Mingus Union High School’s girls’ tennis head coach Andrea Meyer will be offering tennis lessons for kids ages 8 through 13 this summer at the MUHS courts. While Meyer’s first session started on June 2, she will be holding two more this summer from June 16 through 27 and July 7 through 18. Kids ages 8 to 10 play from 8 to 9 a.m., and those ages 11 to 13 play from 9 to 10 a.m. The cost of the program is $120 for 10 hours of lessons.
“This is not a community where kids grow up with country clubs and playing at elite venues, so I view it as my job as a member of the U.S. Tennis Association to get rackets into my kids’ hands as early as possible,” Meyer said. She has been offering the lessons for the last four years.
Meyer said her main objective was to give kids confidence, but that they would also learn skills ranging from body synchronization to ball handling and overhead shooting, as well as skills adaptable to other sports such as swimming and lacrosse.
“I don’t really teach tennis, I teach kids to grow into adults, happy adults,” Meyer said. “Adults that can be nicely, happily competitive, so that when pressures are on in a job, or an interview, or a relationship, or another athletic situation, they know breathing techniques, they know relaxation techniques. They are self-taught, so they know how to get through a tough situation. What if they are accused of stealing something in school? Do we want them to go off like a firecracker, or do we want them to take a step back, examine the situation closely and think about what’s right to do? In tennis, players have to call their own lines. That calls on them to be honest under competitive pressure. No other sport does that.”
“You should do it, it’s super fun,” 10-year-old Cameron Musil, who has been in the program for two years, advised other kids.
“It will definitely be something I do in high school,” middle schooler Kaliya Dutton, who became interested in tennis because of her sister, said, adding that she highly recommended Meyer’s classes and that Meyer also liked having fun during her lessons.
