Tennis Racquets For Kids is Winding Down

Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc. will be closing its doors this Spring. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to helping less fortunate children experience the game of tennis by providing them with tennis racquets. We will fulfill our promises to various groups, but we will no longer accept requests for donations. This has been an unbelievable eight year journey. Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc., was co-founded by Zachary H. Mintz, and Paige J. Mintz, out of their love for the game of tennis and their desire to help all children have an opportunity to experience the game of tennis. Their vision, leadership and effort were indispensable. They have been active with the organization throughout its tenure. Over the last few years, Rachel Mintz has served in various leadership roles. We have brought smiles and happiness to over a thousand children. Less fortunate children were given an opportunity to experience the game of tennis. Our success was made possible by the hundreds of benevolent adults and children from across the United States who donated their used tennis racquets to our organization. We are especially grateful to the individual children who collected some new, as well as used tennis racquets, as part of school or church drives, or as part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah projects. We are also grateful to the individual children who donated their own racquets. The cost of running the organization became too great. This included the cost and time in re-stringing and regripping the racquets and shipping them around the country. We were never able to find a corporate sponsor and depended on individuals who donated their time. This was an organization for children who would not have had an opportunity to experience the game of tennis. Tennis Racquets for Kids was enthusiastically embraced by children and adults from across the United States, to bring happiness to others! For that we are grateful, and our mission was accomplished. We will never forget the hugs and the smiles. We thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for the pictures and notes sent to us from families, schools and organizations who received tennis racquets. We would suggest that anyone with racquets to donate contact nearby schools, charter schools, local day camps, summer park programs or their local USTA chapter. There are thousands of children in this country who would love to have an opportunity to experience the game of tennis. Please do not forget them and carry on the spirit of giving. We thank all of you for donating For The Love of the Game!!! Tennis Racquets For Kids Inc.

Gambia Tennis Association Flourishes with Help from Tennis Racquets for Kids

In 2011, Tennis Racquets for Kids helped support a tennis youth program in Gambia. Mr.Ofosuhene, a coordinator of the program has once again asked for our assistance. "Tennis Racquets for Kids was a tremendous help in getting the children the tennis racquets needed to facilitate the program. Through the generous donation of tennis racquets the program has expanded tremendously." Mr. Ofosuhene travels between Gambia and the United States and personally picked up the racquets and transported them to Gambia. We are very happy to continue to support this organization that has been able to introduce tennis,and sportsmanship to children who would not have had a chance to experience the game of tennis. We are impressed with the enthusiasm of the children and the dedication by the Gambia Tennis Association to support the children.

Tennis Racquets for Kids Gearing up For 2013

   Tennis Racquets for Kids  had an exciting year in 2012. We continued our mission of introducing the game of tennis to children who would not otherwise have that opportunity. Various schools, camps and religious organizations throughout the United States received help. Individual families were also assisted. Our hard work was recognized by the Eastern Section of the USTA who awarded us the Rose Buck Scalamandre Award for our charitable efforts.
   We were able to support the Nassau County Parks and Recreation summer day camp programs. Children who were not familiar with tennis had an opportunity to receive their own racquet and some instruction. The laughter and smiles were priceless. We also continued our work with the USTA Quick Start Tennis Day in Nassau County
    We still face many challenges. Our donations are through the good nature of individuals and families, and especially children who want to help other children. We have received racquets from school collection drives, Mitzvah Projects, church collections, as well as individual racquet donation. The kids are excited to receive their own racquet and start to experience the game of tennis. .We hope to one day find a sponsor or help from industry to make our path easier. Until that time, we Greatly Appreciate the help from people across the United States who donate for the Love of the Game,and allow us to continue our mission. Looking forward to a successful 2013. If you have any question regarding donations, please click on this link.

Fundacion Aportemos Receives Help from Tennis Racquets for Kids

Efren Hernandez, founded Fundacion Aportemos, based in the city of Ensenada, Baja California Mexico. It is an organization which specializes in community work with underprivileged youth in local neighborhoods. The organization focuses on education; teaching kids a working skill or ability, that will enhance their human development and open up a new world of possibilities. The Arts and Crafts Department is well under way, with a well developed pottery workshop and another workshop with the goal of making purses out of recycled materials.

