JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
A team of tennis coaches and professionals made a racket at the West Fitness Center here Oct. 5, as Team Andrews members gathered to sharpen their tennis skills at a Thanking our Troops Through Tennis (T3) clinic.
T3, an initiative of the non-profit entity Blue Sky foundation, Inc., was created to show support for troops and their families, by holding tennis clinics at military bases around the country, allowing service members and their families to learn all aspects of the game from world-class players and coaches.
"It is a thrill for us," said Col. Bill Knight, 11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews commander. "We love having all these wonderful people out here giving our residents a chance to learn from real professionals."
The professional players and former tennis champions that coached for the day included: Dick Stockton, former top-ten tennis player in the world; Stan Smith, former Wimbeldon Champion; Gigi Fernandez, International Tennis Hall of Fame member; and Joanne Russell, former Wimbledon Ladies Double Champion.
The clinic was broken down into four one-hour group lessons, with two clinics for adults and two for youth, ages five-11 and 12-17, followed by a exhibition match between the pros.
More than 120 people attended the clinic, filling up the event's two tennis courts.
"We were worried about not being able to have this clinic with the government shutdown in place," said Bob Kennedy, base resident and avid tennis player. "This clinic was fantastic and a lot of fun to participate in."
The United Service Organizations provided lunch for all participants in the clinic and the United States Tennis Association will offer ongoing programs for children on base.
"Today's about tennis," said Dick Stockton, T3 founder and former tennis pro. "We're honored to be here with you. This whole program is a 'thanks' for all the hard work our service members do."
Stockton had great success with a previous clinic held at Ft. Bragg, NC, with more than 100 people attending the event.
"We had an unbelievable response with all these people that came out," said Stockton. "They're already asking us to come back and hold another clinic and I couldn't be happier."
The great reception from both clinics held at Ft. Bragg and Andrews were a testament to the great interest in hosting future events and continued support for American service members and their families.
"This was truly one of the best days I've had as a tennis player," said Stockton. "As long as people walk away with a smile on their face at the end of the day, then I'm happy. We really hope this organization picks up more support and we can do more events around the country next year."