Time For Tennis

It's an early spring day in April, and 25 four-year-olds clutching tennis rackets eagerly await the fun they'll have at a birthday party—one of the first held at Sportime on Randall's Island. There have been many firsts at this new multi-sport facility and Summer 2010 promises even more excitement for both children and adults.

Designed to be a premier tennis center featuring 20 courts, Sportime opened in July 2009. Half of the courts are hard surfaced, sporting the same Deco-Turf material the pros play on at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, where the U.S. Open is held. Of these 10, five are indoors, allowing for climate-controlled tennis during all seasons.

The other five hard courts, as well as the 10 Har-Tru clay courts, are situated outdoors. But when the weather gets chilly, these 15 are converted to indoor space using lightweight, but sturdy, bubble enclosures, to allow for year-round use. The bubbles come down in May for the summer season.

While the heart of the complex is the tennis courts, Sportime also offers everything one would expect from a high-end fitness club. There’s a state-of-the-art gym, which includes some tennis-specific machines, locker rooms, steam facilities, class/exercise rooms, a courtside café and a pro shop. While touring the facility, it’s hard to be far away from a television, and parents should rest assured that there’s also a computer lounge, where kids can go online to take a break from tennis, or even tackle some homework.

If that’s not enough, Sportime also hosts many programs, leagues and special events throughout the year. That includes World Team Tennis matches in July, featuring the New York Sportimes, the local squad captained by John McEnroe and also featuring 2009 U.S Open champ Kim Clijsters. McEnroe, the legendary pro, has been affiliated with Sportime clubs for the past eight years, and now his brother, Mark McEnroe, has joined the fold as well.

“I was a practicing attorney for 20 years,” said Mark McEnroe, who took over as general manager of the Randall’s Island facility in February. “And for the last couple of years, I’ve been representing my brother as his personal attorney, which is how I got involved here.”

For those seeking competition, Sportime, which has 14 clubs around the New York area (most of them on Long Island), hosts tennis leagues for various skill levels.

There’s also a junior team tennis league for kids who want to join a team and compete on the weekends. What’s more, there’s after-school tennis instruction offered from September through early June for children, aged 4-17, of all skill levels. Instruction is limited to three or four students per coach.

Opportunities for children don’t end when the school year is over, as Sportime also offers two different day camps for kids aged 6-16. One focuses on tennis, while the other provides a blend of other sports.

The intensive tennis camp is for those who are passionate about the sport, focused on improving their skills and participating in tournaments. Here, kids are on the court for two hours each morning and afternoon, with some off-court activities mixed in. But, according to Mark McEnroe, “the kids would be playing tennis all day.”

For children looking for fun without the strict focus on tennis competition, there’s the Tennis and Multi-Sport camp. Kids spend one hour each morning and afternoon on the court, but they also get to enjoy some of 25 ball fields that surround the Sportime complex to play other sports like softball, lacrosse, soccer and baseball. Transportation from Manhattan and other boroughs is available.

With state-of-the-art facilities, personal instruction and league competition, Sportime can accommodate kids of any age and skill level. And that suits Mark McEnroe just fine. Because as he sees it, one of the best things about his job is that, “I get to see talented kids come and play every day.”