USTA_NorCal_and_Smashzone_Celebrate_Girl_Scouts_100th_Anniversary_(34)
Nickelodeon’s Cymphonique Miller and Max Schneider to Inspire Kids to Play Tennis and Get Active
The USTA SmashZone Mobile Tour was a huge hit at the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary Celebration at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, Calif., on May 5. SmashZone Mobile Tour, the premiere fan interactive attraction introduces children to tennis in a fun and interactive way. USTA NorCal staff and volunteers were on-court making sure that the girls had a great time and experienced how easy tennis can be to learn.
The tennis event featured a special appearance by the stars of Nickelodeon’s new hit live-action series How to Rock, Cymphonique Miller and Max Schneider. Miller and Schneider participated in on-court tennis activities and signed autographs. They were joined on court by Pleasanton Mayor Jennifer Hosterman and hip-hop artist Rap Master P.
Mayor Hosterman informed the crowd that she is the first female mayor for Peasanton and she was a Girl Scout who grew up to have three Girl Scouts of her own. Hosterman said her fondest memories with the organization involve taking her girls camping. "At Lake Del Valle, at least twice a year," she said, "and it was very, very fun."
Cymonphonique Miller was in Brownies, where she met "so many friends that I still keep in contact with. It's a great place to bond and have fun."
Several young girls were invited to play against Miller and Schneider, among them 10-year-old Sydney Brewster, of Warren, N.J.
"They're both really good tennis players," said Sydney, who called playing with people she has seen on TV "like a dream. It's not even like reality."
USTA NorCal is proud to be collaborating with the Girls Scouts to bring tennis into their programs and to celebrate their 100 year anniversary. Over 1,000 girls have attended a Play Day during the past year and earned their USTA tennis participation patch. Tennis Service Manager, Alison Vidal said, "We share the same goals of providing skills to develop strong, healthy individuals, supporting diversity and outreach and we focus on fun!"
Miller and Schneider are well-suited to help share the message about the USTA’s kid-friendly approach to getting more kids active and healthy by playing tennis and the fun and excitement they will have by simply playing the game.
"I love tennis," says Cymphonique Miller. "With courts all across the United States, it’s a sport that I can play wherever I am."
Adds Schneider, "I started playing when I was a little kid, and it’s one of those great sports that you can play your entire life and always have an awesome time."
10 and Under Tennis is part of an effort to encourage young people across the country to get moving and start playing tennis. The 10 and Under Tennis initiative is geared towards getting more kids to participate in tennis using modified equipment and courts tailored to a child’s size. By featuring shorter and lighter racquets, slower-bouncing balls, smaller courts and simplified scoring, children learn to play more quickly and easily while having more fun in the process.
SmashZone Mobile includes a 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tennis courts for youth play. Courts which will feature games such as Rally Courts and a Target Challenge. The trailer itself, which is handicap accessible, will feature interactive activities for visitors that will include a Tennis Magazine Green Screen Cover Shoot, Wii Tennis and Touch Screen Kiosks. SmashZone Mobile is a complement to the USTA’s ongoing youth participation initiative, 10 and Under Tennis.