Tennis Industry News

Nearly 40 children from several Fairfield County (Conn.) tennis clubs participated in a QuickStart Tennis Tournament last month at Kings Highway Tennis Club in Darien, Conn. It was the first time the club hosted a children’s tournament using the QuickStart Tennis format, designed for youngsters ages 10 and under.

Juniors from five Connecticut towns competed in the team format in two age groups, using equipment and courts scaled to their smaller size and modified scoring. The event was run by Kings Highway Director of Tennis Paul Fairchild and David Budler. Kings Highway has been offering free match play for all juniors who join its QuickStart clinics.

In QuickStart Tennis, children ages eight-and-under compete on a 36-foot court. The first player to accumulate seven points in a best-of-three-set format is the winner. Those ages 10-and-under compete on a 60-foot court, and the winner is the first player to win four games in a best-of-three-set match.

Kings Highway and its sister club, Shippan Racquet Club in Stamford, have been among the first clubs in the area to embrace the QST format, which is designed to grow the game among children.

"It's just great to see all these children competing on the weekends. It gives them a chance to practice the skills they are working on during their lessons,'' Fairchild told the Stamford Times newspaper. "We all know that all kids love to compete and feel part of a team.

"Traditional tennis coaching involves a lot of line feeding but [in QST] our players are active at all times and this has drastically improved their experience and we are seeing results on the court," he added. "This is the best thing we have ever done. David Budler has done a great job with the free match play on the weekends."