Taking a shot on tennis in Jamaica
By Connie Aitcheson | Dec 26, 2013
Special to espnW
Venus and Serena Williams were impressed by the talent they saw in Jamaica, and the sisters hope tennis can become a major sport on the island.
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The Treasure Beach Sports Park in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, has one tennis court. It's between a multiplex court used for basketball and a soccer field. The blue tennis court is clearly new, hardly worn by the stampede of feet at the baseline or lightened by the sun. Its color is striking against the acres of grass designated for cricket and soccer.
One must drive a lot of rugged roads to reach this quiet corner of the county. Yet here stood two of tennis' greats, Serena and Venus Williams, in town to conduct a tennis clinic for about 40 children.
"We really had a great time enjoying and playing with the kids and seeing how much talent there actually is in Jamaica," Serena Williams said to local media, including the radio station KLAS, ESPN's partner on the island. "There's so many sports going so well, obviously with track, and we would like to see tennis do well here, so we really feel honored to have a chance to come here and be a part of the community."
Fourteen-year-old Shaeda Nickle got to play with Serena at another clinic the Tryall Club in Montego Bay. Nickle started playing at age 5 and has represented Jamaica in Curaçao, Suriname, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, but she was still overwhelmed meeting her favorite player. "After I finished playing she said, 'Good job,' and I was like, 'Oh my God, she said good job to me,'" Nickle said.
It's that kind of excitement that Karl Hale, tournament director of Toronto's Rogers Cup, had in mind when he invited the sisters to the island. "It really gave a buzz to Tennis Jamaica and the players that were involved," said Hale, a former top-ranked Jamaican and Davis Cup player. "It made them a little bit more comfortable seeing what a top player looks like and gives them a better feel." He's already scheduled Jim Courier to visit the island in April.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/10195314/courting-jamaica
By Connie Aitcheson | Dec 26, 2013
Special to espnW
Venus and Serena Williams were impressed by the talent they saw in Jamaica, and the sisters hope tennis can become a major sport on the island.
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The Treasure Beach Sports Park in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, has one tennis court. It's between a multiplex court used for basketball and a soccer field. The blue tennis court is clearly new, hardly worn by the stampede of feet at the baseline or lightened by the sun. Its color is striking against the acres of grass designated for cricket and soccer.
One must drive a lot of rugged roads to reach this quiet corner of the county. Yet here stood two of tennis' greats, Serena and Venus Williams, in town to conduct a tennis clinic for about 40 children.
"We really had a great time enjoying and playing with the kids and seeing how much talent there actually is in Jamaica," Serena Williams said to local media, including the radio station KLAS, ESPN's partner on the island. "There's so many sports going so well, obviously with track, and we would like to see tennis do well here, so we really feel honored to have a chance to come here and be a part of the community."
Fourteen-year-old Shaeda Nickle got to play with Serena at another clinic the Tryall Club in Montego Bay. Nickle started playing at age 5 and has represented Jamaica in Curaçao, Suriname, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, but she was still overwhelmed meeting her favorite player. "After I finished playing she said, 'Good job,' and I was like, 'Oh my God, she said good job to me,'" Nickle said.
It's that kind of excitement that Karl Hale, tournament director of Toronto's Rogers Cup, had in mind when he invited the sisters to the island. "It really gave a buzz to Tennis Jamaica and the players that were involved," said Hale, a former top-ranked Jamaican and Davis Cup player. "It made them a little bit more comfortable seeing what a top player looks like and gives them a better feel." He's already scheduled Jim Courier to visit the island in April.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/10195314/courting-jamaica
