Over 100 students at Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School enjoyed an afternoon of tennis with coaches from the Tennis Academy of Guam (TAG), in conjunction with the Guam National Tennis Federation, as part of both organizations’ efforts to increase Guam’s player base at the grassroots level.
“I liked the one activity where we had one partner and we had to bounce the ball with the racket,” said Brianna Castanieto, a fourth-grader at the elementary school. “Before, we didn’t know about tennis until we started playing and practicing at school. It’s really fun, I hope we can keep playing.”
“For me, the volley was my favourite,” added Momo Kuzumi, Castanieto’s classmate. “You can’t let it bounce before you hit it, so it was kind of challenging – I always had to go get the ball.”
Students were split into three sessions with TAG coaches with the final session concluding at 2 p.m. Tennis training at the school is part of a larger program introduced last year in Guam through the USTA Hawaii-Pacific Section’s Schools Program. Through the Hawaii-based program, Sheila Kurosu, the USTA Hawaii-Pacific Section’s Director of School Tennis, visited seven elementary schools with the intent to provide the teachers enough instruction for certification and equipment to feature the sport in their respective physical education classes. Each school finishing the certifying process also received equipment at no charge. Through a grant from the Australian Open, coaches from TAG return to the schools to assist with training and assess progress. The grant also covers bi-monthly sessions outside of the schools for students interested in extra tennis training.
“I actually like this program and the kids always look forward to it,” said Marie Angoco, a fourth-grade teacher at Juan M. Guerrero. “It’s a good program because it’s not just about getting the kids together and hitting the ball any which way, but it’s structured to provide skills – like hand-eye coordination – that they develop and apply, while learning a new sport.
“I am hoping that this will continue in the school and gain popularity with the kids. I mentioned to one of the coaches today that one of our second-grade classes was invited to come out and join the tennis training and they really enjoyed it, too,” Angoco added.
For fourth-grader Joseph Olarte, he enjoys tennis sessions at school so much that he hopes to get enough training to one day play in tournaments.
“I just started learning about tennis with this program at school and I enjoy it a lot,” Olarte said. “In today’s session, I liked the drill where we had to make the ball bounce and hit it in the air – you have to concentrate. Tennis is so much fun – the coaches are very nice and they teach us a lot of skills.
“I’d like to learn more and try playing in a tournament. If I get good, maybe I can play in some tournaments in the States,” Olarte added.
Other schools part of the first seven with teachers certified by Kurosu are C.L. Taitano Elementary School, Liguan Elementary School, Tamuning Elementary School, Bishop Baumgartner Memorial School, St. Anthony Catholic School, and St. John’s School.
For schools wanting to incorporate the program into their physical education classes, TAG coaches also are qualified to certify schools and teachers. To schedule a session with TAG, contact Joe Cepeda at 988-7479 or Torgun Smith at 687-5483.