Rob Gerstman's Colleagues at Kings County Tennis League
Rob Gerstman's Contact Details
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New York, New York
Kings County Tennis League
Rob Gerstman's Company Details
KCTL provides free tennis and education programs all year-round to nearly 400 children living in and around 6 NYCHA developments; the children in each housing development form a "tennis club" (e.g., Marcy Tennis Club), which in total forms Kings County Tennis League. 96% of KCTL youth identify as BIPOC and 60% live below or near the poverty line.By bringing its tennis and educational programming directly to where children are living in public housing, KCTL removes the number of barriers to tennis play in Brooklyn, including access to courts, transportation, cost, and coaching, while dismantling the stigma associated with public housing. KCTL's model operates to address systemic imbalances and one of the root causes of racial gaps in education and health – unequal access to play, quality sports programming and the positive youth development that ensues. Within neighborhoods deeply penetrated by gentrification, KCTL's model cultivates a more inclusive neighborhood, regardless of socioeconomic status.