A program aimed at sparking a love for tennis in area youth is returning for a sixth year in 2024.
Tennis 4 Kids was cofounded by instructor Brian Clarke, and the late Justin Bourassa. It teaches kids aged five to 12 the fundamentals of the game of tennis, using a "progressive" approach.
Clarke said the method works very well, and helps the children stay engaged in the game.
"The size of the court, height of the net and length of the racket is proportional to the child," said Clarke. "As an example, at St. Matthew school, we have a court for five and six-year-olds, seven and eight, nine and ten, and eleven and twelve. As they age, they move on to a bigger court. The five or six-year-old is hitting a ball over an 18 inch high net rather than a 36 inch high net. They have a racket that's maybe 16 inches long, and a big foam ball. They get immediate success, and they progress from there."
Clarke said there's no doubt the program has been impacted by the COVID pandemic.
"Essentially, we almost went two years without hitting a tennis ball because we weren't allowed to be in the schools," he said.
Clarke notes they went nearly two years without being able to hit a tennis ball, but they're gaining more and more popularity.
"The first year we did it, we had 24 kids, and when we finished in April of this year we had 147. So, it's really growing in popularity. One of the advantages of tennis is you only need two people, rackets, balls and a public tennis court and away you go."
Clarke said registration is now open for the 2024 winter program.
It's held every Saturday at St. Matthew Catholic School in Sarnia, starting on January 13. There are three sessions with four dates each.
The cost is $30 per session, and you can pay by emailing t4ktennisforkids@gmail.com.
Clarke said Tennis 4 Kids also visits local elementary schools during gym class, and they have some special single day events.
He said there's also a focus on sportsmanship and tennis etiquette.
Those interested in learning more can visit www.t4ksarnia.com.