Ariel Madatali, a Second Serve member in  St. Louis, can’t remember a time when she wasn’t playing tennis.

“I love tennis and started playing before I could walk,” she says. “Tennis is a big part of who I am.”

It's this love of tennis that has made 16-year-old Ariel one of the top 10 girls tennis players in the US. It’s also why, last year, Ariel decided to share the joy she feels when she steps on the court by donating tennis equipment to kids in the slums of Ahmedabad, India. 

Soon after Ariel had made the decision to gather equipment for a large donation, she partnered with Sahana Madala, another Second Serve member, to carry out the plan. Together, they established relationships with various tennis clubs throughout St. Louis, and collected over 60 pairs of gently used tennis shoes in various sizes. Then they packaged and shipped this vital equipment to Manav Sadhna. Manav Sadhna is an ashram that serves kids who live in the slums of Ahmedabad, India. 

Thanks to the hard work of Ariel and Sahana, Second Serve continues to expand its global reach and help kids around the world experience the sense of fun and accomplishment that comes with playing tennis. 

By Diego Núñez