Have you admired Serena and Venus Williams for their game or maybe just their cute outfits? Maybe you’re looking for a sport you can participate in no matter your age, or for a socialization activity that gets you out of the house and also helps improve your health.
Then, you might check out tennis this summer during the free McAdams National Junior Tennis Program. It kicks off this week at the McAdams Tennis Courts in Wichita.
Even though the camp name includes “junior,” it’s for players of all ages and all experience levels. The spring sessions are on Tuesdays from May 13 to 29. The summer session runs from June 3 to July 24 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Classes in both sessions are from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.
They break participants down by age and skill levels, so there’s a place for everyone to fit in.
There’s also two free intensive week-long summer camps for those who are more committed to learning or mastering the game. Those sessions are from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Monday thru Friday. Session one is from June 2 to 6 and session two is from June 9 to 13.
If you don’t have a racquet, it’s a small investment. You can purchase a beginners level racquet from WalMart or any local sporting goods store for less than $20. If that’s a stretch, a few racquets are available for use at each session.
The classes will be taught by Alex Lee, Ron Thomas and Avon DeGrafenread. All three are great players and official United State Tennis Association instructors. A great win for the more accomplished players – Lee is the coach for Friends University women’s and men’s tennis team.
Thanks to names like Serena and Venus Williams and newer standout Coco Gauff, tennis is growing in popularity in the Black community, even though for decades, it’s been offered pockets for socialization and exercise in inner-city.
Across the country, you can find and make friends around tennis in community parks like McAdams Park in Wichita and MLK Park in Kansas City. Many of those organizations offer tennis programs as a way to introduce youth and adults to the game they love.
In Wichita, the free lessons date back more than 50 years to Coach Goose Doughty who began teaching students the game of tennis and life at t L’Overture Elementary, across the street from the McAdams Park tennis courts. From his effort, generations of students have gone on to attend college on tennis scholarships and others have found a game they can enjoy for life.
Lee, Thomas, DeGrafenread and members of the McAdams Tennis community have worked to continue his legacy and haven’t missed a year offering the program since Doughty died in 2013.
