Vineyard Youth Tennis grows up
At 2:20 on an early spring afternoon, Vineyard Youth Tennis is empty, almost dormant. There is one car in the parking lot, four empty tennis courts, and an almost hollow clubhouse building. But two hours later the lot is half full and the place is buzzing - especially on the courts in "the bubble."
Scott Smith makes a point. Photo by Ralph Stewart
If you're an Islander under 18 years old and your parents know a great idea when it smacks them in the face, let alone the difference between a drop shot and a lob, chances are you've been part of that buzz at some point in the last seven years.
The brainchild of Gerald DeBlois, a tennis enthusiast who owns a summer home in West Tisbury, The Vineyard Youth Tennis (VYT) Foundation started working its magic on the Island in 1997, when free tennis lessons were offered to young Islanders at the West Tisbury and Oak Bluffs schools. By 2002 VYT had a permanent 12-acre home off Barnes Road just south of the four-way blinker intersection - after running the regulatory gauntlet and persuading neighbors and another tennis establishment that they wouldn't ruin the area or the game. And what a home it is: a small but smart-looking clubhouse and four fine "clay" Har-tru courts, two of them in play year-round, thanks to the protection of an inflatable fabric dome with a profile like the top of a muffin - the bubble.
What's more remarkable even than VYT's physical plant is its mission: "Vineyard Youth Tennis introduces the children of Martha's Vineyard to the sport of tennis by providing free tennis lessons and court time at its own purpose-built tennis facility. A staff of trained tennis pros teaches tennis to children from age 5 to 18, at every level, year round. The purpose of this charitable organization is to make tennis a "life sport" for kids by providing expert professional instruction, and to teach the values of sportsmanship, healthy competition, and mutual respect."
VYT is funded entirely by a trust established by Mr. DeBlois. Not only instruction and court time, but also racquets, shorts, and tee-shirts are provided free of charge. "It's such a unique spot," says executive director Scott Smith. "I've been around a long time in tennis, and it's the first place I've seen of this type."
Not your average club
Some of the children who play at VYT call it a club, but it has nothing in common with most clubs. There are neither dues, nor fees, and the only membership requirement is that children be full-time Island residents.
Now, after seven years of maturation, VYT is sprouting new shoots. "Most of the kids here play because it's social, and it's fun, and it's a sport for a lifetime," says Mr. Smith, "but now we have some up-and-coming kids who have become better players, and they really want to go somewhere with it."
And VYT has decided to help them get there. Mr. Smith and his assistant, Michael Halisky, have found more court time and initiated a more aggressive training regimen for the more ambitious players. "We show the kids that we want them to be better, and we'll do whatever it takes to help them," says Mr. Smith. "You have to."
Grant Pertile prepares to unload a topspin blast while Owen Hess supports him with some body English. No one stands still during drills at Vineyard Youth Tennis. Photos by Ralph Stewart
And it's paying off. "They're getting out and playing tournaments two or three times a month, off-Island," Mr. Smith said. "Four or five of our kids have rankings in New England now, and two of them have just been invited to attend a U. S. Tennis Association (USTA) training camp, because they're in the top hundred."
Sometimes Mr. Smith or Mr. Halisky will accompany a VYT player to a tournament, which might be anywhere across southern New England. Or VYT will help out with expenses, which can add up quickly between travel, accommodations, and tournament entrance fees.
While VYT now actively nurtures more advanced players, it remains just as focused on introducing any and all young Islanders to a sport that can be a financial challenge to many families. "Tennis is expensive, and VYT has brought tennis to a lot of people on the Island who might not be able to afford it, and I completely support that." says Melissa Hackney of West Tisbury, who is on the seven-member board of VYT and whose two daughters have participated there. "Now there's an increasing competitive approach. There's a fine balance between the two, which we're constantly working on. It's easier this time of year when four courts are in use."
Moving and hitting, always
More courts, more court time, and more balls to hit - the secrets to success are pretty obvious for both beginners and more accomplished players. "There's no substitute for hitting balls," says Mr. Smith, especially in the hour-long sessions with novice players. "I don't like kids to stand still. So they're moving and hitting, moving and hitting. If we had 3-hour classes, it would be different. Here we have an hour, or 45 minutes, and you don't want to hear us talk all the time."
It's an approach that apparently appeals to the kids. As they move quickly and purposefully through the drills, there is a lot of chatter and a sense of fun in the air. At courtside, parents are gabbing, or reading, or talking on the phone while younger siblings bounce around or come and go through the bubble's revolving door. The young players all wear white, and the drills are clearly prescribed, but the mood is loose - and collegial.
With a player-to-teacher ratio of no more than six to one, no one gets lost in a numbers shuffle at VYT. With that kind of personal attention, it's no surprise that there are waiting lists for most of the six- to eight-week sessions, which run year-round.
