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Conway Junior Tennis Fall Program - begins September
13
Sign up NOW for the Conway Junior Tennis Fall program. This proven
tennis program has helped many kids in Conway learn to play and
enjoy the game of tennis. Classes are available for kids of all
ages and abilities and a separate class for ladies who want to learn
to play tennis, maybe while your kids are learning on the next court!
Tennis is growing in Conway and this is a great opportunity for
your kids to "get into the game".
CLICK
HERE for complete information and registration.
Back to School Tennis Clinics - August 15 - 19
Tennis Unlimited has announced back to school tennis clinics August
15 - 19 at the UCA courts. These clinics are for all ages. Players
will be divided into small groups based on age and skill level.
For more information or to register, contact Mickey Bentley at 501-354-6121or
501-231-8334 or send him an email.
CLICK HERE
for a flyer.
Conway Junior Tennis Summer Camps
Conway Junior Tennis is announcing our Summer Tennis Camp, June
13-17 at the UCA tennis courts. We would love for you and your children
to attend! Here are the classes we are offering:
Little Tennis (Ages 4-7) - Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-9:30 am, $42/session
Beginner Tennis (Ages 7-15) - Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-10:00 am, $52/session
Intermediate Tennis (Ages 9-16) - Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-10:00 am,
$52/session
Advanced Tennis (Ages 12-18) - Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-10:00 am, $52/session
Super Advanced Tennis (Ages 12-18) - Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am-10:00 am,
$52/session
Family Fun - Mon.-Fri., 8:45 am-9:45 am, $42/session - Drop off
your kids and join the fun!
CLICK
HERE to print out the registration form. Mail
your check and registration form to Rhea Lana Riner, 2840 Anna Lane,
Conway, AR 72034. Or for more information contact Rhea Lana Riner
at rhealana@rhealana.com
or 501-450-3017.
CLICK
HERE to view the program flyer. Feel free to
print it out and pass it on to your friends.
Spring clinics for Juniors & Adults begin
May 28
Tennis Unlimited is offering tennis clinics for juniors and adults
beginning in May.
CLICK
HERE for a flyer with contact information, cost and
dates. Tennis is growing in Conway, tell your friends about these
clinics so they can get into (or back into) the game!
Spring Junior Tennis programs begin March 14
Conway Junior tennis has announced their Junior Tennis programs
for players age 4 through 14. The weather is warming up and so is
tennis in Conway! Call Rhea Lana Riner at 450-3017 or email
her if you have any questions. They will also offer a ladies class
if there is enough interest. So Moms, get out and learn to play
while your kids are having fun.
CLICK HERE
for complete details and registration information.
Tennis around the world
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This
picture of my niece, bundled up in her coat on a cold
day in Berlin, Germany captures the essence of a child's
sense of wonder. I wonder what she is thinking. I wonder
if she'll play tennis someday. I'm glad she has the opportunity
to hear the sound of the ball coming off the racquet,
and all the other sounds on a cold, probably quiet day.
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Conway Explosion takes 2nd at State Tournament
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The Conway Explosion, a 12
year-old and under tennis team, finished second in their
group at the Arkansas Tennis Association's team tennis
state tournament held on November 6, 2004. The Explosion
actually tied for first with a team from Texarkana but
finished second due to the tie break rules. The team was
organized and coached by Barry Brady, a USPTA certified
tennis instructor in Conway. |
| The team has played
matches against other teams from around the central Arkansas
area for over 2 months prior to the state tournament.
The match format is one boy's singles and one boy's doubles
match; and one girl's singles and one girl's doubles match.
In the tournment, a point was earned for each game won.
Conway and Texarkana each finished with 50 points. The
Conway Explosion team is primarily made up of members
from the Conway and Greenbrier area. Team members are
Nick Brady, Hart Denton, Leah Riner, Lane Bradshaw, all
of Conway; Ali Rowden of Greenbrier and Hannah Butcher
of Little Rock. The team plans to compete in the spring
season of 2005. |
Conway Junior Tennis announces Fall schedule
Little Tennis - Taught by Maret Moore Designed
for children ages 4-7
Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30
Red Group - Taught by Debbie Herrell Designed
for children ages 8-10
Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30
Blue Group - Taught by Debbie Herrell Designed
for children ages 11-14
Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30
Advanced Group - Taught by Rhea Lana Riner
This class is open to those who have been in previous Advanced
Classes.
Mondays, 4:30-5:30
Classes will begin the week of September 20 and go
through the week of October 25.
We will meet at the UCA Tennis Courts. Cost is $42.00
per player.
