BY DONNA DUARTE-LADD
As the summer starts to come to a close or rather the ‘school’ break, I have been thinking of what sport my boys can start now and move into fall playing. While I feel that activities, especially for the kids, need to be operating in some form during COVID-19, I am looking for an activity that is social-distancing friendly.
And for us, it is…drumroll…tennis! My oldest boy, who is like a rocket of energy, would be great in this sport. I picture him as a player in a Wes Anderson movie vein rather than a moody, screaming John McEnroe type. I also like that tennis is already 6 feet from a player game.
But these are serious times, and we are all taking safety precautions. What is tennis doing to assure parents?
Steve O’Keefe, General Manager of Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, has shared to ensure parents on the safety of playing tennis, “We have an experienced and responsible staff looking forward to getting the kids back on the court in a safe and fun environment. Along with protocols for keeping the clubs safe and clean, our programs provide natural social distancing, as tennis is a great sport for the times and is promoted by industry leaders and medical experts.”
Liezel Huber, Executive Director of Tennis At Cary Leeds Tennis and Learning commented,“We are so excited to get back on the court with the kids! To ensure the safety of everyone, all guests will have their temperature taken before play. We ask that guests arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before scheduled play time. Masks are also required at all times except on court during play, and there will be a limit to four people per court.”
We also asked Advantage Tennis if they could share their guidelines for implementing safety this playing season:
Advantage Tennis Club’s Safety Guidelines
· Mandatory health screening/temperature check upon arrival for all players, staff, and tennis pros.
· Masks are required in all areas of the Club. Masks may be removed when you reach the court to play tennis.
· Proper social distancing of 6 feet required throughout the Club.
· No towel service. Players must bring their own towels.
· Locker rooms are available with controlled access for hand washing and restroom use only.
· Players are not to arrive more than 10 minutes prior to your reservation and leave promptly when finished playing.
· Sanitizing and wiping stations are available for hands and equipment. Numerous motion sensor hand sanitizer stations throughout the clubs
· Clubs sanitized every 2 hours – all high traffic areas, countertops, tables & chairs, doorknobs, bathroom, etc
· MERV filters installed to help keep the air clean inside the bubbles
· Follow USTA guidelines for playing tennis safely and following on-court protocols.
As a mom who wipes down the swings at the park, these are the guidelines I need to send my kids out to play sports. Milos Vojvodic, General Manager, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club is even more straightforward when it comes to playing tennis during the time of coronavirus, “Safety of our members is our number one priority”!
Learn more about Advantage Tennis here!
This story first appeared on our sister publication newyorkfamily.com.
