It's that time of year again, where we start to think about the end of season tournaments. And with that, comes teaching the kids to serve. Now, if you're a tennis player, you probably remember learning to serve--it's not an easy process. It's something that most everyone has to practice, practice, practice at before getting it right. Read the post to view a few video tips on how to get that perfect form.
We had a great class this past Saturday! It was beautiful weather and the kids were excited to be back on the courts after a week off. We practiced rallying and brought forehand volleying into their toolkit. Many of the kids picked up the volley "punch" easily. A few kids were a little intimidated being at the net--something I completely sympathize with! Hopefully after a few more lessons, they'll feel more comfortable being aggressive at the net.
Mark your calendars, the end of season community jamboree and youth tennis tournaments will be September 28th. (Rain date: October 5th.) All four sites will come together at Marcy Playground to compete in a 10 & over and 9 & under tennis tournament.
Lots of new photos have been added to the Facebook page! Like our page and check them out! Photos by Sam Hasan II. Click an image below to view the full album.
Davis Cup #2
4th Annual Fundraiser
Arthur Ashe Kids Day
Hope you enjoyed the holiday last weekend -- but tomorrow we're back on the courts at all four sites! 1:00 - 3:00pm for the kids. 12:30 - 3:00pm for the volunteers. Cya tomorrow!
We are so excited and proud that NBC Nightly News covered KCTL in their "Making a Difference" segment on September 4, 2013. Thank you to all our volunteers and supporters, we couldn't do this without you!
"We might have the future President here and we don't even know it." - Jonathan Williams, KCTL Vice-President.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
There will be no class on August 31 for the Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the holiday. Class at all four sites will resume on Saturday, September 7 from 1pm - 3pm.
Here's a litte about Labor Day,
"In the United States, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country."
Don't forget to keep an eye on the US Open over the weekend!
Last Saturday, KCTL took it's players, volunteers and parents to the US Open's Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY. It's a great day for the kids to watch the professionals practice (there were Nadal, Federer and Djokovic sightings!), get on to the courts for tennis games, and watch live musical performances. But it's also a day to talk about Arthur Ashe and his legacy on and off the court.
Arthur Ashe (1943-1993) was the first, and is still the only, African American male to win the US Open (1968) and Wimbledon (1975). He also won the Australian Open in 1970, and made it to the quarterfinals at the French Open in 1970 and 1971. As a doubles player, he won the Australian Open (1977) and French Open (1971). He also made the finals in Wimbledon (1971) and the US Open (1968).
After Ashe retired in 1980 after heart surgery, he became an author, a civil rights activist, chairman of the American Heart Association, a commentator for ABC Sports, captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, and founder of the National Junior Tennis League (that KCTL is a part of.)
In 1983, with Harry Belafonte, Ashe founded the Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid. From the Arthur Ashe Learning Center website, "His commitment and efforts toward this cause were such that when Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner of the South African government for 27 years, was first set free and was asked whom in the U.S. he wished to have visit, he said, 'How about Arthur Ashe?'"
Arthur Ashe died in 1993 from AIDS-related pneumonia. He and his doctors believed he contracted the virus during his second open-heart surgery through blood transfusions. A year before his death, he went public with his illness. Ashe also founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.
In 1979, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame. In 1985, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 1986, Ashe won a sports Emmy.
After his death, President Clinton posthumously awarded Ashe the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And in 1993, he received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged. The main stadium at the US Open, the Health and Wellness Center at his alma mater at UCLA, and an ESPN ESPY award are all named in his honor. In 2005, the USPS released a commemorative Arthur Ashe postal stamp.
To learn more about Arthur Ashe:
This past Saturday morning, while the kids were enjoying the action at Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, KCTL was being broadcast into livings around the country. CBS This Morning aired a clip highlighting KCTL. Watch it below!
Tennis program serves inner city kids
In the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, New York, Michael McCasland has taken a sport often found in private clubs and teaching it to kids right off the street. CBS News' Vinita Nair reports.