The Grip n Rip junior tennis program at the Newport Beach Tennis Club has become one of the finest in Orange County.  The reason for it's popularity is that children who attend the Gripper Developmental or Ripper Academy come out with a newfound skill set and further love for playing the game.  Our mission of "inspiring juniors to learn and to love the game of tennis" is held close to heart.  Seeing a child at the age of five in our Gripper Developmental program develop into a player who can now qualify for our Ripper Academy and play matches on their own is a wonderful sight to see!  This has been the case with many of our juniors over the years which is extremely gratifying to the junior Grip n Rip staff.
 
As the Director of Tennis at NBTC I am very fortunate to have such a professio nal and loyal junior staff.   Without their knowledge, energy, and positive influence on children the program would not be what it is today.  Assistant Director John-Michael Cham-A-Koon and pros George Tate, Scott Van Son, Charlotta Larsson-Michener, Jann Dunlap, and Andrea Gonzalez all have given over four years of commitment and service to the children of the program.  And new additions, program director Lille Krukrubo and highly touted pro Bret Hansen-Dent, have also made great contributions. This consistency and continuity is another great asset that helps all of us achieve our mission.
Presently, over 100 kids are actively enrolled in our fall after-school program which also includes USTA junior team tennis,  high school workouts, and a Sunday Grand Prix.  The fall session will end the week of December 5th but can accept registrations (based upon availability) on a prorated basis.  The winter session begins the week of January 9th with priority registration opening November 15th and open registration December 12th.
 
We're also very excited for the upcoming holiday season as we will be offering the "Holiday Hits" tennis camp for beginner to intermediate level juniors and the "Holiday Heat" for our novice, satellite, and open players  December 19-23 & Dec 26-30. 
 
The Grip n Rip program strives to meet the needs of all kids interested in learning or improving their games. Our programs are designed to get those juniors to achieve their goals which may often require private or semi-private lessons as well.  These can be arranged by contacting the Grip n Rip department at (949) 644-0050  Ext 210 or by contacting the pro of choice directly.
 
I look forward to seeing all our present juniors as well as meeting any new students on the courts this winter and for the year 2012!