The BLTA welcomes the City Community Tennis Club

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) welcomes the City Community Tennis Club to the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre.

This club was founded within the community as an outreach program for inner city kids and has been officially in place since 2017. The coordinator of the program is Cory Francis.

The program provides free tennis instructions and life lessons to kids from the inner city and has received assistance from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), which is responsible for the transportation of the children to and from the national tennis center. The following RBPF Band members were on hand during the most recent tennis session: Corporal Simms 1255, Constable Smith 3842 and Sergeant Godet 2621.

Francis noted that community leaders such as Valentino Brown, Chemaco Godet and Xavarie Godet have also joined in the efforts. He said one of the objectives is for the children to be properly supervised and trained in the sport of tennis in a safe and controlled environment.

On Saturday, the kids from the Bain and Grants Town community were given tennis lessons at the national tennis center. Assisting Francis was junior tennis player Maddison Bowleg.

BLTA President Perry Newton was on hand to welcome the kids and interact with them on the court.

Francis noted: “Our combined goal is to give the children from the inner city a chance to open themselves up to opportunities that may not have been afforded to them, with the use of tennis. We hope that from this sport they learn discipline, develop sportsmanship, communication skills, build persistence, stamina, and teamwork – but most of all, discover that they are capable of so much more than they ever thought possible. By taking them out of their comfort zone and introducing them to new experiences, we expect to see them emerge and thrive as they find their purpose and become young adults.”

Francis extended courtesy to Ken Kerr who provided donations which aided in lunch for the kids.

“The BLTA and the national tennis center fully support this initiative and applaud Mr. Francis for his commitment to teaching the community kids,” the BLTA stated. “We are pleased to provide a wholesome and conducive environment for this program to operate and flourish at the national tennis center. The ongoing lessons are possible through the collaborative efforts of Mr. Cory Francis, the police, the BLTA and the community leaders. This program will positively impact many young children lives for many years to come.”

Newton said he is looking forward to facilitating many more youth programs this year, and beyond.

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