Junior Tennis Classes
Junior Tennis Program
(2024 - 2025 School Year)
The DAC Junior Tennis Program provides opportunities for younger people to get introduced to the sport, develop their skills, and then fine tune their abilities during their high school years.
Participants must be ages 3 to 18 years old (still in high school) and do not necessarily need to be a DAC member.
Questions
If you have questions, email Cory at cory@dacfit.org, Rob at rob@dacfit.org, or Ross at ross@dacfit.org, or call 217-423-7020.
Communication
DAC relies on communicating with participants via email. If you are not receiving emails from DAC, please contact Makenna at makenna@dacfit.org to update your email address.
Class Offerings
The ages listed below are suggestions to give parents a better idea of where a player should start. When players come to a specific class, they will be divided based on ability to ensure that instruction is targeted to improve their individual skills. Instructors may determine a player needs to move to another class based on their ability, so they are practicing with others closer to their level.
Your child’s first tennis experience establishes a foundation for hand-eye coordination, basic movement, and athletic skills. It is a fun-filled introduction to tennis.
These classes provide an opportunity for young people who have never played before to try tennis without being intimidated by experienced peers. The course will start with the very basics, teaching additional fundamentals each week with recreational play included. On the schedule, this class is divided by grade levels.
A focus on introductory rallying skills and beginning stages of cooperative tennis. Students will learn how to initiate a rally, how to move and judge a ball, and racquet control.
Students will refine their technical and tactical skills. Singles and doubles concepts will be introduced. Ball control exercises that improve consistency, direction, and depth will be enhanced. Additional focus on drills that develop decision making skills, recovery, and movement. Students will experience situational and competitive play. The development of an all-court tennis player will be emphasized.
The class will be divided into two groups. One, beginner to intermediate high school players will focus on developing stroke development, footwork analysis, and match strategies. The other group will be for more advanced tournament players with an emphasis on specialty strokes and situational practice will be emphasized. Teaching of mental strategy will be introduced.
Seasons
The program has four seasons. Each season includes seven weekly sessions. Below are the schedules for the 2024 – 2025 school year. The date for each week represents the Monday of that week.
| Week | Early Fall | Late Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept 9 | Oct 28 | Jan 6 | Feb 24 |
| 2 | Sept 16 | Nov 4 | Jan 13 | Mar 3 |
| 3 | Sept 23 | Nov 11 | Jan 20 | Mar 10 |
| 4 | Sept 30 | Nov 18 | Jan 27 | Mar 24 |
| 5 | Oct 7 | Dec 2 | Feb 3 | March 31 |
| 6 | Oct 14 | Dec 9 | Feb 10 | Apr 7 |
| 7 | Oct 21 | Dec 16 | Feb 17 | Apr 14 |
There are no classes the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the week of March 17 (Mt Zion’s Spring Break).
Fees
Session fees are due at the time of registration. A spot is not guaranteed until the fee has been collected. Below are the season fees. For a participant to receive the special member discount, the participant must be a DAC member.
| Offering | Length | Members | Non-Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pee-Wee | 30 minutes | $69 | $89 |
| FUNdamentals | 60 minutes | $129 | $149 |
| Skills & Drills | 60 minutes | $129 | $149 |
| Play Prep | 90 minutes | $199 | $219 |
| Next Level | 120 minutes | $269 | $289 |
A participant’s registration is not complete until the payment is received.
Registration Deadlines
To ensure quality instruction, space is limited. Registration is “first come, first served”. If signing up during the late registration period, there is no guarantee a spot will be available.
If paying after the regular registration deadline, add a $20 late fee.
| Season | Regular Registration | Late Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Early Fall | Aug 26 | Aug 27 - Sept 8 |
| Late Fall | Oct 14 | Oct 15 - Oct 27 |
| Winter | Dec 23 | Dec 24 - Jan 3 |
| Spring | Feb 1 | Feb 11 - Feb 23 |
Weekly Schedules
The season fee covers once a week for the chosen day/time for the respective group.
The following is the schedule for the Early Fall season.
The day and times of classes may change from season to season.
Mondays
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm | Pee-Wee |
|---|---|
| 4:00 - 5:00 pm | Skills & Drills |
| 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Skills & Drills |
Tuesdays
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm | Pee-Wee |
|---|---|
| 4:00 - 5:30 pm | Play Prep |
| 4:00 - 6:00 pm | Next Level |
Wednesdays
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm | Pee-Wee |
|---|---|
| 4:00 - 5:30 pm | Play Prep |
Thursdays
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm | Pee-Wee |
|---|---|
| 4:00 - 5:30 pm | Play Prep |
| 4:00 - 6:00 pm | Next Level |
Fridays
| 4:00 - 5:30 pm | Play Prep |
|---|---|
Saturdays
| 12:00 - 2:00 pm | Next Level |
|---|---|
| 2:00 - 3:30 pm | Play Prep |
| 3:30 - 4:30 pm | Skills & Drills |
| 2:00 - 3:00 pm | FUNdamentals (high school) |
| 3:00 - 4:00 pm | FUNdamentals (middle school) |
| 4:00 - 5:00 pm | FUNdamentals (3rd-5th grade) |