Cedar Rapids PE teachers ace school training to add tennis to curriculums

Physical education teachers in Iowa took part in a school training to learn how to incorporate tennis into their elementary and middle schools.

The Nov. 17 event at Harding Middle School in Cedar Rapids brought out about 25 PE teachers from 21 schools. They learned how to adapt any space for tennis and gained confidence teaching basic tennis skills.

“We hope to build their comfort level and confidence by delivering the sport of tennis with various activities to engage their students in tennis,” said Lindsay Hall, USTA Missouri Valley senior manager of community play, who conducted the school training.

Jennifer Schnell teaches at Franklin Middle School in Cedar Rapids and is looking forward to taking what she learned back to her students.

“The trainers did an excellent job guiding us through a progression of skill instruction, from activities suitable for our youngest students to those appropriate for middle school,” Schnell said. “The activities were well-designed for indoor settings and focused on keeping students actively engaged with minimal downtime.”

The three-hour, hands-on training took teachers through the progressions of teaching tennis as part of the physical education curriculum. Teachers from the elementary and middle schools also learned activities and games that align with national SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) standards.

“Students will benefit from tennis, as it is a lifelong activity that promotes physical fitness and skill development,” Schnell said. “Many of our students already enjoy our current racquet sports, and tennis is another valuable opportunity to broaden their exposure and engagement.”