Harvest Hit-Off Food Drive

BumbleBee Tennis was extremely excited to host our first Harvest Hit-Off Food Drive event this past November & December. Thanks to your support, we were able to donate over 50 pounds of food to the hungry this holiday season! Stay tuned for details on future food drives and next year’s Harvest Hit-Off!

For four weeks we will be offering FREE holiday tennis lessons to 3-9 year olds at both our SoHo facility and our new UN Plaza indoor court in exchange for a non-perishable donation. All food donations will go to City Harvest and be delivered to food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the five boroughs, where it will help feed hungry men, women, and children this holiday season.

Enrolling Your Child:

For 3-9 year olds, BumbleBee Tennis has five different levels, depending on age and tennis ability:

• Purple: 3-4 year olds
• Blue-: 4-5 year olds; advanced 3 year olds
• Red: 5-6 year olds; advanced 4 year olds
• Maroon: 6-7 year olds; advanced 5 year olds
• Orange: 7-9 year olds; advanced 6 year olds

Locations:

Harvest Hit-Off lessons at both our SoHo & UN Plaza locations have concluded. Thanks to all who participated and donated food for the cause! Stay tuned for next year’s Harvest Hit-Off schedule.

Make-Ups & Cancellations:

If you cannot make it to your free scheduled class, you will be allowed to sign up for another class only if you call and give advanced cancellation notice of at least 24 hours.

Due to a limited number of available spaces for this special event, please do your best to attend the class you register for.

Click here to view our full session cancellation and make-up policy.

Directions:

The UN Plaza tennis court is located on the 38th floor of the Millennium Hotel at 1 United Nations Plaza, on East 44 Street between First and Second Avenues. Nearby subways include the 4, 5, 6, and 7 trains at Grand Central Terminal. The crosstown M42 is also nearby and stops at First Avenue. Click Here for More Information on UN Plaza

Our SoHo facility is located on 268 Mulberry Street, between Houston and Prince Streets. The building, St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral Youth Gymnasium Center, is a large gymnasium where we set up Tiny Tennis courts. Nearby subways include the B, D, F, and V trains to Broadway-Lafayette, or the 6 to Bleecker Street. Click Here for More Information on our SoHo Facility

What to Bring:

All students should wear comfortable clothing as well as sneakers or covered sports shoes. Sandals, Keds, and other types of shoes don’t offer the type of ankle support tennis players need. Racquets and balls will be provided for all Harvest Hit-Off classes. You should also bring a bottle of water. Finally, don’t forget to bring non-perishable items for our Harvest Hit-Off Food Drive!

What to Expect:

To better match the skills, sizes, and abilities of 3-9 year olds, we will set up two Tiny Tennis Pro tennis courts on the full tennis court. Instructors will go over hand-eye coordination, hitting, footwork and volleying, through various fun exercises, activities, and games to make the learning process enjoyable. Games include:

• Tennis Hockey: Passing the ball back and forth to develop the concept of a ralley, the foundation of low to high, and a perpendicular racquet face.
• Tennis Volleys Wild Animals: Students choose an animal name and each time that name is called, the student must volley the shot, improving reflexes and volleying.
• Around the World: A set of spots are placed across the court. The student then goes “around the world”, taking tennis shots in different locations to add movement to the student’s tennis game.

There will be an instructor to student ratio of 4:1 for the Blue, Red, and Maroon levels and a ratio of 3:1 for the Purple level. Classes for the Blue, Red, and Maroon levels will last 40 minutes. Classes for the Purple level will last 30 minutes.

Because this may be the first time your child is taking an out-of-home activity, and the excitement level is great among 3-7 year olds, we ask that parents and guardians assist instructors in keeping their child focused and non-disruptive during the lesson. We consider Tiny Tennis to be one step above “Mommy & Me” in that while you don’t participate actively in the class, you assist in the smooth transition of your child taking a structured class and being attentive and respectful towards the instructor and peers. Cooperation from parents leads to fun, organized and informative lessons for all students.