Comet girls’ tennis offer clinic 26.-29.6

The Halifax County High School girls tennis program will hold a tennis clinic from the 26th to the 29th. June 8:30-10:30 a.m. for girls in sixth grade or older at the HCHS tennis courts.

The clinic will be taught by varsity tennis head coach Donna Hudson and assistant coaches Ronnie Roller and Sandy Slayton, as well as several Comet players. Guidance is also available for adults who want to learn to play for exercise and stress relief.

The coaches and players on the girls team work with you to teach you how to play competitive tennis, Hudson said. Beginners focus only on basic strokes for the forehand and backhand.

After four days of practice, beginners can hit the ball back and forth in five- or six-shot rallies. As long as they could at the end of the week [you can] go play a couple of games with each other and build confidence.

Hudson said the clinic is aimed at the sixth grade and up age group to attract older students to the Comet tennis program.

So they can follow up and come in the fall, Hudson said. In the fall we have an open field two or three days a week where they can play until they are old enough to try jayvee.

Hudson said past clinics have typically had a 1-3, 1-4 instructor-to-student ratio, so personal attention is more readily available and he sees that happening here.

Hudson said tennis is a great sport to learn, even if it’s your first attempt at any sport ever.

If you’ve never played a sport but think you might be interested, tennis is a great place to start, Hudson said. This is quite personal attention; not scary at all. People don’t happen very much and we can just start with the basic skills and very quickly people progress to the point where they can feel their confidence increase with it. Every day on the field they feel a little better.

A perfect example of players being able to catch on quickly was his Comets team over the past two years.

All girls play under two years. Last year we had almost all new players, we had one player with experience. And the others came along well enough to be very competitive, Hudson said.

The cost of the clinic is $50, which you can bring on the first day. Call 575-2011 with the name of the vacancy and the class you are in at the beginning of the new year.

Participants should dress properly, bring bottled water and sunscreen.

Tennis rackets are provided if you don’t have your own.