'Court Cubby' lockers are filled with tennis gear to make the sport more accessible

MINNEAPOLIS -- An initiative is working to make sure the sport of tennis is accessible to kids and adults.

USTA Northern partnered with the Camdentown Tennis Club in north Minneapolis to add a locker full of equipment to the courts at Webber Park. 

Mya Dennis started the Court Cubby after doing some research about barriers to the game of tennis. 

"Really anybody that wants to can open it up, grab a racket, try it out. If they like the racket, they can keep it, we're open to that. We just really want to get rackets in hands and have people playing," said Dennis.

Modeled after the Little Free Library, there are rackets and balls inside, and the locker at Webber Park is kept open. It was added to the courts in partnership with the Camdentown Tennis Club.

"It means these kids will get to experience the joy that tennis brings," said co-founder Houston White. "A busy vibrant, fun energetic joyous community is a safe community."

Trinity Shoemaker, 9, tried out one of the rackets. Her mother thinks it'll make a difference.

"When I was younger we didn't have stuff like this, so for people to have this now at arms reach, it's really nice," Tavonna Shoemaker said.

Trinity encourages others to give the Court Cubby a try.

There is another Court Cubby at Carty Park in St. Paul, and the hope is to add more around the Twin Cities.

Dennis and Houston said they'll keep an eye on the Court Cubbies to see if they need to add more rackets or balls to make sure it stays stocked.