Coach Rich's and Intern Nicole's Excellent QuickStart PRO Adventure with Dillwyn Primary School -- Summer 2012

QuickStart PRO is a pilot program that is taking professional tennis resources to rural counties in central Virginia. QuickStart is taught to summer school students during the school day. This is the second summer for QuickStart PRO for Dillwyn Primary School students and an outgrowth of the after-school program which started in 2010. This repeat summer session is in the able hands of Rich Michaels, a QCV Board member who resides in Dillwyn. Rich is a PTR scholastic coach (junior development) and a graduate of the USTA School Training Workshop.

Rich is being assisted this year by our firstever QuickStart PRO Summer Intern, Nicole Parker, a rising junior at Longwood University and member of Longwood's Women's Tennis team. Nicole is an elementary education major and scholar-athlete. She attended QuickStart training last fall in anticipation of the internship. Her mentor, Coach Rich, has also participated in numerous QuickStart Tennis Recreational Workshops and taught in after-school and summer school programs in Buckingham County and a new summer school program in Cumberland County. During her internship, Nicole will be staying at the home of Pennie Allen, Principal of Dillwyn Primary and big QuickStart supporter.

Rich and Nicole will be chronicling their experiences in Dillwyn, so QCV has created a blog for them. Read and ENJOY!

Editor's Note: This sums up how successful QuickStart Pro in Buckingham County was this summer:  "Coach Nicole, I am going to talk to Mrs. Allen and tell her to start summer school all over because I want to keep on playing tennis!" - First grader

Day One

First Day of Buckingham County Summer School Tennis is now in the books.
 
Got started 15 minutes late because the buses were late. First class paid the price - a 35 rather than 50-minute class. Also a mix-up in the first class.
 
There are two recreation classes again this summer - tennis and Healthy Play (rather than karate). The HP teacher was supposed to do the 2/3 kids for the first six days while we did the K/1 bunch. But she picked up our kids by mistake, so we had to track them down and point her in the right direction to the kids she was supposed to have.
 
Nicole and I each have a lunchtime assignment - I eat with a third-grade class while she has a first-grade group. We'll switch after the first six days. During breakfast we're free to roam and mix with the kids of our choice however.
 
 
QuickStart PRO Intern Nicole Parker                         Alligator River with Coach Rich

And Nicole - she was GREAT! Excellent tennis knowledge (no surprise there), especially for instructing the little ones. Had an equally good class presence and classroom management technique. I took the lead for the first two classes today and she did the next four. And she's leading off tomorrow for the ball pass (racquet to racquet), Alligator River, and Lobster Trap.
 
Can't jump to any firm conclusions yet with a sample size of only one (day), but if today is any indication, using college players as QuickStart PROs seems to be the way to go.  Whoever thought of that!!
 
P.S. Nicole's agreed to blog but since she doesn't have a computer with her, her posts may be spotty. I told her blogs will help refresh her memory when it comes time to provide QCV with an appraisal of the inaugural QuickStart PRO internship.

Day Two

Gave Nicole a take-away tennis activity last night. Three kid-sized racquets that needed either to be regripped or to have the basic grip reattached to the handle. Two of the three are now back in action.
 
Nicole played tennis last night with Pennie Allen - and her husband - and her daughter - and her mother. There's a six-year-old grandson in the mix there somewhere, but he sat this one out. Don't know if it was four against one or not, but Nicole said everyone had a good time. Pennie did request the red felt balls we use for the 7-8 year olds. Yeah, it's likely that somebody on that court was some multiple of seven or eight!
 
Ball pass (partner racquet to partner racquet) and Inchworm were on today's agenda, as was Alligator River. Regarding the latter, Nicole was a little curious as to why the kids let the alligator go right by them without them even getting off a shot (be it either rolling a forehand or a backhand at the alligator's feet). And the Inchworm (a racquet to racquet ball pass that moves laterally among the kids who stand shoulder to shoulder) was well received.
 
