MALDEN, MA- Thanks to USTA’s new youth brand, Net Generation, tennis is now more accessible and affordable than it has ever been. That feeling was palpable throughout Kids Day at Devir Park in Malden on Wednesday, August 7, as USTA New England and the City of Malden introduced 135 kids to tennis for free who may not have otherwise had the opportunity.

 

Kids and parents from Malden and the surrounding areas flooded the park for what was a carnival-like atmosphere where tennis took center stage. USTA New England staff and volunteers led four hour-long on-court sessions consisting of games and drills intended to teach tennis basics, all chosen from the free Net Generation curriculum. Parents were encouraged to register on site for free on Netgeneration.com to link up with coaches and programs in their local area following the event. 

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“Our purpose was to introduce as many new players to tennis as we could. Net Generation houses all tennis play opportunities for kids ages 5 to 18 years old, and we hope after a successful day in Malden, parents will be eager to take advantage of this exciting and free opportunity for their kids,” said Matt Olson, USTA New England Executive Director and COO. 

 

Kids were joined on court by Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, members of the Malden Police and Fire Departments and special guests, Wonder Woman and Captain America.

 

Adjacent to the on-court tennis sessions was a plethora of entertainment highlighted by face painting and spin art. In addition, kids enjoyed free pizza and ice cream, a DJ, designing their own tennis balls, competing in ball toss games, and posing with an oversized racquet.

 

In what was one of the hottest days of the summer according to multiple news sources, USTA New England made it a priority to ensure kids were properly accommodated. They were each provided a cooling towel along with an endless supply of water bottles. In addition, Malden DPW set up water misters and Malden Fire offered a free soaks from the fire hose.

 

Also present at Kids Day were sponsors, Babolat, CoCo Goods and Allstate Malden, which introduced new products and gave out and demoed free samples.

 

For more information on youth tennis, visit www.netgeneration.com.

 

Check back soon for a complete photo gallery from Kids Day.