Park Day Brings Free Tennis Fun For The Whole Family
USTA Eastern Long Island, in conjunction with Long Island Tennis Magazine and the Baldwin P.A.L. teamed up to bring free tennis fun to kids and adults alike as the popular Family Tennis Day In The Park Event was held at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake State Park.
The event featured engaging tennis instruction and gameplay on the court, but also fun activities off the court including a dunk tank, face painting, glitter tattoos, music, prizes and more. The event was completely free to attend and was a reward for the kids who completed an eight-week tennis course. The students are able to bring their parents and other family members, as well as other members of the P.A.L., to share time together on court in celebration of their course completion and show everyone their improvement.
“We are proud to sponsor and run programming that brings families into the game of tennis,” said USTA Eastern Regional Director Mike Pavlides. “Tennis is seen as an individual sport, but these events show that the family can get together and experience a day of fun and togetherness, which we hope they will continue to do going forward.”
On the court, USTA Eastern Long Island Board Member Jason Pasion organized drills and games as parents/siblings went out on court with their kids to partner with them, making the experience fully interactive for the families.
LITM’s event staff, comprised of high school and college tennis players, as well as two additional USTA Long Island board members were involved and available to partner up with kids who needed one for the Tennis games and also to lead the relay race and water balloon toss areas.
After the on-court portion of the event was complete, LITM’s event staff ran a face painting/glitter tattoo area while pizza was served to all in attendance. An Ice Cream Truck came by for a sweet treat option as well!
“Family Tennis Day In The Park was a great opportunity to see families bond and have a great time playing tennis together,” said Pasion, who is the Global Director of Tournaments for SPORTIME/JMTA. Tennis is a healthy, lifelong sport, and we had a great turnout of participants engaging in tennis drills and other fun activities.”
By providing this rewarding experience for the kids and their families, the goal is to inspire more kids to take part in the tennis course offered by the Baldwin P.A.L. and get more players on the courts!
“We were proud to partner with USTA Eastern, SPORTIME and the Baldwin P.A.L. to bring tennis to so many kids and adults,” said David Sickmen, LITM Publisher. “Through events like this we are able to show just how fun tennis can be, and that was evident through all the smiles we saw on and off the court. The format was great today because it allowed for the entire family to enjoy a tennis event together. The kids had the opportunity to showcase what they have learned on court to their parents and siblings while also having various interactive activities for the whole family to enjoy. Working within the tennis community for the past two decades, it’s evident how important events like these are to the continued growth of the sport.”
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