Last Friday, hundreds of kids were introduced to tennis when Wilmington, Delaware was converted into a court.

The 19^th Annual Tennis in the Streets event gathered many volunteers from the USTA, USPTA and local tennis clubs to provide free training to kids, many of who may never have picked up a racquet before. Kids came from area elementary schools and ranged from ages 6 to 12.

Eleven courts were set up and kids rotated through various stations to learn the introductory elements of the game, including forehands, backhands, volleys and rallies.

The purpose of the event was to show these kids that anyone can play tennis, with kids of all ages, backgrounds and skill sets successfully participating in activities on Friday. One of the USTA’s core goals is just that: making tennis available to anyone and everyone.

Teachers on site recognized the impact the event had, with one exclaiming that she had never seen her students so engaged in anything.

Tennis in the Streets helped the USPTA work toward its goal of encouraging more kids to make tennis their passion. This year, Wilmington is hoping to build off of this tennis exposure and start a youth tennis league.

The 19th annual event in Wilmington, Delaware.