CHS Tennis Players Find New Summer Practice Spot

With the construction of the new performing arts center at Calabasas High, the school's tennis team found itself without a majority of its turf to practice on for the next 18 months.

The team was left with only half of its original courts, not nearly enough to meet the needs of the 65-member squad.

"I was in shock ... we couldn't squeeze them on the remaining four courts," said head tennis coach Kim Kinberg.

Kinberg reached out to local parent Ronda Wilkin, whose daughter plays on the tennis team and had contacts throughout the community. Through their efforts and help from the city they found a place the program could call home for the time being.

The Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center opened its doors to the school and is hosting a summer tennis clinic for the team and potential members. The center's tennis program is run by the Top Seed Tennis Academy and also provided tennis professionals to coach the tennis team and potential members on their technique and conditioning.

"The immediate concern was the summer camp and I knew that the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center is second home to many of our players because they were already being privately coached," Wilkin said. "It was a win-win situation...the kids are having a fantastic time and getting great attention."

The program is exclusive to Calabasas High students.

"It's getting them ready for tryouts," Kinberg said, who had visited the center earlier in the day. "The program looks fantastic the pros have a great understanding of what my mission is for the team."

Narbe Zohrabi, one of the tennis professionals who works at the center, was contacted by the city of Calabasas to participate in the summer clinic which runs for three days out of the week for six weeks. The trainers see about 30 kids a day.

"The kids are really nice and they don't have egos which is cool," Zohrabi said. "It's great for the kids because they get coaching from a variety of full-time tennis pros."

The cost of participating is $270 for the six weeks and focuses mainly on doubles, Zohrabi said.

"It's a pretty good deal because normally it costs that much weekly but we're working with the school to keep the cost down," Zohrabi said as he watched over eight players.

On a Tuesday afternoon, Calabasas High students were swinging, lunging and running at tennis balls. Most of them were incoming freshman who were trying out for the team in the fall. Nadia Ahmed said the help she received from the coaches would give her an edge in the fall.

"They helped me a lot with doubles and slicing," said Ahmed, an incoming freshman. "The coaches are fun and they teach well because they point out what you're doing wrong and how to improve."

Coach Kinberg doesn't know what will happen once the school year starts, but he did discuss the matter with school officials on Wednesday night.

"We're going to have to work out all of those kinks," Kinberg said. "Like how we're going to get the kids to the center from school."