After winning Davis Cup on July 30, Lafayette Gardens participants were eager to return to regular class on August 6, after previously missing tennis on July 23 for a weather-related cancellation.
At Lafayette Gardens, with ominous grey skies, the class began with just a few students, but others trickled in as the sun began to shine. To warm up students ran a couple of laps around the playground followed by student led stretches. Shortly afterwards, they were divided by ability/age and were assigned different stations.
Stations included learning and practicing serving, forehand and backhand drills with footwork, champion of the court, and volleying.
During the off-court break, Ari, the Educational Coordinator, had volunteers demonstrate good and bad behaviors while on the court and had the students explain why the behaviors were either effective or ineffective. When finished, students were back on the court for a fun game of breakout--it never gets old!--before thanking one of the instructors who was leaving for the summer.