for the Marcy kids. Slightly different from Breakout, Three Strikes requires participants to act honestly and to consider risk versus reward. The ending to class was definitely a change-up from prior weeks but it was well-received, and helped the kids practice their form and precision in preparation for the September 26 Jamboree.

#IServeBecause: Efi da Silva's Story

For three seasons, Lafayette Gardens Volunteer Efi da Silva has been a valuable role model to KCTL kids. Today, Efi shares her thoughts on teaching children and her observations of "growth on all fronts" program-wide. Unlike our past #IServeBecause interviewees, Efi did not come to KCTL as a tennis player. Her lack of experience with the sport, though, did not undermine her impact as a volunteer, but enriched it as she learned something new alongside the students.

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How and when did you learn about KCTL?

I heard about KCTL through my old roommate. (Hi, Tiffany!) She had volunteered the previous year and convinced me that I didn't need tennis experience to participate.

What inspired you to volunteer?

When I was younger I participated in free programming that helped me gain exposure to areas that I otherwise would not have had an opportunity to partake in. After learning about KCTL and the opportunity it provides to kids in Bed-Stuy, it made sense that I become a volunteer.

What, if any, prior experience did you have with tennis and/or with children?

I had taught kids before, but since I had no tennis background, my first year I learned alongside the kids and guided them as I picked things up.

What can you identify as the most significant positive change(s) to KCTL since you began volunteering?

Since I started volunteering two years ago, the most positive change has been growth on all fronts: the number of kids, the number of volunteers, the number of sites. But then there's also the refined and amplified curriculum. You can see the kids improving in tennis and learning skills on the court that they can take with them to school, home, or wherever they may find themselves.

As we near the end of the season, what's the most important lesson you want the LG students to take away from the program this year?

LG kids are awesome and I see this seed in them already, but I'd like them to remember to not let wins and losses on and off court define or discourage them but instead to keep persistent at whatever goal they're working towards.

Week 13 Recap from Tompkins

Tompkins Tennis Club had a mini field trip this past Saturday--to Marcy Playground. Yup, Team Tompkins had a combined class with their neighbors--and rivals--and friends--at Marcy Tennis Club.

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The volunteers at Marcy had already set up several stations by the time we arrived from Tompkins, so we just jumped right in. On the main tennis court and on the blacktop, we rotated through King/Queen of the Court, Forehands, Backhands, Serving, and Rallying stations. Tompkins and volunteers split up evenly, so each station had about an equal showing from each site. As a result, everyone had the opportunity to meet new people and play against new opponents during class. Also, because Marcy is this year's Davis Cup winner, playing with the best team in the league inspired Tompkins to work harder and play their absolute best.

Site Coordinators Gary and Renata led the off-court discussion, the subject of which was Good Sportsmanship. The students were invited to share how they feel in losing situations, and how to respond in cases of defeat. The conversation is especially important and timely as we approach the annual end-of-season tournament. In addition to talking, the kids unleashed some creativity with some markers-on-canvas artwork.

Tompkins Site Leader Tina says the highlight of the day was that her kids had the opportunity to play on a real court, which their site does not have. The students at Tompkins, she says, do just fine on their makeshift courts divided by portable nets, but the exposure to a full-sized tennis court ignited their energy.

#IServeBecause: Renata Thakurdyal's Story

This week, we catch up with Renata Thakurdyal, Tompkins Site Coordinator. A first-generation American born in Queens to Guyanese parents, Renata started playing tennis as a young girl in her own backyard. As she grew up, so did her love for the game. Renata describes tennis as more than just a sport. It brought her motivation, enjoyment, and friendship. And now she hopes to bring those same opportunities every Saturday to KCTL.

When did you pick up tennis and why do you continue to play?

I started playing tennis at the age of 12 in my middle school backyard where there were five tennis courts. The pull for me was the challenge of a new sport under the boiling sun with awesome new friends. Friendship was a major motivational factor for playing tennis--and wanting to get better. I played every chance I had during the school year and in the summers for no less than seven hours a day, for many years. I still continue to play because I love to be active and tennis is in my blood, swinging the racquet feels great. Competition is fun, but it is more the body in motion that appeals to me.

When did you learn about KCTL and what motivated you to volunteer?

I learned about KCTL from a flyer in a coffee/ice cream shop where I was working part-time during the summer of 2014. It was lovely to find a program where I could play tennis with the youth and be a positive influence for them. I have been a literacy educator for many years and used to help with the younger students when I played tennis in high school. I thought this was a great way to be in touch with the sport even more. Plus, I love grassroots initiatives for the youth.

What's been your most memorable & best experience with KCTL so far?

My most memorable moment with KCTL was the Jamboree of 2014; it got rained out, but we held the ceremony anyway. It was magical to see the coaches from all the sites and so many students come out! One of the participants from Tompkins came running up to me as I was leaving and gave me an extra hug, which was so nice. I knew I definitely wanted to come back for the next season and that Jamboree made the desire concrete. I got to see many of those students from Tompkins again this year which is special.

If you could give one piece of advice to the kids, what would it be?

Critical advice for all my students: Know your resources. Where you can go to access opportunities and get the information you need. We live in a city brimming with potential and few students gain access because they do not adequately research the possibilities, the best of these are not largely advertised. Knowing your resources puts you in a position to take advantage of opportunities that no one else can tell you about. Listen with an open mind and be tolerant, you will learn.

If there was one professional tennis player you could play doubles with, who would it be and why?

It'd be awesome to play doubles with Gaël Sébastien Monfils. I love that he is francophone and seems to have a fun personality. He is a dynamic tennis player. I remember watching him play when I was younger and being thrilled.

Week 12 Recap from Sumner

Education was the theme of Sumner's most recent Saturday session, which we carried out with a cumulative review of tennis skills, supplemented by an insightful off-court conversation about the upcoming school year.

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Because the season's end is quickly approaching--only three classes to go!--Sumner had the opportunity to practice all of their tennis skills in combination. With any form of education, lessons learned are only valuable with review, summary and real-life application. So we showed the kids how the past three months of tennis instruction can apply to competitive settings. Speaking of which, the students' big day--the Annual Jamboree Youth Tournament--is just around the corner on September 26.

Sumner participated in a series of forehand, backhand and serving drills with targets to reinforce precision. In addition, they combined footwork with groundstrokes to simulate match play. And with the volunteers' introduction of the lob shot, the kids learned a bit about tennis strategy.

The real fun--and inspiration--came with the off-court discussion. The topic of the day was the start of the new school year, which is just a few weeks away in New York City. Each student shared his or her favorite subject and communicated excitement about returning to the classroom. Sumner's enthusiasm for the new school year and the respect for their teachers provided a rewarding affirmation of young people's love for knowledge, potential healthy growth, and expression of positive attitudes.