News

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The USTA today announced that it conducted a tennis clinic featuring the QuickStart play format on the White House South Lawn alongside USTA Chairman of the Board and President Lucy S. Garvin, World Team Tennis Washington Kastles owner, Mark Ein, world No. 20 Sam Querrey, and doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan on Tuesday, August 3. The event was part of the South Lawn Series, a summer-long series of events that brings local children, sports leagues and community programs together to the South Lawn in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to showcase all the benefits of the sport of tennis,” said Garvin. “Tennis is a lifetime sport and can help keep people of all ages active and healthy. The USTA is proud to join the First Lady and her Let’s Move! initiative, and we are thrilled that she recognizes the positive impact that tennis can have on children.”

The clinic ran on two 78’ courts constructed on the South Lawn that housed eight 36’ courts specifically designed for children aged 10-and-under. USTA instructors partnered up with tennis players Sam Querrey and Bob and Mike Bryan to lead 100 local Washington youth from USTA National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters including the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, CREATE Tennis, the Southeast Tennis & Learning Center and the Junior Tennis Champions Center in a QuickStart clinic that demonstrated ways for kids to get 60 minutes of active play per day. Developed to keep kids active and expose them to tennis at an early age, the QuickStart play format provides kids with an exciting introduction to tennis by scaling down the game to better fit the needs of young children by utilizing smaller balls, racquets and courts.

“The QuickStart play format is the ideal way to get kids involved in the sport of tennis and start them on the path of using sports to remain active,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “By utilizing age appropriate equipment and shorter courts, the QuickStart play format makes tennis more fun for kids which can lead to a lifetime of activity.”

Tuesday’s event marked the second time tennis clinics featuring the QuickStart play format appeared at the White House. The USTA, along with Gigi Fernandez and Billie Jean King, previously took part in a tennis demonstration during the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll, which included the participation of more than 36,000 children.

Querrey is coming off his sixth career title after winning the Farmers Classic, an Olympus US Open Series event, in Los Angeles last weekend, and Bob and Mike Bryan won their 62nd doubles title at the Farmers Classic to break the record for the most team doubles titles.

Other organizations who have joined with the Let’s Move! initiative include the National Football League, Major League Baseball, U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with 740,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 90-plus Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the USTA, provides financial support for disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.