PUHI — Lani Rae Green will be in Waimea today. Carolyn Lum, local tennis coordinator for the United States Tennis Association, said Green will be joined by Lei Lani Magee of the Hawaiian Isles Tennis and Brad Lum Tucker, a
PUHI — Lani Rae Green will be in Waimea today.
Carolyn Lum, local tennis coordinator for the United States Tennis Association, said Green will be joined by Lei Lani Magee of the Hawaiian Isles Tennis and Brad Lum Tucker, a former Kaua‘i High School tennis player and coach, in working with the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i, Waimea Clubhouse.
The group was part of the Hawai‘i Healing Garden Kaua‘i Festival expo that unfolded on the grounds of the Kilohana Plantation, Saturday, and were hosting a steady stream of young players throughout its tenure.
“The goal is to get young people involved in playing tennis,” Lum said. During last year’s outing at the Kilauea site, the lawn tennis setup proved popular, and its re-appearance in Puhi proved just as popular as prospective players, young and old, stopped by to get hands-on experience with the special rackets and oversized balls on a measured-out course set up on the grass outside the pavilion.
Sarah Kukino joined her mother in working with interested young players last year, and on Saturday, Shay Orial, recent winner of the Kiahuna Doubles Tournament during the Koloa Plantation Days, and Lani Rae Green were the Kaua‘i celebrity players that worked with interested players.
Magee, who was recently honored with the 2009 Special Recognition Community Service Award by the United States Professional Tennis Association, said Hawaiian Isles Tennis is the first informational portal and provides a communication network for Hawai‘i’s tennis fans.
A flier available at the expo states that the Web site offers news, events, photos, video, directory and a forum. It describes the site as a free Hawai‘i-based members-only, non-anonymous Web environment with secure communications.
“This gives everyone in tennis communication tools,” Magee said. “When the group goes to Waimea, it will be under the Play Tennis program that strives to make tennis accessible to anyone.
Magee said she has two goals in Waimea. The first is to train adults so they can impart their knowledge of the game to the young players, and secondly, to open up the game of tennis to young students between the ages of 7 and 17 years old.
For more information, visit www.hitennis.net.
