Digicel, Futures Tennis giving back to community

Former national tennis player Deron Grant and mobile telecommunications provider Digicel officially launched the tennis academy for children with special needs Tuesday, October 20.{{more}}

Grant said that since beginning the Futures Tennis Academy back in January this year, he has wanted to give something back to the community.

“I am giving back to the kids my time, effort and my ability and I feel as a former national player and junior champion it’s the right thing to do,” Grant explained.

The idea was the brainchild of former Tennis Association President, Grant Connell back in 2007.

Both batches of twenty students from the Sunny Vale Primary and the School for Children with Special Needs meet once a week and will be working on their physical abilities, motor and hand-eye coordination skills.

It has only been one month since the special needs programme has been underway. However, Grant said that he has seen some good prospects.

Juno DeRoche, Marketing Manager for Digicel, commended Grant on the initiative as she spoke of her company’s involvement in the project. She noted that Digicel’s involvement complimented work already being done in sport and school development in the country.

“We just want to take these kids out of their natural habitat on a daily basis and expand their minds and talents,” DeRoche said.

“They are often confined to the walls of the school and with that they cannot fully develop,” she continued.

The academy is also working with 13 other schools, a new venture for Features, with the hope of staging a mini tournament in the not too distant future.(DD)