Vermont Schools
Kids on the Ball is a no-cost program offered to Vermont schools. Jake, Jasmina, Jack, and Cody see 200 students every day. Jake and Kids on the Ball have been in school gyms and cafeterias in Vermont, Springfield, MA, and New Orleans, LA.
VT Schools KOTB visits:
Champlain Elementary School (Burlington)
C.P. Smith Elementary School (Burlington)
J.J. Flynn Elementary School (Burlington)
Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler Elementary School (Burlington)
Sustainability Academy at Barnes Elementary School (Burlington)
Edmunds Elementary School (Burlington)
Edmunds Middle School (Burlington)
Hunt Middle School (Burlington)
Burlington High School (Burlington)
Chamberlin Elementary School (South Burlington)
Orchard Elementary School (South Burlington)
Summit Street School (Essex)
Hiawatha School (Essex)
Thomas Fleming School (Essex)
Essex Middle School (Essex)
Essex High School (Essex)
Shelburne Community School (Shelburne)
Williston Central School (Williston)
Allen Brook School (Williston)
JFK Elementary School (Winooski)
Camel’s Hump Middle School (Richmond)
Browns River Middle School (Jericho)
Mount Mansfield Union High School (Jericho)
Milton High School (Milton)
MT. Abraham Union Middle and High School (Bristol)
Otter Valley Union Middle and High School (Brandon)
Neshobe School (Brandon)
Leicester Central School (Salisbury)
Lothrop Elementary School (Pittsford)
Want to bring Kids on the Ball to your school?
Physical Education (P.E.)
For 20 years Jake has visited P.E. classes in local schools to offer a tennis unit. Low compression tennis balls and portable nets allow most spaces to be turned into courts for games. This equipment creates 2-4 indoor courts in school gyms and cafeterias where we play year-round. Jake, Jasmina, Jack, and Cody share a schedule with P.E. coaches at a VT K-12 school for 1-2 weeks, thus decreasing the coach:player ratio. Through games like Buckets, Numbers, Doubles Top Dog, and Elimination, students build their skills and play for prizes. At the end of every class we share wristbands, stickers, tattoos, pencils, and candy.
After School
KOTB coordinates with After School Directors and Counselors at The Boys and Girls Club of Burlington, The King Street Center, and local VT schools to offer After School tennis. The KOTB coaches bring equipment to play in gyms and cafeterias year-round.
2022-23 After School Schedule:
Monday & Tuesday: Boys and Girls Club of Burlington
Wednesday: King Street Center
Thursday: Chamberlin Elementary and Champlain Elementary
Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
“It is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success.” Committee For Children
Kids on the Ball believes playing sports, games, activity, and participating in P.E. affects a person's mood and develops skills outside of tennis. This year KOTB is practicing SEL to collect data on the effects of our program while incorporating national P.E. standards and the process of social emotional learning.
SEL data gives KOTB, P.E. coaches, and school administrators insight on the well-being of students and the impact that KOTB makes on the school.
Ripple Effect
Kids on the Ball programming improves how a student feels emotionally, physically, and socially. KOTB believes that if a student’s mood improves, then a ripple effect spreads positivity around that student. Teachers, classmates, friends, and family at home have remarked on how KOTB’s program exposes students to tennis and through games, creates a comfortable environment for students to win, lose, and, most importantly, persevere.
Kids on the Ball: New Orleans, LA
After a successful pilot at the Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts, KOTB expanded into several public schools in the Jefferson Parish District and has introduced KOTB programming to over 2,000 students. This program is currently paused.
Kids on the Ball: Springfield, MA
Playing at over 40 public schools throughout the school year, our Springfield, MA, project has brought tennis to thousands of children. This program is currently paused.