It’s 10 a.m. and the back bank of courts at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center in Bartlett Park is littered with tennis balls and neighborhood kids.
On the front bank of courts, Coach Rick Crockett is giving a lesson to two hard-hitting teen-age boys. “Just a couple more,” Crockett calls to the boys who are sweaty, exhausted and slowing down under the heat of the sun and the fast pace of Crockett’s lesson.
To their relief, Crockett has to break to take a phone call. It’s Jennifer Capriati.
“How cool is that!” exclaimed Jenny Jenkins, pro shop manager for the tennis center.
Crockett coached Capriati when she was just starting out.
He coached Jim Courier, too.
Today, thanks to Crockett’s influence, Courier, a former number one tennis player and a Florida native, offers his time, mentorship and fund-raising capabilities to the St. Petersburg Tennis Center.
Courier’s first visit to the center came in March after Crockett informed him of the economic strains facing the center. He asked whether Courier would help.
He did.
Courier came back to the tennis center June 2. This time he spent the day with the kids in the First Serve Grassroots tennis program -- a program led by Crockett -- designed to combine tennis lessons with academic tutoring for the neighborhood kids of Bartlett Park.
“He talked to the kids and hit balls with them,” said Jackie Keller, general manger. “Afterwards, he even took them to McDonald’s.”
Courier plans to visit the center several times a year to meet and play with local kids. He also plans to host a fund-raising tournament for the center early next year.
The First Serve Grassroots Tennis Program offers free tennis and tutoring for kids ages 7 to 17 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday.
SPTC Summer Camp runs through Aug.1. Camp hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $60 a week and scholarships are available.
The center is at 650 18th Ave. S. For information, call (727) 823-2225.
Courier’s involvement with the St. Petersburg Tennis Center comes at a crucial time. Money is running out.
The courts were rescued from bulldozers almost two years ago by a group of 25 people who formed the Tennis Foundation of St. Petersburg, a non-profit organization. They took over the lease from the city of St. Petersburg in September 2001. Rick Crockett came to the center that October at the request of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Crockett has a long and successful history working with junior tennis players. He worked at the Harry Hopman Academy -- a prestigious tennis-training center 25 miles north of Tampa -- for 17 years. In that time, Crockett worked with rising stars and professional tennis players. Players often paid as much as $30,000 per year for the chance to work with Crockett.
Today Crockett gives lessons for free.
To Keller, he is an essential component to the success and the future of the center. “He is a terrific role model and has a tremendous work ethic,” Keller said.
The program is designed to give neighborhood kids and their families a safe and fun place to spend the summer.
Three afternoons a week local kids -- ages 7 to 17 -- come to the 15-court facility of Bartlett Park for free tennis lessons. In addition to the tennis, the kids get free year-round tutoring. The tennis center has a certified teacher on staff (Keller is a certified teacher, too), a computer lab and a library for kids to use. They focus primarily on math, computer and study skills.
The program boasts strict behavioral codes as well as strong parental involvement, which Keller believes has a positive impact on the community.
Despite its financial struggles, different numbers show that the program is a success. Two years ago, six kids registered for the program. This year they are accommodating more than 120.
In addition to the Grassroots program, the center also offers a summer day camp at a cost of $60 per week. Children enrolled in the day camp receive a free tennis racket and stay at the center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days a week.
All this doesn’t come cheap. The center relies on partial funding from the city of St. Petersburg, the USTA and community donations.
Annual operating costs for the center are estimated at $100,000. In addition to outside funding, Keller says that annual passes and daily court fees help the center stay afloat.
Mayor Rick Baker is particularly supportive of the center. His kids participated in the day camp last week.
In addition to funding the budding youth programs, the St. Petersburg Tennis Center is also in need of money for the cost of upkeep and maintenance.
“We laugh, but this place is falling down,” Keller said.
This morning, there is a new wanted sign on the pro-shop door. The center needs a lawnmower.
“We need lawnmowers, we need computers, we need a lot of things,” Keller said. Their wish for computers recently came true when a local law firm donated 12 computers for the Grassroots program.
No lawnmowers have turned up yet.
Much of the center’s future success hinges on Crockett’s mission and Courier’s plan.
In February 2004, Courier plans to host a fund-raising tournament at the St. Petersburg Times Forum. All proceeds will go to the First Serve Grassroots program.
No date has been set, but, according to Crockett, Courier is committed to bringing some big names along with him.
The big names might bring in the money, but it is the little names matter most at the center today.
Chris Everett, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jennifer Capriati have all played at the now-rickety center. Everett won her first professional tournament here. Those names now line the ceiling of the main walkway of the tennis center, affectionately referred to as the “walk of fame.” Today in Bartlett Park it is names like Shaniya Bailey, 7, Adrian Kant, 6, Dem`e Eavis, 7, and Ian Muentener, 11, that matter now.
“It’s my second week and I’m still not that good, but the program is great,” Muentener said as he took a break from the hot courts and guzzled some water in the shade under the names of tennis superstars.
This morning Keller and Crockett watch over dozens of 5- to 9-year olds flailing their rackets and running around on the green clay courts in the hot Florida sun. They know they are teaching more than tennis.
“Our mission is to provide an atmosphere free of drugs, alcohol and anger,” Crockett said. “This program is about giving opportunity to all kids.”
“This is the best program around,” said Shannon O’Brien, a coach for the summer day camp. O’Brien says that kids get lots of attention, supervision and have a blast learning to play tennis, “especially when they get to hit with Crockett,” he said
One of the new joys in Crockett’s life is discovering talent and passion for tennis in new places. “Tennis is a money sport,” he said, “but there is talent in the inner city.”
Since Crockett came to the tennis center in 2001, more than two dozen kids have started competing in tournaments. Some of them are winning. The center pays their entrance fees and provides all the equipment they need to compete at higher levels of tennis, including extra rackets and new shoes.
As the day bounces on, the youngest member of the day camp strolls in. Giovanni Williams is 5 years old. His racket is nearly as big as his grin.
Crockett calls him over for a quick high-five. With the stringent eye of a coach who knows what it takes to be the best, Crockett puts his hand on Giovanni’s shoulder. “This one is going to be something special.”
