Julieta Rodrigo // Contributing Writer
If you are ready to feel like the latest incarnation of Serena Williams, BBC’s Wellness and Recreation Center offers tennis instruction to students every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The class was recently created for fall semester after a 10-week pilot program during summer 2016 proved successful, according to tennis instructor Tom Fowkes.
“We’re introducing students to the game of tennis,” Fowkes told Student Media, “and if students have prior experience [with the sport], we try to make their game better.”
Fowkes has been teaching tennis full-time to students as young as 8 or 9 years old to young professionals for 10 years. Over this period of time, he said he has seen how tennis helped students develop both their physical and emotional health.
For college students specifically, Fowkes said, tennis has a tertiary benefit of providing networking opportunities.
“Tennis courts are really good places to meet fun, educated, upwardly mobile people,” he said.
The class itself is divided into two side-by-side sections of the court: one section for new students, who need instruction on fundamental techniques, and one for more advanced students. Tennis rackets and balls are provided free of charge for students, so they do not have to bring equipment.
Fowkes emphasized that tennis is a game open to all people, even those who are handicapped.
“There’s even a wheelchair version of this game,” he said. “Students should not be discouraged from trying classes because of their lack of experience playing sports or unfamiliarity with the game.”
During the class, instructors work with students on introducing and advancing ground strokes, volleys, serves and footwork concepts.
Fabiola LaPorte, a graduate student studying linguistics, told Student Media that she’s “very fortunate to have found this group” and added that “the individualized coaching is phenomenal.”
Yurrian Pierre-Boyer, a freshman majoring in hospitality, agreed.
“I’d been playing tennis leisurely, and these classes have helped me improve my technique,” she said. “Once you serve successfully, it feels awesome.”
For those interested in tennis outside of class instruction, Fowkes and the Wellness Center occasionally host day-long Round Robin events where participants have a chance to play against other participants. Formatted like a tournament, Fowkes said that it is a great opportunity for students to meet other tennis players and have fun, regardless of their skill level. The date for the next event has not been announced yet.
Furthermore, the tennis courts at Biscayne Bay Campus are available to FIU students throughout the day for recreational use. For hours of operation, students can call the Wellness and Recreation Center at 305-919-5678 or visit studentaffairs.fiu.edu.
“I love being a part of the University and the FIU community,” said Fowkes. “The whole universe is here [on campus], including tennis, and we would hope that students would think of us as one of the possibilities.”
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