For more information contact Rhea
Lana Riner at www.rhealana.com or 501-450-3017
Jon Mark Rowden selected to Jr Davis Cup
team
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Jon
Mark, of Greenbrier, will represent Arkansas on the Davis
Cup team in Charleston, SC September 24 - 26. The USA
professional Davis Cup team will be playing Belarus
at the same location and dates. What an honor for Jon
Mark, and for all of the tennis enthusiasts in the Conway
area. Click on the logo on the left for more information
about the event, or CLICK
HERE for the Davis Cup site. |
Conway Juniors faring well in Summer tournaments
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Summer is a
great time to get out and play tennis and Conway youth
are making the best of it. Leah and Tess Bradford won
first place in the Girls 12 division in a Hot Springs
tournament. Many other Conway players have competed in
Novice and Competitive level tournaments throughout the
summer. CLICK
HERE for tournament schedules and contact
us if you'd like to get your child involved in tennis. |
Arkansas is well represented in Southern
Closed Tournaments
Arkansas
is the least populated state in the nine state Southern
Section but has the third most junior tennis members.
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The Southern Closed tournaments
start June 19th and Arkansas is well represented. Southern
Closed is the most prestigious tournament in the nine-state
Southern section. Players compete in Southern Closed
tournaments to earn endorsements in national tournaments.
92 kids from Arkansas will compete in the 10, 12, 14,
16 and 18 year age bracket tournaments held in Kentucky,
South Carolina, Georgia and Little Rock. Two players from
the Conway area, Ben Riner of Conway and Jon Mark Rowden
of Greenbrier, are competing in the Boys
12 division in South Carolina. |
If you have kids who need tennis inspiration, get out and
watch some of the 18
year old division tennis in Little Rock June 19 - June 26th.
Arkansas to host three prestigious tournaments
this summer
The sectional junior tournaments begin with the Southern
18s Closed (mentioned above), followed by the National 12s
Open from July 3-7 and finally the National 12s, the most
prestigious 12-year-old tournament in the country beginning
August 9. This will determine the national champion for this
age bracket. The National 12s also will mark the debut of
the 17 new courts at the Burns Park Tennis Center in North
Little Rock.
UALR announces junior and adult summer camps
Tommy McDonald, the head coach for the UALR men and women's
tennis team is offering tennis camps the weeks of June 7-11
and June 14-18 for juniors and adults. These are a great opportunity
to fine tune your tennis game, have some fun and meet new
players.
CLICK
HERE for a complete brochure and registration
form.
Conway Junior Tennis to offer summer camps
No matter what level of tennis you play, consider signing
up for one of the Conway Junior Tennis camps this summer.
The camps will introduce beginners to the game of tennis and
provide skill development and match play for more experienced
players. They even offer a beginner's class for parents! Three
sessions of classes will be held for kids ages 4-18 starting
the week of June 7. Sign up today - space is limited!
CLICK
HERE for a complete camp brochure and registration
form.
CLICK HERE
to contact Rhea Lana Riner by email or call her at 450-3017.
2004 USPTA Junior Circuit tournament - April
24
Conway will host one of the six junior circuit tournaments
organized by the Arkansas Tennis Pros Association to make
competitive play accessible to all novice players in Arkansas.
Six one day tournaments will be held beginning February 28th
in Pine Bluff, Texarkana, Hot Springs, Pleasant Valley, El
Dorado and Conway. Events will include Boys and Girls age
divisions: 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. We are very fortunate to
have John Paxton, the Tennis Director and teaching pro at
Fairfield Bay Tennis here for the day to run the tournament
for us. Mark your calendars and plan to play as many as you
can!
CLICK
HERE to view the flyer with the dates and locations
for all six events.
CLICK HERE
for online signup for the Conway Tournament.
JRMC Kids Day at Pine Bluff Country Club
Pine Bluff Country Club is hosting a kids day event in conjunction
with their pro tournament April 2-4. The event will be from
12:00 - 1:30 and include clinics by touring pros, prizes ,
exhibition hitting and other fun "kids stuff". This
is a great tennis opportunity for you and your kids and will
be worth the drive. While you are there you can stay and watch
some great adult tennis and make a tennis day out of it. Call
Ronny or Vicki Bran at 870-535-7651 or email
them for more info.
Growing youth tennis - Vic Braden's perspective
Every once in awhile, while you're doing something
you are passionate about, you read an article from someone
else that simply "hits the nail on the head". I
read an article by Vic
Braden in the December issue of Tennis Week that is a
tremendous perspective on youth tennis. I encourage you to
CLICK
HERE and read it and tell
me what you think. It's a scanned file that is
a big so it may take awhile to load on a slow connection.
Spring Junior Tennis Programs
Rhea Lana Riner will be offering Spring tennis
programs beginning the first week of March.
