ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coach Rob Perry loves to hold court.
- Former tennis player Rob Perry mentors kids throughhis teen program
- FACEBOOK PAGE: Sowing Seeds Tennis
And he does so every Wednesday evening at the Wildwood Recreation Center in South St. Petersburg.
An accomplished tennis player who played on the US Tennis Association Tour and was once ranked as the top player in Florida, Perry now gives local kids a lift by teaching tennis through his foundation Sowing Seeds Tennis.
"(I was) born and raised in St. Pete," Perry said. "This is what St. Pete is all about. That's one of the reasons I give back to the community. Especially the inner city."
He does so with free tennis lessons to children.
Perry said he uses tennis as a tool to empower kids and make sure they are achieving academically. Sowing Seeds Tennis also has volunteer teachers that asist with tutoring.
The group also provides raquets and tennis shoes for children that don't have them.
"I'm amazed that Coach Rob takes the opportunity no matter what," said one parent whose son participates in the program. "
So what's the payback for Perry?
"I've had a kid say they were about to do something really, really bad," Perry said. "But then they thought 'what would Coach Rob think' "