A Supportive Community, Involved Parents and One Great Coach!
Novato is a spirited, family friendly town, located about 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Local high school sporting events are standing room only. Parents watch one child compete then race to participate at their other child’s practice, game or match. The Novato High School tennis courts have become one of the most popular destinations for youth and their parents, participating in the QuickStart Junior Team Tennis. Novato Junior Tennis is the program run by Charlie Fager.
Novato Junior Tennis just received a USTA national grant to assist them with equipment and program costs. Steve Leube, USTA NorCal Executive Director says, "Charlie Fager not only supports the community, his program supports USTA by implementing our 10 and Under Tennis program using the QuickStart Tennis play format and Junior Team Tennis; he shows spirit and passion for tennis and we’re thrilled to be able to help the Novato Junior Tennis program grow."
Like many communities all over northern California, Novato is a perfect locale for a coach with enthusiasm and passion to build a thriving tennis program that capitalizes on parent involvement and community support. Charlie Fager is a fun-loving coach who arrives every Saturday morning unloading his station wagon with portable nets, mini racquets and foam balls spilling out from every door. Along with his 13 year old daughter who is also his "assistant", Coach Charlie, as the kids call him, is getting the next generation hooked on tennis.
Charlie is a telecommunications consultant by profession with a long tennis history. Raised in a tennis playing family, he learned the game at a young age, eventually teaching as his summer job. He was active in USTA leagues until an injury took him out of competition. "Teaching tennis to kids has been my way to stay connected to the sport since I can't run like I used to," he said.
"Parent involvement is a critical component of my Junior TeamTennis League. With the QuickStart Tennis play format you don’t have to be an expert at tennis – the emphasis is on having fun while learning," Charlie explained.
He carefully crafts each practice to include fun games, activities and lessons for 6-14 year old kids that are just learning to play. "With the right attitude, the kids are eagerly coming back every week for more. It’s fabulous!" says Charlie with a huge smile.
By encouraging the parents to come on court with their kids, they’re not only spending quality time as a family, they can also touch the lives of many other kids. Charlie added, "USTA provides all of the resources and training needed to help parent coaches be prepared, confident and successful on court."
"Coach Charlie is incredible – he makes it so easy for us to learn the program and he provides us an agenda to follow each week on court. It’s unbelievable to watch the young kids rallying over the net so fast!" said Christine Carchia Schreil, head of volunteer recruiting for Novato Junior Team Tennis.
It’s not just about the young, beginning players though. Charlie wants to reach ALL ages and abilities of junior players. Partnering with local pros, clubs, and community organizations, he has a big vision of creating a network of local tennis opportunities for junior players. Starting with the 6 year old picking up a racquet for the first time to the high-performance tennis athletes that Novato is known to breed.
Charlie’s currently working with his local USTA Community Tennis Coordinator, Michelle Skipwith to bring tennis into the P.E. curriculum for all 8 of Novato’s Elementary Schools. "We are very grateful for USTA NorCal’s partnership to provide this opportunity to our students!" Kathy Marshall, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Novato Unified School District said.
Bringing tennis into the schools, reaching out to every student and providing a pathway for tennis development, Charlie Fager and the Novato community have made a positive contribution to the health and childhood development of their community.
Novato is representative of communities all over the northern California where great parents and coaches are introducing their youth to tennis through Junior Team Tennis Leagues using the QuickStart play format. In the words of Coach Charlie, "My biggest thrill is to see a new kid finally hit their first solid shot. You can see the excitement on their face; it's worth a million dollars watching a kid get hooked on tennis!"
To make a difference in your community and get involved with youth tennis, please contact your local USTA Community Tennis Coordinator, listed by county on the
Contact page.