TB McPherson’s pilot program offers a new tennis opportunity in East Gainesville

A new safe and fun way for kids and adults to learn about tennis has made its way to eastern Gainesville.

Children participating in the TB McPherson Pilot program listened closely to head coach Christopher Champion as they learned new games and exercises to improve their tennis skills. After warming up, the children go to court, practice serving, and fly while making new friends with their classmates.

Play Tennis Gainesville hosts a six-week pilot program at TB McPherson Park for kids and adults to learn tennis from the start. The course does not require equipment and is aimed at new players or beginners with little tennis experience.

The program is designed to bring tennis to those who would not otherwise have access to it, in the eastern Gainesville community, and to allow beginners to learn in a safe environment. The program also aims to be affordable for students and is priced at $ 50 for six-week lessons U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Florida website.

“As we try to branch out here into the Eastside and expand, I hope it offers kids more opportunities to learn about tennis,” said tennis manager Ebony Wiggins. “Especially if they saw it on TV before and wondered if they would like to play, but it may not have been available to them or the parents don’t have the resources to do it.”

Because sports are now available to more children, a foundation can be created for those children who eventually start and continue their tennis careers. The program also offers children and adults the opportunity to practice in the evening.

“We especially hope we can inspire and encourage black male youth in our area to participate, as we have a huge opportunity to introduce them to a more wonderful sport,” said Jamar Hebert, founder / chairman and chairman of 100 Black Men of Greater. Florida GNV Inc.

Hebert also highlighted many aspects of tennis that benefit both children and adults, such as social benefits and exercise skills.

“Like all sports, it’s much more rewarding to start at a younger age,” said Methodist University tennis player Jill Lawrence, who has been playing since she was 6 years old. “You’ll learn most of your motor development skills at a younger age and you’ll become much more flexible.”

The program also aims to get participants to have fun while they learn the basics of the game. Parents and guardians have emphasized their appreciation for the program and what it has already taught their children.

“She’s already learning to socialize with other kids and the discipline that listening really requires,” said Romona Jackson, whose 2-year-old godson is participating in the program.

“I just want him to have fun. I want him to learn about the sport as much as he can,” said Latashia Brimm, whose granddaughter learns about tennis. “So hopefully she can use it later, too.”

The 2021 TB McPherson Pilot program has three different programs: red ball tennis for children ages 2 to 8, orange ball tennis for children ages 9 to 14, and a Love to Learn adult clinic for people who have never played sports before.

“I would just like to awaken a lifelong love for the sport,” said Geetha Velusamy, who teaches Play Tennis Gainesville courses. “We especially talk about the love of learning and people who start later in their lives and who find their age sometimes scary. I just want to show them that it’s fun no matter what skill level you are at. “

The program uses a new curriculum called the Net Generation curriculum created by USTA National, whose subset is Play Tennis Gainesville. The curriculum focuses on letting users have fun while creating community and skills.

The program is a collaboration with Aces in Motion and 100 black men from GNC Inc. of Greater Florida. The plan was drawn up after the June 12 event, when members of the organizations believed the program was finally possible.

“Without their support, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” said Christopher Champion, main tennis professional at Play Tennis Gainesville. “We are very grateful for their partnership because it allows us to expand our tennis connection bandwidth in this community.”

The program has received attention through word of mouth advertising and social media, and has garnered more than 30 players since the program began.

“My mother is really connected to the whole community, and through those connections, she learned about the program and wrote her grandchildren in it,” Jones, who has three children participating in the program, told Airre.