6-Love: Recreation Tennis Enjoys Perfect Season

Ron Masson, the head coach of the Caldwell High School boys tennis team, witnessed his West Caldwell-Caldwell Recreation Department's summer team win all six matches of its season.

But Masson is quick to point out that wins and losses aren't at the top of the priority list for the team comprised of 14 children between the ages of 10 and 14.

"The program serves as a good feeder program for the high school, but it's about getting the kids experience of playing and playing competitively," said Masson, whose high school team finished 12-8 this spring.

More than 100 children participated in the recreation summer tennis clinic throughout July. The clinic was held during the morning four days a week at Caldwell High School. Children as young as 6 and 7 years old even participated.

During the course of the clinic, a group of players were chosen to compete for the traveling team that competed against Cedar Grove, North Caldwell and Verona in the Junior Suburban Tennis League.

Five instructors at the clinic work with program director Al Wosniac and determined what players were dvanced enough to play team tennis.

"If we feel kids can be on our team then they can play," said Masson, who completed his fourth year with the summer team. "If they are not ready for the team, they stay in the clinic. It's very popular in town. One of the big criteria for the kids to play would be able to serve. If they aren't ready to serve, it's not fair to them."

Masson said that that serving is the biggest challenge for young children to conquer.

"A kid who has some ability with hand-eye coordination, serving is a big area for them to build up confidence," Masson said. "It's a big area in tennis when you are playing competitively."

Masson said players usually are matched against opponents their own age. The divisions include 12-and-under singles and doubles and 14-and-under singles and doubles for boys and girls in addition to a mixed doubles match for a total of nine matches.

"We're going to have a couple of girls who'll try out for the high school team and a couple of boys will try out in the spring," said Masson, who coaches the Bloomfield High girls team in the fall.

"A number of our players that have played in the recreation program are now playing varsity tennis. Some kids have gone to Caldwell, others might have gone to private schools."

The team included: Ashvin Nagarajan, 10, Nick Lim, 11, Ryan Schaffer, 11, Kate Collette, 11, Jack Cararra, 12, Austin Scott, 12, Chris Lim, 13, Kyle Elphick, 13, Jack Collette, 13, Anjali Shah, 13, Alyssa Melchionne, 13, Keenan Flack, 14, Samantha Debellonia, 14, and Austin Muller, 14.

"It's been a great experience, the kids really like it and the parents like it, it makes the summer goes fast," Masson said. "It was like boom and gone."