MILTON — Rick Cuny wants to bring tennis to Milton area residents.
The United States Tennis Professional Association-certified instructor is starting his mission with a open house on Saturday at the Guy Thompson Community Center, 5629 Byrom St.
The schedule is as follows:
●Ages 10 and under, 8:30-10:30 a.m.
●Ages 11 to 17 years, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
● Ages 18 and older, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
For Cuny, bringing tennis to Milton’s masses is about variety.
“There is great potential for growth,” he said. “We need to show that there is more out there than just football and baseball.”
Cuny hopes to regularly teach the sport at the community center, and for Pace and Milton High School students to learn the basics.
“I want to show the correct way to hold a racquet,” he said.
Cuny also plans to address any misconceptions about tennis; for instance, he said, the sport provides aerobic exercise and can be just as challenging as any other.
“I have heard it called a game for sissies,” he said. “This is a very physical sport, and it’s fun.”
Many local tennis enthusiasts might already be familiar with the Pensacola resident from either playing or instructing at local tennis courts in the area including Gulf Breeze and being active with the Pace Area Tennis Association.
Kyle Kemp, events coordinator for Milton’s parks department, said having Cuny available to teach tennis in Milton is a matter of perfect timing.
“With spring, we want to have more outdoor sports, and tennis is a great sport to kick off with,” Kemp said.
Kemp hopes having Cuny available at the community center will pique the interests of young and old tennis players.
“We want tennis to grow in Milton — from children picking up a tennis racquet for the first time, to seniors looking for more outside activities,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: This Pensacola man wants to make tennis the next big thing in Milton