Palm Beach County Program Combats Crime with Tennis
In Palm Beach County, Deputy Sheriff Ira Peskowitz has founded a program called The Kids and Police Tennis Association (KAPTA). The motto of this program is “our courts or criminal courts,” because it’s designed to expose children in high-crime areas to tennis. KAPTA has already grown to include 84 children, and two more sites are planned across Palm Beach County.
Peskowitz, who is now a certified tennis teaching pro, says KAPTA has allowed officers to enter high-crime areas and invite kids to play tennis instead of becoming involved in violent crimes or drug trafficking.
The program has also received a grant from the United States Tennis Association-Florida to begin using the QuickStart Tennis format and equipment for 10-and-under children. QuickStart Tennis features smaller court and racquet sizes and a simpler scoring system, among other adjustments.
Source: Fighting Crime with Tennis; Palm Beach County Police Receive USTA Florida Grant, USTA.com, August 10, 2010
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