PUHI — The only thing players need are tennis shoes, said Carolyn Lum, the United States Tennis Association Kaua‘i coordinator. “We provide everything else — the tennis rackets and balls,” Lum said while helping coach Ernie Blachowiak at the Wednesday
PUHI — The only thing players need are tennis shoes, said Carolyn Lum, the United States Tennis Association Kaua‘i coordinator.
“We provide everything else — the tennis rackets and balls,” Lum said while helping coach Ernie Blachowiak at the Wednesday meeting of the USTA Play to Learn class.
Lum said there is still room for a few more players at both the Kaua‘i Community College and the Hanapepe sites that meet twice a week through part of August.
Enrollment is based on $5 per class because some students might not be able to come once school starts, Lum said.
The KCC tennis court classes, led by Blachowiak, meet Mondays and Wednesdays for two sessions each day.
From 3 to 4 p.m., Blachowiak works with novice and beginners, and 4 to 5 p.m. is set aside for the more experienced and older players.
Hanapepe, led by instructor Tammy Quinlan, meets on Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 4:30 p.m.
During the Wednesday class, Megan Lekrone was enjoying her first day on the courts, deftly handling the balls being tossed to her.
“She’s got good hand-eye coordination,” her mother said from the shade of the stands at mid-court.
Lum said the USTA has both the Quickstart and Play to Learn programs to get players introduced to the sport, but on Kaua‘i, most of the kids already have the basics and are familiar with tennis courts, so this year, she opted to go with the Play to Learn program which gives the players more hands-on time with the racket and ball.
Interested players can simply visit the courts during the scheduled meetings and pick up registration forms. Another option is to call Lum at 245-9661 and she can e-mail an application.
Players on the court range from first-timer Lekrane to high school standouts Sam Dunham and Jeremy Randolph-Flagg, both solid players for Island School during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season.
Joining the pair were April Oo, entering Island School as a freshman when school starts, and Cory Kashima, heading to Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama as a freshman.
The quartet was involved in hitting drills requiring a variety of strokes using the full court, while Blachowiak worked with younger players in hitting exercises, turning to watch the more experienced players.
“Tennis is alive and well,” the coach said, smiling.
