An Eastern student will be partnering with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and 10 and Under Tennis to teach Charleston youth how to play tennis at Charleston High School this summer.

The program is for youth ages 5 to 10 years old and costs $85 to register.

Registration for the program can be found on www.midwestteamtennis.com. The deadline to register is June 30.

The registration cost includes a one-year USTA membership, a tennis racket, a t-shirt, one tennis ball, sun visor, and a few more miscellaneous small favors throughout the session.

Any parents who wish to volunteer to be a coach can sign up when registering their child.

The Midwest Team Tennis program will provide training for the selected volunteer coaches.

Courtnie Brauer, a senior Family & Consumer Sciences major, is the student in charge of coordinating this program.

“I started this program in Charleston because, a few years ago, I started working with the same program up in Frankfort, Ill. which is close to where I am from. The community of Charleston does not really have any [tennis] programs for younger kids, so I thought it would be great to start this program,” Brauer said. “The USTA has really helped me out with starting this.”

There are several towns all over the state, as well as in the United States, that have this same program, and it has been successful in their programs, Brauer commented.

10 and Under Tennis is a partner of the USTA and allows participants to use racquets, balls and courts that are sized for children so they can learn to play the game properly from the beginning of their experience.

Balls have less compression so they do not bounce as high, courts are made smaller so they are easier to cover, and racquets are lighter and easier to use for smaller children.

There is marketing for the program at all the local area schools.

For more information on the 10 and Under Tennis program, visit www.10andundertennis.com or www.midwest.usta.com.

Ashley can be reached at 581-4972 or anhoogstraten@eiu.edu.