By Nicholas J. Walz, USTA.com
LANSING, Mich. - Four days, five sites, hundreds in attendance; no problem for Nancy Danhof. In so many ways, it’s a joy.
She didn't play tennis in her youth, but as an adult convert to the game, she is not going to stop until each kid from Old Town to Kalamazoo has a shot to swing a racquet.
"At one of the clubs, we called over a few teenage boys who would normally play basketball in the evening to give it a try," said Danhof. "They were reluctant at first, but then I couldn't get them to leave! That's the thrill."
All were welcome to Youth Registration in the Lansing Metropolitan area - an undertaking led by Danhof, who is one of the premier tennis exponents in the Midwest. As Executive Director of the Todd Martin Development Fund, she operates year-round out of Michigan's capital city, and from February 26 to March 1, organized several Parks & Recreation community centers to take part in what is fast becoming a most significant juncture for youth tennis each year.
"It was tremendous, having the added dates," said Danhof. "Getting more facilities involved allowed for much greater exposure than last year. (The facilities) spread the word via Facebook, district meetings, and their own site websites. We could put up posters promoting five events instead of just one, in five different places. That means a lot to those in this community - with the cold weather and the fact that many families don't have cars, bringing Youth Registration closer to them was key."
A party atmosphere at each site, attendees could hit around on 36 and 60-foot QuickStart Tennis courts, take part in an obstacle course (fastest kids received a free sleeve of tennis balls), and chow down on complimentary pizza all while signing up for spring and summer programs. Danhof's outfit oversees 30 courts during the season, accommodating almost 400 children per year.
Among the five sites, 174 kids were signed to leagues in the four-day period; a great accomplishment for the grassroots effort.
"There will certainly be a bump," said Danhof. "We think this will grow as an annual event here in Lansing. Parents and kids are going to look for it."
Friday began with a 4 p.m. session at the Gier Community Centers, lasting until almost 6 p.m. when Danhof dashed to the Court One Athletic Club three miles away and hosted the four-court indoor event there until 8 p.m. The next afternoon saw Danhof head to the Foster Community Center between 1:30 and 3 p.m. to meet and greet families from a new district. On Sunday, it was off to the South Side Community Center for an session of sign-ups, with a final round of registration at the Letts Community Center on Monday evening, leading up to a viewing of the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup at Madison Square Garden.
Danhof and crew were featured on the televised coverage of Tennis Night in America, and noted the benefits of the marriage between the youth drive and professional showcase.
"A lot of kids we hosted never had watched a professional match on television before," she said. "Ask them to name a player, and they can't (do it). We're making progress, though. Providing opportunties to play, materials, equipment - this has commanded a real strong support in this community."
Lansing is in the midst of economic upheaval and transition, following the decline of the auto industry in the region. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, job losses have grown at exceedingly high rates in mid-Michigan; over the last decade, the unemployment rate in Lansing has gone from 2.3-percent to record-high 11.2-percent at the end of 2009. Around 30,000 city inhabitants are currently without work.
Danhof has seen the steady advance of hard times on the area, and designed her Youth Registration events accordingly; every child who attended was given a hat to wear home, along with a goodie bag of snacks. When it came time to hand out the pizza, Danhof noticed polite sharing, but voracious appetites: "We provided what might have been their meal for the night."
Being a mother of two, Danhof understands and in turn, inspires loyalty.
"It is about providing connection; we don't get kids who show up and don't come back," she said. "On the adult side, parents are realizing through events like this that the game is affordable, which is a common misnomer - tennis being an elitist sport. Also, they're happy that we can accommodate all of their kids with the advent of QuickStart. Now, we can be inclusive of high schoolers as well as the very young ones."