AAU Partners with Beach Tennis USA
December 3rd, 2009
The AAU is pleased to announce a new partnership with Beach Tennis USA for the 2010 AAU Junior Olympic Games. For the first time in the forty-four year history of the AAU Junior Olympic Games, beach tennis will be included in the largest, youth, multi-sport event in the country.
“We are excited that Beach Tennis will be part of this year’s event in Virginia Beach, VA and look forward to working with Beach Tennis USA to make this event successful,” said Paul Campbell, Chairman of the AAU Junior Olympic Games. “The sport will take place along side of the AAU Beach Volleyball Championships which will provide a great atmosphere for the athletes.”
Beach Tennis is played with beach tennis paddles and a slightly decompressed ball, similar to a junior tennis training ball. It is played on a beach volleyball size court (although it is also played on grass), with a net set at five feet seven inches. Basically, teams of two players each keep the ball in play over the net (the ball does not bounce!) while serving and keeping score just like in a regular tennis match.
Over the last 15 years various parts of the global sports community have been playing the sport of beach tennis. Five years ago, Beach Tennis USA was launched to bring the sport of beach tennis to the United States. Since its inception Beach Tennis USA has attracted tens of thousands of players, ranging in age from 8 to 80, from California to Charleston, both Florida coasts, Chicago, Buffalo, and many other venues. From beginners to pros, everyone enjoys this fun, competitive and exciting game. It can best be described as a mix of tennis, beach volleyball, and extreme badminton, all rolled into one. Best of all, beach tennis is easy to learn and even more fun to master.
Marc Altheim, Commissioner/Founder of Beach Tennis USA says, “We are honored and thrilled to be a part of the AAU Junior Olympic Games in 2010. Partnering with an organization as prestigious and well-known as the AAU Junior Olympic Games gives the sport of beach tennis the credibility it needs to eventually become an Olympic sport in its own right. For 2010, the AAU is offering youth across the country the chance to learn the sport, have fun and compete. In fact, this first year, there are no qualifying rounds — the 2010 AAU Junior Olympic Games will be open to anyone that wants to play beach tennis, even if it’s for the first time. We also encourage athletes competing in the other sports at the AAU Junior Olympic Games to come check out beach tennis. We’ll have clinics, games and activities for anyone who wants to give it a try.”
The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the annual showcase event for the AAU. Over 14,000 participants representing 50 states and US territories take part in over 20 sports during a two-week period each summer. The 2010 event will be held throughout the Hampton Roads, Virginia region. The Beach Tennis Championships will be held in Virginia Beach, VA on July 31 and August 1, 2010.
For more information, please visit www.aaujrogames.org , www.aausports.org or www.beachtennisusa.net.
