By Lloyd Wilton, LAHS Boy’s Tennis CoachA main objective of the Los Alamos Tennis Community is to give kids opportunities they otherwise would not have. The tennis population on the hill has a passion for the sport. The high school boys’ team boasts 30 boys while the girls program will top 40 or more this season. It is essential to note these two programs are run on four tennis courts each, numbers that have out grown our facilities.
In addition, 65 to 70 kids participate in summer tennis programs on a four court site. The need for an effort to construct an eight tennis court complex has come to a head. Tennis players of all ages are itching to have the resources cities/towns that replicate Los Alamos’ interest in tennis. That interest is so strong, the need for a central location of eight courts is a necessity.
The possibility of a complex like this would continue to invigorate youth tennis. Youth tennis is now a modified version of tennis specifically geared toward teaching the sport to kids 10 and under, with the youngest being 4 years old. Youth Tennis courts are shorter, with shorter nets, and a slower moving softer tennis ball. It helps children learn play, to score and provide an appropriate sized court increasing successful beginning development.
I currently have players I taught since 6th grade with a motto, everyone will play. With as many participants comes the need for more tennis courts so that everyone has quality time on court. When we have 4 to 6 players on one court, it takes away the one on one time each pair of players can spend resulting in the maximization of the abilities of each individual. Children who participate in the high school and summer program for past years have to be regulated on time and locations to play tennis.
I am enthusiastic whenever our kids are exposed to more time on court, we can provide different tennis formats, drills, shots and opportunities when more court space is available.
Both the boys/girls LAHS tennis programs serve the entire youth community on the hill, for $40 a head. That $40 a head is used as a fundraiser for LAHS tennis, while teaching our middle school/high school players overall responsibility in running an entire tennis program. In addition, kids of all ages get a t-shirt, 5 hours of on court fun while exposed to a lifelong sport.
More tennis courts would only improve how many programs LAHS with the support of Los Alamos County can provide in the spring, summer, and fall seasons.
Billy Wilton, Los Alamos, previously the Boy’s tennis coach, explained, most of the kids aren’t taking lessons or competing in tennis tournaments here in Los Alamos.
LAHS tennis programs have to travel off the hill to participate in tournaments that take place primarily in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and as far as El Paso, Texas. Bruce Cottrell (girls head tennis coach) and Lloyd Wilton have a great motivation to bring tennis tournaments back to Los Alamos.
The weekend of Feb. 26-28, Los Alamos will host a tournament in Albuquerque. This tournament is bringing eight teams both boys and girls from all over the state to play, stay, eat and shop in the city of Albuquerque. With a complex and the accommodations we already have in Los Alamos, we would bring that tournament amongst many others back to Los Alamos, positively impacting the local economy during various weekends throughout the spring and into the fall.
Who knows we may have the next Division 1 or 2 college players, and possibly the next Roger Federer come from a complex like this. The main motivation of providing for our youth is the hopes of one day that same youth will come back and give back to a community filled with players, ages ranging from 5 to 75 years old in some way, resulting in a perpetual cycle of happiness playing a lifelong sport, while having fun, getting exercise, and a desire to continuously get outside and play a beautiful game.
