It's Your Business: The Tennis & Fitness Center of Rocky Hill

A Rocky Hill tennis center is growing its junior program to show more children the game while expanding its offerings to encourage more adults to join the club as well.

 was built in 1963 and was originally owned by a group that included golf star Lee Trevino. In 1996, Peter Parrotta bought the center. 

The management at the Tennis & Fitness Center is happy with the development of its junior program, which had about 200 students in its previous session. The center is currently taking applications for its spring session that starts on March 26 and lasts 12 weeks.

Tennis Director Miguel Garcia is currently working with the 10 and under tennis program. The program is a part of a national push to help children exercise and learn the game of tennis.

“It gets them playing sooner, so they will stay around longer,” he said.

During each level of the program, players will use different styles of balls and the sizes of the courts expand. The players learn how to keep score and call the games. The center also offers a 10 and under team that competes against other clubs.

“I am really pushing the whole program in hopes of expanding it,” Garcia, who is a high school tennis coach, said. He added that the program is helping improve the play at the high school level and making the players more well rounded.

“They are learning how to play tennis,” he said.

General Manager Bob Dean said the center has been lucky during the economic recession and has not suffered from it greatly.

"We haven't been that bad," he said. Dean added the slow time for the center is the middle of the day and the nice weather allows people to play outside for free.

"This weather is not good for us," he said.

Dean wants residents to know that the center is about more than just tennis. There is a fitness center on the campus that offers spin classes, aerobics and Zumba.

"It is a diverse club," he said. "We want more adults to join."

Besides his work with the junior program, Garcia is getting adults moving and grooving during cardio tennis.

"It is an aerobics class on the court with no rest, music and a tennis racket," he said. 

is open Monday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit the center's website. 

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