Tennis Lessons in Milwaukee

Do you watch Wimbledon and then marvel at your ineptness on a tennis court? If you're as bad at backhands and as sorry at serving I am, you probably need tennis lessons. Several resources are available to Milwaukee residents who seek tennis instruction. From private lessons by professionals to community clinics led by volunteers, there are tennis lesson options for everyone - young kids, teens, and adults. You may not become the next Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova, but you can sharpen your racquet skills by pursuing tennis lessons and finding a fit opponent in Milwaukee.

Why Tennis? (…For those who don't already play!)

Tennis is a versatile sport! It can be individual, intense, and competitive if you play serious singles in local tournaments. Alternately, it can be leisurely and relaxing if you play casual doubles with friends. The rules are relatively simple compared to more involved team sports (like football). Tennis also requires minimal equipment, especially if you're a novice player. A decent racquet, a few tubes of balls, and some good tennis shoes are all you need. Milwaukee has plenty of free access public courts sprinkled throughout the city along with some private clubs for the more dedicated players. Above all, tennis is excellent exercise: it keeps you running, stretching, and swinging until your whole body gets a workout.

Milwaukee Tennis Lesson Resources

Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation
www.mtef.com

MTEF is a nonprofit corporation that considers itself an umbrella organization for tennis programming in Milwaukee. Their espoused goal is "to make Milwaukee a better place to live, work, play and learn through tennis." A highlight of MTEF's community outreach is the TEAM program, which serves city children during grades 3 through 7, a formative time for developing sports interests. As a registered chapter of a national organization started by Arthur Ashe, MTEF uses neighborhood sites to bring tennis to hundreds of at-risk Milwaukee kids after school and during summer break. The best part of this program is that it's free and it has a mentoring orientation that teaches life skills as much as it teaches tennis.

MTEF does more than reach out to youth, however. It has a wide variety of "community tennis" programs through which teens and adults of all abilities can sometimes receive group tennis lessons, participate in tournaments, or find other players at their skill level. MTEF is also a good place to inquire about private lessons from individual instructors who might teach part-time as sole proprietors.

Le Club
2001 West Good Hope Road
Milwaukee, WI 53209-2898
www.le-club-milwaukee.com

For those with deeper pockets, Le Club offers private instruction from tennis professionals. For a one-hour adult lesson, be prepared to fork over $50. Lower rates per person are available for group drills and "semi-private" instruction. In addition to adult sessions, Le Club offers "junior" and "pee-wee" tennis lessons for kids. For members, annual tournaments bring together similarly-skilled players. Le Club, by its nature as a private and pricier club, will have a more elite feel - full of North Shore types from suburbs like Mequon and Whitefish Bay. If you can handle the clientele, Le Club's professionals will whip your game into shape. Currently led by accomplished tennis director Wally Bronson, the staff at Le Club bring years of playing, coaching, and teaching experience and are all active in professional organizations. There's a reason the one-on-one lessons are fifty bucks a pop.

Additional Resources

Some high schools and local universities offer tennis clinics for children during the summer. Often, high school coaches and college players are also available to give private lessons. Remember, though, that good players are not always good teachers, so inquire about credentials before pursuing tennis lessons from someone who doesn't give lessons professionally.

The Milwaukee Department of Parks and Recreation, depending on funding, also provides summer tennis lessons and programming. For more information, visit their site: www.milwaukeerecreation.net.