New Tennis and Education Center Opens in Sderot to Boost Youth Resilience
A new tennis and education center opened in Sderot on Thursday to provide children and youth with athletic training, community programs, and resilience-building activities.
A new tennis and education center opened in Sderot on Thursday in a festive ceremony attended by tennis stars Yoni Erlich and Harel Levy. Initiated by Mayor Alon Davidi in cooperation with JNF, Kevin Green, and the Israel Tennis and Education Centers, the facility aims to provide local youth with athletic and educational frameworks alongside resilience-building activities.
The new complex features four tennis courts, a practice wall, a studio, green spaces, a secure room, and four protected shelters. It will host training sessions for children, teenagers, and adults at all levels, alongside educational programs, school resilience activities, and tennis coach training.
The center opens against the backdrop of the complex reality in the region since October 7, aiming to provide children and youth with a framework to develop social ties and return to routine.
Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi said at the ceremony: "We are building conditions in Sderot that will allow our children to grow, dare, and fulfill dreams. The new center will provide much more than sports training: a safe place to meet, make friends, face challenges, and discover their inner strength."
Eyal Taoz, CEO of the Israel Tennis and Education Centers, added: "Opening the center in Sderot is a significant step for the children of the city and the surrounding envelope, expressing our view that sports are a tool for education, self-confidence, and building resilience."
Niv Nachimovitz, director of the Sderot center, noted: "The center was established to be much more than just a place to play tennis. Tennis is the tool, but the goal is resilience, connection, and community."
