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programs that services all ability levels with fun incentives and struc- tured opportunities for play. We can accomplish this with the help of suc- cessful national offerings to broaden the "base," and then build upon that base by providing more competitive opportunities and spe- cialized programs that encourage kids to continue playing. Broadening the Base with Pee Wee and Teamtennis Not every child who starts whack- ing a tennis ball at age four will be- come Andre Agassi, but adding a pee wee tennis program for four- to eight -year-olds will certainly guarantee a fun time for a relativelv untapped age group of kids. The United States Tennis Association has recently developed a basic curric- ulum for recreation directors, called "Short Tennis." Miniature racquets and foam balls are used to scale down the game, where techni- cal instruction is minimal and bath- room breaks are frequent. The game uses nets set up per- pendicularly to a court's standard net, creating four mini -courts. This space -saving format is ideal for small facilities looking to provide a new program without compromis- ing public court time. Because of this, it is also an excellent carrvover program for indoor recreation cen- ters and gyms throughout the year. A Short Tennis program is great for generating media interest, as well as the interest of many more non- playing parents. Teamtennis has become in- creasingly popular throughout the country as a fun way of introducing kids to singles and doubles play. It is especially appealing for young chil- dren and beginners because there is less pressure on individual per- formance, and the team format is socially as well as athletically re- warding. The USTA/National junior Tennis League has been turning kids on to tennis on public courts since Arthur Ashe co-founded the program in 1968. The format is versatile—the weekly team practices and ladder matches are great for establishing a program at a single location; you can combine teams from several park locations to form a competitive league. The USTA/NJTL is designed chiefly for novice players, so it is important to plan for an inter- mediate program once you have es- tablished the novice one. Boys and girls play on the same team in Domino's Pizza Teamten- nis, where the total number of games determines the winner after five sets of boys' and girls' singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. You can substitute players during the course of the match. With a mini- mum of only four players (two boys, two girls) needed for a team, getting a league of at least four teams started is easy to do. The fun format is pop- IIlar y .y1IIi• 11 .J.. as klu,3, who often will get involved as team coaches. Teamtennis also works nicely for intermediate and ad- vanced players. Tournaments After enjoying practicing and playing teamtennis at their local park, many kids will eventuallv be interested in testing their skills in junior tournament competition. The question is—are there suf- ficient tournament opportunities for them in their own backyard? Many more youths, especially inner- city youths, would be turned on to tennis competition if more recrea- tion managers would take an active role in scheduling frequent tourna- ments on public courts. Many tennis facilities have a wealth of resources to make junior tournaments outstanding player and spectator events, but too often they are delegated to volunteers or community tennis associations. Sometimes this arrangement is eco- nomically and logistically effective for both parties. When it is in- effective, or the services offered are limited, however, recreation man- agers should decide whether or not more self-sufficiency is necessary to maximize public use of their courts. It doesn't take extensive training or staffing to run a tennis tournament—it only takes one tournament director. With a nomin- al entry fee, they are economically self-sustaining, and often generate added revenue. Some Tournament Suggestions • Work with the regional USTA office to sanction some of the events. Sanctioned tournament re- sults determine regional and sec- tional rankings, an added incentive for many players. Parents and play PCC may then view park tourna- ments as practical alternatives to those at private clubs. • If unused court space is avail- able, offer a seasonal ladder compe- tition for juniors ages 14 through 18, at selected locations. 0 Set aside a couple of hours a week for kids in the instructional program to come down for a pick- up match in singles and doubles play. � Select three or four public court locations and design a "cir- cuit" that lets inner-city ,youngsters compete every two weeks for "points," just like the pros. After the circuit is over, the top point -earners in each age group qualify for the "master's championships," and the title of parks champion. The points - format offers an immediate in- centive for kids to play the next event to see how many points they can add to their total. An excellent time to offer some- P&R/NTAY 1989/45