VCU Hosts 3rd Annual Young Aces Open QuickStart Tennis Tournament

By Mike Porter

More than 150 fourth and fifth graders from Richmond will showcase their QuickStart tennis (QST) skills on April 4 at the 3rd annual Young Aces Open at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Mary and Frances Youth Center.

Reporters are invited to cover the tournament between 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Entrance to the event is at 120 S. Linden St., between the Cary Street Gym and Cary Street Field.

The Young Aces Open will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is organized by VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership and Lobs & Lessons, which was named the National Junior Tennis and Learning Chapter of the Year for 2011.

“The Young Aces Open provides the perfect opportunity for young students to come to the VCU campus with a purpose to demonstrate their personal best - in tennis and as part of their school team,” said Cathy Howard, Ph.D., vice provost for Community Engagement. “VCU gets to show them the excitement of college life, which we hope they will aspire to be part of in the future, and they get the message that physical fitness activities are important to be healthy and successful.”

The tournament is a partnership between VCU, the Richmond Tennis Association and Richmond public elementary schools to introduce students to QuickStart Tennis, which is team-centered and uses foam balls, smaller rackets and modified courts to boost a player’s confidence and to create a positive experience. 

VCU Provost Beverly Warren, Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Yvonne Brandon, local tennis professional Chris Robinson and VCU Athletic Director Norwood Teague will speak to the players. Games will start after the opening ceremony, which includes a tennis showdown with local university mascots.  

Each of the 27 participating schools will send three boys and three girls to play mixed doubles. Each child will play an equal number of games, with no elimination. After the matches, children will go through various tennis challenge and educational stations. The tournament will conclude with an awards ceremony, with medals and trophies given to the top three schools.

The 2012 Young Aces Open is sponsored by the Richmond Tennis Association; Reynolds Development; Richmond Raiders; Martin’s Food Markets; USTA/VA Tennis; U-Turn Sports Performance Academy; AmeriCorps; Mitchell, Wiggins and Company; DICK’S Sporting Goods; Allen, Allen, Allen and Allen; Firebirds; Escape Creative; Smoothie King; NetPlay; LookGoodOnPaper; Lipkin, Marshall, Bohorad & Thronsburg Law Offices; Richmond Flying Squirrels; Children’s Hospital of Richmond; and VCU Parking and Transportation Services.