Tigers shine in Teach Me Tennis tourney

Students representing Darlington excelled on the courts at the second biannual Teach Me Tennis Tournament, held last month at the Rome/Floyd Tennis Center. Teams of students from eight Floyd County-area schools participated in the competition, which was separated into two divisions: primary (grades K-2) and elementary (grades 3-5). Darlington, which proudly sponsors the community program, had two groups to play in the tournament.

The school’s Team 1 took home the first-place trophy for the competition's elementary division. On the winning roster were fifth-grade students Khi Boateng, Lataija Jackson, Claire Smith and Bradley Smith, and fourth-grade student Joseph Hall. 

“While a few of the students had played tennis before, most had never picked up a racquet,” said Logan Yerbey, a tennis professional at Coosa Country Club and Teach Me Tennis coach for Darlington’s teams. “With the help of volunteers from Berry College, we were able to teach these students the very basics of the game.”

Yerbey worked closely with young athletes in grades 1-5 once a week for six weeks. The coach taught the students the fundamentals of tennis, including how to do bump serves, forehands, backhands, volleys, and point play in preparation for the November tournament. By practicing control and patience, students quickly improved their technique in the game.

“Overall, the students exceeded my expectations based on the skills they learned and their performance at the tournament,” added Yerbey. “I cannot wait to work with Darlington students again!”

For more information about the Teach Me Tennis initiative, click here.