Playing tennis has been a passion of mine for several years. I began playing in middle school right before the Covid lockdown. My brother and I started hitting with each other just to have something to do and I fell in love. I started taking the sport much more seriously in high school, transferring to a boarding tennis academy so I could train as much as possible. My only regret is that I didn’t start playing sooner. I think tennis is a tremendous sport for kids. I believe it helps them develop physically and mentally better than almost every sport. Physically it helps kids develop better agility, coordination, and balance. Mentally, tennis is a very strategic sport, so kids hone their problem-solving skills using geometry and physics. Good sportsmanship, maintaining a healthy weight, making friends, and gaining self-esteem are a few of the other many benefits kids gain from tennis.
The inspiration for Rackets for Kids came when my coaches finally convinced me to change my tennis racket. I had been fighting it for a year but once I switched, I knew it was the right decision. I had a couple of brand-new rackets I had just gotten for my birthday and felt guilty about not using them. I tried to sell them on eBay, but I could not get half of what they were worth.
I decided I wanted to donate them, and hopefully, someone who couldn’t afford a racket wouldn’t be barred by its cost. This made me start looking around and many of my friends and peers had multiple rackets that they were not using. So, I started collecting unused rackets and calling local tennis shops; they all told me they would be happy to send me their unused demos and other discontinued ones. I then called a dozen schools in underprivileged areas, and they told me that they would take as many rackets as possible. This experience made me start Rackets for Kids. There are thousands of unused rackets across the county just waiting for a kid to play with them. Thousands of kids would benefit from learning tennis but just don’t have a racket.
I want to change that. I am reaching out to as many tennis shops as possible, asking them to send me anything they can provide. I am reaching out to schools, rec centers, youth centers, and YMCAs to address their needs. Hopefully, together we can make tennis a more affordable sport.
Feel free to reach out if you want to donate, request a racket, or give. We are a 501c non-profit charity and all gifts are tax deductible.
