Tennis 101 – Learn the lingo
Ace: A ball that is served so well the opponent cannot touch it with his or her racquet.
Lob: A stroke that lifts the ball high in the air, usually over the head of the opponent at the net.
Volley: During play, a stroke made by hitting the ball before it has touched the ground.
SOURCE: USTA (United States Tennis Association)
Carrie Thomas knew right away that her son Nathaniel had found his sport.
“He’s been carrying that racket around the house all week,” the Dayton mom said, smiling. “He just struts around with it.”
Nathaniel, 12, is one of the young players enrolled in the Grand Slam Youth Tennis Camp at Jim Nichols Tennis Center, 2424 Ridge Ave., Dayton. The program is a joint effort between KTC/Quail Tennis Club and the City of Dayton Recreation and Youth Services with support from the Ohio Valley Tennis Association.
KTC/Quail includes both the Kettering Tennis Center and the Quail Run Racquet Club.
KTC/Quail head pro Sandy Thurman has been a driving force behind the program that is open to Dayton children 6-13, as well as aspiring players from around the Miami Valley.
“It’s a chance to provide a fun activity and also introduce them to a lifetime sport,” Thurman said. “I’ve had parents tell me their child couldn’t wait to get back to tennis the next day. That’s a big plus.”
Another big plus is the price tag, as two weeks of tennis (five nights a week) taught by United States Tennis Association-certified instructors, rings up at just $50. That includes a new racket for each participant and snacks each night.
“At that price point, if she didn’t like it, we didn’t lose much,” Derrick Wright said of his daughter Ava.
Ava, however — who has tried other sports as well as dance — loved her time on the court.
“I think this sport is really geared for her personality,” Wright said.
From improved coordination and developing character to making new friends, tennis provides physical, psychological and social benefits. Instructor Marissa Anderson can attest to the camaraderie aspect. The Northmont High School senior, and likely Thunderbolts first singles player, got her start in a similar city youth program when she was just 6.
“I was a really shy kid. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do this, but I made friends here,” Anderson said. “I’m still friends with some of them today.”
The program received initial financial support from the Jack Heinz Memorial Tennis Fund, designed to help kids play tennis who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
“And we’d like to identify the kids who have a desire to keep playing and help them continue after the summer at an indoor club with a scholarship,” said J.P. Heinz, manager of KTC Quail.
It’s not too late to get into the program, as there are two more sessions available – July 5-15 and July 18-29. For information, call 937-333-8400.
“We don’t want to be the best kept secret,” Thurman said. “We want to grow this program and keep it going.”
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