The Sports Department will soon be active, but currently there are two projects unfolding: soccer and tennis. For both activities, the Fundación is planning to use an existing sports complex in the area. The pilot program will take place in the district of El Sauzal. Realizing that the equipment for tennis is much more expensive than soccer, Efrén looked to Tennis Racquets for Kids, Inc. for some assistance.

We shipped 20 tennis racquets to Efrén at a designated California address. He will be working with groups of 5 to 10 kids at a time ranging from 7 to 15 years old. We applaud Efrén's efforts and we wish him luck on this community project.

Zachary & Paige

Mitzvah Day Features Tennis Racquets for Kids, Inc.

Tennis Racquets for Kids, Inc., a non-profit tennis charity participated in the Temple Beth Sholom Mitzvah Day on December 19th, 2010. The organization was one of twenty six exhibitors featured. The event was well attended by the local community. Organizers of the event encouraged all families and children to take a moment to see how they could help others. Whether it was collecting food, reading to the sick, working with the homeless, adopting a holocaust survivor, or supporting hospitals, there was something there for everyone. The message was simple; there is no good deed that is insignificant. There are many people that need our help, and our friendship. We just need to look.

Mark Zimmerman, the executive director of M'Yad L'Yad, an organization dedicated to helping less fortunate people on Long Island, commented about charity in the organization's newsletter. He quoted Rabbi Reuven Kimelman, who said: "Tzedakah may not save us, but it makes us worth saving."

I feel that this message is very powerful. Charity may not save us, but it makes us worth saving. Charity comes in many forms and we are all capable of bringing some sunshine in the lives of others. In this new year of 2011, there is so much opportunity for all of us to help others. There are so many people hurting at different levels. We need to make a difference! Not because it looks good on a resume, or because we have to do something for community service, but because it is our responsibility to uplift others.

Tennis Racquets for Kids, Inc., is an example of how an idea by children became a reality. This reality has now brought smiles to hundreds of children throughout the United States.

Rock and Wrap It Up, was also one of the many groups represented. It is a national organization which recovers food and other assets to re-distribute to the poor.


This Mitzvah Day was reminder of the many people that need help and companionship. It provided a platform to see how we can start to positively affect the lives of others. You do not need an organization behind you to help another person, just look around you. Does your elderly neighbor need help with their errands ? Every community has organizations, or religious groups, that need volunteers to help those people less fortunate. We just need to take a moment in our busy lives, and realize there is much work that needs to be done!

Thanksgiving is Special for Tennis Racquets For Kids

Thanksgiving is the time to take a moment and appreciate the things we have. It is a time for families to get together and enjoy each others company. It is a time when Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc., can appreciate the selflessness of others and the moments of smiles and hugs from the children we have helped.

We would like to thank all of the people who have helped to make our tennis charity successful. Thank you to the children who have collected racquets as part of Mitzvah projects and church drives. Thank you to the individuals who have taken time out of their busy lives to find old racquets in their homes and donate them, and thank you to the various tennis clubs who have graciously set up our collection boxes. These actions have made us a larger community dedicated to helping others.

We have used these racquets to bring smiles to so many children. Whether the racquet is Prince, Head, Wilson, or Babolat really does not matter to the children. It is a tennis racquet, special in its own way, that will now allow these children to play a game that want to explore. Many of the racquets we receive require some revitalization. The charity has used their own string and grip, as well as their personal time, to restring and grip many of these racquets so they can play like new. The kids are excited to engage in revamping these racquets for others.

Over the last year, we have donated hundreds of racquets to underprivileged children throughout the United States. We have helped start school programs in Rochester, Florida, and Queens. We have worked directly with the Nassau Parks Department and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and conducted clinics for hundreds of children. After one such clinic, two 10 year old girls went to return their racquets, They thanked us for letting them use the racquets for the clinic. When they were told that the racquets were theirs to keep, they immediately screamed for joy and hugged us, telling us Christmas came early. These smiles and hugs are priceless and well worth the hours of collecting racquets, restringing and delivering them.

