winter tennis
options
The calendar for the next few months is not very friendly for the creation of a worthwhile winter tennis program. We have:
Coaches with conflicts through Halloween
No-Coaching Window Nov 16 - Dec 6
Winter Break Dec 21 - Jan 3
Indoor court availability is also pretty awkward. We may have a couple sessions when we can, but it will be like 4 practices in the next 11 weeks. We tend to have more luck after New Years, but it still may not amount to a ton.
If you are a player looking to improve before the season, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. For most players, the easiest option is georgefoxtenniscenter.com. Their 1st Fall Session ends on October 22nd and I'd expect a new session to start up on October 26. Class by class options are available as a drop-in, Discounts are available if you commit to every day of the session (especially if you can do all 3 days of the High School Advanced). Personally, I feel like we teach more in our practices than they do (drives me crazy), but being on court and hitting has value even without much instruction. Other options include:
1) Take a break - we are just offering options, not requiring or even pushing if you aren't interested.
2) Private lessons are available at GF as well for $50-$70/hour. I'm not sure what rate each instructor has, but I've heard positive comments on Alex. If you do want real help with technique, mixing a few private lessons in can help. We believe privates can supplement other practices but don't provide as much value if you aren't practicing what you learn outside of the lessons.
3) Go hit against a wall. Honestly, I cannot recommend this enough. I still do it all the time. It's free, doesn't require a partner and is almost always available when you want to practice, have some energy to burn or just feel like hitting something. Most schools have a great wall to practice against that is under cover.
4) Rent a court at GF and go play. Courts are $20/hour ($5 per person to play doubles). I'd recommend getting 1.5 hours.
5) Fitness of all kinds will help even if you never touch a racquet. Being faster and stronger with more endurance is valuable and helps prevent injuries during the season.
There are plenty of other options, just ask the coaches if want to hear about them.