Admittedly, I don't closely follow the USTA's efforts to get kids involved in tennis early. I know there's some brou-ha-ha going on currently about changes to the 10-and-under programs, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. I do, however, know a good idea when I see it. And the Amesbury, MA high school tennis team has come up with a brilliant idea to grow the tennis among kids in their town. The tennis team and it's coach has itself become an under-10 program and is conducting free weekly clinics for elementary kids. Several local moms kicked in to purchase the necessary equipment, and five of the girls on the team and their coach hold the clinics at the elementary school gym every Tuesday afternoon. When I was a kid, football was the sport every boy wanted to play and the girls all wanted to be volleyball stars. The high school players were our heroes. We went to the high school games, knew all the players, and aspired to be like them in our own pickup game...
Random tennis musings from a random tennis player.