One of the goals of the PIEROTT organization is to give children a meaningful activity and take them away from computers and TVs, even if only for a little while.
Through our activities, we’ve realized that children are eager to play sports when given the right conditions. However, we also see that children who play sports often come from families that can afford it. Some children aren’t that fortunate, which means the number of kids available for training is smaller than we would like.
To be fair, it must be said that talent isn’t directly tied to money. Wealthier children can have great talent, and even a child from a poorer background with access to the best coaches and conditions for development may not necessarily achieve much.
Every child can play tennis
Tennis is one of the most beautiful sports. It’s often said that only rich kids can play tennis. That’s why we decided to sponsor 3 months of tennis training for children aged 5 to 7. For this pilot project, we partnered with the Prešov Tennis Academy. The professional advisor for the project was Tomáš Ševcov, a national coach for children under 12 and under 14. The second coach was Ivan Pouš, a former tennis player and now a coach.
Our aim was to find 8 children who would be provided with courts, coaches, rackets, and balls for 3 months. They didn’t need any prior tennis experience or equipment—just the desire to try something new. There were no admission requirements for the PIEROTT tennis course. All they had to do was sign up.
In the end, the interest from parents exceeded our expectations, and 16 children signed up.
12 training sessions for 16 children
The first training session took place on Saturday, November 9, 2019. We divided the children into two groups, each with a one-hour session. With two coaches present on the court, there were never more than 4 children in each group. The first 8 sessions focused on teaching the basics, with plenty of fun activities, and all the children gradually improved.
After these 8 sessions, we mixed the groups based on the children’s tennis progress. One group consisted of younger children or those who treated the sessions as fun, while the other group included children who had made significant progress, showed a positive attitude toward training, and demonstrated potential for further development.
Preparing for more children
We attended every session and closely monitored the children’s progress. The 12 training sessions passed quickly. We feel that some children have the potential to achieve something in tennis, and we will continue to seek ways to support them. Our possibilities depend on sponsors and companies that care about supporting children and sports. Any financial help is greatly appreciated, and even 2% of your taxes can make a difference.
We have decided to open a second round of enrollment for the PIEROTT Tennis Academy. It will begin in April 2020, again in Prešov. If you have a child aged 5 to 8 and want to see if they might enjoy tennis, you can register by emailing info@pierott.com by April 15, 2020.
Parent testimonials:
Parents of Nelka, 6 years old
“I enrolled my daughter Nelka in your project by chance—I was drawn in by your billboard promoting it. Since Nelka loves being active and is gradually trying different sports, when I asked her if she wanted to try tennis, her answer was an enthusiastic yes. Recreational racquet sports haven’t been her strong suit, so I was a bit nervous about whether she’d enjoy it. But I admire her determination to learn and commit to something, even when she knows it’s not her strength. And that’s what I want to encourage in her—that with practice, effort, and discipline, she can improve. And she did. She loves tennis, is proud of her improvement, and so am I. Many thanks to this project and to the patient, professional coaches. Thanks to them, she looked forward to every session and still does.”
Parents of Matúš, 5 years old
“We joined the project because I was looking for a sport for my son, who is very energetic. At first, I was considering karate, but the training times didn’t fit our schedule. When I came across your project, I didn’t hesitate—it was a great opportunity to try tennis for free and see if my son would enjoy it and how he’d do. I’m so glad I found it, and even though he’s not that great at it yet, he’s very interested and doesn’t give up. We love that there’s one coach for every 3-4 children, which gives the coaches a more individualized approach. As parents, this gave us a new perspective on our child outside the usual home environment, and we realized where our son has room for improvement. A big THANK YOU from all of us.”
Parents of Juraj, 8 years old
“First of all, I truly support what you’re doing. In today’s world, and in our town, there aren’t many projects aimed at developing children. Our family is very sports-oriented. We encourage our children and try to lead them toward a healthy lifestyle. We discovered your nonprofit organization online, participated in the PIEROTT Day event, and started following you on Facebook. When this tennis offer came up, we didn’t hesitate. Juraj is an athlete through and through. He enjoys the training, made new friends, and sees his coach as an authority, which can sometimes be a challenge with Juraj. So, a big thank you for giving us this opportunity.”
Parents of Katka, 7 years old
“I am very satisfied with the entire tennis project. The coaches are professional yet friendly, and I’m very grateful to PIEROTT for this initiative. My daughter loves being active and playing sports, so my husband and I were looking for a sport for her at such a young age. When I saw the tennis course, I was thrilled. We will definitely continue with tennis even after this project ends. Once again, thank you for this wonderful experience for our daughter.”
Parents of Dalibor, 8 years old
“All three of my children love being active, like most kids their age. We encourage them to try all kinds of sports and physical activities. Since Dalibor is the oldest, we’ve seen from a young age that his agility, precision, and speed are good indicators for sports. But we weren’t sure which direction he would go. We considered athletics, gymnastics, and karate, but he’s always been drawn to hitting, aiming, and ball games. That’s why we’d love for him to continue with tennis. As a mother, I believe he’s found his sport and has the potential to improve. Our daughter Violka is only 5, so it’s hard to say if she’ll stick with tennis long-term, but thanks to your academy, she’s made noticeable progress. If this project hadn’t existed and you hadn’t given us the chance to try it, I don’t know if we could have managed it financially with three kids. But since Dalibor had been asking about tennis for over a year, I would have done whatever I could to make it happen. If the course runs again, I would sign up our youngest child too.”
