It’s fall and many kids’ outdoor sports are done. You know what that means—they’ll be climbing the walls in no time. You can introduce them to a sport that’s great for kids to play both indoors during cold weather and outdoors when it’s nice: tennis!
Tennis is a fun sport for all ages, and kids can start learning when they’re young. It involves LOTS of movement and teaches kids to use all parts of their body in a coordinated way. Plus, they’ll learn how to how to act and interact with others in a competitive environment.
Both of my kids play tennis—in fact, my son started attending local clinics when he was five and truly loves every minute of it. My daughter has been playing since the spring and told me recently that she wants to play every day. Needless to say, I hang out at tennis courts a lot. And I love how it’s a great sport for both boys and girls and can be enjoyed by kids as young as 5.
The Beaver Valley Tennis Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help promote tennis in Beaver County, offers six-week tennis clinics in the fall, winter and spring for kids ages 5 and up. The BVTA holds INDOOR tennis clinics, divided into age groups, at the Beaver Valley Recreational Facility at Brady’s Run Park (it’s the same building as the ice arena) most Saturdays during the fall, winter and spring. The clinics are organized into 6-week sessions, with the next session beginning November 9 and running through December 14.
The age groups and times are:
- Beginners, ages 5-8, play from 1-2 p.m.
- Intermediates, ages 9-12, play from 2-3 p.m.
- Challengers, ages 10-15, play from 3-4 p.m.
- High School players from 4-5:30 p.m
The sessions last for six weeks.
Each clinic for each age group includes:
- A warm up
- Skill instruction—learning forehand, backhand, volleying, and some serving with the older kids
- Drills and games that are designed to keep kids moving
- Even some matchplay!
For the younger kids, foam and low-compression balls are used because they move more slowly, bounce lower and don’t travel as far. Kids also use smaller racquets. These age-appropriate changes all add up to real progress for the kids—it’s common to see a 6-year-old who comes into his first clinic not knowing how to hold a racquet, who leaves an hour later able to hit the ball over the net using a backhand stroke!
The head pro, Ron Fodor, runs the clinics. He’s played on the pro circuit, and there is no better tennis instructor anywhere! It’s clear he really enjoys teaching kids and connects with them. He’s assisted by several other tennis instructors, and they are all certified to teach kids’ tennis.
If you’d like your child to play in the next session, you must pre-register! No registration will be taken at the door. Call Coach Ron Fodor at 724-561-9585 to sign up. You can pay at the door and if your child doesn’t have a tennis racquet, one will be provided. Be sure to mention Macaroni Kid when you call!
Beaver Valley Tennis Association Clinics
Next session: November 9-December 14
Ages 5-up
Must pre-register to attend by calling 724-561-9585.
