PTC Hosts First Junior Summit

Learn About Tennis from the Experts at Free Presentation on Sunday in Village

In addition to having one of the best tennis programs in the country the Palisades Tennis Center, located smack dab in the center of town, is a frontrunner in promoting its sport. Over the past 12 years PTC owner Steve Bellamy and his staff have attracted numerous pros and celebrities to the public courts off of Alma Real. Bellamy is also largely responsible for tennis’ accessibility through cable television. He co-owned and ran The Tennis Channel for eight years before leaving to start The Ski Channel, which launched last Christmas. This weekend the PTC is going outside the box again with its first annual Junior Summit–where people can come to learn everything there is to know about a sport that can last a lifetime. “Tennis is an incredible gift for kids but it’s somewhat complicated if you’re on the outside looking in,” Bellamy said. “It’s a sport kids can learn at age 4 and still be playing at 94, but on the surface it isn’t as simple as Little League or AYSO. The purpose of this summit is to distill the 100 plus years of knowledge we have at the tennis center into a short presentation to help parents and kids truly understand the paradigm.” The summit will be held at 881 Alma Real, Terrace 8 in the Atonal Entertainment headquarters this Sunday from 4-5 p.m. There will be food and drinks, ping pong, shuffleboard, bumper pool, video games and other fun activities after the presentation. Many PTC pros will be present to talk to players, parents and private coaches for one-on-one advice. “Although consumers will be able to sign up for tennis camps and clinics, this presentation isn’t really about promoting the PTC or even tennis for that matter,” PTC staffer Abe Diaz said. “It’s simply about helping parents and juniors understand all the aspects of tennis.” Does high school tennis have anything to do with junior tournament tennis? What is a proper diet for tennis players? How many hours should one spend practicing? These questions and more will be answered. Topics of discussion will include when to start playing tennis, what tournaments to play, what the professional tour is like, what college and high school programs are like and how young men and women go about getting scholarships. Learn how to be a good tennis parent, why a two-handed backhand can reduce the risk of injury and how professionals really earn a living. If you’re a tennis player yourself, have a child you want to introduce to the sport or are merely curious you won’t want to miss this free presentation. In 1997, not long after the PTC opened, Jimmy Connor played a friendly exhibition match against Pacific Palisades’ own John Lloyd with Martin Short as the emcee to raise money for a child whose father was slain. The next big event was in 1999 when two-time U.S. Open winner Patrick Rafter played fellow pro Jan-Michael Gambill as part of a Prince-sponsored clinic. In 2006, Mike and Bob Bryan, America’s top doubles duo, headlined an afternoon of fun billed as “Racquets, Stars and Guitars,” an event which attracted 35 celebrities and pro tennis players to collect sports equipment and toys for underprivileged children. Last year, the PTC hosted its most innovative event yet, the world’s first-ever pro Shotgun 21 tournament, pitting some of the game’s top male and female players against each other in a drop-hit, let serve format. That day, visitors got watch pros like John Isner, Tommy Haas, Alex Bogomolov and Sam Querrey play tennis. For more information about Sunday’s Junior Summit call (310) 230-2050 or 310-573-1331.