Students in New York City are learning to play tennis in unlikely places — their school hallways, cafeterias and auditoriums — thanks to a free after-school program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New York Junior Tennis & Learning<\/a>\u00a0has students volley and rally wherever they can. Sometimes that means across lunch tables, but the students make do with whatever space they have.\u00a0<\/p>\n Their school gyms are often reserved for other after-school programs happening at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We’re very creative when it comes to not having the gym. We love to use our imagination to really play tennis,” said 9-year-old Addison Absolam, a student at P.S. 9 in Brooklyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n “You get to run around, get that exercise,” 10-year-old Laila Leslie added.<\/p>\n Enjoying tennis, with limited resources<\/p>\n The NYJTL program emphasizes that fancy equipment and large courts are not necessary to enjoy the game of tennis.\u00a0<\/p>\n Deja Martyr, a product of the program nearly 20 years ago, is now its manager.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I feel like I’m a living testament of how long the program has shaped me,” Martyr said.<\/p>\n Limited space and resources in city schools have not stopped students from forming teams that compete in tennis tournaments citywide.<\/p>\n “They get to continue that skill and then develop it,” Martyr said.<\/p>\n Making tennis more accessible<\/p>\n NYJTL runs dozens of after-school programs in more than 30 school buildings, mostly in Brooklyn. Leaders say it is the largest youth tennis and education nonprofit in the nation, serving around 90,000 children.<\/p>\n “I feel like I’m really in the moment while I’m playing,” Addison said.<\/p>\n The program is part of a larger mission to make tennis accessible year-round through the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.<\/a><\/p>\n “It allows families to keep those costs, which can be upwards of $3,000 per child, it allows them to have a space, and enriching space for young people,” said Ian Porchia, deputy director for COMPASS at DYCD.<\/p>\n The P.S. 9 students are proving that you can build a team without a court. It just takes a little space and a spark of creativity.<\/p>\n Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by\u00a0CLICKING HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n