We have helped individual families as well. This past summer we received a touching request from a mother of twins who was down on her luck. She wanted her kids to participate in a city parks program but could not afford to purchase racquets. She wanted them to experience the game of tennis, and not disappoint them by having them watch outside the courts all summer. We were able to help and we still remain in their prayers.

As we move ahead with our plans for next year, we are looking forward to new relationships and expansion with industry. We truly appreciate all of the individuals of have supported our tennis charity and have really helped make a small difference in the lives of many. You are the backbone of our charity. Thank you for sharing our beliefs and "pay it forward" for the Love of the Game!" We look forward to making more friends. Happy Holidays to all!

Sore muscles means time to work out again!

You felt enthusiastic, you went out and gave it your best, you ran down every ball, you played 5 sets even though you haven't played even one consecutive set in a year. Next morning, you can't get out of bed.

There are two ways to look at sore muscles. You can be proud of your workout gone well and do it again even more intensely tomorrow, or you can curse the pain and swear to never again exercise as much at once. Sometimes muscles hurt that you didn't know you had, which is probably true in that they are muscles you didn't use. What muscle soreness really means is that your muscles are getting stronger. Of course pain should be moderate, otherwise you just may have injured yourself! "Mild soreness just a natural outcome of any kind of physical activity," says Rick Sharp, professor of exercise physiology at Iowa State University in Ames. "And they're most prevalent in beginning stages of a program."

Usually you feel the onset of pain in a day or two after your activity. Exercise physiologists call this delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is a common result of exercise that stresses the muscle tissue beyond what it is used to, like contracting while lengthening (bicep curls) or performing in an eccentric way (running downhill). The muscle tears microscopically and the inflammation that accompanies it, is what hurts.

There is no antidote to muscle soreness, everyone hurts when they subject themselves to exercises they haven't regularly done. Just imagine how body builders must feel, not even speaking of someone who has never exercised before! This is a stage the muscles have to go through in order to adapt and be ready for a repeat of that type of exercise.

What can you do if you are in so much pain you can't even raise an arm to brush your teeth? Ice is one. Rest is another. Advil will take the inflammation away. Massage will relax you're bunched up muscles. Heat in the form of those Thermacare bandages at CVS feels nice and so does stretching. The most effective thing to prevent soreness is to do more exercise after your given routine. Stretch out to cool down, jog it off or go for a swim. This will ease the pain. Of course you also don't want all that hard work to go to waste, so perhaps work out a different muscle group for a week or so and then return to the sore group. This will keep your muscles strengthening and build on your results.

Most importantly don't be discouraged through this pain. Treat yourself to a massage and get back out there. Be proud!

Source

Prejudice Invades Tennis in Dubai

Discrimination in the tennis world?? Of course, why should that surprise us? Prejudice is present in our daily lives and we cannot ignore it. Israeli tennis player, Shahar Peer was banned from a Women's Tennis Association, sponsored tournament in Dubai,United Arab Emirates, because she is Jewish. The official explanation for this disgraceful action was to protect her from angry Arab fans. This two million dollar tennis tournament was not interested in protecting the player by adding more security, or standing up for freedom of religion, but instead cowered to mass mentality. Where is the outrage from the tennis community and the rest of the free world? More than any other sport, tennis crosses boundaries of race, ethnicity, and religion. These players are welcomed with open arms all over the world. Why has the WTA, ATP and other companies, not withdrawn their sponsorship?? How oblivious or greedy, are the top women players in the world, that they have not immediately withdrawn from this tournament in a show of solidarity. The men should also boycott Dubai. Why has only The Tennis Channel tacitly cancelled its broadcast plans. Why are the other sponsors not pulling out of this tournament? Why would other sports figures succumb to the money in Dubai and design golf courses, and play exhibitions in Dubai? How many matches has Federer,Nadal and Agassi played there? Everyone needs to take notice of this horrific action, and act, before this type of prejudice becomes malignant. There is no place for hate in tennis, or the world we live in. This is not the lesson that our children should learn. We urge everyone to raise their voices and be heard now!

