May is National Tennis Month and to celebrate, the United States Tennis Association sponsored three free introductory sessions Saturday, May 20, at the Flossmoor Park courts to give new and relatively inexperienced players a taste of the game.
While H-F Racquet & Fitness Club coach John Morris took a half dozen youth and junior participants through warm-ups and the basics of the swing, Arnie Villagomez of Homewood explained the purpose of the event.
“We are here today to promote tennis to everyone,” he said. “Our goal is to grow the sport. Tennis is healthy and a lot of fun.”
Villagomez has plenty of experience with the game. He said he started playing in 1975, and now that he is retired, he is a devoted advocate, serving as executive vice president for the Chicago District of the USTA.
He also volunteers at the Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet and Fitness Club, where he hopes to help Morris manage leagues and promote the sport. He is especially interested in helping tennis become more popular in the South Suburbs.
Villagomez said he focuses on adult leagues, but he was glad to see some youngsters show up for the event, noting that getting kids involved will help the sport remain healthy in the future.
“It’s good to see juniors out there,” he said. “That’s where we need to grow.”
After the session for young players, the event included sessions for veterans with service-related disabilities and an open session for newbie adults or anyone else.
