Students from Far Rockaway got a day on the courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Thursday, May 23.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and NewYork Junior Tennis And Learning to hostmore than 800 public school students at the 16th annual “Say Yes to Tennis-No to Violence” Day.
Students took to the court with National Tennis Center pros to learn more aobut the sport and teamwork in general. After an introductory tennis lesson and a lunch, the students received Tshirts and goodie bags.
The children came from 10 public schools in Far Rockaway, where they participate in the District Attorney’s STAR Track (Straight Talk About Risks) anti-violence program.
As part of the program, members of the District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Corporation Counsel’s Office and the Queens Law Associates visited participating schools throughout the year to educate students about the risks of guns, drugs and gangs while teaching them how to make the right choices, according to a statement from Brown’s office.
“I want to first congratulate all of the students who have participated in our STAR Track program this year and the thousands of others who have been with us in the prior 15 years,” Brown said. “My fervent hope is that they have benefitted from the experience and that the life lessons they have learned-such as fair play and self-control-will have a positive effect on their daily lives.”
The day-long outing at the USTA National Tennis Center culminated the year-long STAR Track program. The schools include: Middle School 53, Public Schools 43, 104, 106, 197, 215, 333, Village Academy, High School of Information Research and Technology and the Frederick Douglass Academy.
