Get out your racquet and party!
Groveport Madison High School tennis coach Doug Ewart and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) invite community members of all ages to participate in a "Tennis Block Party" at the tennis courts at Groveport Madison High School, 4475 S. Hamilton Road, on May 29 from 3-7 p.m.
"The weather has turned nice and and it’s a great time to play a great sport. We want people to come out and enjoy tennis," said Ewart. "We’re looking for people of all ages who used to play tennis, people who are new players, and serious players who want to meet other players for a game."
The event is free and open to the public and will consist of tennis, interactive games and attractions, and the opportunity to learn and enjoy the benefits of the game. The event will debut the USTA’s innovative new play format called QuickStart Tennis, which was created to help children, age 10 and under, find success learning tennis from the first swing.
The Tennis Block Party will also include: a family fun zone where parents can teach their children the game in a non-competitive atmosphere; "Tennis 101" for new players; and competitive matches.
Additionally there will be ball machines where players can test their skills against the speed of the machine. There will be a limited number of racquets available for new players to use and t-shirts for the first 50 players to arrive.
Ewart, who has coached boys and girls tennis at Groveport Madison for 28 years, said tennis is great exercise and is a game that knows no age barriers.
"I love watching kids take up tennis and create a love for the sport," said Ewart. "It’s a family sport you can play all of your life."
Ewart said there will also be information available at the Tennis Block Party about Cruiser tennis camps for kids in grades 7-12 to be held June 16-19; and for kids age 12 and under to be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from June 16 to July 16.
"Plus we’ll have information about an adult evening open play program we’re developing for this summer," said Ewart.
Tennis at Groveport Madison, and in the community, has come a long way since the school first fielded a tennis team on the former courts (now the lower parking lot) behind Groveport Elementary in 1958. Now, besides tennis courts at the high school and Middle School South, there are also courts in the village of Groveport’s Degenhart Park.
Ewart said, while the tennis courts at the high school are in decent playing condition, district officials hope to resurface the courts sometime soon to improve the school’s tennis facility.