A Moment in History

The 2009 Inauguration was disputably the most moving political event of a grand scale in a while. It was clearly a historical moment that was one of a kind and one for the books. I think in this time of difficulty that America is facing, having this overwhelming feeling of patriotism, change and hope is the only way to move forward. Of course, some people may not see it that way, as politics are divided. However, the outcome is ultimately inescapable and everyone needs to be on the same page more now than in a while. A lot of people criticized the expense of the event we watched just yesterday, but it simply couldnt have been done in a simpler way. Despite its cost, the event had to be rich and beautiful and elegant, because it marked a new era in history, it stood for a lot of different things to a lot of different people and it had to be noticed. It screamed greatness, change and hope. In our world of tennis, there are also heroes of the day. Tennis is as much a part of life where it concerns questions of gender, race, nationality, patriotism. In many ways, American tennis has been elevated to unprecedented heights by the Williams sisters and here is what they had to say about this great moment in history.

Source: Tennisinfoblog.com

Q. Big night back home for Americans with the inauguration. Can I ask you what that means to you? Also, early hours of the morning tomorrow. Will you try and wake up and watch it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: This is an amazing moment for American history. Even yesterday, the United States being Martin Luther King’s birthday. To have his birthday and Obama’s presidency fall so close to each other. This morning I was watching on the TV before I went out to play. I looked at my arm, and I literally had chill bumps.

I’m a big fan of African American history, learning my roots so I can be a better person. You just look at all the things that we’ve come through. Now to have this opportunity in less than 24 hours is amazing.

I don’t know, I’ll probably record it. I need my rest for this tournament. But it’s definitely something that I probably will look at.

Q. Is it inspiring for you and your sister? Do you feel in some ways yourself and Venus have done in a sporting sense what Obama has done in a political sense?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely think myself and Venus has opened up a lot of doors, being the first African Americans to do so much in tennis. But I never really look at that. I just look at trying to stay focused.

At the end of my career, I always thought I would go back and kind of dwell on that, because I don’t want to get complacent and be like, Oh, I did this, I did that. It can become easy to become complacent with nine Grand Slams and counting (laughter).

Also: tune into a video conference with the William's sisters provided by Espn.go.com

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3846053

Tennis Fashionistas

Vogue, move over, tennis magazine is here! It is amazing how far fashion has come in sports. Fashion in tennis has always banked on great personalities like Agassi and Chris Evert, but there has never been more freedom of expression through outfits on the court as there has been in this decade. Just this year at the US Open commentators were interviewing Chris Evert and asked her if she regretted the fact that she belonged to a prior generation, given that today’s tennis stars have so much more of everything. Chris Evert said no, but she did say that she couldn’t believe she had to pay a designer to wear a unique dress to the finals of a Grandslam whereas designers today are paying so much for athletes to wear their designs, or to even design their own as is often the case with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and of course Bethanie Mattek. It is pleasing to see how companies really try to stay fashionable and not only differentiate designs among the brands but even among their own collections. It definitely translates for a bigger fan base and more marketing opportunities when these outfits then hit general retail and the crowd goes wild. Here are a couple links to some of the Women’s fashions we witnessed in 2008.

Bethanie Mattek: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/05/30/bethanie-mattek-gives-a-sneak-peak-into-her-wardrobe/

Amelie Mauresmo: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/31/all-amelie-mauresmos-2008-reebok-tennis-outfits/

Jelena Jankovic: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/25/what-did-jelena-jankovic-wear-during-2008-tennis-season/

Daniela Hantuchova: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/21/retrospection-of-daniela-hantuchovas-2008-nike-tennis-outfits/

Maria Kirilenko: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/18/video-overview-of-all-maria-kirilenko%E2%80%99s-2008-stella-mccartney-outfits/

Venus Williams: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/17/all-venus-williams%E2%80%99-2008-eleven-outfits/

