Return the Love

Everyone has a story about how great tennis use to be in Madison County. NFCC Coach Louis Thompson had a tremendous amount to do with the sport. He coached a lot of folks, maybe even some of you reading this blog.

The wonderful thing about "10 and under tennis" is kids can play the sport at a younger age. With smaller courts and smaller rackets, everything's suited to a kid's level.

Tennis doesn't have to be a sport of the past. It can be a sport included in Madison County's future.

If you're a parent of a child who'd like to learn tennis or you grew up enjoying the sport, get involved and register to attend this awesome workshop: http://www.florida.usta.com/CommunityTennis/tennis_workshops/.

Return the Love! It's what Coach Thompson would want us to do... Serena, Venus, John McEnroe,  Roger Federer and Ben Stiller too!

(Thanks Madison Voice for posting the workshop flyer online!)

Spread the Love in North Florida

Getty Images - USTA.com

Ten and under tennis continues spreading around the world! In fact, First Lady Michelle Obama showed just how popular the sport is by playing on a kid-sized court just before the start of the 2012 London Olympics with the big fat nerf-like ball adults have come to LOVE!

Who can play the sport? Kids and kids-at-heart like the First Lady.

In less than three weeks, the USTA will be hosting 10 and under tennis training for teachers, parents and volunteers who'd be interested in coaching kids in Madison County (and other surrounding areas). We only need 20 participants for this event to be a success. Have you signed-up?

Be a part of the healthy momentum growing worldwide for this incredible sport. Click here to reserve your spot at the USTA workshop on Saturday, September 8th from 9 a.m. 'til 12:30 p.m. at the NFCC gym.

Spread the LOVE in North Florida!

Thank you, Greene Publishing!

USTA Florida Coordinator George English and City of Madison Commissioner Ina Thompson
speak to the Rotary Club about 10 and under tennis.  Photo by Lynette Norris

Thank you, Lynette Norris and Greene Publishing, for this wonderful article entitled "Tennis, Anyone?" We appreciate your help in publicizing our efforts to get this sport up and running again in Madison County!  (Great job speaking at Rotary, George and Ina!)

10 and Under Tennis Comes to Madison County, Florida

Thanks to USTA Florida awarding $1,000 grants to Madison Academy, Pinetta Elementary and the City of Madison, kids will have the opportunity to learn to play the new 10 and under format, formerly known as QuickStart tennis, this fall in Madison County, Florida.

Ina Thompson is leading the effort within the City of Madison, along with Bubba Carroll at Madison Academy and Beth Moore at Pinetta Elementary. 

To get coaches, teachers, parents and volunteers up-to-speed on the rules of the game, USTA Florida is hosting a training workshop on Saturday, September 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at North Florida Community College's Colin P. Kelly Fitness Center. To sign-up or learn more about the event, click here.

A tennis clinic will be offered to kids this fall. To learn more about Madison Tennis 4 Kids, please subscribe to this blog or join our email list on the top right of this page.  We'll keep you posted about future events.

Thanks again to USTA Florida for Sharing the Love grant with the kids in Madison County, Florida. For information on the grant, click here or email George English, the USTA Florida Tennis Coordinator, here.

Directions to Training at NFCC

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