Free lessons start at Cottonwood tennis courts

Penny Petersen

The first free lessons of the season began Oct. 21, with 16 people attending, including two who hadn’t touched a racket in years. But the classes are not only for beginners. Many intermediate and higher players attend in order to work on a specific skill like serving, backhand, or overhead shots. Players learn all the basic fundamentals as well as rules and scoring. As the year progresses, they begin learning strategy and specialty shots. The classes also include drills and warm-up exercises.

Pierre Moresi coordinates the lessons which take place Monday and Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. on center court at Cottonwood. The coaches are Moresi, Al Wagner, and several assistants.

The classes are not limited to Cottonwood residents. They are open to all in the area. The free classes continue until late April with breaks for holidays and tournaments.

Also offered as part of this program are open play sessions using two courts on Thursday and Sunday evenings. This gives learners an opportunity to practice their skills at actually playing. More advanced players often show up to help.

The clinics are a community outreach program sponsored by Cottonwood Tennis Club. The goal is to make people love tennis and help them keep in shape, regardless of age or ability level. Don Neu, former pro at Cottonwood, started the tennis clinics over 20 years ago.

For information regarding the clinics, contact Pierre Moresi at [email protected].

For information about joining Cottonwood Tennis Club, contact Barb Jorgenen at [email protected].