Peter Bradshaw, LPRD Tennis Professional. Lessons are offered at the Blinn Tennis Courts
Tennis Participation is growing across the nation! According to the SMA 2006 Super study, tennis is the only traditional sport to grow in the past 5 years! If you are beginner player, consider joining our new Pioneer Valley Beginner Tennis League. Read below to find more information.

In 2005, Longmeadow Parks and Recreation was awarded the designation “Tennis Welcome Center” by the United States Tennis Association. The USTA is currently developing strategic plans to further connect with new and lapsed players through increased promotion and positioning of the sport as fun, social, healthy, inclusive, accessible and affordable. For more information on USTA initiatives, please visit www.usta.com.

The Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department offers a number of the finest tennis courts and tennis programs throughout Western Massachusetts. Courts are open seven days a week from dawn to dusk (8:00pm) to the public when not in use for instructional programs. The lighted Blinn Courts are open until 11:00pm.

Blinn Hardcover Courts
Twelve lighted hardcover courts located behind the High School on Bliss Court.

Greenwood Park Hardcover Courts
Two hardcover courts located at 231 Maple Road

QuickStart Tennis the new way to play tennis for kids 10 and under
The QuickStart Tennis format works by getting kids into the game immediately. Within the first hour of stepping onto the court, kids are actually playing the game, rallying with one another, moving around and having fun. Scaling the game down to their size helps make the learning process easier and a lot more fun.

The majority of youth sports have followed this very formula for years. Baseball begins with smaller bats, smaller fields and progresses from tee ball, to coach pitch, to player pitch. Basketball and soccer also employ similar methods, including shortened playing surfaces and appropriate sized equipment. That helps ensure that your kids’ first experience in the sport will leave them overjoyed not overwhelmed.

With QuickStart, the shorter and narrower courts give kids the confidence and ability to cover the entire court. Kids have trouble controlling full-sized racquets because they are too long, too heavy and the grips are too large. Junior racquets are proportionate in length and weight and have the grips that fit smaller hands. This makes it easier to control. And balls that bounce at a height equal to kids’ playing abilities allows for better and longer rallies and allows them to build all court games.

By being introduced to this style of play from the start, your kids will gain confidence by seeing their own immediate progress which will make them more enthusiastic about continuing to play and improve. QuickStart Tennis enables kids to have more enjoyable experiences early on in the learning process and having fun is always a factor in keeping kids involved.

Session 1, Monday-Friday, June 28-July 9, Register by June 23
No Lessons on Monday, July 5th in observance of the 4th of July
Session 2, Monday-Friday, July 12-23, Register by July 7
Session 3, Monday-Friday, July 26-August 6, Register by July 21
Session 4, Monday-Friday, August 9-20, Register by August 4
Fees: $87 for Session 1 and $96 for Sessions 2-4

Tots, Ages 3.5-4
Focus will be placed on the basics of tennis, gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and interaction with others. Youth size racquets are provided for use and small instructor/counselor ratio provides for an early introduction to the sport of tennis.

Time: 8:30am-9:15am
Session 1 – Activity: 5104.401 Session - 3 Activity: 5104.403
Session 2 – Activity: 5104.402 Session - 4 Activity: 5104.404

QuickStart Tennis, Ages 5-7
Practices will have kids playing on a 36-foot tennis court with shorter racquets and foam (red) tennis balls. The goal of these practice’s is to help children learn the basics of a rally by being able to hit the ball back and forth over the net with a partner. Children will learn to use their racquets and judging the flight and direction of the ball by using fun activities and games. While emphasis will be on rally skills using both forehand and backhand ground strokes, other skills needed to play a complete game of tennis are introduced, including the serve and return , and the volley.

Time: 8:30am-9:45am
Session 1 – Activity:5105.401 Session 3 – Activity: 5105.403
Session 2 – Activity:5105.402 Session 4 – Activity: 5105.404

QuickStart Tennis, Ages 8-10
Practices will have kids playing on a 60-foot tennis court with shorter racquets and low compression (orange) tennis balls. The goal of these practice’s is to help children learn the basics of a rally by being able to hit the ball back and forth over the net with a partner. An array of skills will be introduced so these players can play and begin to have an understanding of singles and doubles play. Each practice will develop the technical skills that will enable players to develop the tactics for different situations associated with the game of tennis

Time: 10am-11:30am
Session 1 – Activity:5106.401 Session 3 - Activity: 5106.403
Session 2 – Activity:5106.402 Session 4 - Activity: 5106.404

USTA Jr. Team Tennis, Ages 11-14
Practice will include warming-up and cooling down, fitness development, hitting drills, which stress individual strokes and moving combinations, and match play. 'Report cards' will also be used for this age group, to keep parents informed. Game strategy and anticipatory thinking will be introduced. Participants will be divided into beginning, intermediate and advanced groups.

Time: 10am-11:30am
Session 1 – Activity:5107.401 Session 3 – Activity: 5107.403
Session 2 – Activity:5107.402 Session 4 – Activity: 5107.404

USTA Jr. Team Tennis, Ages 14-18
These practices, exclusively for teens, promote skill acquisition and development. Participants are divided by ability level. Drills and match play daily, plus instruction on tennis strokes; serving and game strategies comprise this offering. All participants must furnish their own racket. Location: Blinn Courts

Time: 12:30pm-2pm
Session 1 - Activity:5108.401 Session 3 - Activity: 5108.403
Session 2 – Activity:5108.402

Adult Beginner/Intermediate, Ages 18 & Up
This group will consist of a wide range of experience and talent levels. Participants will be grouped according to ability and drills will be developed to meet your needs. Match play will follow drills daily. Location: Blinn Courts

Time: 10am -11:30am
Session 1 – Activity:5109.401 Session 3 - Activity: 5109.403
Session 2 – Activity:5109.402 Session 4 - Activity: 5109.404

Adult, All Levels, Ages 18 & Up
Drills will focus on areas that the group needs to work on most. Match play will follow drills daily. Participants will be grouped according to skill level. Location: Blinn Courts

Time: 6pm - 7:30pm, Monday & Wednesday
Session 1 – Activity: 5113.401 Session 3 - Activity: 5113.403
Session 2 – Activity: 5113.402 Session 4 - Activity: 5113.404