The Greenville Area Community Tennis Association (GACTA) recently received a grant from the US Tennis Association’s “Adopt-a-School” program.

The grant included $500 worth of QuickStart Tennis equipment including two portable nets, 24 tennis rackets, eight dozen balls and a curriculum guide.

The GES PE Teacher Nancy Philyaw and WOP PE Teacher Becky Little will utilize the new equipment to introduce tennis to approximately 1,000 children attending the two schools as well as to all the children participating in the after-school program.

Lisa McKeague, President of GACTA and Johnny Mack Brown, GACTA Tennis Pro recently presented the equipment to GES Principal Dr. Tera Simmons, WOP Principal Catherine Sawicki and GES PE Teacher Nancy Philyaw with members of the WOP and GES Tennis Clubs in attendance.

“Our association is very excited to work with the two schools to be able to introduce tennis to so many young people. The new QuickStart format that will be utilized in the program is a great way to get children playing tennis quickly,” GACTA President Lisa McKeague said. “Tennis is a sport that will help them stay physically active all their lives, and learning it at a young age will give them years of enjoyment.”

“We greatly appreciate Coach Brown and Nancy Philyaw volunteering to coordinate this program, which will draw on their expertise as tennis coaches/players,” she added. “Coach Brown has over thirty-five years of playing and coaching tennis, so he is a huge asset to our association and to the schools in this program.

“He has taught USTA’s QuickStart program to 22 children over the past year in GACTA leagues, and the new school program will introduce QuickStart tennis to many more children.”