- April 20, 2024
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Clara Weeks, Gabrielle Duncan and Leah Pemberton practice ball control. Photo by Paige Wilson
Adam Stochel waits for USTA competitor Fabio Gambetta to throw a tennis ball to him. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast resident Chloe Nieves said she wants to be a professional tennis player one day. Photo by Paige Wilson
Chloe Nieves was one of 15 kids who attended Net Generation Kid’s Day at the Palm Coast Tennis Center on Saturday, Jan. 27, as part of the larger Palm Coast Men’s Futures Tournament: A USTA Pro Circuit Event.
The 11-year-old Palm Coast resident has taken tennis lessons for the last six months and said she was excited to learn more.
“I think I find tennis interesting now because it’s kind of fun to hit the ball back and forth,” Nieves said. “Now, since I’m over here, I can see the pros handling things, and I want to be just like them. I want to be special and good at tennis.”
Kids ages 6-16 were instructed by Michael Arrigo, the city’s tennis professional; Pat Dempsey, a USTA Junior Team Tennis Coordinator; and Fabio Gambetta (USA), an amateur tennis player. The kids were broken into groups for tennis activities to learn skills and doubles play.
Arrigo has taught tennis for about a decade but started playing tennis at age 13.
“Tennis tournaments, in general, have a stigma of being very quiet and traditional, and we really want this to be a community event for families,” Arrigo said. “So our Kid’s Day is us branching out and letting everyone know that this isn’t just for tennis fans or tennis players.”
Arigo said the goal of the Kid’s Day is to show children the sport to inspire a next generation of tennis players.
The Palm Coast Tennis Center is a supporter of USTA’s Net Generation movement, and it offers Net Generation clinics throughout the year. Visit palmcoastgov.com/register.
