Time for tennis: Children get off to a Quickstart at Sandestin camp

Back by popular demand, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, in association with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), will host the Quickstart Tennis Camp Program.  Children ages 5–15 are expected to have a ball while learning new skills on the court.

The children’s camp will start on Wednesday, Sept. 8, and run every subsequent Monday and Wednesday through Oct. 27 from 4-5 p.m. The cost for these high quality sessions are only $10 a day.

“The goal of Sandestin Tennis is to bring the wonderful game of tennis to children and people of all ages, so they can enjoy this great sport throughout their lifetime,” said director Chris Petty.

Sandestin Tennis was awarded a grant from USTA Florida “Share the Love” campaign, an initiative to help fund tennis programs and projects throughout Florida communities during these challenging economic times. The purpose of Quickstart Tennis is to introduce children to the game of tennis. The Quickstart Tennis format is a new way for children to learn the game.

"Sandestin has a terrific track record with this program,” said Patrick Morris, head of junior programming. “This year we had an overwhelming positive response to Quickstart Tennis.  We have delivered more than 450 junior tennis experiences with all of our sessions.”

In related news, the resort also announced the Sandestin Regional Quickstart Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has been named among the top five resorts in the country for tennis instruction. One recent example of Sandestin’s excellent coaching abilities is its partnership with Curtis Miller. This season, Curtis captured championships in both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles play at the District 1-A tournament, sealing a spot at state in both. When he was 11, his mother brought him to Sandestin, where he received instruction from the tennis instruction staff.

Curtis was hooked.

He has continued on to be one of the top players in the region and the state.

In addition to children’s instruction, Sandestin Tennis has an excellent track record in teaching and coaching adults. Along with Chris and Patrick, the other USPTA certified instructor is David Brandt, head of adult programming. David has been at been at the resort for 18 years. The remaining instructor is a certified United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) professional. Collectively, this team of tennis instructors has more than 40 years experience here at Sandestin.

For this season’s Quickstart program, space is limited so parents are urged to sign up early. For more information call Sandestin Tennis at 850-267-7060.