The $19,000 child-friendly court is a joint effort of the Spark Park School Program, the City of Houston, the Houston Tennis Association and the United States Tennis Association.

 

The Honorable Toni Lawrence, City Council Member for District A, spearheaded the project.

 

"This is a very exciting event," Council Member Lawrence said.

 

"The court is one of the first, if not the first, in the nation to be installed on a public school playgroundaccessible to the children and to the schools neighbors. Once again, Houston is in the forefront of benefiting its community."

 

Lindsey Pollock, principal of Garden Oaks, welcomed the addition to the schools park.

 

"We are delighted to have the honor of being the first HISD school to receive a QuickStart tennis court," she announced.

　

"This addition to our school playground expands the opportunities for the children at Garden Oaks and our community. Thanks to the generous support and advocacy of Council Member Toni Lawrence in collaboration with the City of Houstons Spark Park, the Houston Tennis Association and the USTA, we will dedicate the court during the schools fall festival," Pollock added.

 

QuickStart Tennis, launched by the USTA in May 2008, is an innovative new play format that introduces children 10 years of age and under to the game.

 

The play format is designed to help children find success from the very first swing. QuickStart Tennis appropriately scales down all aspects of regulation tennisincluding equipment, court dimensions and scoringso that the games become specifically tailored to their age and size. The format is broken out into two age groupings, for children ages 10-and-under and for those who are 8-and-under.

 

Others on hand for the dedication, in addition to Council Member Lawrence and Pollock, were HTA president Harold Graham; USTA/Texas Service Representative Cindy Benzon; Garden Oaks Civic Club president Scott Easterly; Kori Catlin, physical education teacher utilizing the court; and HTA Executive Director Cheryl Hultquist Horvath.