Playing tennis is a passion of ours. We both began playing in middle school right before the Covid lockdown. We started hitting with each other just to have something to do and we both fell in love with the game. We started taking the sport much more seriously in high school. The only regret we have is not starting sooner. Tennis is a tremendous sport for kids. 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 coaches finally convinced us to change rackets. We both had a couple of brand-new rackets and felt guilty about not using them. We tried to sell them on eBay but could not get half of what they were worth.
We decided to donate them, and hopefully, someone who couldn’t afford a racket wouldn’t be barred by its cost. This made us start looking around and many of our friends and peers had multiple rackets that they were not using. So, we started collecting unused rackets and calling local tennis shops; they all told us they would be happy to send their unused demos and other discontinued ones. We then called a dozen schools in underprivileged areas, and they told us that they would take as many rackets as possible. This experience made us 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.
We want to change that. We are reaching out to as many tennis shops as possible, asking them to send me anything they can provide. We are 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.
