Bed-Stuy Youth Take Center Court at 'Bed-Stuy Open'

If you missed the U.S. Open, have no fear, because Brooklyn residents can instead attend the “Bed-Stuy Open,” as youth tennis teams from Marcy and Tompkins Housing Projects play center court at the Marcy Playground this Saturday, October 1.

The competition is the Second Annual Kings County Tennis League Youth Jamboree-- an opportunity for the kids of the Marcy Tennis Club and Tompkins Tennis Club to use their newly learned tennis skills in a tournament format.

Led by the tennis clubs' creator Michael McCasland, the goal of the event is to bring members of the community out to support tennis and enjoy a day out.  

“Our mission is to use tennis as an instrument for positive mentorship and community building," McCasland said. “We want it to be a celebration of the neighborhood and the kids of these neighborhoods.”

The competition is set up into two age groups: nine and under, and 10- to 15-year-olds. Trophies are guaranteed for the two top winners from each age group, although medals and goodies will be provided for most, if not all, who participate.  The seven to eight tennis courts available also open up the competition to any kid in Bed-Stuy to play.

“If there is a spare court, they can go out and play,” McCasland said. “Any kid from Bed-Stuy is welcome.”

For those who have never played the game, it a chance to come out and enjoy some community time on one of the last warm Saturdays of the year.

There will be a free barbeque, a DJ playing live music, a clown, face-painting and even a voter registration booth, all of which, according to McCasland, makes the event about more than just tennis.

“It is not tennis-centered,” he said. “It’s going to be a competition. But we wanted it to be a festival and jamboree for community building and fun.”

McCasland started Marcy Tennis Club, a non-profit organization that brings tennis to young residents of public housing, two years ago. He has since started teaching his tennis clinic at Tompkins Housing, deeming the group the appropriately named, Tompkins Tennis Club.

Every Saturday, McCasland and some of his 18 volunteers teach tennis to up to 30 kids at each site. Most of the 60 to 100 kids expected to play at the tournament will come from the two clubs. 

The ultimate goal for McCasland, however, is to add more clubs all over Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn to eventually become a Kings County Tennis League.

“We want to create this tennis league with a tennis club in each site—like the Marcy Tennis Club, Tompkins Tennis club--and each park and community tennis site will have its own names and uniforms,” he said.

The two sites already have their own uniforms, with their club’s logo, that was fundraised by McCasland and his volunteers and that the kids will be debut at the Jamboree.

“This project really has an impact. It builds a connection between tennis and the kids, the kids and their parents and parents to parents,” he said.  “We get kids more active, and we also see behavioral changes.”

Now that the organization has received official non-profit status, the next goal for the third season will be to continue raising money to expand. Until then, this Saturday will be a celebration of the end of a successful second year of the clinics, with full community involvement. 

“It is more special this year, because we are bringing two independent sites together,” McCasland said.

The Jamboree will take place at the Marcy Playground, located at 764 Myrtle Avenue between Nostrand and Marcy Avenues. Registration begins at 12:00pm.