Photo by Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo /Staff
SMASH OPENING – Chula Vista re-opened its Montevalle Recreation Center to tennis classes that have become a welcome outlet for housebound kids and their parents.
BY XIOMARA VILLARREAL-GERARDO
Most sports remain on hiatus due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, but tennis has enjoyed positive net results.
Tennis, with its emphasis on individualism and natural social distancing, has skyrocketed in popularity and is considered by health officials to be one of the safest sports to play.
After six months on the sidelines, Chula Vista has reopened some of its outdoor recreation centers for tennis, including the Montevalle Recreation Center.
Juan Villanueva, a USPTA certified tennis coach who works at Montevalle, said he and his students are required to follow U.S. Tennis Association safety guidelines.
“We preserve the distance, we have a maximum of six students and we wear face masks during class,” he said. “Students do not touch the tennis balls. They only touch their rackets and their water bottles. I use a (ball launch) machine to minimize risk as much as possible.”
Villanueva said he sets up social distancing marks on the courts before classes. When students arrive, they warm-up and stretch, then practice techniques such as hand grips, footwork and positioning. Students play some games, if possible.
Villanueva said his students are thrilled to be with other kids.
“Even though they are not getting close to each other, they are really really happy to see each other,” he said. “And because school is at home, this is their encounter in person.”
Rosemarie Rodriguez, a tennis student and parent, said she believes tennis classes are a great way for kids to interact. She also said she feels very safe bringing her two kids to Montevalle.
“I was one of the really paranoid parents,” she said. “My son has asthma, so we were very cautious in the beginning. But I think that with tennis being outdoors and it being rated as the safest sport out there, I feel safe.”
Rodriguez started playing tennis two years ago when she came across a Facebook post called Chula Vista East Mom Group that promoted the Montevalle tennis classes.
Rodriguez’s children, Stella, 7, and Paul, 5, said they have been playing tennis for about four weeks and have learned many of the basics.
When asked how much they enjoy the sport, Stella and Paul spread their arms wide and replied enthusiastically, “This much!”
Rodriguez said Villanueva is a great tennis coach for adults and children.
Villanueva recalled being told by a doctor years ago the mental health benefits of tennis. Besides the physical and exercise aspects, he said, the doctor told him that the social interaction of tennis can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“It engages most of your senses,” he said. “You’re speaking to (the opponent), listening to them and seeing them.”
Rodriguez said she highly recommends the tennis classes to other parents.
“Kids still need to stay active and they are in front of the computer the whole day,” she said. “It’s nice to end the day with some sports.”
