Tennis Topics
Published: June 10, 2009, Richmond Tennis Association website
Opportunities abound on the court for juniors this summer
by John Packett, RTA Staff Writer
So you watched Roger Federer win the French Open and you wondered how he learned that fantastic backhand.
Or you caught a glimpse of Serena Williams and her powerful forehand before she was knocked out of the French in the third round.
Now you'd like to practice your own backhands and forehands, and maybe test yourself on the court against someone else.
Well, there's every opportunity for juniors to do that this summer in the Richmond area, from learning the game to competitive tournaments.
In addition, many clubs and schools around town have week-long camps that are available for all ages and abilities.
It all starts with QuickStart Tennis, a brainchild of the U.S. Tennis Association to help kids 8 to 10-and-under learn and play the game.
The children are divided into two groups: 8-under and 10-under. The size of the court is smaller than regulation, and the net is lower, too, giving them a better chance to succeed. Racquets are smaller and the balls are either foam or a lower-compression version.
There are only seven points in a game for the 8-under group, which plays best of three games. The 10-under division plays best-of-three sets, with the first one to win four games declared the winner of a set. In the third set, the first player to win seven points takes the match.
"The whole focus is to get these kids, not just taking lessons and stuff, but actually trying to have a little fun and play," said Eddie Parker, co-owner and head pro at Raintree Swim and Racquet Club, which held a QuickStart session last Friday.
"They may only get one or two balls over the net but it gives them a chance to keep score. I think it's a really good way to get started.
"I saw a little kid yesterday in Ukrops, and he was all sweaty. His mom was with him. He goes, ‘I played in the tournament Friday.' So I say to him, ‘That's great, but why are you sweating so much?' And he goes, ‘because I've been practicing. I want to get better for the next one.'
"I thought that was really neat. It gets them excited for the next one, even though we give all of them medals just for playing."
The next step is a one-day tournament, which is run by the Association of Richmond Tennis Professionals.
The first one of the summer was held last Saturday at Raintree, and Hermitage Country Club is hosting the second one this Saturday.
"The reason we have the one-day tournaments is parents and kids can have something to do for three-four hours," Parker said. "They don't have to spend the whole day or a whole weekend somewhere. They don't have to travel too far and stay overnight."
Neither QuickStart nor the one-day tournaments require membership in the USTA but the McDonald's Junior Series does. That series begins with an L5 satellite event at Raintree on Monday and is open to boys and girls 12, 14, 16, and 18 age groups.
There are two more this summer at Burkwood Recreation Association (June 22-26) and Hermitage (July 6-10).
Three novice tournaments are also part of the McDonald's Series. Those are open only to players with no rankings and are basically for kids getting their feet wet in tourney play. They are at Midlothian Tennis Club (July 1-4), Woodlake Swim and Racquet Club (July 13-17) and Salisbury CC (July 27-31).
There's also a Richmond Junior Suburban League composed of teams from clubs in the area that play matches during the summer and fall. These offer teams for bantam (younger) and intermediate (older) kids, who also fall into the unranked category.
"These are about the same level as the one-day tournaments," said Parker. "It's important to be on a team and see what that feels like."
Scott Steinour, director of racquet sports at Salisbury, put together a Suburban team for ranked players this spring and plans another one in the fall.
"I took it a step further here in the South Side," said Steinour. "We had five clubs involved. A lot of my kids [at Salisbury] are not qualified for the intermediate division because they have rankings, so I decided to have one for kids with rankings.
"We just finished up last week and we're going to do it again this fall. If somebody on the other side of the river wants to have a division like that, we'll be glad to have a playoff with them."
The final group of tournaments is for advanced juniors. One of those is this weekend at four area locations. The Mid-Atlantic #3, an L1 category event, will be held at the Dominion Club (boys 16), Salisbury (boys 18), Willow Oaks CC (girls 16) and Woodlake (girls 18) from Saturday-Monday.
These L1 tournaments are worth a look by aspiring juniors, who can watch some of the area's best players in action. Who knows, you might find yourself good enough to take part in one of these events one day. And it all begins with the QuickStart program.
So if you're looking for something to do this summer, don't wait any longer. Find a tournament or a Suburban League team near you and sign up.