Picture from fitnessandtennis.com
Grove City College offers many different Physical Education electives for students to take, such as Volleyball, Bowling, Racquetball and Body Conditioning. My personal favorite gym class, and one of the most enjoyable classes I’ve taken during my four years at Grove City, is Tennis or PHYE 209. I’ve always had a love for tennis, so I knew taking this class would be a worthwhile experience.
This one-credit course, offered during both semesters, provides an introduction to the sport of tennis as a whole. The class is taught by Jeff Buxton, head coach of both the men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams. Different techniques like proper form, racket grips, volleying and serving are taught during the course of the semester. Each class time consists of various drills, games and eventually a doubles tournament spanning several class periods.
There are about 16 students in the class, and it’s held twice a week on the outdoor tennis courts on lower campus. In bad weather, the class is moved into the Intramural Rooms where nets are set up and indoor balls are used. Students are required to have their own rackets to participate in the class, but balls are provided.
No tennis experience is needed since the class caters to those of all skill levels. Tennis is a great class if you’ve never played the sport before because it introduces basic techniques and allows you to develop the necessary skills. It’s also a great class if you do have tennis experience because it gives you a chance to hone those skills. No matter what, it’s an opportunity to get out of the traditional classroom and have fun.
Senior tennis enthusiast, Alyssa Brossman, who took the course this past fall, reflected on the experience saying, “It was a great break from academic courses, and I loved the energy that Coach brought to class.”
All in all, the class is an opportunity to burn off some energy and have fun. It combines quality tennis instruction, friendly competition and good exercise.
