On Saturday, KCTL held it's 3rd annual end-of-season tournaments and community jamboree. It was a great day of tennis and community engagement. All four KCTL sites (Marcy, Tompkins, Lafayette Gardens and Sumner) registered tennis players in our tennis tournaments - one for kids nine and under, and the other for kids ten and up. The tournament was played on eight youth-size tennis courts with the semis and final matches played on the tennis court at Marcy Playground. The tournament was preceded by lots of fun group photos as well as the playing of the national anthem.
Amped music filled the playground all afternoon, and a clown/magician entertained the kids while they waited for their matches. Lunch was provided to our athletes, volunteers and community. Not surprisingly for a group of kids, icees were the most popular item on the menu.
It was really fantastic to watch the kids play, and to meet the kids from other sites that I'm not personally involved at (I primarily volunteer at the Tompkins site.) The kids were friendly no matter what shirt they wore. I saw several moments of camaraderie when after winning a match, the winner consoled the losing player that they had played great, it was a good match and other kudos. My heart just about burst. It made me realize that these kids get it, that character is more important than competition.
The 10 and up tournament came down to two boys from Sumner and Marcy. Marcy won. The 9 and under tournament came down to two boys from Marcy and Tompkins. Marcy won again.
All in all it was a great day. I'm sad for the season to end, but I can't wait for it to start again in the spring! View all the photos from the jamboree on Facebook.
