Valley Stream tennis program serving more and more

Tennis lessons at Valley Stream’s Hendrickson Park has seemed to spark an interest for children in the recent years as a summer recreation activity.

This year, head instructor Katie Moran had to add a second session due to increased enrollment. Moran said she had noted the surge in enrollment and decided to alter the session sizes since it became so popular. A select few children have also enrolled themselves in both the first and second sessions.

Moran has coached tennis for three years at North High School in addition to instructing in the summer. Originally, Moran took over the village’s tennis program with her daughters, Jillian, Alexandra and Kimberly, three years ago. She continues to run it with Kimberly and several instructors.

Moran also gives the opportunity for high school and college students to earn some money over the summer by hiring new people every year.

The lessons are for ages 5 to 6, and 7 to 12. The six, 45-minute lessons are given on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 3:45 p.m. or 4 to 4:45 p.m. The first session ran from July 5–22 and the second session runs from Aug. 2–12. The cost per sessions are $50 for a village child and $60 for a Central High School District child.

“We just want to make them like tennis and have fun,” Moran said of the children. In addition, one of the main goals is to “teach the basic skills” of the sport, she explained.

With two water breaks and a cool misting pump to be sprayed with, the children stay refreshed while playing a healthy lifestyle game.

As an instructor for the second year, Bobby Buith, 19, said, “I make sure they have the right footwork, which step to lead in.” He has been playing tennis since 10th grade.

Courtney Osman, 12, who attends South High School, said she enjoyed her first year of tennis lessons because she learned how to swing the racket and hit the ball. “I like the instructors because they are really nice when they instruct you,” she said.

Enrolled at the tennis lessons for her second summer, Kathleen Ferrall, 9, of Holy Name of Mary School, said she liked learning forehand and backhand, and “played a lot of fun games.” Along with Osman, she said the instructors are nice people.

With about seven instructors per session, children are separated in groups based on their ability and ages. About 20 kids were in the first session and 10 in the second session.

Instructors are students still attending high school or recent graduates. Kimberly Moran, 20, said she always tries to keep the students entertained, and they enjoy playing tennis games such as barnyard, submarine, and popcorn.

“It’s fun,” said Sandchelle St. Fleur, 8, a Howell Road School student, about the lessons. “You get to have a great time.”

“They run around and scream,” Buith said of the children. “You see they are just having fun with it.”

The students aren’t the only ones delighted in the lessons. “I like interacting with the kids,” Buith added. “It’s almost childhood innocence. They are all funny.”