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Duke Athletics Announces Partnership with ReBounce
2/12/2026 2:30:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Athletics has partnered with nonprofit ReBounce to repurpose used tennis balls, diverting them from landfills to local schools, nursing homes and animal shelters.
"The ReBounce initiative with Duke Athletics is truly sustainability in action: diverting waste and sending resources back into the Durham community," said Imani Dorsey, Climate and Sustainability Coordinator for Duke Athletics. "In alignment with the Duke climate commitment, athletics continues to solve operational
challenges with sustainable solutions, proving that performance and conservation can coexist seamlessly."
Through the first six months of Duke's partnership with ReBounce, which began September 2025, roughly 2,000 tennis balls have already been sent to community partners.
Used tennis balls are collected in bins, which hold around 300 balls each and take about two months to fill. Duke tennis has been filling three bins: one at Ambler Tennis Stadium and two at Sheffield Tennis Center.
The used tennis balls support several community partners. At area schools, they are used as the feet of chairs and desks at all grade levels, as well as for playing purposes at elementary and middle schools. In nursing homes, they are used as the feet of furniture and walkers. At local pet shelters, they are repurposed as toys for dogs.
Duke was the first higher education institution to partner with ReBounce. Since the partnership began, five other universities and several regional tennis facilities have formed partnerships of their own.
"I was very excited to start Duke's partnership with ReBounce," said Mike Westfall, Assistant Director of Athletics Facilities and Projects. "I always wondered what we should do with all the left-over tennis balls we accumulate throughout the season instead of throwing them out. As I was in the process of coming up with a solution, ReBounce reached out and presented their mission. It aligned perfectly with our sustainability efforts and allows us to positively impact the surrounding community in a way we didn't know was possible."
Westfall added that "Duke was the first university to partner with them, and they have since expanded to more universities. Our coaches are very pleased with the process, and the ability to give back to the local communities by growing the game and helping those in need."
For nearly 20 years, Duke Athletics has been building momentum around climate and sustainability, strengthening its commitment through more focused and comprehensive action in recent years.
In April 2025, Duke Athletics launched the Athletics Climate Team (ACT), an interdepartmental group focused on aligning Athletics with the University's Climate Commitment.
For more information on ReBounce, visit ReBounce | Support Recycling Now. To learn more about Duke Athletics Climate and Sustainability efforts, visit Climate & Sustainability.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's and women's tennis, follow the teams on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN & Duke MTEN". Â
#GoDuke
Â
"The ReBounce initiative with Duke Athletics is truly sustainability in action: diverting waste and sending resources back into the Durham community," said Imani Dorsey, Climate and Sustainability Coordinator for Duke Athletics. "In alignment with the Duke climate commitment, athletics continues to solve operational
challenges with sustainable solutions, proving that performance and conservation can coexist seamlessly."
Through the first six months of Duke's partnership with ReBounce, which began September 2025, roughly 2,000 tennis balls have already been sent to community partners.
Used tennis balls are collected in bins, which hold around 300 balls each and take about two months to fill. Duke tennis has been filling three bins: one at Ambler Tennis Stadium and two at Sheffield Tennis Center.
The used tennis balls support several community partners. At area schools, they are used as the feet of chairs and desks at all grade levels, as well as for playing purposes at elementary and middle schools. In nursing homes, they are used as the feet of furniture and walkers. At local pet shelters, they are repurposed as toys for dogs.
Duke was the first higher education institution to partner with ReBounce. Since the partnership began, five other universities and several regional tennis facilities have formed partnerships of their own.
"I was very excited to start Duke's partnership with ReBounce," said Mike Westfall, Assistant Director of Athletics Facilities and Projects. "I always wondered what we should do with all the left-over tennis balls we accumulate throughout the season instead of throwing them out. As I was in the process of coming up with a solution, ReBounce reached out and presented their mission. It aligned perfectly with our sustainability efforts and allows us to positively impact the surrounding community in a way we didn't know was possible."
Westfall added that "Duke was the first university to partner with them, and they have since expanded to more universities. Our coaches are very pleased with the process, and the ability to give back to the local communities by growing the game and helping those in need."
For nearly 20 years, Duke Athletics has been building momentum around climate and sustainability, strengthening its commitment through more focused and comprehensive action in recent years.
In April 2025, Duke Athletics launched the Athletics Climate Team (ACT), an interdepartmental group focused on aligning Athletics with the University's Climate Commitment.
For more information on ReBounce, visit ReBounce | Support Recycling Now. To learn more about Duke Athletics Climate and Sustainability efforts, visit Climate & Sustainability.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's and women's tennis, follow the teams on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWTEN & Duke MTEN". Â
#GoDuke
Â
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