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.
The Beaver Valley Tennis Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help promote tennis in Beaver County, offers five-week tennis clinics in the fall, winter and spring for kids ages 5 and up. These INDOOR tennis clinics, divided into age groups, are held the Beaver Valley Recreational Facility at Brady’s Run Park (it’s the same building as the ice arena). All the instructors are certified to teach kids' tennis.The clinics are organized into 5-week sessions, with the next session beginning Saturday, October 17 and running through November 14. Each 5-week session is $50.
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 ($75 per 5-week session)
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 rackets. 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 racket, who leaves an hour later able to hit the ball over the net using a backhand stroke! This just happened with a couple of kids who started the beginner session and now are moving on to the intermediate class.
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 Duane Hardek at 412-607-3544 to sign up or if you have questions. You can pay at the door and if your child doesn’t have a tennis racket, one will be provided.
Beaver Valley Tennis Association Clinics
Next session: October 17-November 14
Ages 5-up
Must pre-register to attend by calling 412-607-3544.
