GPTL breaks ground at Maple Street Park
Greater Pottstown Tennis & Learning (GPTL) recently broke ground at the tennis courts at the public park at 1442 Maple Street in Pottstown. In partnership with United States Tennis Association (USTA) Foundation, the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation and the Pottstown Park and Recreation Department the two existing courts will be resurfaced and a third court added to the six-acre park.
GPTL is naming the new courts after founding father Jim Corum, who introduced community tennis programs to the Pottstown Park and Recreation Association.
“I could have never believed that the little community organization I founded in the 1990s would grow into the national organization that it is today,” said Corum.
GPTL is part of a network of National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Chapters supported by the USTA Foundation, the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA). With the mission of bringing together the powerful combination of tennis and education to change the lives of under-resourced youth, the USTA Foundation utilizes financial grants, scholarship opportunities, curricula, technical assistance and training to make a lasting difference in the communities served with a primary focus to develop Members of Greater Pottstown Tennis & Learning recently broke ground on the redevelopment of courts at the Maple Street Park in Pottstown. Pictured from left: Chrissy Sinatra (Development Director), founder Jim Corum, who the courts will be named after, Brian McGhee (Director of Tennis), Karen Canuso (Community Coordinator), Dave Faulkner (President of Board), Lauren Perez-Bralski (Operations Manager), Maryellen Wilson (Administrator Manager), Chris Herdelin (Director of Analytics & Outreach) and Kerriann Herdelin (Executive Director).
and ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the NJTL Network. Revitalizing parks is part of the mission to promote community tennis.
Kerriann Herdelin, the Executive Director of GPTL, has expanded the programs over the last decade by constructing yearround tennis clinics and summer camps at a variety of schools, parks and townships in the region. “At Maple Street, we will finally have a home where we will establish a Tennis & Education Center that can be a hub for community tennis and afterschool enrichment activities. Our vision is to improve the quality of life for children and adults
in the Greater Pottstown area using tennis as a tool to mentor both on and off the court,” said Herdelin.
The mission of GPTL is to mentor life skills, healthy behaviors and learning through tennis. GPTL coaches reach over 800 kids at the Pottstown School District with free after-school programs and provide free Adaptive Tennis to children with special needs. GPTL awards 100 scholarships to Pottstown students to clinics, summer camps, leagues and private lessons in an effort to create a diverse and inclusive environment.