Thanks to the extra warm summertime weather in Bed-Stuy on Saturday, Jackie Robinson Park felt like one of the world's top tennis academies in Florida! The heat and sunshine made for perfect tennis weather, said Michele, the Jackie Robinson Tennis Club Site Leader.
The students continued to work on the basic fundamentals of the forehand and backhand. Additionally, they were introduced to some more sophisticated aspects of the forehand volley. Class was divided into five rotational stations: forehand groundstrokes, backhand groundstrokes, volleys, footwork, and hand-eye coordination.
After the rotation was complete, the staff and volunteers conducted a brief tennis demonstration for the kids. Michele knew that the sight of experienced tennis players rallying back and forth would inspire her students. She wanted them imagine what they could become if they continued to work hard. The students were really engaged and entertained the entire time.
Before the end-of-class game, Christine, the Educational Coordinator, conducted an off-court discussion about cognitive thinking. She emphasized the importance of taking a moment to reflect on the choices we are about to make before we actually make them. Then, one of the site's volunteers, Louis, was interviewed in the "Hot Seat." Louis shared interesting details about his background and the kids asked some really insightful questions.
The team ended the session with a quick round of tennis baseball, also known as Breakout, which is always so much fun! Jackie Robinson continues to grow beautifully and, as always, Michele, Christine, and the volunteers are thrilled to be a part of such an incredible experience.