QuickStart PRO . . . Coach Jess's Excellent Adventure with Crozet and Brownsville Elementary School Students
June - July 2014

QuickStart PRO is an innovative QCV program that sends 10 and under tennis-teaching resources to elementary schools in rural counties in central Virginia. Using the QuickStart format, tennis is taught to elementary school students as part of the summer school curriculum during the school day. This summer is the first QuickStart PRO experience for kids who attend summer school in the Crozet area. Recent Western Albemarle High School graduate and rising freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University, Jess Powell, is the instructor. For two weeks students will rotate through the gym. Jess will receive an assist from the classroom teachers who will have as much FUN as the kids.

Week One -- Day One

Coach Jess was out of town for the first day, so QCV Board member and Greer Elementary PE teacher, Barbara Watson, and Lynda Harrill, QCV's QuickStart Tennis Coordinator, jumped in. Jess's friends, Andrea and Claudia Garcia, stepped up to help out too. We had almost 80 kids today in six sessions. Depending on the age group, we did taps up and tap downs, racquet quickness, two-ball drop, torso twist, red light/green light, team tennis and racquet relay, and the kids learned how to serve. All students are scheduled to play tennis each day for the next two weeks. We're expecting great things by the end of next week.

This was a delightful way to spend a Monday morning in June. The kids were engaged and having a great time. The classroom teachers jumped right in and helped out. The Garcia ladies were AWESOME! And watching Barbara teach the kids was pure pleasure. She makes it look so easy! Many thanks to Summer School Principal Steve Saunders for fitting tennis into the summer school curriculum and to Crozet Principal Gwedette Crummie for being such a HUGE QuickStart booster! (Lynda)

Week One -- Day Two

I think Jess's first day (on her own) was a little hectic. (Lynda) Jess says . . . The kids were new to the schedule and the rules of tennis (when to hug racket, how to treat equipment), but they learned quickly. We warmed up with high five tag and tap ups, moved into serves across the net, and then "simon says" swings.

Week One -- Day Three



Coach Jess says -- It's going well. The second day we did the same warm ups, the drills I mentioned yesterday, and the kids were already improving a lot. Some of them have played tennis before and that is evident, but the ones who haven't are picking it up with encouragement from the teachers and coaches. We did more tap ups, red light/green light, partner passing, Goldilocks hits, circle passing, popcorn pickup for the youngest kids, and saw how many hits in a row each kid could get in the service box.
 

Week One -- Day Four

We warmed up with tap ups and relay races which the kids got very into. We played a game where they get three misses, if they don't get it in the service box, and the third miss they have "to go to bed" on the other side of the court until they catch a ball. They were occupied by this for a while and got the hang of it quickly.

Week One -- Day Five

Warmed up with tap ups and tap downs, tag for the younger kids, then moved on to circle passing. Last time I was in the center but I let one of the kids be in the center this time and they handled it really well! They are getting used to hitting it softly to their teammates, and waiting for it to bounce.

Week Two -- Day One

We warmed up with tap ups, alternating sides of the racket. They had a little trouble with this, but will get better. Then we played Skeleton, where they lose a limb every time they do not hit it into the service box, until they're on their knees! We ended with throwing balls into hoops on the other side of the net which the kids always enjoy. There were some new kids that picked up on the tennis very quickly.
No pictures sorry! I'll see if one of the teachers has a phone tomorrow. (Note: Jess lost her phone last week!)

Week Two -- Day Two

They warmed up with tap ups and downs, alternating sides of the racket if they could. We had a snowball fight with the foam balls, which all ages enjoyed, including Claudia and I . . . and they played real matches! Three people on each side in a triangle, which worked pretty well, especially for the oldest kids.

Week Two -- Day Three

We played the "asleep" game again, which the kids like, did partner "quick turn around" throws to warm up, and got into circles back to back to have a racket balancing competition, where they tried to catch the neighbor's racket before it fell. The youngest kids played "milkshake" instead.

Week Two -- Day Four
 

All the Crozet/Brownsville kids on the last day of QuickStart PRO

  
          Coach Jess and Coach Claudia                                       Hug those racquets!


                   Something FUN is about to happen!                           Jess and Claudia reading thank-you cards from kindergarteners