Deferred Lobster Trap to tomorrow. One-handed version only. Also plan on doing tap-ups (both grips) and self-rally. If we can get to tap-downs, fine. If not, we won't. Want to be able to get a full class on forehands in the day after tomorrow. Trying to make use of however many of the five nets we now have that we might require (two of which parks and rec dropped off right after the last class).

Day Three

In the interest of full disclosure, I probably should mention that Nicole kinda shirked her lunchroom responsibilities yesterday. She's supposed to eat with the 27 first-graders and help their teacher out. But both Nicole and the teacher were seen chillin' at one of the back tables reserved for faculty and staff. I, however, got the opportunity to eat my chicken pattie sandwich with the cool kids - at the cool kids' table! Eat your heart out Nicole!
 
Did everything we planned on doing today and then a little more: tap downs in the last class and partner rally over a line in another.
 
One first-grade boy, a third-time QuickStarter, challenged Nicole to a rally. So since the nets won't be up until tomorrow, a line on the basketball court had to suffice today. A couple of other kids saw Nicole and her partner rallying and started up their own partner rally activity. Spontaneous play was the name of that game.
 
Finally, we had a fire drill today with 20 minutes to go in the second class period. Does anybody know if a fire drill qualifies as a let?

Day Four

Nets are up and in place. With four nets, four dozen balls, three dozen racquets, 70+ "members", and two QuickStart PROs, we look like a pretty spiffy indoor tennis facility right now. When are the nominations for this year's Best Tennis Facility Award due to the USTA?
 
Today, forehands  Ay yi yi. Given their height and "strike zone", a QuickStart Kid's closed-face forehand goes straight into the net.  Told the kids to hit up on the ball, rather than out, in order to clear the net. Should have said "more up" rather than just "up". Plain "up" had them hitting the ball straight up vertically, resulting in the ball often bouncing first on their side of the net. Had we covered this, they could have hit an overhead - off of their own forehand!
 
And in case I haven't mentioned it, and you haven't already figured it out, we're playing tennis on a basketball court in a HUGE middle school gym. We've got half the gym - a partition separates us from everyone else.
 
That "everyone else" includes three classes per day of basketball. Given the size of the gym and the absence of any fans in the stands to deaden the noise, bouncing basketballs (6+ of them) make one heck of a racket.  (racket - get it??). I never noticed this before in my own basketball-playing days, but now Nicole and I have to shout over the incessant bouncing noise just to be heard.
 
So as we were walking the kids back down the hallway to their next class the other day, one kindergarten girl turned to me and said, "Coach, are you mad at us?  You were yelling".

Day Five

Nicole gave her first tennis lesson late yesterday afternoon. The QuickStart PRO internship program provides the latitude to offer tennis lessons to interested adults and juniors (ages 11-17) in the county being served. The lesson cost is determined by both the student(s) and the instructor.
 
One of my granddaughter's tennis buddies, Alex, turns nine soon. She invited both of us to an early birthday party last Saturday, so I concocted a Free Gift Certificate for a one-hour tennis lesson with Nicole at the high school courts. In the closing segment of the lesson, Nicole taught Alex how to hit a "big girl's" serve.
 
Even though Alex is now fast approaching the "geezer" stage of the QuickStart Tennis age spectrum, Nicole let her use the red felt balls, since technically, for five more days, Alex is still a part of the 8 and Under, 36-foot court, crowd.
 
Yesterday, Nicole signed a release form that Longwood requires in order for us to use her picture. She signed it with her left hand, but she plays right-handed! So everything we've told the kids about holding the racquet in the hand they color with, may not actually apply. Nicole should partner in mixed doubles with Rafael Nadal (a natural right-hander who plays left-handed). Between both of them, they should be able to cover the whole court. Maybe two courts!
 
Lastly, stopped by the middle school office right before lunch. Asked the secretary where the nurse's station was. The secretary looked worried, but I told her that neither I, Nicole, nor any of the kids were injured. I just figured the nurse's station would have a bed -- and after the first three backhands classes today, I needed a nap!

