“Play with the Players” at Emporia State University

On October 29, Emporia State University hosted its “Play with the Players” event at the Kossover Family Tennis Complex on campus. This free, family-friendly event allowed attendees to receive instruction from current Emporia State men’s and women’s tennis players and participate in tennis drills before pairing up with these great players for competitive doubles match play.

From 1-4 p.m., attendees, players, and coaches mingled for an afternoon full of tennis fun, camaraderie, and friendly competition.

The event, which took place during homecoming weekend festivities, helped bring tennis to the community, as well as to players of all ages and skill levels seeking to elevate their game. It also served as a meet-and-greet with Emporia State’s new head tennis coaches, John Blackburn of the men’s team, and Cyrielle Peyroche of the women’s team.

“Play with the Players” was organized by USTA Kansas board member, Don Eccles.

Jaren Glaser, Tennis Service Representative and Diversity & Inclusion Section Manager for USTA Kansas and USTA Heart of America, was present at the event and snapped the photos you see here. She was impressed by the event, and has high hopes for future events. “It was a cold day, but luckily ESU Kossover Center has two exceptional indoor tennis courts that were utilized to create a fun event,” Glaser said. “Hopefully it’s the beginning of ESU offering tennis programming to the community.”

USTA Kansas would like to thank Don Eccles, Jaren Glaser, the Emporia State University tennis coaches and players, and the staff at Kossover for helping organize and deliver an incredible event for players in the communities we serve. We appreciate you!