Junior Programs
Gary spearheads VBTPA‘s program to develop a Junior Tennis in Virginia Beach. One avenue is through the school program. Specifically, the VBTPA is partnering with the United States Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic to expand accessibility of tennis to all Virginia Beach City school students. This is being accomplished through the USTA’s Net Generation Program and the local efforts of the VBTPA.
Efforts include engaging and helping to register all VB schools for the USTA Net Gen package. This package is provided at NO COST to the schools and includes 30 rackets, balls, tape for lines, and a net. In addition, the USTA provides online resources for PE teachers and tennis coaches with lesson plans and tips for teaching tennis.
As the community partner, Gary, on behalf of the VBTPA, facilitates clinics with the PE teachers and their students on how to use the package, along with the basics of teaching tennis. Over 22 schools signed on since the program’s inception in 2021 and work is still being done to increase that number.
This year, as in previous years, Gary is working to provide High School boys and girls teams free on-site clinics and are working to establish Virginia Beach’s first inter-school league in our Middle and Elementary schools.
