Lake Travis Tennis Association is dedicated to making tennis accessible to players of all ages, experiences and income levels. Founded in 2018, the nonprofit serves people in the Lake Travis area who may not have the financial resources or the time to commit to a private tennis club.

“We’re not associated with any private club or academy and our mission is to provide affordable programs on public courts,” said Vice President Sara White.

One of the ways the organization accomplishes this goal is through an event called Courts and Cocktails.

How it works

Courts and Cocktails is a biannual eight-week event hosted by Lake Travis Tennis Association in both the spring and fall seasons. Tennis enthusiasts gather at the Lake Travis High School courts for a couple rounds of tennis, followed by cocktails and conversation with fellow players at a nearby restaurant.

“We'll just kind of mix people in depending on their skill level, and swap them around after each set so everybody gets a chance to play,” President Richard Evans said. “It's been really popular.”

New skills with new friends

At last year’s Courts and Cocktails, Evans said there were several players who were beginners and had limited experience playing tennis. He said the organizers set aside one of the courts where an instructor worked with these players to teach them the basics, like serving the ball, doubles strategy and how to score.

“We don't want to turn people away just because they haven't played very much and they're not really confident about their game,” Evans said.

Board member Natalie Malnor, who works with Lake Travis Tennis Association’s adult social programs, started a WhatsApp group to allow tennis players to connect and keep play going between seasons.

“We had a lot of experienced players but also a ton of people that did the spring league that had never really even picked up a racquet,” she said. “I think it kind of created a safe space for these players that were beginners to get out there on the courts and interact with everybody in the group or meet new people and become more comfortable with the sport.”

Additional community opportunities

The organization also offers an after-school program in partnership with Lake Travis ISD. This eight-week program allows 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Bee Cave Middle School to learn the basics of tennis from professional coaches.

Evans said it’s really fun to watch the players develop new skills and to see their progress at the end of the course.

Additionally, Lake Travis Tennis Association extends its outreach to local communities through partnerships with libraries. They provide tennis kits children can check out at the Lake Travis and Bee Cave libraries at no cost. The kits include junior racquets, beginner tennis balls and guidance for parents on drills and techniques.

“Ultimately we’d like to see a public tennis facility in the area and are excited to see that the city of Bee Cave has included tennis courts in their master park plan,” Evans said.

Lake Travis Tennis Association also hosts family play days, neighborhood clinics, and pickleball lessons. Last year the association launched a program to provide college scholarships to Lake Travis High School tennis players and plan on continuing the program next year.

There is no cost to become a member of Lake Travis Tennis Association. Anyone who is interested can fill out a form online to receive the quarterly newsletter with information about upcoming programs and events. Some of the programs do cost money to participate in, but Evans said the organization keeps fees at a minimum.

Get involved

“I think that we're able to get everybody out to be able to play who's got an interest in tennis and we provide all the equipment. So you just walk up to the court, grab a racquet and head over to the nets,” Evans said.

To try a new sport with new friends, visit Lake Travis Tennis Association’s website and register for a program today.

The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.