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At P.S. 071 in the East Bronx, students in the ACES afterschool program rotate through academic help, enrichment activities and tennis lessons in the school cafeteria. <\/p>\n
Photo by Emily Swanson <\/p>\n
In the Bronx and citywide, the ACES<\/a> afterschool program through New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL) is working to improve students\u2019 academic, emotional and physical well-being, using tennis as the hook.\u00a0<\/p>\n ACES was launched in 2022, largely in response to pandemic-era learning loss and worsening mental health outcomes amongst young people. The tennis nonprofit now operates 42 ACES programs citywide, with 13 in the Bronx, serving more than 3,000 children annually at no cost to families.\u00a0<\/p>\n Students spend a significant amount of time in the state and city-funded program, which runs Monday through Friday from school dismissal until 6 p.m.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n With ACES, tennis becomes a gateway to explore new interests, said Kim Feliz, community schools site director for NYTJL. However, \u201cWe are not just looking to develop their skills in tennis,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are looking to develop the entire child.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n During a recent visit to the ACES program embedded at P.S. 71 in the East Bronx, Feliz said students participate in a variety of activities throughout each year, including dance, fitness, yoga, STEM, drama, character development, and practical arts like sewing and weaving.\u00a0<\/p>\n They can also receive tutoring and homework help in \u201cvery intimate\u201d sessions with just a few students per adult helper, said Feliz, adding that ACES tailors its curriculum to what students are already learning in the classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for the tennis component, most ACES students pick up a racket for the first time in the program, and it catches on quickly, Feliz said. As students improve, they participate in school-level and citywide tournaments, but the major milestone is receiving their own rackets as they progress through the first year of instruction, said Feliz.\u00a0<\/p>\n The rackets become a sort of \u201cstatus symbol\u201d that students decorate and show off while carrying between home and school, according to Feliz. \u201cIt boosts their confidence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n One sixth-grade student in his second year of tennis instruction said he plans to stick with it. \u201cI like it because it\u2019s different from all the other sports I play,\u201d he told the Bronx Times. \u201cIt can be stressful sometimes, but it\u2019s fun, and I like it a lot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Another sixth-grader declared that after two years of learning tennis, \u201cIt\u2019s my sport.\u201d He said he now practices with his dad in his free time, either at Pelham Bay Park or the Cary Leeds Center at Crotona Park, which is run by NYJTL.\u00a0<\/p>\n Families surveyed indicate that the ACES program is helping their young learners \u2014 96% of parents said their child is gaining skills to support success in school, while students reported a 47% improvement in stress management and a 21% increase in emotional awareness, according to the organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more information about ACES, see https:\/\/www.nyjtl.org\/aces-afterschool\/<\/a>\n<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t
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The ACESters cup tennis tournament in April 2025 at P.S. 071.Photo courtesy NYJTL\n<\/p>\n