MARLBOROUGH, MA- Wayside Athletic Club in Marlborough, MA, recently wrapped up an eight-week tennis program for 8 to 12-year-old first-time players. This introductory program was the first of its kind for Wayside and was made possible by a grant from USTA Eastern Massachusetts.

Twenty-four students from the Century Chinese Learning School (CCLS) in Framingham and the Advanced Math & Science Academy (AMSA) in Marlborough, traveled to the club on Thursdays from February through the end of April for the chance to try out a new sport.

“This USTA program was a great opportunity to introduce tennis to a number of kids who hadn't had tennis instruction before. The grant was huge in helping us offer tennis to groups that might shy away from tennis despite seeing the health and social benefits it can provide to young children,” said Wayside Junior Tennis Director, Bill Hamilton.

Hamilton ran the program with Senior Pro Kevin Bates, and the two led drills, games and exercises to instill the fundamentals.

Week after week, skills were retained and excitement grew, and by the end of the program, many kids registered for the next indoor session and showed interest in summer camp.

“After just a couple weeks, kids were getting there early in hopes of playing before the session started. This was so fun to see what we were doing was bringing excitement to them,” Hamilton said.

While the kids were on court, parents enjoyed complimentary classes of tennis, yoga, dance, racquetball and Pilates.

“The parents were thrilled with the program and seeing their children excited about a new sport,” Hamilton said. “We made great relationships with so many new families and are looking forward to having them in our program in the future.”