Tennis in the Streets brings 500 Wilmington students together through sport and community

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For nearly four decades, the United States Tennis Association has turned downtown Wilmington streets into makeshift tennis courts — transforming one of the city’s busiest public spaces for one day into a place where kids can rally, compete and discover a sport they may have never imagined playing.

Friday marked the 38th annual Tennis in the Streets, bringing about 500 elementary and middle school students from across Wilmington to Rodney Square, directly in front of the Wilmington Public Library, for a day focused on movement, connection and opportunity.

With music echoing downtown, students rotated through stations learning the fundamentals of tennis — from how to properly hold a racket to hitting volleys with classmates and instructors. The event also featured food, ice cream, a DJ and free T-shirts, giving the day an atmosphere that felt more like a festival than a gym class.

But behind the fun was a larger mission: creating access to a sport organizers say city kids often overlook.

“I think basketball, football, soccer — some of the main sports — kind of take front seat when people are looking to sign up,” said Tim Fitzgerald, co-chair of the Delaware District Council for the United States Tennis Association. “There may be some cost implications as well. We offer a lot of either free or low-cost options for tennis lessons and clinics.”

Fitzgerald said he wants to go beyond introducing students to tennis for one afternoon. Tennis in the Streets is about making the sport feel attainable for every child over the long term.

“We kind of created an opportunity for students to … play right in a place that’s kind of close to them,” he said. “The goal is just to introduce one of the healthiest sports to kids and students and to show how fun it is and how there’s no barrier to be able to play.”

Participating schools included First State Montessori Academy, Stubbs Early Education Center, Maurice Pritchett Academy and others from around the city.

For many students, the event brought social rewards beyond learning a new sport.

Zahair Alvarez, an eighth grader at The Bayard School, said the experience was a chance for students to reconnect without screens.

“It’s important to build communities and have people be athletic and teach people certain things about tennis and other athletic things that are beneficial for growth,” Alvarez said. “I think social media plays a huge part in the lack of athleticism between kids. This event gives the current generation more reasons to be outside.”

Sage Mirajh, an eighth grader and basketball player from First State Montessori Academy, said the event encouraged students to try something new together.

“It’s very important that we be exposed to sports like these because it’s a very good community game and we all get to know each other more before the … school year ends,” she said. “It definitely has motivated some of my friends. I know some of my friends that don’t play tennis and they definitely love it today.”

For organizers, one of the most rewarding aspects of the annual event is seeing returning students — and watching their curiosity evolve into continued participation.

“Seeing some of the kids that come back over the years, that’s what really brings me,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re able to see some of those kids come and play in some of the other nonprofit programs or in some of our low-cost programming through the USTA. Once you have that exposure, people see how fun it is, and you tend to have that retention and more interest.”

As tennis balls bounced across Rodney Square and students cheered one another, the day showed that sports can do more than teach athletic skills — they can foster a sense of belonging.

“Community is really, really important,” Fitzgerald said. “I really think it comes down to community and showing that, yes, we might come from different backgrounds. We may have different family situations, different colors of our skin, different occupations, different interests, whatever it may be. We are all still human, and we are all still Delawareans.”

Looking ahead, organizers say they hope to continue growing Tennis in the Streets by partnering with more schools and community groups across Wilmington, creating more opportunities for young people to stay active, connected and involved in the sport long after the nets come down in Rodney Square.