Quick Start Tennis


ELITE TO OFFER MILWAUKEE KIDS FREE TENNIS PARTY USING THE NEW, USTA-ENDORSED “QUICKSTART” METHOD ON JAN. 19

New "Mini" Format Makes Tennis Easy To Learn and Play for Kids Ages 10 and Under

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – (January, 2008) – Miniaturized courts, smaller racquets, softer balls, shorter nets, and a scaled-down scoring system are the quintessential tools of the new QuickStart method of tennis just recently endorsed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and used by Elite Fitness & Racquet Clubs. Elite will have free party that includes QuickStart play and a lesson, plus special prizes from the leading tennis manufacturers for kids, ages 10 and under, at the QuickStart Kick-off on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Mequon Elite, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., and at Highlander Elite in Brookfield, from 4 to 6 p.m.

“This event is great for kids who’ve never played and kids already playing tennis,” says Randy Stolpe, tennis director at Highlander Elite. “Very few kids are able to learn proper tennis fundamentals and tactics on a full size court. The goal of this tennis format is to get kids in team play and tournaments as soon as possible, which is what kids really enjoy.”

With QuickStart, tennis is scaled down to the size and age of young players. The USTA specifies a 36-ft. court for kids eight and under, and a 60-ft. court for kids 10 and under. For kids under eight, Elite uses a net that is 18-ft. long and 2-ft., 9-in. high. Older kids use regulation-size nets. The correct court size allows kids to play a realistic game of tennis using the full court.

Kids also need a ball that’s equal to their playing abilities. A regulation tennis ball moves too fast, bounces too high and is too heavy for smaller racquets. Elite uses a nerf-type tennis ball for the really young kids and uses a low-compression ball for the older kids that travels farther, but still has less bounce. The tennis racquets used are also proportionate to the child’s length and weight and have a grip that fits smaller hands.

“All of these things make playing the game easier,” says Stolpe. “Kids are serving, volleying and playing the game from the get-go, and that’s what makes it fun for them.”

In 2008, the USTA will be offering sanctioned events and tournaments using the new 36-ft. and 60-ft. court sizes.

About Elite Fitness and Racquet Clubs

With 31 tennis courts, extensive weight-training and cardiovascular areas, state-of-the-art equipment and group classes free with membership at each of its four locations, Elite Fitness & Racquet Clubs are one of the foremost fitness and tennis centers in southeast Wisconsin. The Elite Fitness & Racquet Club family includes: Highlander Elite, 13825 W. Burleigh Rd., Brookfield; Bluemound Elite, 600 N. Barker Rd, Brookfield; North Shore Elite, 5750 N. Glen Park Rd., Glendale; and Mequon Elite at 11616 N. Port Washington Road.