Janice Huser photo

Kelli DeMoissac practices her tennis skills at a regular tennis practice last week.

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Tennis club still open to new players

Although the season is already more than halfway through, the St. Paul Tennis Club is still encouraging new members to join and learn about the sport.

For the younger players, a summer camp will be taking place from Aug. 7 to 10 and is available to all members of the St. Paul Tennis Club between the ages of five and 15. Carolina Escamilla, the club’s tennis coach, says this is the second summer camp of the year.

“I want to make sure I keep it fun for them,” says Escamilla of the upcoming camp.

The camps, along with regular practices, are helping prepare tennis players for upcoming tournaments, says Escamilla. The first tournament will take place on Aug. 11, and nearly every weekend after that, until the end of August.

Group lessons will also be running until the end of the month and adults and children are welcome to join the club at any time.

This year, the club has 87 members registered and Escamilla wants to see that number climb to 100.

“Tennis is a sport that you can practice your whole life,” she says, adding, “It’s fun, it’s a good workout, and it keeps you healthy.”

Tennis is also more affordable than other sports and not much equipment is needed. There are public courts in nearly every town, says Escamilla. Becoming part of the club also offers residents a chance to meet new people.

Once you learn the basics, you can play your whole life, she says. As a whole, the club wants to see the sport grow in popularity in St. Paul.

Over the past three months, Escamilla says she has seen much improvement in the children and adults playing tennis at the local courts. The younger kids are learning the fundamentals, and even the more experienced adults are growing as players.

Escamilla says people can visit the club’s website for more information at www.tennisstpaulalberta.com. Contact information is also available on the website.