Youth Tennis
Beginning students of all ages will be introduced to tennis in a fun and rewarding way. Fundamentals of basic stroke techniques will be introduced with time spent on developing the ability to hit consistently.
During the Dodds Tennis Center indoor season (September-May), all classes will be held once per week at the Dodds Tennis Center and will run for six weeks. During the summer season our clinics will meet twice per week for three weeks and will be held at one of three outdoor locations: Lindsay Tennis Courts and Hessel Park tennis courts in Champaign, and Blair Park tennis courts in Urbana.
Location: Dodds Tennis Center
Adult Tennis
Sign up for a once-a-week session of tennis instruction, tailored to your specific skill level.
During the Dodds Tennis Center indoor season (September-May), all classes will be held once per week at the Dodds Tennis Center and will run for six weeks. During the summer season our clinics will meet twice per week for three weeks and will be held at one of three outdoor locations: Lindsay Tennis Courts and Hessel Park tennis courts in Champaign, and Blair Park tennis courts in Urbana.
Location: Dodds Tennis Center
Leagues
Play competitive matches against similarly skilled players with the Champaign Park District. Consultation with our Head Tennis Pro Yuri Sohn is necessary as he carefully organizes league lineups to ensure all participants are evenly matched with regards to skill level. If you are interested in joining, please set up a skill assessment with Yuri Sohn so that he can place you in the appropriate league.
Leagues run for seven-week sessions. During the Dodds Tennis Center indoor season (September-May), we offer flex leagues with no set time, in which matches must be played at the Dodds Tennis Center and are scheduled at the players’ discretion. During our summer season, our leagues all have fixed schedules and will take place at Lindsay Tennis Courts.
Drop-In Workouts
Our popular drop-in workouts consist of pro-supervised drills, point games, and match play – tailored to players looking for extra practice, exercise, and enjoyment. Drop in for a single class or purchase a multi-pass to use at any of our workouts!
Workouts will be held at the Dodds Tennis Center during our indoor season (September-May), while summer workouts will be held outdoors at Lindsay Tennis Courts.
Private Lessons
Looking to book private tennis lessons? Fill out our request form below!
Scholarship Information
Because some residents are unable to participate in recreation programs due to economic hardship, the Champaign Park District offers scholarships to reduce certain fees and charges. Youth Scholarship Program applicants are not guaranteed fund availability, program registration or choice of program location. Early applications are given priority. Need is the primary criterion upon which scholarship applicants are considered.
Visit our Scholarship Opportunities page for the updated Scholarship Applications!
Find Outdoor Courts
The Champaign Park District maintains outdoor tennis courts in many area parks. Please visit the “tennis” tag on our interactive park map to find a field near you!
Need help choosing a tennis program to participate in? See National Tennis Rating Program Guidelines:
- 1.0 This player is just starting tennis.
- 1.5 This player has limited playing experience and is still working primarily on getting the ball over the net, has some knowledge of scoring but is not familiar with basic positions and procedures for singles and doubles play.
- 2.0 This player may have had some lessons but needs on-court experience, has obvious stroke weaknesses, but is beginning to feel comfortable with singles and doubles play.
- 2.5 This player has more dependable strokes and is learning to judge where the ball is going, has weak court coverage or is often caught out of position, but is starting to keep the ball in play with other players of the same ability.
- 3.0 This player can place shots with moderate success, can sustain a rally of slow pace but is not comfortable with all strokes, lacks control when trying for power.
- 3.5 This player has achieved stroke dependability and direction on shots within reach, including forehand and backhand volleys, but still lacks depth and variety, seldom double faults and occasionally forces errors on the serve.
- 4.0 This player has dependable strokes on both forehand and backhand sides, has the ability to use a variety of shots including lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys, can place the first serve and force some errors, is seldom out of position in a doubles game.
- 4.5 This player has begun to master use of power and spins, has sound footwork, can control depth of shots and is able to move opponent up and back, can hit first serves with power and accuracy and place the second serve, is able to rush net with some success on serve in singles as well as doubles.
- 5.0 This player has good shot anticipation, frequently has an outstanding shot or exceptional consistency around which a game may be structured, can regularly hit winners or force errors off short balls, can successfully execute lobs, drop shots, half volleys and overhead smashes, has good depth and spin on most second serves.
