Transitional tennis takes the court.

Every year, nearly six million people try tennis for the first time, nearly all of them on public park courts. That first experience with the sport is the most important factor in determining if people will continue to play. But how can agencies keep those people in the game and prevent them from getting discouraged? The United States Tennis Association, a partner organization with NRPA, thinks it has the answer.

"If we can make tennis easier to enjoy right from the start, new players will stick with it for a lifetime," said Kirk Anderson, director of Recreational Coaches and Programs for the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The use of "transitional" or modified equipment can help make that happen.

"Very often first time players end up chasing and picking up more balls than they hit," said Anderson. "Modified equipment such as lighter, slower balls and shorter courts keep the ball in play and makes the game easier to learn. Like most other sports such as soccer, basketball and softball, you can learn as you play and don't necessarily need to take a series of lessons first."

Modified equipment such as high-density foam balls are incredibly light and travel much slower than traditional tennis balls. Players can then graduate to felt-covered low compression balls, which don't bounce as high and travel through the air at a slower rate. Park and recreation agencies can also try to set up short courts by taking a standard 36-foot x 78-foot court and converting it into six 36-foot courts through the use of temporary nets positioned lengthwise through the center of the court. These smaller courts are particularly useful for children and senior players who have trouble tracking and running quickly to the ball.

Ken Wallace, racquet sports manager for the Maryland National-Capital Park and Planning Commission in Laurel, Md., said using modified equipment has had a tremendous positive affect on his beginner programs. "The players have earlier success, longer sustained rallies and generally more fun. It is even more fun for the coaches because the equipment makes it easier to work with the kids. Success breeds motivation."

The equipment is not only valuable for youth and wheelchair players, but it can also assist adults new to the sport as well, according to Michele Crouse, tennis coordinator for the North Jeffco Park and Recreation District in Arvada, Colo. "At first I wasn't a large fan of transitional equipment, but so many people are having more success with it that it is being incorporated into all aspects of teaching," she said. "I think it is particularly helpful that the balls are two-colored, and easier to track when we teach players about spin. They can follow the color and see the trajectory of the ball."

In order to educate entry level instructors and coaches about modified equipment, the USTA conducts interactive, on-court training through Recreational Coach Workshops at parks around the country. Since most of the six million new players have their first experience with a novice instructor, it makes sense to provide these new teachers with resources to make learning tennis easy and fun in a group environment.

Recreational Coach Workshops provide skills, tools, resources and training for those teaching entry level tennis to players of all ages. The workshop faculty are all certified by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and/or the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and have received special training from the USTA.

The workshop offers financial reimbursement based upon completed evaluations returned by the host site and provides kits with sample modified equipment, curriculums for both children and adults along with a participant manual that includes the top ten games every coach should know DVD. In 2006, the USTA conducted 224 highly successful workshops around the country.

Modified equipment is inexpensive and quite accessible, making it easy for workshop graduates to hit the ground running. "A couple of foam balls and some caution tape to use as temporary nets is all it takes to get started. Junior racquets are readily available and relatively inexpensive," said Anderson. "When parks are looking at registering kids for teams, they can run tennis like other sports rather then only offering beginner lessons. With trained coaches and modified equipment, kids and adults can be on organized teams with practices and play within a week."

For more information on the USTA Recreational Coach Workshops, go to www.usta.com and click "coaches" at the top of the page.