It’s one thing for an American tennis professional to teach kids in the greater Burlington, Vermont area about the game of tennis, and the life lessons that can be learned by playing the game.
But trying to accomplish the same thing in Cuba, with all the political turmoil that has marked the relationship between the two countries for basically a half century? That’s an entirely different matter.
Except, tennis professional Jake Agna doesn’t think so. A 43-year tennis professional himself, founded the Kids on the Ball program, a year-round tennis and after school program that serves more than 500 children and families in the Burlington area.
Now, he’s taken his efforts across the Gulf of Mexico, and began doing the same thing in Cuba. Specifically, he’s rebuilding the National Tennis Center in Havana, after earning the very first bricks-and-mortar approval for Cuba from the U.S. Department of Commerce since the Eisenhower administration.
Prior to Agna’s help, the condition of said tennis center was in ruin. It had only two usable tennis courts for the Cuban national team of six women and 12 men to use, after years of neglect. The simple expansion of the tennis center to include 10 courts — through Agna’s effort — has breathed life into the beleaguered venue.
With the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States, starting in 2015 when former President Barack Obama visiting the island in 2016, both countries have explored opportunities to reconnect across a variety of endeavors, including sports.
Agna’s construction of a few courts is just the tip of the iceberg, as far as his plans. Eventually, he wants to ensure the rest of the center, including all its fitness and exercise facilities, get the same refurbishing. And the third phase of his grand plan? Establishing an exchange program between the American and Cuban youth, which will lead to a greater exchange of ideas, culture, and tennis knowledge.
In other words: making tennis a vehicle to improve the relations between the two nations overall.