Youth tennis camp planned in Brownstown

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BROWNSTOWN

The nearly 50 boys and girls who attended a tennis camp in Brownstown last year loved it.

Organizers decided to serve it up again this year and hope to net similar results.

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Midwest Youth Team Tennis will offer the camp for children in kindergarten through ninth grade in three different sessions June 3 through 7 at the Brownstown Central High School tennis courts.

Kindergarten through second grade will have camp from 9 to 9:45 a.m., followed by grades 3 through 5 from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and grades 6 through 9 from 11 to 11:45 a.m.

“Ultimately, the success of last year’s camp was our deciding factor,” said Jane Weisman, the physical education teacher and tennis coach at Brownstown Central Middle School.

High school coaches Erik Stangland and Mitchell Taylor, elementary PE teacher Jennifer Schneider and middle and high school tennis players who helped thought the campers gained a lot of tennis knowledge while having a blast, Weisman said.

“We want to build the sport of tennis in Brownstown, and this camp is a great way to do just that,” she said.

Following the U.S. Tennis Association Youth Tennis play format, participants will use smaller courts, shorter rackets and lower bouncing balls so they achieve greater physical activity and feel successful at tennis right from the start.

“Since this is a beginner’s camp, we try to help the kids master the basics: How to hold the racket, ready position, basic forehand and backhand strokes,” Weisman said. “While they won’t leave camp ready for the pros, most learn a great deal that would help them if they decided to join the middle school team or just play with their family and friends. We also stressed the importance of fitness with our daily warmups.”

Online registration is available at midwestteamtennis.com through Friday. The cost is $55, which includes a team T-shirt, an age-appropriate racket, a ball and a goody bag. Participants will pick up equipment at camp.

To get kids excited about the camp, USTA representative Cameron Benjamin recently visited Brownstown Elementary School to run students through some tennis drills.

Weisman said most of the campers last year were elementary students. She also hopes to draw middle school students to the camp since she is teaching the sport to them thanks to USTA’s Net Generation grant that provided them with free tennis rackets for PE classes.

“Many of my students at BCMS will ask me about trying out for the tennis team, but they are worried because they’ve never played before,” Weisman said. “I encourage them to come out anyway, but some don’t. I hope this camp will give all those young kids the confidence to try tennis and maybe even join the BCMS team.”

She said she loves seeing kids excited about tennis.

“I enjoyed playing it with family and friends when I was a kid and still do to this day,” she said. “I want to see these kids so happy and enthusiastic about tennis after this camp that they come out for the middle school and high school tennis teams.”

Since she considers tennis a fun, lifelong sport that people can play almost anywhere with almost anyone, Weisman encourages local youth to sign up for the camp.

“If you learn how to play tennis now, you can enjoy the game for the rest of your life,” she said. “Unlike some sports that require lots of equipment or lots of people to play with, tennis just requires a racket, a couple tennis balls and a friend, which results in hours of fun.”

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What: Brownstown Youth Team Tennis camp

When: June 3 through 7 (kindergarten through second grade from 9 to 9:45 a.m., grades 3 through 5 from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and grades 6 through 9 from 11 to 11:45 a.m.)

Where: Tennis courts at Brownstown Central High School, 500 N. Elm St., Brownstown (if it rains, camp will be in the gymnasium at Brownstown Central Middle School, 520 W. Walnut St., Brownstown)

Cost: $55 (includes a team T-shirt, an age-appropriate racket, a ball and a goody bag; participants will pick up equipment at camp)

Deadline: Register online at midwestteamtennis.com by Friday

Information: Jane Weisman at 812-498-0917 or [email protected]

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