These programs are run by Rhea Lana Riner and not a part of
the Conway Area Tennis Association. For more information or
to register, contact Rhea
Lana Riner at 450-3017 or click
here to download the program flyer and registration form.
The weather will be warming up and March is
a great time to get your kids back into tennis!
Conway Area Arkansas Grand Prix Winners
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The Arkansas Junior Grand Prix
is a tournament based program promoted by the Arkansas Tennis
Pros Association(ATPA). It's purpose is to encourage participation
in tournaments throughout the state.
Jon Mark Rowden
of Greenbrier recently won first place in the Boys
10 and Under age division. As a result of his outstanding
accomplishment, Jon Mark will receive a free racquet at the
Arkansas Tennis Association Junior Awards Banquet held in
January 2004. Shawn Prince,
of Conway placed second in the Girls 18 and Under division
and will receive a free tennis bag at the ATA banquet. Ben
Riner, also of Conway, placed 4th in the Boys
12 and Under division.
In addition, all three players were invited to play in the
ATPA Invitational Tournament the weekend of November 22. Jon
Mark and Shawn placed first in their divisions and Ben placed
fourth.
Congratulations to these players for their hard work and
perseverance! For more information on the Arkansas Junior
Grand Prix go the Arkansas
Tennis Association website.
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Why Gym Class Matters
Take a minute to read this EXCELLENT article from the Wall Street
Journal on why kids need to develop their "athletic identity"
and why tennis is such a great sport to do this. MORE.
. .
CNN reports on youth sports
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I saw this great picture and read the following caption on CNN.com.
"Children as young as 3 are now
taking lessons in sports like tennis and soccer. But 75 percent
of all youths drop out of organized sports by age 12, according
to the National Association of Sports and Physical Education."
The goal of the Conway Area Tennis
Association is to give kids a sport for life! |
Junior tennis growing in Conway
2003 Fall Junior tennis had over 60 kids enrolled, up from about
15 last year. This is a great sign that the game of tennis is growing
in Conway. Driving by the tennis courts around town you can see
kids and families out enjoying the Fall weather and playing tennis.
The Conway High School tennis team has started their season, busy
practicing and playing matches.
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With the growth of tennis in Conway and High
School tennis being moved to a Fall sport, the tennis courts
in Conway are full of activity by players of all ages and
levels. We're excited to see such a large (and excited) group
of young tennis players.
As always, if you have any questions, suggestions or comments,
please email us
or contact us by phone.
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We are anxious to hear how you are doing and how we are doing.
Together we'll raise up some future tennis stars and people who
enjoy the game of tennis for the rest of their life!
The Conway Area Tennis Association is committed to helping to grow
the game of tennis and we welcome any comments or ideas you might
have. We are a group of volunteers who love the game of tennis and
are excited to see the level of play increase. Give
us a call or send us
an email with your ideas and we'll get back to you. Let us know
how you'd like to be involved.
Instructor spotlight
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One of best things about Conway Junior Tennis
is the quality of instructors that we have on the courts with
the kids. They are people who love the game of tennis as much
as they enjoy teaching others to play well and have fun.
Read about
Charity Armijo, one of our instructors this summer. |
Sign up now for Fall Junior Tennis
The Conway Area Tennis Association is offering a 6 week junior
tennis program at the UCA tennis courts beginning Monday September
8 through the week of October 13th.
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Advanced &
Intermediate: Age 9-16
Mondays 4:30-5:30pm |
Designed for kids who already understand the
basic strokes (serve, volley, forehand, backhand) and want
to improve their game through drills, games and match play. |
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Beginner: Age 12-14
Mondays 4:30-5:30pm
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Designed to give kids a good experience on the tennis court
learning the fundamentals of the game while having plenty
of fun. |
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Beginner: Age 7-11
Tuesdays 5:15-6:15pm |
Designed to give kids a good experience on the tennis
court learning the fundamentals of the game while having plenty
of fun. |
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Little Tennis: Age 4-6
Tuesdays 4:30-5:15pm |
Designed to build a great tennis foundation for our budding
tennis stars through activities and games! |
The cost is $40 per player. USTA membership is required and is
$15 for a year membership. Please make checks payable to Conway
Area Tennis Association. Registration fees will be prorated if you
register after the first session.
For more information or to register contact Rhea
Lana Riner (450-3017).
You may SIGN UP ONLINE
or print
out the flyer and register by mail.
2003 Summer Junior Camps were a huge success
Junior tennis continue to grow in Conway with well over 100 kids
participating in the two junior tennis camps held this year. If
you are interested in getting your kids involved with tennis, please
email us and give us
your contact information, age of your kids and level of interest.
Tennis is such a great sport for kids and a sport that families
can all enjoy together. |
