Well-known coach gives free tennis clinic

louie traub/VIEWLucas Lee, 12, makes contact with a tennis ball during a free clinic, Jan. 8, at the Darling Tennis Center at 7901 W. Washington Ave. Advertisement

Chic tennis togs gave way to sweatpants and warm jackets as league players braved the chilly night air to catch up with Wayne Bryan. The evening event took place Jan. 8 at the Darling Tennis Center, 7901 W. Washington Ave., when the Tennis Channel brought in the well-known coach for a fun-filled clinic.

"It's a nice chance for the city to get behind the Tennis Channel Open and for us to embrace a relationship with Las Vegas," said Melissa Grossman, marketing manager for the tennis event. "We want to establish a year-round presence, not be an event that just blows in and blows out."

Bryan is well known in the sport. He is involved in the Tennis Channel and his sons are Mike and Bob Bryan, top ranking men's doubles team in the world. They've won 44 titles and 15 Grand Slams, 12 of them in a row, "and they brought the Davis Cup home," Bryan said.

About 50 residents from all over the valley came to participate in the free clinic.

Lauren Lindell, 10, was there with her mother, Kathy. Lauren has been playing two years in a league and plans to keep playing through college. She admires professional tennis player Maria Sharapova because "she goes out there with a good attitude, even if she doesn't play that well, she has a good attitude."

At a previous clinic held at the Darling Center, Andre Agassi was there and hit balls to children as souvenirs.

Katie Krawczyk, 11, still has one of those balls on a shelf in her room. She said she'd like the former tennis pro to autograph it. Katie is planning to be a star player.

"She has her career all mapped out, right down to her line of clothing and its name," said her mother, Gina.

The event wasn't just for youngsters. Kathie Hurt of Spanish Trail chose her neighborhood based on the availability of tennis courts. She was a volunteer driver for Bryan at a clinic last year.

"When we came here five years ago, we didn't know anyone," she said. "Now, all our friends are tennis players."

Summerlin residents Terry Leysath, an airline pilot, and his wife, Janice, attended, as well. They participated in a fundraiser on Dec. 8 at the Stirling Club and got to play doubles with Bryan's sons.

"It was so cool, just seeing them across the net," Janice Leysath said.

Michele Bland, a business owner who lives just north of Summerlin, also was at the clinic.

"I got the e-mail today, so I called the kids and said, 'I'm picking you guys up and taking you,' " she said.

She brought her daughters Taylor, 15, and Alex, 11, plus Taylor's friend Neil Andersen, 15. All three have been ball retrievers at the Tennis Channel Open for the past two years.

"If I'd known adults were included, I would have come prepared to play," she said.

Bryan began with a pep talk.

"I like it when kids get straight As," he told attendees. "I'm for totally getting out of school when (an athletic event) comes to town. It'll make you a want to go to college and make you want to be a better player."

He had participants choose partners. The clinic included drills that challenged partners to step back a couple feet and gently lob the ball to each other. The catch was that it couldn't hit the ground.

The tennis version of egg toss continued as the distance grew until everyone was disqualified. Another drill had teams of four or five playing hot potato, using their racquets.

The winners got to choose from the goodie pile -- items like boomerangs, T-shirts, visors and posters. All promoted the Tennis Channel Open, which is set to take place from March 3-9 at the Darling Tennis Center.

Attendees then scattered to their own courts to play for the remainder of the clinic.

David Egdes, executive director of the tournament, explained how this year's Open would include new elements, such as stroke comparison analysis via computer, paddle tennis and platform tennis. The tournament also will promote environmental protection, with all event vehicles running on alternative energy.

The next clinics are set for Feb. 6 and 26 at sites yet to be determined. For more information, call 617-9730.