Day Six

Nicole drove back home to Richmond for the weekend to decompress following Friday's last class. And she came back! I wasn't too concerned, but you never know.
 
Also on Friday, when we went to pick up the first set of kids from their homeroom, the kids lined up, as is customary, in the hall outside the classroom. Line looked a little long though. We're supposed to have 14 kids so we decided to take a headcount - 25!
 
Apparently another teacher decided to part with several of her little darlings earlier than scheduled - three days to be exact. Told her just be patient - the QuickStart School Bus will be in her neighborhood shortly.
 
And what is it about QuickStart Tennis balls and gym bleachers? We started off last week with 24 red foam balls. Now down to 13. All I can think of is that this is somehow related to the sock monster who lives in the clothes dryer - the gremlin who makes away with just one sock out of a pair of socks, a sock never to be seen again.
 
Last day for the kindergartners and first-graders. Introduced them to the serve but softened the blow by playing some games first. Like the Racquet Quickness Drill and a couple of other fun activities.
 
Nicole's overall evaluation of the first six days was that she felt the most beneficial instruction happened when she got to work with a few kids at a time. Her recommendation is to use one coach per court when the nets are up. More individualized attention that way, compared to having to roam from court to court.
 
MAJOR change on tap for this week.  So stay tuned.

Day Seven

On the way home yesterday afternoon, saw Pennie Allen's car parked at Dillwyn Primary School. Thought I'd stop by and say hi (really just wanted to know what she does all day - since we've got all her kids)! Answer:  paperwork.
 
Chatted about this and that, and it wasn't too long before Pennie ratted out her "adopted" daughter. Nicole DOES have a computer with her (see the postscript to Day One's blog)! So why is it that I'm the one doing all the blog posts while Nicole gets to go home and take a nap? Anyway . . . 
 
New "club" members arrived today - an amalgamation of first, second, and third-graders.
 
The first class has 17 third-graders on the roster, eight of whom just completed QuickStart 101 in the spring after-school program.  So - we're offering a BRAND NEW intermediate QuickStart class for these guys to run concurrently with, and right along side of, a QuickStart 101 class for the other nine kids.
 
Nicole will be working with this intermediate group on their kick serves, while I will be instructing the others on which end of the racquet to hold! My goal is to offer at least one intermediate QuickStart class during this coming school year's after-school program.
 
Gonna be tough however. Nicole's looking through the Rally and Play lesson plans for the 9-10 age group. She needs to compact eight lesson plans down to six 40-minute classes. Make that five classes. Found out Nicole and I are on the hook to dish out ice cream to the kids on the last day of summer school during an ice cream social -- to be held in lieu of their normal recreation (a.k.a. tennis) class. Depending on the age of the kid, I guess we'll "serve" the ice cream to them either underhand or overhand!

Day Eight

Pennie Allen and her husband took to the courts against Nicole Monday evening, playing a Canadian (two-against-one) mixed doubles match. After having previously played with the red felt balls, they skipped right over the orange balls and green balls and went straight to the yellow ones. Reports indicate that Pennie's serve and her husband's groundstrokes are the team's strengths.
 
Pennie must have wanted to improve her own groundstrokes so as to bring a more balanced attack to her doubles game because she stopped by one of this morning's classes. Took a few pictures first and then joined the kids in a game of Alligator River. I do believe she nailed the 'gator on both passes down the river. What a great photo op - missed!
 
First time that I can remember being in a quandary as a QuickStart coach. I mentioned that we have several classes this time around with kids of different age levels. Along with that age difference comes a difference in basic hand/eye coordination and general skill level as well. So how do Nicole and I ensure that each class will be meaningful for all participants?
 
Already blogged about the new intermediate QuickStart segment now in each day's first class. Should also mention that in some of the other classes, there are kids who could be in an advanced QuickStart class. Not many though - about two or three.  And then there are others for whom Red Light - Green Light is a stretch.
 
