By Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Tennis is a sport that many young athletes are turning to out of the growing concerns about concussions associated with some contact sports.
And a special kind of tennis program in our area is providing children with a lot more than just hitting the ball back and forth over a net.
Fifteen year old Max Steinman is a great example, smashing his way back to being fit and healthy with a newfound love for tennis.
“I like the challenge of tennis,” says Max.
He switched to tennis after years of playing soccer where he was a standout goalie on the field. But after a series of concussions, Max’s parents say doctors told them their son should stop playing contact sports.
“He was really down,” said Lisa Steinman who is Max’s mother. “There wasn’t a lot for him to do anymore.”
“It was really a big deal to me because soccer was my world,” said Max.
The teen found a new sports world with the Legacy Youth Tennis Program, inspired by tennis great Arthur Ashe. The program here in Philadelphia trains high-performance players and also helps disadvantaged youngsters.
There are 500 to 700 kids per session according to Lance Lee, the president of Legacy.
“Tennis provides not just a healthy activity for students from all over the region,” says Lee. “The program also helps build life skills, confidence, discipline and leadership.
“The focus is on the total development of a child,” he says. “We have kids from all different backgrounds, races, socioeconomic status and locations in the city.”
It’s not all just on the courts, there’s an emphasis on overall health, nutrition, fitness and team building,
“It’s not a team sport, but when I’m at Legacy I feel like it is, because we’re all here to help each other get better and that’s what matters” says Max. “I enjoy it, I have a lot of friends here, I have a lot of fun playing here.”
Max is one of 4500 children who are served by Legacy every year, at little or no cost.
“It’s been a life-changer for him,” says Lisa. “It’s brought him out of his shell, it’s given him new friends, it’s given him a place to go to, to look forward to.”
In addition to the main facility in East Falls, Legacy provides tennis programs to more than 40 other locations. They have a big benefit coming up. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/LegacyYouthTennis
