Bringing families and children of the Wiregrass together to learn the sport of tennis is the driving idea behind the Wiregrass Tennis Association, which is offering tennis lessons at Troy University.

For members, the Association holds tennis lessons at the Lunsford Tennis Complex at Troy University on Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. for all ages, teaching skills such as serving, backhand, forehand and match play.

“We created the Association to give children an opportunity to get on the court and get structured lessons without the high price,” Association President Leroy Joyner said. “It’s important because unlike some other sports tennis is a sport of a lifetime and can shape a child’s character. In tennis you have to exercise patience and have a more long term vantage point.”

The one hour lessons for members range from one dollar for children ages 4-11 to five dollars those 19 and older

For those who wish to become members, Association is even offering eight weeks of free lessons over the summer on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Troy University complex.

Families who wish to sign up can visit the Associations website at wiregrasstennisassociation.com, visit the Community Relations page and fill out the “Free Tennis Lesson Sign-up Center.”

Aimed primarily at families and children, the Association states its official purpose as an “aim to promote growth while setting the goal of one day viewing tennis as a mainstream sporting activity comparable to baseball, football and basketball.”

The goal of the Association may not be out of reach either, as shown by the response to last summer when they gave out 3,500 tennis lessons to 250 participants.

“People should join because of the low cost of lessons and having the Association as like an extended tennis family,” Joyner said. “There are always lots of tennis partners to play with and it really is like having an on the court family.”

For more information about the Wiregrass Tennis Association find them on Facebook at “Wiregrass Tennis Association” or visit their website at wiregrasstennisassociation.com.