Sports are an integral part of the PIEROTT organization and one of the key areas we strive to engage children in throughout our existence. Our goal this year, as always, is to move children away from screens and into outdoor activities, promoting a healthy lifestyle and developing their talents.
Over the past three years since we started organizing tennis courses for children, we have brought dozens, even hundreds, of kids to the sport. We consider this a significant achievement, especially since tennis is not among the most sought-after sports in our community.
Why is that?
It is well known that tennis can be financially demanding in terms of equipment and preparation. Many families, when deciding where to enroll their child, do not even consider tennis. Therefore, PIEROTT decided to allow children to try it for free for three months during the 2021/2022 season. The tennis course was open to boys and girls aged 5-8, with no prior experience required, as long as they had a positive attitude towards movement, fun, and competition.
A talent emerged.
Seven-year-old Laura Šimková joined the program and really committed to the sport. She diligently trained under coach Tomáš Ševcova at the Dranam tennis club in Košice. She received not only excellent coaching and facilities but also rackets and balls. All she needed to bring to her training sessions was a good mood and a desire to move, learn something new, and make new friends.
Laura has been active in sports for most of her life; she started swimming at just three years old. Her parents, who were once active in sports and continue to engage recreationally, encourage her active lifestyle. Laura has been playing tennis for a year and has no plans to stop. After attending her training sessions, we can confidently say that she improves every day. In addition to tennis, she is currently also involved in gymnastics.
We are thrilled that Laura has maintained her enthusiasm for tennis beyond the three-month course. Given her talent, PIEROTT has decided to cover 50% of her training fees at the Dranam tennis club. We will strongly support her to continue pursuing sports in any form and to remember how important exercise and outdoor activities are. Most importantly, we hope she keeps her motivation, enthusiasm, and natural childhood curiosity and playfulness.
What the parents say
“We are very satisfied with the training under coach Tomáš Ševcova, as is our daughter. The girls get along well. We, as parents, have a background in sports and have been encouraged to be active from a young age. While we didn’t specifically think about tennis, we have a positive attitude towards the sport. The opportunity presented itself through an offer from PIEROTT that we found on Facebook, suggesting we try this sport for our daughter, as we’ve also encouraged her to be active from a young age. She has been playing tennis for a year, enjoys it, and wants to continue. There’s no point in enrolling a child in a sport they don’t enjoy. When we asked her what she enjoys most about tennis, she said, ‘I enjoy playing. We run around the court. The most fun part is hitting the cones, and sometimes we even hit the coach!’”
“If she doesn’t become a professional tennis player, we wouldn’t be disappointed. Children have their ‘off days,’ but it’s essential to keep striving to improve. And when she trains, it should be done seriously, regardless of whether she becomes a ‘professional’ tennis player. It’s difficult to answer where we see her in 15 years since she’ll only be 7. Right now, we are trying to assess what she enjoys and what she doesn’t. Since we’ve guided her towards sports from a young age, she will definitely engage in recreational sports. Of course, we won’t force her into anything she doesn’t genuinely want to do.”
When asked if tennis is financially demanding, the parents responded:
“Yes, tennis is financially demanding. At this early stage, it’s manageable as long as it’s just training, with one session covered by PIEROTT. Even if the funding from PIEROTT doesn’t continue, if she enjoys it, we will do our best to support her in what she loves, as long as it’s feasible, and invest in her sports and activities.”
