Police Athletic Team (PAL) First Tennis Event

On March 7, 2015, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Police Athletic League (PBSO-PAL) and TEAM First Tennis Program held a day of tennis with all five PBSO/PAL sites at the Mitch Gornto Tennis Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Children from all over Palm Beach County came to play a game of round robin with other PAL kids. This was the first time for many of the kids to meet each other and show off their tennis skills. The PBSO has volunteers who are committed each week to coaching these children in tennis. The program has grown since last year adding two additional sites and showing over 130 children the wonderful game of tennis.
Getting children exposed to a sport like tennis teaches concentration, discipline, and sportsmanship. When children are off the court, the Life Skills curriculum will expose them to court etiquette and all aspects of the game, which coincide with everyday life. Something as simple as showing the children how to properly shake someone’s hand and introduce themselves to someone they do not know can prove challenging in the beginning but then natural once they are on the court. The course is follows the United States Tennis Association (USTA) guidelines and using ACE curriculum.