March 22nd, 2016
Bryans, Tennis Tour Stars Come Out for Miami Open ‘Tenis para Todos’ Kids Day
We had a great time on court this year with over 500 kids of all different ages, skill levels, and demographics at the 2016 Miami Open. Thank you to Sloane Stephens, Johanna Konta, Bob & Mike Bryan ( Bryan Brothers ) , and Marcelo Melo for coming out and making the event extra-special for all of the participants. Find out more about all the ways kids can get on court in Florida at www.USTAFlorida.com/YouthTennis. And find out more about USTA Florida diversity initiatives at www.USTAFlorida.com/Diversity
Posted by USTA Florida on Monday, March 28, 2016
USTA Florida Kids Day at the Miami Open on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 brought out ATP and WTA stars, local and international media celebrating “Tenis para Todos,” and more than 500 children and their parents watching from the stands on the Grandstand Court.
Sloane Stephens shares selfies with a group of kids
WTA star Sloane Stephens accompanied children from her kids foundation, and ATP doubles players Bob and Mike Bryan and Brazil’s Marcelo Melo made appearances to rally with and speak to the children. The event also celebrated Miami’s Hispanic tennis heritage, with coverage from Univision and other Hispanic television networks.
“These are fun, our dad used to run these clinics when he was on the tour,” Mike Bryan said. “This is a great turn-out and we’re hoping to inspire some kids to pick up the racquet. There are some kids trying tennis here for the first time, so we hope they have a good experience and continue playing. We’d like to inspire that next generation of American player, and some of these kids might be 10 or 15 years away, you never know.”
The Bryan brothers share twins stories with another pair of twins
Children and families also heard an inspirational speech from legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri.
“These kids see Sloane Stephens, the Bryan brothers up close, and that’s what makes these events so great,” Bollettieri said. “I love seeing all the smiling faces.”
Following the Grandstand Court program, kids and whole families took to the Interactive Court for rallying and games on kid-sized courts with age-appropriate racquets and “orange balls,” adjacent to the USTA Florida booth.
The USTA’s Tenis para Todos (Tennis for Everyone) campaign is an effort by the USTA and the USTA Florida Section to bring tennis to more Hispanic families and communities. The initiative includes education through workshops for coaches and venues, tennis festivals, events, grants, scholarships and more. For more info go to the Florida website at www.ustaflorida.com/tenis-para-todos or the national website at www.tenisparatodos.com.
Kids and families playing together on the Interactive Court
“We would like to see this event as a template for other Hispanic tennis events across the country,” said Fabrizio Alcobe-Fierro, senior vice president, Univision Networks. “It is important for kids to see other kids playing, to see them having fun.”
USTA Florida will continue to host the Interactive Court through Sunday, March 27 outside the GrandStand Court. USTA Members are encouraged to stop by the USTA booth for give-aways, to renew their memberships or to sign-up new members.
USTA Florida Kids Day at the Miami Open and the week-long series of play at Crandon Park is part of USTA’s March into Tennis campaign, focusing on the many opportunities for people to play tennis in communities across Florida. To find a play event near you, visit www.USTAFlorida.com/events today.
The Bryan brothers are interviewed by kids for the Univision network