If there are any Buckingham County after-school activity planners reading these blogs, please keep this in mind. Especially when I ask if I can have a say as to which kid should be in which class this coming school year.
 
And as an aside, it would be nice to be able to give the kids a take-away tennis activity, something simple for them to work on at home. This is more appropriate for after-school than summer school tennis, what with summer school's compressed schedule.  But I'm the only one with racquets and balls. Tennis clubs don't have this problem - they provide the balls and courts and the kids provide their own racquets.
 
Might consider replacing the existing stock of racquets every now and then with a new bunch and letting go of the older ones at minimal or no cost. Otherwise, not having an opportunity to practice what they learned is like a kid taking guitar lessons and not having access to a guitar.
 
Just blogging outside the box.

Day Nine

Nicole and I got "fired" from our ice cream social responsibilities - before we even got a chance to get started!
 
Now chaperoning a movie in a classroom that combines students from two teachers. Don't know what movie or how long it'll last, but we go until 10:45. Then off to the gym for open play (supervised chaos) from 10:45 to 2:30 (lunch/nap from 11:30 to 12:15). Goal is to allow teachers time to prepare their grade reports. Kids make out all right though - movie (with popcorn), book fair, ice cream, and early dismissal.
 
Did this movie thing last year. And not well I might add. Took over from the teacher with all the kids resting on their blankets and watching the movie, and turned them back over to the teacher with all the kids up and about and running the hallways. Yet they invite me back!
 
Forehands today. But first, a word of warning. If you're a QuickStart Tennis purist, stop reading NOW!
 
Placed the kids IN A LINE, front to back, and fed balls to each kid, one at a time, hoping for the best. When their turn was over, the kids picked up the balls, returned them to the ball bag, and went to the end of the line to wait another turn. Then it was the kids' turn to hit forehands to us, off of balls they dropped themselves. About 50-50 with respect to making contact with the ball under either scenario. Pure throwback tennis.
 
Why go all Neanderthal? Based on what we've seen, and in order to avoid this drill becoming a class in how to pick up balls, Nicole and I decided that SOMEBODY on the court had to be able to sustain a rally, even a short one. With any luck, that should be us.
 
Although maybe not. When we demonstrated rolling a forehand in a straight line along the ground during our introduction to Alligator River, both Nicole's and my forehands were a little crooked. Especially hers! Oh no! Now her game's gone south too!

Day Ten

Have to begin today's blog with some BREAKING NEWS. Received a marriage proposal at breakfast this morning from one of the rising third-grade girls who's a member of the after lunch bunch! Thought about stringing her along, but decided to tell her up front that I was already spoken for. She was absolutely crushed. She'll come through this though, even if it might take several years. Certified tennis heartbreaker am I! When I told five or six teachers about this (and identified her by name), most said, "Well, she could have done worse!" This is likely to be my favorite Buckingham County summer school moment. Hard to top!

Showed the summer school photographer the completed Cumberland blog and the to-date Buckingham County one. Asked her what was missing from the latter. No pictures!  She picked up on this right away. Subsequently, TWO people with cameras showed up in the classes today to take pictures. Group photo will probably be Tuesday. Most flexible time schedule happens then.  Reminded Mrs. Page that last year, it took us close to 30 minutes to get everyone situated, and that this year, we've got 23 more kids.

Last instructional class today for the intermediate QuickStart bunch. Overhand serves for these guys, using an abbreviated service motion (racquet's already up in the air). Backhands for all others.
 
Came off of the idea of feeding balls to the kids. The kids were slow in turning in their racquets and balls after class yesterday.  They still wanted to play, even forming up partner rallies without using a net. So today Nicole and I let them play at will, only requiring that the first shot in the rally be a backhand. I still stand by my opinion, however, that each class should consist of kids of similar ability.
 
On Monday, since everyone else is a day behind the intermediate group, the serve will be introduced. The intermediate kids will debut Skillastics. Nicole's been reviewing Skillastics for a couple of days now and believes the various activities are doable for them. 
 
