USTA Iowa Brings Tennis Programming to Iowa SHAPE Conference

Introducing tennis into all of Iowa’s schools is one goal USTA Iowa is working on. Last month, USTA Iowa’s John Terpkosh attended the annual SHAPE (Society for Health and Physical Educators Organization for P.E. Teachers) conference in Waukee. Educators from across the state attended the event. USTA Iowa’s goal is to incorporate tennis into schools and parks across Iowa.

“There are two major building blocks for introducing and developing tennis for students across Iowa; schools and parks,” said John Terpkosh, USTA Iowa Tennis Service Representative. “Starting this foundation early is a big advantage to school tennis and pays the most dividends.”

According to USTA Community Play Manager Lindsay Hall, teachers are looking for new and engaging ways to captivate students. She said with the right tools and resources, teachers will be able to have confidence when introducing tennis in the classroom. 

“We understand tennis can be scary to teach if you don’t have the previous knowledge or experience, but want to show teachers just how easy it is to implement no matter your gym space, number of students, and previous experience,” Hall said. “We hope when it comes to racquet sports and striking units, that tennis is a sport they are adding to their units.”

She hopes they can get involved in tennis outside of school by connecting the community partner as local support, if students (and their parents) choose. Studies have shown the positive academic impact on youth who have played tennis, so the sport is doing more than developing great tennis players, Hall added. 

A comprehensive USTA study of 8th graders showed that tennis benefits kids in numerous ways including; good grades, problem solving skills, physical health and self-confidence. The USTA has numerous tools for K-12 P.E. teachers, as well as middle and high school coaches.

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