Missouri Valley / Heart Of America

Who Said Inservice Can’t Be A Ball

Jaren Glaser | November 16, 2021


USTA Missouri Valley recently conducted a free 3 hour USTA Schools Workshop for more than 50 elementary, middle and high school physical education teachers in the Kansas City Kansas Public School District during a teacher inservice day coordinated by Christine Scharenberg, Kansas City Kansas Physical Education Instructional Coach. 

 

The active workshop was held in the F.L. Schlagle High School gym using appropriately sized adaptable equipment and pop up nets that make tennis safe and possible in any space with any number of students. No court required!

Scott Hanover, Executive Director of the Stephanie Waterman Foundation, the school partner for the district, and Sheila Goins, Executive Director for USTA Heart of America, spoke to the teachers about future education, support and financial assistance that are available to them through the USTA and the school partner, whose job is to bridge the gap between tennis in the classroom and outside of school play. 

 

At the end of the workshop there was an official Signing Day where the P.E, teachers and their school partner (Scott Hanover, Stephanie Waterman) signed their partnership agreements stating their commitment to growing tennis together and received special hats to commemorate the event.

 

All of the newly registered USTA Schools who had teachers that went through the training and partnership process will now be receiving equipment bags with rackets, balls and other helpful equipment valued at $1,500 to use in their classrooms for free.

 

Not only was this a fun way to bring teachers together to learn something new, but it has helped give them resources to learn and teach tennis to their students. No prior tennis background necessary!

 

All interested teachers, school districts and partners are invited to reach out to Jaren Glaser, Tennis Service Representative, USTA Heart of America at glaser@movalley.usta.com or 913-967-9929. Let's Start your Tennis Adventure Today!

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