Our Story
From Tennis Waste to a Second Serve
Second Serve Sustainability began with a problem we saw firsthand as athletes: large numbers of tennis balls were being discarded after practices, matches, lessons, and tournaments, even when many still had value for training, beginner instruction, and community programs.
Founded by Nikhil Shah and Karsh Sinha in 2025, Second Serve Sustainability was created to build a practical system for collecting those balls and putting them back to use.
Turning an Idea into a System
Built Through Partnerships
Direct Leadership
Students manage outreach, collections, sorting, transportation, partnerships, and redistribution.
WHAT THE WORK HAS TAUGHT US
A Problem Hidden in Plain Sight
As players, we regularly saw tennis balls lose their usefulness for competitive play and get thrown away soon afterward. But a ball that no longer performs well in a match may still work for practice, drills, beginner instruction, physical education, or youth programs.
The problem was not always the condition of the balls. It was the lack of a simple system connecting organizations discarding them with people who could still use them.
We began reaching out to tennis clubs, schools, and programs, asking them to save used tennis balls rather than throw them away.
From there, our work became operational. Balls had to be collected, transported, counted, sorted, packaged, and matched with organizations that could use them. What started as a small student-led effort developed into a growing network of collection and redistribution partners.
Second Serve Sustainability has grown through partnerships with MKA Tennis, Centercourt Chatham, Centercourt Florham Park, and other organizations.
These partnerships make the model possible. Collection partners help prevent usable tennis balls from entering the waste stream, while schools, coaches, youth programs, and community organizations give those balls a continued purpose.
Together, these efforts have helped us collect more than 7,500 tennis balls and redistribute more than 5,250.
Building Second Serve Sustainability has shown us that identifying waste is only the first step. Reuse requires reliable partnerships, clear communication, storage, transportation, sorting, and consistent follow-through.
We have also learned that local action can grow when participation is simple. Clubs save their used tennis balls, our team coordinates collection and sorting, and recipient organizations give the balls a continued use.
Help Give Tennis Balls a Second Serve
Clubs, schools, coaches, students, and community organizations can all take part
LED BY STUDENTS, BUILT FOR CONTINUED GROWTH
A Dual Mission
Our work connects environmental sustainability with access to tennis and opportunity.
WHERE WE ARE GOING
A Practical Model
We focus on clear actions that clubs, schools, and volunteers can participate in and repeat.
We are working to expand our collection network, reach more schools and youth programs, and involve more student volunteers in collection, sorting, transportation, and redistribution.
As Second Serve Sustainability grows, we also hope to build a model that other tennis clubs, schools, and student groups can follow in their own communities. Our goal remains simple: reduce tennis waste, extend the life of usable equipment, and help more people access the sport.
