Tennis goes into schools

Nikao Maori Primary School students flocked to the tennis centre in Nikao yesterday to play some fun tennis in the sun.

The kids are the first lot of students to go through the ANZ tennis in schools programme being run by Tennis Cook Islands national coach Malcolm Kajer assisted by ANZ Tamariki Sports Programme coordinator Ake Hosea-Winterflood.

Once on court, kids were equipped with mini plastic tennis racquets and given loads of encouragement to play the various fun games.

Kids showed off their coordination skills as they smashed tennis balls over the net and all over the courts.

As well as learning to play tennis by learning basic skills – the students are also improving their listening skills and learning to follow instructions.

The tennis programme, run at both the national tennis centre or at schools who cannot get transport to the tennis centre, will run for the next five weeks and end with a mini competition and prizegiving for the kids.

Schools signed up for the fun programme include Nikao Maori School, Imanuela Akatemia, St Joseph’s School, Rutaki School, Arorangi School and Takitumu School.

If you would like your school to experience the same fun development programme – contact Ake Hosea-Winterflood on 24759 or on 56456 and Malcolm Kajer on 75614.