MOUNT VERNON – One can feel the enthusiasm at Mount Vernon’s Summer Tennis Camp, held Wednesdays in June at the Memorial Park tennis courts. The total number of kids, from kindergarten through high school, in the camp this year is 166. That’s over 50 more than the previous best. These children aren’t just being led there by parents, desperate to fill their children’s long, empty void of summer vacation with fun and healthy activities, either. Much of the time the children were doing the leading.
The most excitement has come from Mount Vernon’s youngest tennis students. Recently, all of Mount Vernon’s kindergarteners and first-graders received a tennis racquet at no cost to their families. They were paid for by a $5,000 grant that tennis camp director and Mount Vernon girls varsity coach Steve Tier received from USTA Midwest. Tier and his fellow physical education teachers followed up with an introduction to tennis in the spring gym classes in each elementary school. That just whet young appetites for more tennis.
“A lot of their parents expressed their appreciation and said that their kids are so excited to do this, because they have a racket and they wanted to learn how to use it,” Tier said. “I think it was also due to the pandemic. Tennis was one of the few sports you could do with social distancing. This was one of the few things you could do and lots of people wanted to get out and do something. I think this is a follow through of that.”
Along with that, the USTA Midwest section sent Tier a diversity education grant for $1,000.
“That allowed me to give out 20 scholarships to take tennis lessons at our camp for kids who are from diverse populations,” Tier said.
Local tennis pros, coaches and former Mount Vernon varsity players are volunteering their time, instructing the kids in small groups and one on one. For the youngest and most eager, the wait was the longest.
“For the kindergarten, first- and second-graders, (Wednesday, June 16) was actually their first day of lessons,” Tier said. “It rained the whole day, two weeks ago and then last week it rained enough in the morning that we could not use the courts the first hour, when the younger kids were scheduled.”
Brooklyn Bruff of Mount Vernon, just short of her ninth birthday, is an eager learner.
“Well, I haven't really played tennis for two years and I wanted to get back into it again, so I decided to do it,” Bruff said. “I like everything about it. Just meeting everyone and learning new stuff.”
Right now, she rates the best part of her game as her forehand stroke. On Wednesday, however, she was learning the fine art of serving.
“The secret to serving is to bring the racket back so it feels like you're scratching your back,” Bruff explained. “Then, you just hit it up. If you hit it from the side, it's just going to bounce and go in the wrong direction.”
Colton Ball, 9, from Mount Vernon, showed a pretty strong forehand. He was also working on his serve.
“I like tennis -- especially hitting the ball,” he said. “When you serve, don't hit it from the side. Throw it up as high as you can.”
His advice to all kids playing tennis is plain and simple.
“The secret is to just try your best,” Ball said.
It may take years to perfect their tennis skills, but the most important thing that Tier and his instructors are giving to their young students to take home with them is a smile.
”When you talk to the kids after their lessons and they say they enjoy it and they smile, then that's the whole goal of this camp,” Tier said.
