KOHALA — On Dec. 15, second and third graders at Kohala Elementary School were introduced to tennis in a fun and easy kid-friendly format during their PE class by the Unites States Tennis Association (USTA) Hawaii Pacific Section and local West Hawaii USTA District.
The students learned about the parts of the racquet, how to work independently and with partners, playing the “clock game” and “lobsters and oysters,” among many additional basic tennis skills. The tennis activities are supported by the USTA School Tennis Program and are taught in gyms, playgrounds and multi-purpose rooms with no courts required.
At the end of the school day, 12 teachers participated in an After-School Tennis Workshop to enable them to feel comfortable introducing tennis in non-traditional spaces through a combination of student management activities, cross-curriculum concepts and tennis skill activities.
The West Hawaii District Tennis Association sponsored the school workshop and enabled Kohala Elementary School to receive tennis curriculum, racquets and balls for the school PE program. The students and teachers had a positive first experience learning how to play tennis with the student-friendly equipment.