Ana Ivanovic: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/16/video-overview-of-all-ana-ivanovic%E2%80%99s-2008-adidas-outfits/

Here is a sneak preview of the upcoming Australian Open outfits which promise to be colorful and radiant to start the new season off: http://crazyworldoftennis.blogspot.com/2008/12/adidas-australian-open-outfits.html

Men’s Fashion has changed over time as well. When you think Nadal and Federer, there is so much more than a rivalry there, or the talk of their difference in being a lefty or a righty, two hander or one hander, there is an entire persona that is formed, just as in the celebrity world. Look at Nadal’s custom pant style with the sleeveless tight torso hugging shirts and Federers always classy tuxedo look, it is not a coincidence, it is todays necessity for athletes that become so much more to the sport to differentiate themselves. They are brands to the world at the same time that they are at the peak of their athletic careers. Tennis is clearly a highly marketable sport and this great deal of fashion that goes alongside it makes it that much more interesting and jubilant. This dual factor can probably be further explained by the fact that almost every female tennis player wishes to have a parallel career in fashion and modeling, they are so intertwined.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal: http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/federer-vs-nadal-blazer-vs-pirate-pants/3265

Tennis & Charity

Tennis has become such a big and powerful sport. Some see it as a way to make money and escape the poverty of their country, as it is increasingly high paying. Some see it as a road to a free college degree. Some see it as a way to become famous as it is highly publicized and offers lucrative campaigns for the select few. Some see it as a way to stay healthy and get fit. Some see it as a stimulus to be the best, or win an Olympic medal, or fall into the record books. All see it for the great sport with many opportunities that it is. Taking all of these factors in, tennis is one of the most powerful and influential sports in the world. Tennis produces role models, who produce champions, who have the opportunity to give back by becoming role models themselves, and perhaps inspiring new generations of champions. It is a worldwide sport, most players become ambassadors for their countries, like Sharapova and Federer. Their high earnings give them a chance to donate money and build schools and inspire because they stand for something positive and great. They become lucky in many ways.

Ana Ivanovic used to receive Unicef greeting cards in the mail when she was a kid, now she is the one sending them. That is such a great turn around of events and this shows not only the potential of the sport, but justifies the rewards of these athletes turned media super stars.

Serena Williams also just opened a school in Kenya in her off season. She was there for the opening, and got to reveal the metal plaque on its walls with her name on it, cut the bow to the entrance and pose for pictures with her biggest fans. The kids in Kenya that want to grow up and become just like her no doubt.

Charity is not a pity party and it is not a tax write off. It is the desire to make things better, because things not always are. Where a chain is weak, it rips, and the strongest links will always hold the most power to fix the weaker links of this universal chain. That is the power of athletes and celebrities, and it warms the heart to see them following through on these missions.If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

A Challenge System for the “Cheating”

Two teenage boys are playing a practice match. One serves an ace out wide and does a little fist pump, while the other unhesitating, calls it out. “Are you sure?” asks the server. “Positive” replies the returner. In a match, this would be an altercation and a roving umpire would be called for following points, based on suspicion of playing a “cheater”, bad eyes or not. But its practice, the smirking server yells out, “I demand a challenge!” As if! Challenges are for the big time only.

“Cheating” is an unspoken truth in the game of tennis. Tennis is a fast sport that requires rapid and accurate perception of the line to call the landing of the balls, and the ability to make a split second decision. Not everyone is perceptually accurate unfortunately, and not everyone has perfect vision and reaction, not recreational players’ young and old, hungry for each win juniors and not even professional tennis linesmen. There are many contributing factors other than sight, such as concentration, gamesmanship and bias. These cause many disputes among the tennis fanatics, ranging from those enjoying a hit in the park; bickering parents watching their kids play local tournaments, juniors trying to get an edge in order to secure a win, and even pros questioning the refs and refs overruling other refs. That goes both ways as well; some players miss calls and rule against their own favor. How about that match at Wimbledon when the umpire messed up the score against Venus and nobody noticed until the match was over? But that hardly ever causes controversy, it is always more interesting to follow the drama. Needless to say that some of today’s professional greats have been notorious cheaters in the juniors, but we won’t name names here. We will just take a look into the modern day savior, of course technology, of course line-call challenges.

