Starting from just two years old, children had a blast picking up new skills at a free tennis come and try day at Macintyre High School on Saturday.
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Hosted by Jeff Blanck Tennis Academy, the free Tennis Australia Hotshots was a chance for the children to work on their hand-eye co-ordination and ball skills.
Blanck said the focus was on showing parents and children that tennis could be fun and accessible to all ages.
“We concentrate on learning through fun. So they’re having fun doing things and they don’t realise they’re learning aspects of tennis,” he said.
He said he hoped to give tennis a boost in the local area.
“I’ve always been a big believer that tennis is a great sport for anybody to learn. It’s great for hand eye co-ordination, but it’s a great social aspect when you get older.”
More than 30 children, aged from two to 11, moved into the indoor basketball court to avoid playing in puddles during the wet weather.
“The two-year-olds, you do lots of ball skills, like throwing a ball a certain way so it’s like hitting a tennis ball, rolling the ball so they get direction,” he said. The toddlers even learnt how to use the racquets.
“They hit the ball over the net a couple of times, which was great to see,” Blanck said.
Nets, balls, racquets and court sizes were adjusted according to age and skill level.
Red balls were compressed by 50 per cent compared to a normal tennis ball, orange balls were 75 per cent and green balls were around 90 per cent.
“It gives the kids more time to hit the ball. When it bounces, it doesn’t bounce as quick as a normal tennis ball,” Blanck explained.
“It’s a really good way for kids to get started.”
Blanck felt that the adjustments made the game more enjoyable for the younger crowd.
“When you’ve got kids from three years up, their attention span is not real long, so you have to make it fun and you have to keep them engaged in it, otherwise they get bored and they won’t keep coming back,” he said.
“It’s all modified for that so that the kids enjoy it and want to keep coming back week by week,” he said.
Blanck said he had a lot of positive feedback from the weekend.
“I had parents getting back in touch with me afterwards saying that their kids actually had a ball. They had a great time,” he said.
Any families interested in taking up tennis are encouraged to call 0400786248 or email jbtennisacademy@hotmail.com. Jeff Blanck can also be contacted through Facebook at Jeff Blanck Tennis Academy Inverell.
Naomi Shumack
Born and bred in Inverell, I'm passionate about community journalism. I'm the youngest of five kids, am a book worm and have a ridiculous movie collection. I have a double degree in Communications and International Studies from the University of Wollongong. I write stories for the Inverell Times, Moree Champion and Goondiwindi Argus. You can contact me at naomi.shumack@fairfaxmedia.com.au or on 0438 606 351.
Born and bred in Inverell, I'm passionate about community journalism. I'm the youngest of five kids, am a book worm and have a ridiculous movie collection. I have a double degree in Communications and International Studies from the University of Wollongong. I write stories for the Inverell Times, Moree Champion and Goondiwindi Argus. You can contact me at naomi.shumack@fairfaxmedia.com.au or on 0438 606 351.
