2012 CLC QuickStart Tennis Program
Milwaukee’s 72 Community Learning Center's (CLC's), located in Milwaukee Public Schools and various youth-serving agencies, serve as havens for children during the after-school hours of 3-6 p.m., the time when children are most likely to get into trouble. The CLC Wellness Program, an MPS initiative focused on battling the rising obesity issue of urban children in Milwaukee, promotes a healthy lifestyle for students by using movement activities, such as tennis.
As the exclusive MPS CLC tennis vendor, MTEF provides tennis instruction at CLC sites throughout Milwaukee using the innovative QuickStart Tennis (QST) format with 5-10 year-old players. The format enables youngsters to build their enjoyment of the game, while developing their tennis skills more quickly and efficiently. QuickStart introduces the game to beginning players on smaller courts and with more appropriate equipment, such as lower nets and compression balls. With this method, players are able to keep the ball in play and learn strokes at a suitable pace.
The convenience of the portable nets allows QST to be set up in any available space, such as a gym or outdoor playground area. Two or three MTEF instructors at each site work with a group of 15-20 students. The goal is to have the students playing points out with the adapted equipment. During the final week at the sites, a tournament is played, giving each child the opportunity to demonstrate his/her skills.
MTEF offers CLC tennis instruction year-round to many of Milwaukee's 72 CLC providers. To see a time and location of your specific CLC site go to our event calendar page. To read about how to have MTEF's QST Program at your site, click here.
2012 CLC QUICKSTART WORKSHOP
Visit www.quickstarttennis.com for more information on QuickStart Tennis.
The MTEF Tennis Ball
This year’s event, will be held on
Saturday, September 22nd at
Milwaukee County Zoo’s Peck Pavilion.
Quote of the Day
“Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” ---John F. Kennedy
Get to Know...
Tyler
Haanen
High
School Senior
High Performance Participant
Tyler
Haanen wants to be an engineer when he grows up, and if he has his way, tennis
and MTEF will help him attain his goal.
Currently a senior at Rufus King High School, Haanen just started
playing tennis three and a half years ago as something to do during the summer
months.
“Tyler’s
story is pretty amazing,” said MTEF executive director, Jay Massart. “He joins our program the summer before his
freshman year in high school having never played tennis before, because he
wants to make the King tennis team, and now just four years later he’s the
second best player in our program and he will play either first or second
singles on the varsity tennis team this spring.”