Sam Bresnick is ready! Photo by Ralph Stewart
To address the demand, VYT hopes to add two more courts relatively soon. Other possible changes include extending the age limit to 21, and adding two more charity events each year, for a total of five. The charity events are fundraising tournaments that are open to players from outside the VYT family. Besides being fun and profitable, they give parents who help organize and run them more of a stake in their children's tennis world, and in the game itself.
Proceeds from the charity tournaments go to a fund that furthers off-Island exposure for promising players. "We award a scholarship to Bollettieri once a year," said Mr. Smith, speaking of the famous tennis academy in Bradenton, Fla., where stars such as Venus and Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras have trained. "And we now pay for expenses for kids who otherwise couldn't afford to go off Island to play in tournaments."
The magic question
Becoming a top-flight competitive player is a huge challenge and requires a commensurate commitment. "That's the magic question, right there," said Mr. Smith, when asked about the required time investment. "Four to five hours a day is the norm, and we can't do that here. If we get more courts, that could possibly happen. This summer we're going to have more hours available for the tournament kids. It's amazing to see the drive that they have, and we're just trying to give them as much as we can."
One such "tournament kid" is Kent Leonard, soon to be 14, of Vineyard Haven. His introduction to tennis is typical of many Island children who got their first taste of the game at VYT. "A friend told us about the program about five years ago, when I was 9," said Kent in a phone conversation last week. "I never even thought about playing tennis until then."
By the second summer, Kent was playing four or five times a week, and he started playing for the travel team, "The next summer, three years ago, it was at least five days a week, four hours a day," Kent said. "I would just stay and hit with whoever stayed after class."
Kent's determination and love for the game has paid off. "I'm doing some off-Island tournaments now, USTA tournaments," he said. "Doing," as he puts it, includes playing well enough to be ranked in the top 70 in New England in the 14-and-under division. "It's hard to get to more than one a month," he said, echoing the frustration of many young Island athletes.
But Kent seems to have adapted to the new regimen just fine. "The first couple of times you're really nervous," he said, "but once you get used to it, it's a lot of fun." Two weeks ago, Kent won the 14-and-under division of the Cape Cod Championships at Hyannis.
"You want to get better"
Last year, VYT sent Kent to Bollettieri. "It was an experience," he said, "coming from the Island. You see how many kids there are out there playing that are really good. It definitely makes you want to get better." Reid Yennie, 14, of West Tisbury, another promising "tournament kid," is heading to Bollettieri this year.
Another promising player and very active VYT "tournament kid" is Samantha Potter, 11, from East Chop, who has been involved with VYT since its inception. "I think Vineyard Youth Tennis is amazing," said Samantha, a sixth-grader at the Oak Bluffs School who also logs plenty of court time at the East Chop Tennis Club in season. "And I wouldn't be as good as I am now without it."
"Outstanding program, lucky to have it," said her father, Rob, about VYT. "It benefits my daughter immensely. Obviously from the instruction, but also the open court time."
"I try to play every day, but I take a day off about once a week, just to rest a little bit," said Samantha, who has a warm but matter-of-fact way about her over the phone. And she's obviously a competitor. When asked about the most fun part of her training, she said, "I like hitting out, where we hit hard, with long points. Mainly with my dad, or with Kent or Reid. That's fun."
How about tournaments? "I started going off-Island last year. Now I try to play once or twice a month. At first it was pretty scary, but now the part where I feel most nervous is about 15 minutes before the match, when everyone is getting ready, but once I'm in the match, I'm fine." At the Cape Cod Championships two weeks ago, Samantha won the 12-and-under division, in the finals topping a player ranked 29th in New England.
There's no telling how high Samantha and Kent and a gang of young VYT sluggers right behind them may go, and it's going to be exciting to support and follow them along the way. But when all is said and done, it's the game itself and the excitement of introducing young Islanders to it that gives VYT its purpose and its individuality - and keeps it true to its mission, year after year.
"In the mornings we have pre-school groups," said Mr. Smith, speaking of VYT's availability to young people of any size who might be interested in tennis. "Whoever wants to form a group in the morning, we'll teach them. We're basically on call all the time."
On a recent afternoon, Zephy Thompson and Violet Cabot, a pair of second-graders from West Tisbury, demonstrated just how effective VYT has been in making tennis fun. Their session in the bubble complete, they were in no hurry to head home. Instead, they worked up a little song and dance routine, using their racquets as props, to show off the ribbons they'd earned for perfect attendance.
Anne Bresnick of Tisbury, whose three sons, aged 11, 9, and 7, are VYT regulars, credits Mr. Smith with keeping his eye on the ball in the way that matters most, ultimately. "Scott concentrates on sportsmanship, and playing the game the right way," she said. You could say the same thing about Vineyard Youth Tennis as a whole.
