Department to Hold Free Youth Tennis Clinic

The department hold a free tennis clinic for kids, ages 6 to 18, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23, at the Byrd Park Tennis Complex on South Boulevard. 

     The clinic will introduce youth to the fundamentals of tennis using fun, innovative instructions. It is free of charge; however participants are asked to call 646-1208 or visit one of the department’s community centers to sign up for this clinic. Community center locations can be found at www.RichmondGov.com/parks or by calling 646-5733.  

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Youth Invited to Register for Tennis Tournament

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities invites boys and girls, ages six to eighteen, to register to participate in a tennis tournament, October 23 – 26 at the department’s Byrd Park Tennis Complex.

      Tournament matches will take place between 6 and 7:30 p.m., and the QuickStart format will be used for tournament players 6 years old to 8 years old. QuickStart Tennis uses a smaller court size and racquet, larger tennis balls and a lower net so that young children can learn to play and enjoy the game quickly.

     Tournament registration will take place at the department’s community centers or at the Blanton House, located at 700 Blanton Ave., and must be completed and submitted by Oct. 18. A birth certificate or school record will be required at registration as proof of age. The registration fee is only $10 per player and only money orders made payable to the City of Richmond will be accepted. In addition, a parental waiver form and the registration form must be completed to participate in the tournament.

     “We are especially interested in getting more young people involved in tennis,” said Norman C. Merrifield, department director. “Tennis is a life-time sport with health benefits. If you develop the sport as a young person, it can keep you active and bring you years of enjoyment throughout your life.”

      For more information on the tournament, call Victor Rizzi at (804) 646-1208. 

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City to Hold Youth Tennis Tournament

The department will hold a Richmond Youth Tennis Tournament at Byrd Park on August 17 – August 19.

      The tournament is for city resident boys and girls ages 8 to 18 who are novice or beginner players with no previous tournament experience. The purpose of the program is to introduce tournament play to youth who are new to the sport.

     The tournament will be played on Friday, August 17, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and continue on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and also on Sunday if necessary.

     Registration costs just $10 per player and requires a birth certificate or school record as proof of age and a utility bill for proof or residency. The deadline to register for the tournament is Monday, August 13.

     For more information or to register, call 804-901-5237.                                                                         ###

Help a Child Fall in Love with Tennis

Would you like to engage your child in an activity that will help keep them active and healthy, and that they may enjoy for a lifetime?  If so, the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities and the Healthy Richmond Campaign has the program for you. And best of all it’s free!  

     This Saturday, July 28, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the department will teach the exciting new QuickStart Tennis program at the Byrd Park Tennis Complex, located at South Boulevard and Blanton Avenue. This program will demonstrate to adults how they can teach tennis to children younger than age 10.

     QuickStart Tennis, developed by the United States Tennis Association, is a new way to teach children the game of tennis and to get them involved and enjoying the sport from the start. In Saturday’s program, expert instructors with the Richmond and U.S. Tennis Associations and the department’s athletic staff will teach you the skills you need to engage children in tennis using the QuickStart program. This program is perfect for parents, tennis instructors, tennis coaches or anyone who wants to share their love of tennis with children age 10 and younger.

     Space in Saturday’s free workshop is limited, so call 901-5237 to reserve your spot today or for more information.

Department Recognized for Tennis Programs

The department received the Community Outreach of the Year Award from the United States Tennis Association’s Virginia District at the organization’s annual meeting and awards luncheon held at the Country Club of Virginia on October 29.  Department Director Dr. Norman C. Merrifield and the department’s tennis program coordinator, Victor Rizzi, accepted the award on the behalf of the city and Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

     “We are extremely proud of this recognition,” said Dr. Merrifield. “Opening the doors for Richmond’s youth to play tennis is part of our mission to provide healthy, rewarding and even life-altering activities, and I would like to thank the Richmond Tennis Association for partnering with us to present these opportunities,” he said.

     In addition, the United States Tennis Association’s MidAtlantic Division has announced that it will present its Junior Tournament of the Year Award to Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities at its annual meeting and awards luncheon November 19 in Herndon, VA.

     Both awards recognize the department for hosting three low-cost junior tennis tournaments on the city’s tennis courts in Battery Park. The Battery Park Junior Open Tournaments were held in May, August and October as part of the USTA Virginia Grassroots Player Development program, specifically designed to make tournament opportunities available at low cost. Approximately 70 youth between the ages of 8 and 18 participated in each of the tournaments, which attracted many new tournament players and young players in the eight and under and ten and under age divisions.

     
To host the three tournaments, the department partnered with the Richmond Tennis Association, which provided volunteers to help staff the games as well as score cards and gifts for the players, which were funded by a MidAtlantic USTA grant. The tournaments were the first in many years to be hosted by the department at the Battery Park tennis courts, which were renovated by the department in 2008 following the destruction of Tropical Storm Gaston. 

City to Celebrate Tennis

The department in partnership with the Richmond Tennis Association will hold a Tennis Night in America celebration on Thursday, March 24, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Arthur Ashe Center.
Tennis Night in American is a national program of the United States Tennis Association to register youth for tennis classes with park and recreation departments and community centers throughout the month of March. It also introduces the new QuickStart Tennis program to the public.
QuickStart Tennis focuses on children age 10 and younger and uses smaller courts, larger rackets and bigger tennis balls so that children can quickly learn and enjoy the sport.
The Richmond event will include the opportunity for parents to register their children age 10 and younger for tennis classes, as well as games, clinics, prizes, free snacks, information on coaching and team management and fun for all. It is free to attend.