used balls become symbol of motivation: the ball program

After over an hour of competition, playing doubles and kings of the court, the teenagers gather under the shade of the roof, huddled around the picnic tables. 

Today is the final day of the Slice program and the kids, previously leaving on their own at different times, are now together, listening to Danielle announce the winners from the past few weeks of match play. 

Little white boxes are handed out to a few and claps can be heard from fellow participants. Winners smile shyly while their friends jokingly encourage them. 

On the boxes are inspirational messages and the logo featured at the top. When the box is opened, a newly decorated, bedazzled tennis ball can be seen. Rhinestones of gold, silver, bronze or other colours line the seams and words like "grace," "play," or "believe in yourself," are written all over, the words aligning with ever-changing themes. 

Danielle believes a tennis ball's journey doesn't end after it's been used. Instead of flooding garbage cans and landfills, the used balls become cheaper alternatives to trophies and medals. This is the ball program. 

Compared to a plastic trophy, these balls are more impactful. When a kid receives a ball, not only do they read the motivational messaging featured on it, they also feel a sense of achievement in the sport, by being given the very thing that defines it.

"Jack carried his around forever-even had it in his bed with him," Danielle recounts as balls were handed out to the winners of younger child and adult programs, as the spring schedule came to a close. 
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Each ball is carefully decorated by hand, using hot glue guns, pens and sparkly ink. Every ball has a unique design, with some having drawn-on smiley faces and other distinct characteristics. 

​At the end of the congregation, the winners are photographed with their new, white boxes with smiles on their faces, indicating a sense of achievement. Children and adults will keep these as mementoes of their hard work, even as the years go by. 

Pictures below: Top left shows four boys of the Love program happily unboxing their ball trophies. Beside (top right) is a photo capturing the moment when Danielle hands over a box to a Slice program winner with the rest of the teens watching. Bottom left photo shows Danielle handing out boxes to participants of the adult program. The bottom middle photo captures Danielle announcing the winners in the Slice program with the kids listening intently. The bottom right picture shows the winners from the Slice program proudly showcasing their ball trophies on court.