George Mather, a psychologist in the UK, published an interesting study called “Perceptual uncertainty and line-call challenges in professional tennis” in the Proceedings of the Royal Society journal in April of this year. The challenge technology now provides physical evidence that can be compared to the opinions of players and line judges. Human observation has undergone many tests throughout time and while it as been proved that humans can be extremely precise in their perceptual judgment, our vision is still limited, because our eyes don’t allow us 3D sight spanning 360 degrees around the object we are observing, thus, there will always be uncertainty. There is also some internal noise and our reactions to similar physical situations never produce exactly the same neural responses, which causes us to hesitate in our uncertainty.

What is the challenge system? The ATP uses the Hawk-eye ball tracking system which can locate 3D position of the ball within 3mm of the bounce. Multiple cameras are setup on the court and image processing software follows the trajectory of the ball from all its sides in each video frame. Players are the allotted no more than two incorrect challenges per set, and the balls are still called by linesmen, not to take away their jobs entirely. Since all guesses are recorded and so are all the challenges and their outcomes that is a lot of data that can reveal some interesting things. To be precise, this study evaluated 1473 challenges made by 246 pros during 15 ATP tournaments worldwide in 06 and 07. Keep in mind that 100mm is less than twice the diameter of the ball. What they found was that calls are challenged 94% of the time when the balls bounce within 100mm of the line, which makes sense; it’s harder to make close calls. The other 6% occur over a wide range of bounces greater that 100mm. The greatest distance recorded was 449mm and the line judge called that one easily and correctly. The challenges are made equally for balls called out and balls called in, which shows that no matter how far the player is from the ball that is not a cause for more or less challenges. They found that 60% of the calls challenged were correct, a positive statistic towards human vision and perception and a plus towards the rule allowing only 2 bad challenges per set. However the remaining 40% were incorrect and that is of significant importance. To think before the hawk eye, 40% points were lost unjustifiably. Ball bounces along the base and service line are evidently much harder to judge than side lines, this is due to an uncomfortable visual trajectory and speed of the ball.

This particular study implemented a statistical model which gave a clear reading of human accuracy. It is also important to remember that even if professional tennis players exhibit proficiency to just a few centimeters of the bounce, they have been staring at tennis ball landings for years, and their eyes are thus more trained, as are the line judges. This is clearly not the case for recreational and junior tennis players. The model of this study hypothesized that all balls called within 100mm of the line would be called incorrectly due to limitations of their vision and perception. They also figured that an even pro match consists of 50 points per set, or 10 games made up of 5 points each, with each point getting a call. If errors are made 40% of the time, then the expected number of errors in this model is 4 per set. Of course, not every point ends in a borderline call, and that can be logically reduced to 2 errors per set.

For our purposes this study shows us that human error is inevitable when doing their best job in professional tennis. Most likely, in junior tennis, the untrained eye and the lack of refereeing on each court, as well as temptation for gamesmanship is still a problem. And it shows us that tennis deserves this technology because a lot of sweat, pride and hard earned money are on the line. Especially in a sport as mentally difficult, where one point lost may not take a tow on physical stamina, but may break someone mentally. The next thing is, imagining a world of possibility for fair play. What if, one day, the challenge system will be in effect at the park, at the local junior tournaments as well as all the professional events? Maybe that will change the game, maybe it is about time it should.

Got Tennis? It’s good for you

"An apple a day keep the doctor away" - so does Tennis. Just what are the benefits of tennis on the body? Immediately you think it is exercise, so it must get you fit. Correct! We looked into some scientific proof to attest to that.

Referencing something published in the Journal of Sports Medicine by Babette M. Pluim, et al. (2007) in a study entitled “Health Benefits of Tennis”, we explore what the relationship is between diseases that affect the lazy lifestyle such as obesity, hypertension, and heart disease and bone problems to playing tennis.

