“I want to be the alligator!” shouted one young boy with his hand raised high in the air.
On Monday, July 2, about 20 children were standing on colored dots on a tennis court at Elm Avenue Park. They were about halfway through their lesson for the day and about to begin a game where one student — the alligator — would walk through two lines of children while dodging balls being passed on the ground with racquets.
“There’s a lot more activity this way,” said Dan Cremo, the Town of Bethlehem’s tennis instructor. “There are not as many kids waiting in line because they’re all involved and they don’t fool around as much.”
Cremo has more techniques to draw upon now that the Bethlehem Parks and Recreation Department has received a $2,600 grant through the United States Tennis Association’s 10-and-Under Program to revamp its Youth Tennis Clinics for the youngest participants. The funds allowed Cremo, a tennis instructor for 15 years, to attend special training sessions to learn a new style of teaching the sport. The program itself also received special new equipment.
The town provides three levels of youth clinics for children in kindergarten to eighth grade. The grant money will go to help the two younger levels learn the game by providing for the purchase of smaller nets, lighter racquets and new tennis balls that are larger and lighter to handle, and don’t hurt as much if a child is accidentally hit.
“It helps give them more confidence,” said Cremo, who was currently teaching the kindergarten through second-grade level clinic the department dubbed “Rally Rascals.” Other than the “Alligator Alley,” games include “lobster trap,” where one child tosses the ball and their partner attempts to catch it between two racquets, and several bounce and pass challenges.
The funds also allowed one of the tennis courts to be relined, turning it into two smaller courts for “a greater success rate success rate when playing the game.”
Jason Gallo, the Parks and Recreation Department’s assistant administrator, said more funds are available for the town as the tennis clinics grow, so more equipment could be purchased and more clinics could be held. A registration fee is still required for all participants.
Through the grant, the town and all children participating in the clinics also receive a one-year USTA membership. This allows parents to purchase equipment for their children at a discount, obtain free access to training materials and receive a magazine either quarterly or monthly.
“Tennis is a sport that can be played throughout your lifetime,” said Gallo. “Some sports get harder to keep up with as one ages, but once someone learns to play tennis and they develop a love for the game, it can be carried on into your senior years and play forever.”
Weatherly Webb said her 7-year-old daughter, Chloe, enjoys the clinic more with the instituted changes. This is Chloe’s second year participating in the clinic and Webb said she thinks the children are more confident during lessons because know they can actually hit the ball to each other over the smaller nets.
“They make it fun for the kids, which is important,” she said.
Kristin Pung’s 4-year-old daughter, Addison, was participating in a tennis clinic for the first time. Pung said she was happy with the program changes, because they conform to USTA standards for young learners. She also liked the new equipment.
“It’s like kids learning to play softball with a wiffle ball bat,” she said. “It makes a difference and helps them learn hand-eye coordination so they aren’t as afraid of the ball in later years. It also gives the younger ones a fighting chance with the children who have participated in the program for a few years more.”
Cremo said the program’s new style of teaching the game depends less on competition and more on having fun, so most children are learning the skills they’ll need in the future without realizing it.
“That’s what makes this special,” he said.
Clinics are two weeks long and run until Aug. 3. Spaces are still available. To learn more, visit the Parks and Recreation website at www.townofbethlehem.org.
