Serve & Connect, a community engagement program connecting police and children in a safe and fun tennis setting, returned on February 24 for the second season for three months at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Crotona Park. Serve & Connect will be held every Saturday at the Cary Leeds Center, from 4 – 7 pm from February 24 through May 19. The program provides on-court tennis, off-court mentorship, and a warm meal for all participants.
Designed by New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) with partner USTA Foundation, Serve & Connect, formerly known as Volley Against Violence, is designed to improve perceptions and relationships among youth, police, and residents.
Local NYPD Precinct 42 has fully embraced the program, and under the watchful eye of Deputy Inspector, Ernest Morales III, Precinct 42 provides police officers on a volunteer basis.
“We have 12 weeks to build a long lasting relationship between officers and kids all while providing them a safe haven and teaching them tennis,” said D.I. Morales. “These are life lessons that can make a real difference.”
Serve & Connect originated in Boston conceived by Sportsmen’s Tennis Enrichment in 2009. Based on the acceptance of the program in the communities, the USTA Foundation has expanded to eight programs this year, including Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center and NYJTL.
The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning is located at 1720 Crotona Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10457. For more information, visit www.nyjtl.org.
For more information, call Ingrid Ramirez at 347-417-8176 or email iramirez@nyjtl.org.
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