This particular study referenced over 84 articles on the subject of disease and tennis. Running, biking and swimming are among the favorite types of exercise known to have significant health benefits, however not everyone participates in these over the course of a lifetime. Tennis is one of those sports you can play forever, is played by millions of people worldwide and is therefore an ideal target for the improvement of health for the general population. Tennis is also not a continuous exercise at the recreational level, but is characterized by short bursts of energy, making it a highly intense form of exercise. Over time the recommended dose of exercise has changed, and mostly grown from 20 minutes to 30 minutes of moderate intensity daily. Although it has grown, it is also proven that short intense periods of exercise are as effective as longer continuous types of exercise. Tennis makes the cut.

In conclusion, this study produced many numbers and equations and summed up the fact that tennis and health are positively associated. Not only are there reduced risks for heart disease, obesity and hypertension, but since it can be played long term, it increases bone density in the playing limbs. Basically, people who choose to play tennis have many important health benefits. Aerobic fitness for one, lower body fat percentage for two, a reduced risk for disease three and lastly, improved bone health. All you have to ask yourself is, “Got Tennis?”

Tennis Racquets for Kids found this article at:

http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/41/11/760#BIBL

Have an extra racquet? Give it away! Tennis is more than just a sport!

There is one thing that is particularly true of great athletes and that is that they begin working on their skill sets as children. Sports provide people with such a great range of activity, collective solidarity at games and a fun healthy past time, professional careers for some, and the best part is that your commitment can really be taken to any level desired. Not to mention, they can be picked up at any age and there are things to work on and perfect throughout a lifetime which makes the pursuit an exciting journey.

That is not to say that learning a sport comes as easy to adults as it does to children. Just like kids learn languages with ease up to a certain age, they learn the fluidity of motions that contribute to proper technique, the feeling of anticipation that comes with being in a given environment from an early age and they forever have the advantage of time spent practicing and years spent competing over athletes that start later in life. When kids pursue sports they have boundless options still ahead of them ranging from playing in the pros, to college scholarships and overall benefits to their health, discipline and development. While not everyone may be cut out for sports, everyone should pursue sports while they are young because it extends so much farther than just highlighting innate abilities and learning how to play but becomes something that stays with you for life. Telling your kid, "You’ll learn when you can pay for it" may cut off a world of dreams and opportunities.

Unfortunately, most sports are quite expensive. Tennis for one hones so many great qualities in kids and opens so many doors later on for them as young adults, however, not without an investment first. It is a pricey sport to play with expensive private instruction, court time depending on location, equipment and you can never discount the parental dedication and time out it takes to get kids to their lessons and practices. But regardless of the goals you set, if you choose to stick with it then even reaching for the moon and landing among the stars has tremendous pay off. Anna Ivanovic, the current WTA #4, has said in interviews that she used to practice in empty pools growing up in Serbia and that it has been an important experience that has made her into the player she is today. Ivanovic is an example of doing without to keep the dream of becoming a professional player alive. Even if sacrificing for tennis didn’t get Ivanovic to top 4 in the world, it is a trade for life that you can always fall back on whether you teach, get a free education or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Today, there is a lot of awareness of importance of sports like tennis for children and the issues facing them in terms of inability to pay for it. It is for this reason that there are great aid programs sprouting up for these families to seek out and take advantage of. Programs comprised of people that love the sport so much that they want to share it with those that can’t afford it by giving back. Programs giving hope to those on whom the unfairness of life plays out, even if it is solely by providing some of the expensive equipment so that kids can get out there and start hitting those tennis balls. Tennis Racquets for Kids is exactly that kind of organization.

The great tennis champion, Bill Tilden has once said, "Tennis is more than just a sport. It's an art, like the ballet. Or like a performance in the theater. When I step on the court I feel like Anna Pavlova. Or like Adelina Patti. Or even like Sarah Bernhardt. I see the footlights in front of me. I hear the whisperings of the audience. I feel an icy shudder. Win or die! Now or never! It's the crisis of my life."

How beautiful and true that is, and how worth it makes picking up a racquet and embarking on a life long love affair, or better yet giving away a racquet so that someone else can find that same love of the game!