WASHINGTON 鈥� Young people and local celebrities alike turned out Saturday to show off their tennis chops at the annual Heart to Heart Tennis Experience, a fundraiser which is held each year at the .
鈥淭eamwork makes the dream work,鈥� said Cora Masters Barry, the founder and CEO of the , which co-sponsors the event along with the D.C. . 鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this now for 18 years,鈥� Barry added.
There was also a doubles match featuring local celebrities Bob Ryan, a former
NBC Washington meteorologist, and Mark Ein, owner of the .
Ryan was paired with Marcel Mordecai of Philadelphia. The 15-year-old encourages any young person thinking of starting tennis 鈥渢o try it because once people try it they love it.鈥�
鈥淚f you do start it, don鈥檛 stop,鈥� said Rhajzon Rankins, who won the celebrity match along with Ein. 鈥淚n the beginning, if you鈥檙e not where you want to be, it鈥檚 going to be rough and hard. It鈥檚 a very mental sport, but just keep going, and you鈥檒l get better at it and it鈥檒l be fine.鈥�
Saturday in D.C.–Young folks & local celebrities alike turned out Saturday to show off their tennis chops at the annual Heart to Heart Tennis Experience, a fundraiser which is held each year at the Ward 8’s Southeast Tennis and Learning Center.
鈥� Liz Anderson (@PlanetNoun)
The day included five experiences, including a tennis clinic, a silent auction, the general tournament, celebrity match and trophy presentations.
鈥淲e have an amazing tennis and education program,鈥� Barry said. She noted that since 2001, there have been students from the center who have funded their college education by earning tennis scholarships. Because they started playing as youngsters, 鈥渢hey鈥檙e able to be recruited by good colleges and they don鈥檛 leave college with any kind of debt. So it really does help them in their future,鈥� Barry said.
As they participate in tennis and the other programs offered there, 鈥渋t builds their confidence, it gives them a purpose, accountability, focus, discipline, all of that,鈥� Barry said.
Tennis isn鈥檛 the only thing going on at the center, though.
鈥淭hey have a computer lab here, they have a robotics class here 鈥� They learn how to sew, they learn how to act in the fantastic 聽event that takes place every year 鈥� here and at the Kennedy Center,鈥� said John Stokes, Deputy Director of Community Engagement with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.
