Country of Residence
United States
Age
16
Project title
CourtCycle Initiative: Love Sport. Serve the World.
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
CourtCycle Initiative empowers students to lead tennis and padel ball recycling by connecting sports facilities with local recyclers, creating a practical collection network that has gathered more than 17,500 balls through 19 tennis academies, sport facilities, and municipal parks and two chapters.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtcycle_initiative/ website: https://www.courtcycleinitiative.org/
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Established (We have regular weekly or monthly impact that we are reliably measuring)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
As a tennis player since 6 years old, I watched hundreds of balls being thrown away at my tennis academy each month. I learned that most municipal recyclers do not accept them and that an estimated 125 million tennis balls enter U.S. landfills each year, where they can take 400 years to decompose. I wanted to address this sustainability problem in the sport that I love. South Florida is a major tennis hub, yet I could not find an accessible local tennis-ball recycler. Shipping balls to out-of-state recycling programs can be expensive and difficult, especially for smaller facilities. My first breakthrough came when I identified a local tire recycler with an existing infrastructure capable of processing the balls’ rubber cores. The equipment existed, but what was missing was the connection to tennis facilities. I then realized that padel balls have similar rubber cores and could also be collected for recycling, extending our solution to another growing sport. I also recognized the potential of students who played at these academies. They could use their relationships with coaches to organize collections and start chapters. As my school's Key Club treasurer, I connected with students at other institutions to expand our network. I founded CourtCycle Initiative to connect facilities, student volunteers, and local recyclers.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Tennis and padel balls remain in the environment long after their playing life ends. RecycleBalls estimates that 125 million tennis balls enter U.S. landfills each year, where they can take 400 years to decompose. As a tennis player, I want to address the sustainability problem in the sport that I love. I live in South Florida, a major tennis hub, yet I could not find an accessible local tennis-ball recycler. Used balls are not accepted in curbside recycling, and their vulcanized rubber cores cannot simply be melted down and reshaped. Facilities often must collect, package, and ship balls out-of-state to a specialized processor. The time, shipping costs, and storage needs can discourage recycling, especially among smaller facilities, leaving the garbage as the easiest option for disposal. Tennis academies replace large quantities of balls several times throughout the year because they quickly lose their bounce, even though the material still has value. In my community, where tennis is played year-round, the lack of convenient recycling means a constant stream of used balls resulting in excessive waste. This matters to me because loving the sport should also mean taking responsibility for the waste it leaves behind. Players and facilities need a practical way to keep balls out of landfills.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
I founded CourtCycle Initiative Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to make tennis and padel ball recycling practical by connecting sports facilities, student volunteers, and local recyclers. We coordinate local collection and bulk delivery, so facilities do not have to package and ship balls out of state. My breakthrough was identifying a local tire recycler just 30 minutes away whose existing rubber-processing infrastructure could recycle used balls in bulk, avoiding expensive out-of-state freight. The recycler works with manufacturers that use the recovered shredded material in other products. Recognizing that tennis and padel balls have similar rubber cores allowed us to extend the collection model to both sports. As a competitive player, I used my relationships with coaches and academies across South Florida to recruit collection partners. My first donation came through my high school coach. I quickly recruited 19 collection partners, including tennis and padel academies, and municipal parks in South Florida eager to recycle their used balls. I enlisted students who share our sustainability mission. Volunteers collect, count, and photograph their donations, and we share collections on social media to raise awareness. We coordinate bulk delivery to our local recycling partner. Students are encouraged to lead chapters and organize collection drives at their schools and tennis academies, expanding participation through their communities. To help cover costs, we are planning an annual tennis tournament with a silent auction featuring products donated by the Miami Open. Proceeds will support our environmental initiatives. By combining local recycling infrastructure with student leadership, CourtCycle creates a practical recycling model that students elsewhere can adopt .
