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Tennis Center regains vigor
By JON WILSON, Times Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG -- Zach DeGregorio, 6, took a swipe. His racket's edge caught the ball's southern latitudes, sending it soaring over the net, going, going, out of there! Over a fence, over the shrubs, probably over the rainbow. "Woopsie," Zach said. Learning tennis can make a person talk like that. But Zach has a backhand like a bazooka. Volunteer coach John Ritter tossed an easy bouncer. A left-hander, Zach wrapped his racket so far back, you'd swear the head of it came around to touch his belt buckle. Then he unwound a killer. The coach flinched. "Wow!" Ritter said. "You almost took my head off." The shot hit just inside the baseline. Learning tennis also has its rewards. On a recent Wednesday afternoon, about 50 youngsters filled most of the St. Petersburg Tennis Center's clay courts. Some were younger than Zach, taking their first tentative flicks with the mysterious implement called a racket. Others, older, were working out with club pro Doug Woods. These are kids who hit with some consistent smoke. Some, such as Jerica Coley, 10, won a recent United States Tennis Association tournament. Coley, Jasmyne Smith, and siblings Rob and Sierra Perry were hitting during a cross-court drill. Someone wasn't moving with alacrity enough to suit Woods. "Hustle, hustle, girls. You're in practice. You've got plenty of time to walk around when you're not here," the coach yelled. The center's Grassroots program for youngsters takes place three times a week. Coaching is tailored to skill and experience levels. The first step is simply learning to hit the ball. Volunteer coaches like Ritter use gentle tosses to teach strokes to the younger children. "I like the skills and how the balls come and how you can hit it," said Zach, a student at Lakeview Fundamental Elementary School. The children's program is one of the major components at the center, which came close to being demolished last year before a private group took over its operation from the city government. The city is paying the St. Petersburg Tennis Foundation $72,000 this year to run the program, said Lee Metzger, the city's Leisure Services administrator. Plans call for the payment to decrease during the next two years. The goal is for the center to be self-sustaining by then. "I think they're doing fairly well, working hard and trying to promote it," Metzger said. "They're meeting and probably exceeding our expectations." Membership has increased. And the children's program is about to get bigger. Starting next month, Grassroots will expand into what is called the First Serve initiative. It will serve more youngsters, operate five days a week and add an educational aspect concentrating on reading, math and learning skills. St. Petersburg is one of 13 Florida cities that are part of a national pilot program to see whether tennis and education can be complementary tools for progress in at-risk neighborhoods. The program awaits a $325,000 state grant, $50,000 of it earmarked for St. Petersburg, said Loretta Strickland, First Serve Florida coordinator. "We want to have the programs oriented toward lifelong learning and getting kids into college, and developing a full-blown scholar-athlete program," said Jay Sokolovsky, the foundation president. An anthropology professor at the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, Sokolovsky has helped forge a partnership between the school and the center. USF students have an arrangement to use the courts and they are being encouraged to become mentors to the youngsters. Other partnerships have been set up with such community institutions as Academy Prep, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Suncoast and the Police Athletic League. Sam Williams, the head of school at Academy Prep, is enthusiastic about the relationship. For one thing, he is hoping to recruit youngsters from the school "who will have an aesthetic appreciation for the game." He also sees the center as an asset for the larger community. "I see the need for the community to embrace the facility. I know it's a luxury to have a well-run facility. Whenever you have one, you've got to reach for it, grab it, take care of it, respect it for being there." It's possible, Williams said, that the center can become a positive element in a neighborhood that has had its share of difficulties in housing, economics and crime. "I think we just have to turn around what's been happening here. I'm impressed there are some who understood we have to reverse the cycle." First Serve factsWHAT: A new "Grassroots" after-school program to provide tennis instruction and scholastic tutoring. The academic program, conducted by a qualified educational staff, will emphasize reading, math and learning skills. WHO: Ages 5-17 will be accepted. Children ages 3-4, when accompanied by a parent or guardian, may be eligible for a more limited program held at special times. WHERE: St. Petersburg Tennis Center, 650 18th Ave. S, and the Frank Pierce Community Center next door. They are in the Bartlett Park neighborhood. WHEN: Starting March 4, the First Serve program will be held Monday through Friday, 3 until 6 p.m., rain or shine. COST: Free to youngsters who qualify for the federal lunch program. Others will pay a nominal fee. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: will be emphasized. Parents/guardians must attend one orientation session and complete enrollment forms. The first orientation is 5:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Tennis Center. The second is 1-2 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Tennis Center. After the second orientation, tennis pros will help volunteer coaches and parents teach tennis basics. There also will be opportunities for parents to assist in the program's educational part and to serve as mentors. Parents who volunteer can earn credits for free tennis. INFORMATION: Call 823-2225.
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