Eastern

ORGANIZER OF THE MONTH JUly 2018

July 30, 2018


Each month, USTA Eastern selects one passionate advocate who has made unique
contributions within the community through tennis. This month, we recognize a teacher
and coach whose spirit and enthusiasm rivals the famous Greek folklore that inspires
his work.


Organizer of the Month: July 2018


A dedicated physical education teacher and varsity tennis coach, Geoff Leggieri, of
Burnt Hills, N.Y., is also the founder and director of Spartan Tennis, an instructional
tennis program that is first and foremost all about fun.


A core component of Spar​tan Tennis programming is the USTA youth tennis program
called Junior Team Tennis (JTT), the format of which provides individual technical
tennis skill and strategy development within a team-centered atmosphere.


“JTT is great way for our kids to improve their match play while having fun supporting
their friends,” said Leggieri. “We formed seven JTT teams this year and many of my
players are members of their school’s Varsity and Junior Varsity Tennis Teams. It’s a
great way for these kids to keep playing and practicing beyond the short middle and
high school tennis seasons.”


Some of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Varsity tennis players also serve as coaches in
the Spartan Tennis summer programming. It is a great opportunity for student athletes
to get some experience while volunteering and interacting with kids.


“Our coaches are engaging, enthusiastic, supportive and keep it fun,” said Leggieri. “We
want kids to have a great time exploring and playing the sport.”

 


During the school year, Spartan Tennis provides interscholastic tennis training for
middle school and high school players. This very successful program keeps school
players competitive. Leggieri also uses this time to teach kids the historical principles of
the sport that directly correlate to real life. Referred to as the Five Pillars, these
character traits are a guiding influence for the kids of Spartan Tennis:

  • Being coachable (and receptive to constructive feedback)
  • Being an outstanding teammate
  • Showing gratitude
  • Demonstrating sportsmanship
  • Playing fearless


Please visit Spartan Tennis to learn more about its camps and programs, and the
opportunity to become a parent JTT volunteer.

TOURNAMENTS NEAR YOU


PROGRAMS NEAR YOU


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