Over 400 students from Hampstead Hill Academy enjoyed a taste of tennis at today's school outing in Patterson Park. Staff and volunteers from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) showed up in force to introduce students to this engaging sport.
Students participated in a variety of drills that got them smiling and excited about the game. USTA's "10 and Under Tennis" initiative, using the QuickStart Tennis play format, uses balls that are easier to hit, smaller rackets, and smaller courts than adult tennis. All of this equals more fun and less frustration.
Next school year a partnership between USTA, Friends of Patterson Park, and the Baltimore Curriculum Project will bring tennis to all four BCP schools through physical education, after school clubs, and an intramural tennis league planned for spring 2012.
We would like to thank Marc Kantrowitz (President, USTA Mid-Atlantic/Maryland), Lynn Gertzog (Tennis Service Representative, USTA Mid-Atlantic/Maryland), Geri Swann (Community Outreach Coordinator, Hampstead Hill Academy), Tim Almaguer (Executive Director, Friends of Patterson Park), Katie Long (Recreational/Program Coordinator, Friends of Patterson Park), and all of the USTA staff and volunteers for making this event possible.