Houston Parks and Rec celebrates National Junior Tennis and Learning Kids Day

Tennis students celebrated their completion of the summer tennis program at the National Junior Tennis and Learning Kids Day event held Thursday, July 26 at Memorial Park Tennis Center.

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department planned for approximately 800 students to attend the event. In addition to games of tennis, participants also displayed some of their art and writing contest entries.

Halle Brazda, 14, from the Meyerland Park area, was one of 10 national winners of the USTA National Arthur Asche Essay Contest. Her prize includes an all-expenses-paid trip to New York in August for Arthur Ashe Kids Day, which opens the 2012 U.S. Open.

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department's youth tennis classes were held in 37 parks across the city. The classes were made possible through a grant from the U.S. Tennis Association and the Houston Tennis association, with additional support for the kids day event provided by Tennis Express, USTA Serves, Houston Ladies Tennis Association and the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation.

For more information about youth programs offered by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.houstontx.gov/parks.