Since the official summer school tennis "season" ends Monday, I'll then be asking Nicole for her comments on what she thought about this intermediate approach to QuickStart Tennis, as well as for her most favorite and memorable QuickStart PRO experience.

Day Eleven

Last day of summer school tennis! A number of kids had asked if they could bring their own racquets to class so we agreed, as long as we weren't the ones responsible for keeping track of them. All but one were adult-sized. And two were racquetball racquets! Close enough.
 
Lately, Nicole's been incorporating an element of mountaineering into each tennis class. And not by design. As the kids would invariably send some of their shots into the bleachers, a number of the balls would often wind up on the top row. Twenty-foot vertical climb to retrieve them. Nicole often made the trip two or three times per class. Sadly, some balls have been relegated to history.
 
Nicole thought Skillastics was a game that could be used for the intermediate group she had, and even for smaller and less skilled players. It really reinforced the skills they previously learned. Not only did it have drills such as tap-ups and tap-downs, but it also included a little fitness, which Nicole thought was a great idea to show the kids that tennis is a sport requiring good conditioning. After a while, the kids got a little bored, so maybe next time, she suggests Skillastics be played in either the first 15 or last 15 minutes of class. Over all, her intermediate group really enjoyed Skillastics because it was something different for them to do, and it introduced a new way of learning. Nicole recommends it for all junior development coaches and younger players.
 
Been threatening all week to make the kids hot, sweaty, and stinky. Delivered on that promise today. Ended each class with Clear the Court, a game where all the balls are divided in half and randomly scattered on each side of the net. Divided up the kids too.  The objective is to get the balls on your side over to the other side, while your opponents try to do likewise. Two minute duration before a final ball tally is taken. GREAT GAME to finish up with!
 
Packed up everything following the last class. Imagine trying to fit all the accoutrements of a tennis club (see Day Four) in the trunk of your car! Will get everything back to their rightful owners eventually.
 
Nicole's summer school performance was OUTSTANDING! She really had a great rapport with the kids. There wasn't a day that went by that several of them didn't come up to her and give her a hug, even if they had to break line discipline to do it as they were on the move to their next class. And the teacher whom Nicole assists at lunch (we never did switch - she stayed with the first-graders) wanted to know when Nicole starts student teaching. Told her probably not for another three semesters. Don't think that teacher can wait!  Nicole's going to be a great asset for whichever school district is lucky enough to get her.
 
Tomorrow - parting thoughts . . .

   

Day Twelve -- All 152 of them!!!

Editor's Note: Imagine getting 152 kids to sit still, look straight ahead and have their picture taken. Only Coach Rich, behind the camera, could accomplish that!

Hello everyone. It's Nicole. I found my computer!
  
I thought the intermediate QuickStart class was a success. We went through what the kids had previously learned, just at a faster pace. Although some of them should have definitely been in the QuickStart 101 class. Just because kids have been through QuickStart before does not always mean they should move up to the next level. Even though they might have to do the same things again, it's better for some kids to stay with the basics until they can really get the fundamentals down. I had a few kids in my class who should have been with Coach Rich, and I saw a few kids from other classes who should have been with me. I don't necessarily think that placing kids based on how many classes they've completed is the right way to go. It should rather be based on ability and tennis skills. In intermediate QuickStart, it should be mostly match play, instead of me teaching the kids all over again how to hit a forehand or a backhand. Intermediate QuickStart should be for kids who can and want to play in order to get better.
 
During this whole summer school experience, I had many moments I cherish and won't ever forget. One of them is from the last day with the K/1 kids when a little girl came up to me and said, "Coach Nicole, I am going to talk to Mrs. Allen and tell her to start summer school all over because I want to keep on playing tennis!" Moments like that melt my heart because I see the kids are enjoying the sport of tennis and are interested in playing more.
 
Another funny moment was when one class kept on saying "Yes Ma'am" or "No Ma'am"  after everything I said. It was so funny and it definitely made me feel like I had more authority than I probably actually did!
 
The last d