When Santa Clarita Valley Tennis Aces founder Jocel Alcedo first came up with the idea for a USTA QuickStart 10-and-Under Tennis workshop to be held in his hometown, he had no idea just how successful the event would be.

“It was just great to see the enthusiasm and the support for this new innovative USTA program,” Alcedo said. “We were excited to roll it out to the public for the first time in Santa Clarita.”

Indian Wells Tennis Garden director Tom Fey was the lead instructor on the day and was praised for his enthusiasm and expertise.

With 25 parents, teachers and coaches on hand for the Aug. 20 event at Heritage Park in Valencia, Alcedo said future events will be planned.

Here’s a sampling of what some participants said about the event:

Raj Barman, Woodward Inc., Valencia: “I have coached soccer and baseball but not tennis. I think the QuickStart Tennis workshop provides great ideas and concepts to get young children involved in tennis. The concept of smaller courts and a variety of racquets and balls with fun and exciting games provides fun and enjoyable experience for young and old beginners. The quick game concepts also teach the game fundamentals and scoring. I’d recommend this workshop for any parent or coach.”

Anita Rosin, Attorney, Stevenson Ranch: “The QuickStart method is just what we have been looking for to hold my young child’s attention and instill a love of the sport, while he is developing the physical skill and stamina to participate more fully.  I can see how the teaching and playing techniques learned today relate to an ultimate mastery of tennis, while building the kind of enthusiasm that keeps children motivated.  Tom Fey’s clinic was creative, informative and fun.  I can’t wait to play again, and I know my son is going to love it!”

Ivan Lopez, Assistant women’s tennis coach at Loyola Marymount: “The workshop today was great! I would describe the experience as very positive. It was great seeing the people’s face, and how much the enjoyed it. It was like they were surprised how much tennis you could learn by discovering a new way of teaching. You could tell by their comments and reactions that most of them have never had that much fun at a tennis court, especially with that many people. It was fantastic.”

Said Alcedo: “Today a group of community players were impacted when learning the benefits of teaching kids (and families) to play tennis using the QuickStart Tennis Play format. We hope to offer more USTA Workshops in the near future.

“I’d like to thank all the participants who attended, our instructor Tom Fey, the city of Santa Clarita, KHTS AM-1220 and our sponsors the USTA, Visualhangups.com and LMU Tennis for making this first USTA Quick Start Tennis Workshop in Santa Clarita Valley a success,” he said.

For more information, visit the SCV Tennis Aces’ Facebook page.