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Through CourtCycle Initiative, we have collected more than 17,500 tennis and padel balls across 19 partner organizations and two chapters, representing over 2,000 pounds of material diverted from landfills. Lined up end to end, those balls would stretch 0.75 miles long! By expanding into both tennis and padel, we help both sports address their shared sustainability problem. Perhaps our biggest impact is the awareness we are building. Our partner network grew from 5 to 19 academies representing a 280% increase in under three months. This growth suggests a strong unmet need for practical local recycling. Over 90% of our partners have donated repeatedly, helping make recycling a lasting habit. Through conversations with coaches, players, and facility directors, we turn awareness into participation and continue welcoming new partners. Our Broward and Palm Beach chapters also give students opportunities to lead. Chapter Presidents coordinate local efforts, and Sustainability Ambassadors collect balls while earning community service hours. Students discover that playing the sport they love can also be a way to serve their community. My hospital volunteering also inspired me to repurpose suitable donated balls for rehabilitation exercises that support mobility, extending CourtCycle’s impact beyond the court.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
CourtCycle’s innovation is connecting resources that already exist but were not working together: local rubber-processing infrastructure, sports facilities with large quantities of worn-out balls, and students who love racquet sports and want to serve their communities. I identified a local tire recycler with infrastructure capable of processing tennis and padel balls’ rubber cores in bulk. By consolidating collections and arranging transportation, CourtCycle gives facilities access to that infrastructure without requiring each organization to arrange recycling independently. This local approach addresses the shipping barriers I encountered when exploring out-of-state recycling options. We also bring tennis and padel into the same collection system because their similar rubber cores can be processed by our recycling partner. Our collection network connects students with the sports communities they already belong to. Students can collect balls where they already practice, making service part of an existing routine. Facilities gain a collection contact, and students gain ownership of a local environmental solution. Chapter Presidents coordinate campus efforts and develop local partnerships, while Sustainability Ambassadors collect, count, photograph, and report donated balls to earn service hours. These defined roles give students leadership opportunities. Our Palm Beach chapter shows how students can lead locally. We help prospective chapters pair student collection teams with suitable local recyclers, expanding access without building new processing facilities. To explore another way to encourage participation, I presented Penn/HEAD with a proposed tennis-ball trade-in pilot offering loyalty credits for recycling. The proposal remains under consideration.
How many people are on your team?
15
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
As founder, I lead partnerships, recycling logistics, and social media. Our two Chapter Presidents in Palm Beach and Broward campus lead local outreach and school drives, while 12 Sustainability Ambassadors collect, count, and document balls. I share leadership by giving chapter leaders ownership of local efforts. I provide Standard Operating Procedures, flyers, and guidance on local recycling options. Our broader outreach network includes 19 partner organizations, and Instagram followers.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
I plan to expand CourtCycle nationwide through student leadership, partnerships, and community events. In January 2027, my 200-member Key Club will host a tennis and padel ball collection drive at American Heritage’s Broward campus, with a similar drive planned at our Palm Beach chapter. I will leverage connections with 12 regional Key Clubs to recruit chapter leaders and Sustainability Ambassadors. To help new chapters succeed, I will share our collection procedures and identify local recyclers, overcoming logistical barriers. Our social media and partner facilities will help recruit volunteers and connect chapters nationwide. Students in Sacramento and North Carolina have already expressed interest. By the end of 2027, I aim to establish five additional student-led chapters with local recycling partners and the resources to operate independently. In May, we plan to host our first fundraising tournament, with a silent auction supported by pledged Miami Open donations. I will also follow up with Penn/HEAD on my proposed trade-in pilot, which would reward academies for recycling used balls. My goal is to build on the sustainability model I developed in South Florida and empower students nationwide to replicate it in their own communities. Just as recycling cans and bottles became an everyday habit, I hope to make recycling tennis and padel balls routine for every player.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
CourtCycle taught me that change grows when people feel empowered to lead. Our motto, “Love Sport. Serve the World”, inspires players to turn their passion for tennis and padel into environmental action. I recruit sport facilities by offering free ball recycling and recognizing their contributions on social media. Partners share our posts, spreading awareness to their followers. Recyclers receive valuable reusable materials. Expanding CourtCycle requires listening, building partnerships, adapting, and encouraging others to take ownership of a shared goal. I inspired another student to launch our Palm Beach chapter, where she independently recruited two local tennis academies. Her success proves our student-led model can be replicated. With 2 chapters, 19 partner facilities, 15 Sustainability Ambassadors, we have collected over 17,500 balls, diverting over 2,000 pounds from landfills. I am engaging my 200-member Key Club and 12 regional Key Clubs. Their national network offers a pathway to expand CourtCycle nationwide. I plan to involve high school tennis teams and environmental clubs. By sharing protocols, I can empower them to lead chapters, organize drives, and host fund-raisers. Leadership means making it easier for others to contribute. Through the Carnegie Challenge, I hope to empower the next generation of changemakers to love sport and serve the world.
