Team Challenge

Started over a year ago to introduce “tennis competition in a low-pressure team environment for children of all ages to develop their skills through level-based play, without an emphasis on instruction or results,” Net Generation Team Challenges have been able to achieve just that. 

 

On September 7th, at eight different facilities, 125 children divided into red, orange, green, and yellow balls divisions, got to experience for the first time the fun of competing without the stress of the results. From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., all participants age 5 to 18 years old, gathered at Rancho Solano In-Shape Fairfield, CA, for a fun day of introductory competition. 

“It shows the juniors that there’s more to tennis than just taking part in their weekly sessions,” Duncan Macleod, one of the coaches of the Team Challenge and Tennis Director at the Cliff Drysdale Tennis at In-Shape: Fairfield Dover, said. “The event is really tipped off when you see the 4 year old red ballers battle it out on the mini courts to the high schoolers who are representing their High Schools all representing and having the same goal to gain as many points for their clubs!”

 

To make this event even more fun, all participants reconvened at the end of the matches to hit for prizes. Once that exciting part of the Team Challenge was over, all players got some comfort after their effort with a barbeque, followed by an award presentation. “These type of events are important to introduce kids to a friendly competitive play and to keep them engaged interested while learned,” Cherryl Silva, USTA NorCal Tennis Service Representative for Contra Costa Counties, explained. “In addition, it keeps developing their tennis and match skills in a safe learning environment, so there are only positives to take out of this event.” We need more events like this to grow tennis and keep the kids playing more matches.

 

The team concept was fun for coaches, players and parents. For more information on Team Challenges, click here.