BALTIMORE — A free tennis program in Baltimore is giving young girls more than just lessons, it's opening doors to professional courts and big dreams.
Girls Rule the Court, created by the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation, took its young athletes to the DC Open to watch some of the world's top players.
"Venus and Serena played in the public parks. Their father learned how to play tennis so he could teach them. The community protected them. So you can go from the park to Wimbledon if you've got the desire," coach Janet Pinkett said.
Pinkett coaches the girls at Patterson Park in Baltimore, where she works to break down the barriers that have long kept the sport out of reach for many families.
"There used to be this misnomer that you had to be in a country club to play tennis. If you were going to go far or play tournaments, you had to have a lot of money. What we're trying to do is provide that introduction to tennis and connect families with resources and support," Pinkett said.
The program launched in 2022, with Baltimore serving as one of its first pilot locations.
"Girls Rule the Court is a way to really address the accessibility gap. Watching the girls, it's almost indescribable. There's obviously the actual act of learning to play tennis, but you really see them blossom from a confidence perspective," Kaitlyn Kinsey, director of marketing and communications for the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation, said.
"Since that time we have now provided tennis to over 1000 girls across the Mid-Atlantic region and growing," Kinsey said.
Katie Long, executive director at Friends of Patterson Park, knows firsthand what access to the sport can mean. She grew up playing tennis, starting at age 2 at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute with her father, and continued playing through college at Towson University.
"All of our programs and events are free for that reason, so that there's not a barrier to entry, and kids can grow up playing tennis, which is a lifelong sport," Long said.
The trip to the DC Open was just one stop on a bigger journey. The program is also taking the girls to the US Open in New York.
For the students, the experience has been unforgettable.
"It was fun. We got to go in a suite. It's awesome because they learned how to play tennis and they're now really good and we can learn too," one student said.
For Pinkett, moments like these are exactly the point.
"When you see young people who look like you... people who can stand before the camera and say, 'I'm not rich. I played in the public parks,'" Pinkett said.
One student summed up what keeps her coming back.
"It's just fun and you can learn new stuff while you're playing," she said.
For more information on the free program, click here.
