Bonner Springs parks and rec grows tennis through community programs, free events

July is National Park and Recreation Month, and USTA Heart of America is grateful for the many parks and rec departments across the district that help grow the sport of tennis.

One such team, Bonner Springs Parks and Recreation, is building on the momentum created from a successful National Tennis Month open house, which took place May 27. The beautiful facility at Bonner Springs High School came alive with the laughter of children experiencing tennis for the first time.

Tatum Bartels, recreation coordinator for Bonner Springs Parks and Recreation, shared that the second annual May event introduces youth to the sport, providing a fun first experience with tennis while encouraging them to keep playing.

“Our primary goal was to introduce youth to tennis in a fun, welcoming and low-pressure environment,” Bartels said. “We wanted to remove barriers by offering a free event where children could try the sport, build confidence and discover a new lifelong activity.

“We also wanted to showcase the public tennis facilities at Bonner Springs High School and connect families with affordable local programming so participants could continue playing beyond the event.”

Building Tennis Connections

With the goal of encouraging kids to stay active, spend time outdoors and develop healthy habits through sports — which Bartels mentioned “is a major focus of mine and our department” — her team works with other community organizations to ensure each open house is more successful than the last.

“The event came together through a strong partnership between us, USTA Missouri Valley, Union Bank & Trust, the Kiwanis Club of Kaw Valley 204 and our local tennis instructor, coach Dow with Tiblow Tennis,” Bartels said. “With support from the USTA National Tennis Month grant, we were able to provide free instruction, equipment, giveaways and a community cookout, making the event accessible to families of all backgrounds.”

This year’s event was a major success, with children ages 5 to 14 participating.

“We had one of our largest turnouts to date, with kids of all skill levels participating in fun drills, games and introductory tennis activities,” Bartels said. “It was exciting to see so many young players enjoying the sport. And the positive feedback from families reinforced the value of offering free opportunities like this in our community.”

In addition to the open house event, Bartels shared her team offers several opportunities over the summer for kids to learn tennis through a partnership with Tiblow Tennis.

“We are proud to support Tiblow Tennis, which offers youth tennis lessons and camps throughout the summer for players ages 5 to 14 and all skill levels in red, orange and green ball,” Bartels said. “Our goal is to help promote these local opportunities and encourage continued participation in the sport.”