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1 <br />TEN N I S <br />for <br />Tots and Teens <br />Av7hat did American tennis <br />stars Arthur Ashe, Billie <br />VV jean King, and jimmy Con- <br />nors all have in common when they <br />were kids learning to play? First, as <br />hard as it is to imagine, they all were <br />once beginners. Second, they all <br />were beginners whose interest in <br />the game started on the courts of <br />their local parks. <br />While our parks' courts and be- <br />ginner programs are still the most <br />common starting point for aspiring <br />,young players, they are only part of <br />the answer if we are to ignite ,youth <br />Participation in tennis on a long - <br />44/4AY 1989/P&R <br />BY MICHAEL SILVERMAN <br />term basis. Equally important, and <br />often overlooked, we need to offer <br />more competitive opportunities <br />and follow-up programs on public <br />courts to challenge youngsters once <br />they have learned the basics. <br />Traditionally, higher-level in- <br />structional programs and tourna- <br />ments sanctioned by the United <br />States Tennis Association (LISTA) <br />have been the realm of private <br />clubs, especially in seasonal areas. <br />When public courts don't offer sim- <br />ilar activities, it's understandable <br />that the community still perceives <br />tennis as a high-cost sport, even <br />though they may have an excellent <br />entry-level park program. Unless <br />we offer a wide -range of tennis <br />opportunities in the. parks, we stand <br />to lose many of the urban young- <br />sters we originally introduced to <br />tennis, most of whom will not main- <br />tain as Serious an interest in pursu- <br />ing higher levels of the game if <br />those offerings are less accessible <br />or affordable. <br />The solution is to develop a "pyra- <br />mid" of progressively challenging <br />