The Lake Oconee Tennis Association is lending its talents and time to help grow youth tennis in the Lake Oconee Area. Many of our players have been volunteering several hours each week to work with players at Greene County High School to improve basic tennis skills in both singles and doubles playing strategy. Seasoned players including Denise Bush, Gene Lundy, Gordon Bush, Curt Bassett, Leigh Lofgren, Donna Blackwell, Zabeau Small, and Susan and Sam Young worked with the GHS Tennis Team and other students interested in the sport during their Tuesday practices this season. While many of the students on the team are experienced players, others that came to the workouts are brand new to the sport! The students were spread on several courts where the LOTA members practiced stroke production drills covering forehand, backhand, serve, and overheads as well as court etiquette, scoring, court position, and developing a winning attitude.
The Tiger Team is coached by Cynthia Sumner, who teaches Algebra and Dave Alper, the system wide psychologist. Appreciative of the support and assistance from the volunteers, Cynthia Sumner has said the following about the LOTA program; "LOTA's support and involvement in GHS's tennis program has increased the student's abilities and their enthusiasm for the sport. They really looked forward to the volunteers' arrival each day and the personal attention they are able to have because of the high level of involvement."
Denise Bush, one of the lead volunteers for the program and a holistic practitioner with extensive experience working with children, tells us "Tennis is a great way to instill self-discipline, self-reliance, self-esteem, leadership, and sportsmanship. Certain aspects of tennis demonstrate goal setting and build confidence which impacts all aspects of life. The sport is also a way to get kids to understand the benefits of exercise and nutrition."
According to LOTA President Curt Bassett, LOTA's goals for Youth Development are to introduce the sport of tennis to youth who may be unfamiliar with the game and to foster bonds among individuals through mentoring relationships, friendships, and teamwork. LOTA hopes to continue in partnership with Greene County High School as well as develop other opportunities to broaden the community's exposure to tennis.
Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about their programs can do so by contacting Barbara Voyles at 706.342.7013.
Back Row: Katie Lovin, Rodney Bradley, Thomas Thornton, Brent Driscoll
Front Row: Brittany Hill, Lyrric Jackson
