A Comprehensive Guide to Summer Tennis Lessons
Summer tennis lessons are a great way for kids to stay active and develop important life skills. When choosing a program, look for one that is tailored to your child’s age and skill level, is conveniently located, and works with your summer budget.
Saint Paul Urban Tennis (SPUT) is proud to offer low-cost tennis programs (and scholarships) for youth in the Saint Paul area. Not only will they get to enjoy the sport of tennis, but they will also benefit from the social and physical aspects that come with being part of a sports team.
Find the Right Tennis Program for Your Summer
There are a variety of summer programs that SPUT offers for youth of all ages and skill levels. Whether a child is just starting out or looking to improve their game, SPUT has a program for them. In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview of all our summer tennis programs, so you can decide what lessons work best.
2023’s Summer Program Line Up:
- Youth Daytime Lessons
- Youth Evening Lessons
- High Performance Lessons
- Junior Team Tennis
- SPUTniks Traveling Team Tennis
- Youth Tennis Camps
- Adult Tennis Lessons
Our programs are designed to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone, regardless of ability or financial status. While some programs may be more challenging than others, we always level the playing field when it comes to affordability. Check out our program scholarships page to determine your eligibility for financial assistance.
Youth Daytime Lessons
Our most popular summer program is our youth daytime tennis lessons. With nearly 20 sites across St. Paul, we are helping to spread the love of tennis to kids who may have never played before. Youth ages 5 to 18 are welcome to sign up for lessons at the court nearest to them for our 6-week program starting on June 20th.
Lessons are taught Monday-Thursday by our expert staff of summer coaches, most of which grew up taking our lessons on the same courts. In addition to the tennis drills, kids are taught life and leadership skills that will help them excel in school and face their challenges with confidence. Check out our summer lessons page to find a court and time that works for you this summer.
Daytime Summer Lessons
- June 20th – July 27th
- 1 hour lessons – 4 days a week
- 9:00am – 1:00pm
- 18 available locations
- Ages 5 – 18
- Cost: $175 (Scholarships available)
Youth Evening Lessons
We know that finding time in the middle of a work day to take your kids to lessons doesn’t work for everybody. That’s why we’ve extended our lesson programs to give more kids the chance to learn our favorite summer sport. Our evening lessons don’t reach as many courts, but their 4:30pm – 6:30pm time frame makes them the perfect option for busy families.
Similar to the daytime program, our evening lessons are 6 weeks long and begin on June 20th. However, they are held either on Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs instead of the 4 day weeks of daytime lessons. If this sounds like the program for you, check out our summer lessons page to find out more and register for lessons.
Youth Evening Lessons
- June 20th – July 27th
- 1 hour lessons – 2 days a week
- 4:30pm – 6:30pm
- 4 available locations
- Ages 5 – 18
- Cost: $100 (Scholarships available)
High Performance Lessons
For some players, tennis is more than a game. Those individuals looking to take their skills to the next level are invited to try out for our high performance lessons. Our expert coaches teach 4 classes at Eastview Rec Center (SPUT’s headquarters) for kids ages 5-18 during the same timeframe as our daytime lessons.
While most youth will not be eligible for high performance lessons, those that are can expect to see their technical skills improve. In a sport as competitive as tennis, SPUT can give you the edge over your competitors to put in that final shot. To see if high performance lessons are right for your child, email admin@urbantennis.org to consult with our Tennis Director.
High Performance Lessons
- June 20th – July 27th
- 1 hour lessons – 4 days a week
- 9:00am – 1:00pm
- Eastview Rec Center
- Ages 5 – 18
- Cost: $225 (Scholarships available)
Junior Team Tennis
SPUT’s competitive tennis programs offer youth a supportive team environment to develop their skills and learn the life lessons that competition provides. Junior Team Tennis (JTT) is an official USTA program to help JV and Varsity level tennis players improve their skills on co-ed teams. Players are divided into teams with others of similar ability level, and teams compete in 14 & under and 18 & under age groups.
JTT players can join a team at either Central, Harding, Highland, or Washington Tech and compete in a round robin league against other teams in St. Paul. At the end of summer, the top 5 boys and girls from each team will be invited to play in the USTA sectional tournament on July 21-23. Junior Team Tennis begins June 20th, for more information and to register visit the JTT page.
Junior Team Tennis
- June 20th – July 27th
- 2 hour lessons – 4 days a week
- 1:30pm – 3:30pm
- 4 available locations
- Ages 12 – 18
- Cost $275 (Scholarships available)
SPUTniks Traveling JTT
SPUTniks is our advanced level traveling Junior Team Tennis program that competes in matches with organizations outside of St. Paul. Similar to JTT, players are divided into teams with others of similar ability level, and teams compete in 12 & under, 14 & under, and 18 & under age groups.
SPUTniks practices Mon-Thurs from June 20 to July 27, with matches taking place each Thursday at the same time. Since it’s more competitive, tryouts are required to participate in SPUTniks and those will be held on May 21st at the Eastview Rec Center from 12:30pm – 3:00pm. Sign up for tryouts on the Junior Team Tennis page to see if you can smash the competition this summer!
SPUTniks Traveling JTT
- June 20th – July 27th
- 2 hour lessons – 4 days a week
- 1:30pm – 3:30pm
- 1 available location
- Ages 10 – 18
- Cost $350 (Scholarships)
Youth Tennis Camps
In addition to our summer tennis lessons and competitive leagues, we have partnered with several great organizations to bring tennis and educational camps to St. Paul kids. Our half-day Academic Creative Engagement (ACE) Camps combine tennis lessons with fun off-court math, reading and creative writing activities designed to inspire a love of learning in our youth.
The Middle School Girls Tennis and Leadership Camp, “I’m Next,” is put on in partnership with local tennis and women’s leadership organizations to provide young women interested in the sport with a chance to find mentors and the guidance to reach their full potential.
We are also happy to bring back our STTEM Camp (science, technology, tennis, engineering, and math) with The Bakken Science Museum this summer. For more information on all our camps, please visit our youth camps directory.
Adult Tennis Lessons
Whether you’re picking up a racket for the first time, or looking to perfect your backhand slice, our expert coaches have a lesson plan for you. We teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons in two sessions each summer. Classes are one day a week with the first session taking place from May 29th to June 29th, and the second session from July 11th to August 10th.
Our lessons are held at Cretin Derham Hall High School on summer evenings from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Adult lessons are a great way to stay in shape, meet local players, and keep up with your kids as they advance through their lessons. Check out our adult lessons program for more information and learn about our spring and fall offerings as well.
SPUT is Your Place for Free or Low-Cost Youth Tennis this Summer.
If you’re looking for a fun and active way to spend your summer while staying within a budget, look no further than Saint Paul Urban Tennis. As a nonprofit, we’re able to make our programs free and accessible to those who could benefit from them the most. There is no cost barrier to entry, rackets and balls are provided, and if you need shoes we can provide those too. By participating in our programs, youth will have the opportunity to develop their tennis skills, make new friends, and discover the leadership abilities they never knew they had.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a program with Saint Paul Urban Tennis today and discover the joy of tennis!