2007 Tennis Block Party 
    presented by The Daniel Island News

The Daniel Island News Signs on as Presenting Sponsor for Second Consecutive Year 

The Lowcountry has always been a hotbed for tennis, and this was evident by the hundreds of tennis players, and soon-to-be tennis players, who came out for an exciting morning at the Family Circle Tennis Center’s 2nd Annual Tennis Block Party on Saturday, August 18th.

Bright sun and clear skies set the tone as nearly 250 future tennis stars of all ages soaked up top notch instruction while enjoying a litany of fun-based activities designed to introduce this game of a lifetime to everyone at Charleston’s premier public tennis facility. As children and adults enjoyed a morning of music, games, tennis drills, contests, a tennis carnival, “hit & get”, an adult tennis zone, raffles, prizes, food, snacks, and refreshments, they also experienced the most current tennis instructional techniques. These free activities were designed to introduce the game of tennis in a relaxed and enjoyable manner where everyone was able to quickly pick up the game and succeed at this sport.

“We came out today because tennis is a sport that we can all play together. It’s kind of funny to admit, but my husband and I are at the same skill level as our kids, so we took part in the same clinics,” mentioned Christine Coulmas who made the trip from Seaside Farms to Daniel Island to enjoy the event. “We all got a little better today, and we’ll probably get the kids some lessons this fall.”

The day’s activities began with a warm welcome from Rob Eppelsheimer, Family Circle Tennis Center Director, who introduced the entire staff working the event, enabling everyone to become comfortable with their coaches. He then separated the large group by age and sent everyone to various courts around the clubhouse staffed by tennis pros ready to kick off the day’s action.

Children’s activities were held on picturesque Althea Gibson Club Court, a feature court used during the Family Circle Cup named for the South Carolina-born tennis great, led by Chris Cubbage, Family Circle Tennis Center Tennis Pro and Tennis Block Party Coordinator. Adults headed to the soft and shaded green clay of the outer courts where beginners were shown the basics by Tennis Pro Kyle Owens, and experienced players enjoyed a variety of drills with Dewey Caulder, Adult Programming Director.

“We combine cutting edge instruction and the newest equipment with enticing activities so everyone can enjoy the game of tennis,” said Chris Cubbage. “You don’t have to win every match to succeed at this social sport – it’s about having a good time, meeting new people, and getting the incredible health benefits that inherently come from playing tennis.”

As the day progressed, numerous raffles interspersed tennis instruction with prizes including autographed items from top tennis stars including Justine Henin - the top ranked player in the world, Venus & Serena Williams, and Lindsay Davenport, as well as LACOSTE clothing, tennis rackets, clothing, equipment, and a list of other prizes.

Growing the game of tennis has always been a top priority for the Family Circle Tennis Center, and this United States Tennis Association (USTA) backed event has been a proven catalyst for community growth throughout America’s public tennis facilities.

“Our commitment to growing the game of tennis at the grass roots level has brought so many new players to this exciting sport since we reorganized our programs one year ago, and we’re happy to celebrate and continue that growth where it all started, with another community block party,” commented Rob Eppelsheimer. “Playing tennis is really all about having fun with friends, and we’re very happy that so many people came out to enjoy this event.”

“We wanted to accomplish two goals with today’s Tennis Block Party; to introduce the game to beginners and to welcome people who have played tennis in the past to pick up a racket and get involved again,” noted USTA Community Coordinator Maggie Lacoste. “We knew we had succeeded when we saw that some people had never tried this sport before, and that others were shaking the rust off their strokes, but the main thing we noticed is that everyone was having a great time playing tennis.”

For specific questions about this event or tennis programs, contact Tennis Professional Chris Cubbage via e-mail at Chris.Cubbage@familycirclecup.com, by phone at (843) 849-5304, or by dialing the Family Circle Tennis Center Pro Shop at (843) 849-5300.

The Daniel Island Publishing Corporation, LLC publishes The Daniel Island News and is a company that publishes a newspaper of the highest possible quality, containing the most effective advertising and offering the greatest possible circulation for our readers and clients since 2003.

*Recap & photo gallery from the 2006 Tennis Block Party presented by The Daniel Island News.

Event Photos:  (Mike Saia)