USTA, Genesis partnership expands tennis opportunities in Kansas schools

USTA Missouri Valley’s partnership with Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis continues to help teachers in Kansas introduce tennis to their students.

A school training for Catholic Diocese of Wichita teachers was held at Magdalen Catholic School on Sept. 8. The USTA schools curriculum was used to ensure teachers are now well-prepared to teach tennis.

“The teachers get to experience activities and games that the children will be doing in their classes,” said Kara Heim, USTA Missouri Valley manager of regional community play for Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. “It also dives into safety and ways to adapt the activities and games so that all participants are optimally challenged.”

School trainings are free for teachers to attend and about three hours long. They are open to any school or district interested in implementing tennis into their physical education curriculum. Learn more about school trainings here.

The goal is to encourage students to continue exploring their interest in the sport beyond PE class. Thanks to the partnership with Genesis Health Clubs, students have facilities available to them to do just that.

“Giving teachers the background to teach tennis in the gym space ensures more kids have a positive introduction to tennis,” Heim said.

“Because they have Genesis as a school partner, teachers will also have a way for students to continue tennis outside of the school day.”

Heim gave a lot of credit to Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis and its executive director, DeAnn White, for getting kids involved in sports — specifically tennis.

“The Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis does such a great job of offering opportunities to children to participate in sports,” Heim said. “We’re happy to have such a supportive school partner that can ensure every kid who wants to play tennis outside of the school day has opportunities to do so.”

The USTA Missouri Valley and Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis partnership extends far beyond just Wichita.

Peakform Sports and Wellness is the local school partner in Manhattan, Kan., with Olga Shaw and Brody Queal leading the charge.

They helped the two organizations hold a school training for future PE teachers who are studying at Kansas State University on Sept. 22.