Olathe Parks & Rec Hosts Summer Tennis Programs for Residents

With summer now in full swing, parks & recreation organizations across the country are hosting various programs for children to help keep them engaged while school is out of session. One such organization, City of Olathe Parks & Recreation, is hosting a summer tennis program right here in our district! Since July is National Parks & Recreation month, USTA Heart of America wants to shine a light on Olathe’s youth tennis program in hopes of getting the word out about their amazing offerings for local youth.

The City of Olathe Parks & Recreation Department was one of two programs in our district to earn a valuable grant from the USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Foundation. The $1,000 earmarked for the city’s youth tennis program will allow it to help pay for coaching, court rental fees, equipment purchases, and more, so the cost doesn’t get passed on to families who otherwise might not be able to pay for their children to attend the program.

From June 4 to July 14, children attended the weekly tennis program in Olathe to learn the basic fundamentals of the game as taught by skilled coaches from the area. 

The summer tennis program was broken down into three groups: Beginner (ages 4-13), Intermediate (ages 4-13), and a group for players 14 and older. Each of the six, 50-minute sessions had players participate in fun drills and games to help them improve their mechanics, skills, and knowledge of the game. The 14 and older group also focused on match play to help players prepare for the 2022 high school tennis season.

Beyond learning basic skills, the program helped campers grow to love the game of tennis as coaches taught valuable lessons in sportsmanship and self-confidence.

The City of Olathe Parks & Recreation’s tennis program is led by Doug Pearson, who brings with him 20 years’ worth of tennis coaching experience at both the youth and high school level. Pearson was also responsible for applying for–and earning–the USTA grant.

To learn more about the athletic offerings of the City of Olathe Parks & Recreation department, please visit olatheks.org/parksrec.