BY KAREN BOSSICK

Wood River Tennis is offering a new program teaching tennis to children in grades 3 through 6 this spring, even as it gears up for another adult Tennis Camp.

Wood River Tennis is seeking adult and high school tennis players 16 and older interested in volunteering for the four-week program. Instructor training will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12.

Volunteer coaches trained by USTA and RSPA-certified instructors will teach the kids in the Blaine County Recreation District gym at the Community Campus in Hailey. Kids’ afterschool and summer programs will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesday May 12-June4. There also will be July and August kids’ camps.

Coach Mitch Joyce led a warmup with Angela Mabon, Nancy Wasilewski, Ginger Dattilo, Judy Greenstein and Christine Malone (right to left).

The program will follow the USTA Net Generation Red Ball program designed to make tennis fun for youngsters using modified courts, balls and racquets.

Additionally, Wood River Tennis will offer a Spring Tennis Camp from May 1-4 at Gravity Fitness and Tennis.

The camp is designed to build on the success of a Winter Tennis Camp held in March, which brought in tennis pros from Austin, Texas.

The new camp will offer sessions to women and men of all levels. It will feature three visiting tennis professionals from Racquet Lifestyle in Austin.

Oliver Whitcomb, the owner of Gravity Fitness (second from left) joins Austin-based Racquet Lifestyle pros Ryan Kristek, “Krivo” Brent Krivokapich and Mitch Joyce for a photo op during the Winter Tennis Camp.

Morning sessions will focus on stroke improvement and core skills. A Skill Builder set is designed for tennis players rated 3.0-4.5 who are looking to hone their ground strokes, net game and serves.

Kickstarter will kickstart players’ game, boost their confidence and introduce them to other players. Aternoon sessions will feature Pure Doubles with fast-paced, on-court instruction and match play focusing on doubles strategies and tennis IQ.

Players can mix and match sessions as they like.

Wood River Tennis saw 16 enthusiastic women rated 3.5-4.5 players take part in a three-day indoor tennis camp at Gravity Fitness & Tennis in March. The three visiting tennis professionals associated with Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Texas offered 12 hours of instruction focusing on doubles strategy, advanced skills, court and net positioning.

“It was a fast-moving active weekend,” said Amy Johnson. “A chance to improve our tennis with fantastic pros and socialize, and it was super fun. We want to bring people together to play tennis in an organized fashion.”

“It was a pleasure having Racquet Lifestyle come to Gravity and teach such an amazing tennis clinic,” added Oliver Whitcomb, owner of Gravity Fitness and Tennis. “I would also like to extend my gratitude to Wood River Tennis for bringing this clinic to fruition. Tennis is an integral part of Gravity Fitness and we will support its continued growth in any way we can.” 

More than 60 players have taken part in organized indoor tennis blocks offered more than 20 hours a week from November through April at Gravity Tennis and Fitness.

This summer will include additional playing opportunities, instruction and social tennis at Atkinson Park and Elkhorn.

To learn more, visit https://woodrivertennis.org/ or contact info@woodrivertennis.org.