By: Ariana Breckner 

We are excited to announce our partnership with Kings County League Tennis (KCTL), a non-profit dedicated to bringing tennis and education to children living in Brooklyn public housing. As part of this partnership, 100 new FURI Sport children’s tennis racquets will be swinging their appearances on the KCTL courts throughout 2021. We can't wait to unite two powerful communities and to assure that these aspiring athletes begin their tennis careers with high-quality equipment.

"KCTL is a community-centered organization propelled by the commitment of our students' and their families, our volunteers, and local businesses to bring tennis to children living in Brooklyn public housing at no cost to their families," said David Webley, Executive Director of Kings County Tennis League (KCTL)."We are humbled by the generosity of FURI Sport and look forward to sharing its racquets and apparel with the growing KCTL community.”

FURI Sport co-founder Erick Mathelier had the opportunity to share tennis and life lessons with KCTL students. His life trajectory changed because of his passion for tennis–his first plane ride, a Division 1 tennis scholarship, life long friends, and FURI Sport were all possible because he picked up a racquet. When the opportunity was presented to develop a partnership with the KCTL community, it was the perfect match (pun intended).

“This is the company’s first big partnership," shared Mathelier. "Born and raised in Brooklyn, this is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for a community that is similar to the environment that I grew up in. As a minority founder, I hope to not only be an inspiration to these students, but to also provide them with high-quality equipment to help them become tennis stars."

As FURI Sport continues to grow and define the values of our brand, partnerships like this are powerful. To truly make an impact, it is not just about donating equipment, there has to be a bigger sense of connection. The athletes are going to learn what it means to be a FURI Sport athlete, and embody the ethos of the brand, "Dream Big and Let it Fly.”

“We are honored to be chosen as one of the first partners of FURI Sport's Give-Back Program," said Wembley. "FURI Sport is a Brooklyn-born company co-founded by Erick Mathelier, who grew up here and whose tennis story will surely inspire our students."

FURI Sport will continue to work with Webley and his team to prepare more of the youth of Brooklyn to be leaders: as athletes and as students. Make sure to follow KCTL on social media (Instagram: @kctennisleague) to keep up-to-date on their happenings.

In March, the USTA officially shut down all tennis-related activities. However, last week they announced that the 2020 US Open will take place in New York as scheduled, from August 31 to September 13.

It wasn't easy for us to find a quick breakdown of the changes, so we made one for you.

1. 2 Events Combined. The Western & Southern Open, a precursor to the US Open typically hosted in Cincinnati, will also be hosted at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center starting on August 9th.
   
   
2. No fans, limited guests. No surprise here–the event will only be viewable via television or live-stream. We are still waiting to hear how many player guests will be allowed on-site during matches, but players staying in tournament hotels can only bring 3 people. 
    
3. COVID-19 Testing. Players will be tested upon arrival, then once per week. A positive test will result in isolation, contact tracing, and a retest to confirm the diagnosis. If confirmed, players will be forced to withdraw.
    
4. Standard singles draw, reduced doubles draw. The singles draw will continue to have 128 players, but the men's and women's doubles draw will be reduced by 50% (32 teams instead of 64).
    
5. No mixed doubles, qualifying rounds, juniors, or wheelchair tournaments. At least that was what was originally announced. After the backlash that included statements from top players, the USTA is reconsidering its stance on decided against canceling the wheelchair tournament.
   
   
6. Limited umpires and ball people. Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong will be the only courts that will be fully staffed (6 ball people, a chair umpire, and line judges). Every other court will have 3 ball people and a chair umpire with electronic line calling.

We'll keep this post updated with new information as it's released, but you can check out the full announcement here.

If you are wondering when you should change the grip on your tennis racquet... the answer is probably right now.

Despite the fact that most people love the feeling of a brand new grip, this is the part of the racquet that we use the most but care about the least. Missing a shot because your racquet slipped is not the only consequence of not taking care of your grip. It can affect whether or not you get calluses, injuries, or even illness (especially now). Racquets are usually stored in cooled, dark places without great ventilation. After a few sessions of absorbing moisture, that old, worn grip can be a breeding ground for bacteria (gross, right?).

So, how do you take care of your grip? Here are our recommendations.

• Change grips earlier than you think you need to. Remember - a lot of factors determine how quickly a grip needs to be changed - humidity, the intensity of play, perspiration. Use this chart to guide you:
  

  	Change Overgrip	Change Replacement Grip
  If you use an overgrip	Every 6 Hours of Play	Every 3 months
  If you don't use an overgrip	--	When any part of the grip is worn

• Air out your racquets. Don't just leave them in your bag, or in your trunk. Get them some fresh are in between playing time so the moisture can evaporate quickly.
  
  
• Rotate your racquets when playing for an extended time, especially in the heat and humidity. You might not want to do this in a match, so you may want to change grips in between sets, which brings us to point number 3.
  
  
• Practice changing your grip. Your goal to change your grip should be under 2 minutes, and you should time yourself to see how long it takes. 2 minutes is the time allotted between sets, but being fast in important for another reason. If you have a court reserved for an hour and forgot to change your grip, you may be willing to say "I'll do it next time." If you are confident in your ability, however, you are more likely to change your grip and have a better playing session.
  
  Here is a quick video on the proper way to change your grip:
  
  

Let us know if this guide is helpful, and what else we should cover! Reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram.