TULSA, Okla. — Lucy Kennon will tell you life is better on the court.
"I play tennis. I'm really good at it," exclaims Lucy Kennon.
She's among the many smiling faces making up the League of Exceptional Players.
"The League of Exceptional Players is a group of kids ages 2 or 3 to 40 who come in, and they can feel like, hey, I'm able to do this too, just like anyone else," says Patti Burton, Director of First Serve Tulsa.
Julie Harrelson started this tennis league at LaFortune Park Tennis Center in 2015 as a labor of love.
"The program started because I love tennis, and I love people with special needs, and I wanted to share tennis with people that I love," says Julie Harrelson.
And she does that through free once-a-month-tennis camps held from June through December.
"Seeing how much time children spend in the hospitals and the cost, it was really heavy on my heart that we always have a free program, and a lot of fundraising has gone into allowing us to be free," says Julie.
Patti adds, "They all have a racket, all that's provided for them here. So, as long as they can show up in shorts and tennis shoes, they're going to have fun."
And while they practice their forehands and backhands during these hour-long indoor sessions, the players flex their muscles, make new friends, and build confidence.
"They would love this camp. It helps people play tennis!" says Lucy.
This league is part of First Serve Tulsa, a non-profit trying to bring tennis to all kids in the area, and it has plans to grow.
"We want to serve the greater Tulsa area and give kids that wouldn't normally have access to tennis. We want to get to a point where we are helping all children be successful in life, and maybe go to college or trade school and show them what it's like to have ambition, to be disciplined to take care of themselves, drink plenty of water eat a healthy meal, and we try to inspire that," says Patti.
About 50 players have come through the League of Exceptional Players, many return year after year.
"I feel so proud of the kids. I've seen how far they've come and see them smile and laugh and enjoy themselves. I just love the joy that they get from coming and hitting tennis balls and learning a new skill," says Julie.
Because in between the strokes and serves, you can't help but miss those smiles.
"I want them to be joyful, I want them to get the exercise, of course, but I want them to love tennis just as much as I do," says Julie.
Like Lucy, who is having a ball, "My favorite sport is tennis!" she exclaims.
The next camp is on August 19th. If you know of an individual who would like to join the League of Exceptional Players, you can learn more about it here: https://www.firstservetulsa.org/league-of-exceptional-players-application.
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