Tennis Player Initiative Hits the Road for Summer 2013

According to USTA officials, The SmashZone Mobile Tour, designed to promote tennis to kids in a new way, will be making stops across the country, throughout the spring and summer, in 2013.

The SmashZone Mobile Tour will soon be coming to a city near you. The tour hit the road starting in April for a 22-city circuit that will run through the US Open in September and deliver games and tennis fun to kids and families alike throughout the United States.

The SmashZone Mobile Tour introduces audiences to tennis in a fun and interactive way, providing kids the opportunity to play tennis games in a festive atmosphere that allows participants to get active and involved in the sport for a lifetime—playing real tennis from the start.

This spring marks the third year of the tour, which kicked off at Dick's Sporting Goods at Robinson Centre in Pittsburgh on April 27. Throughout the spring and summer, it will make stops at fairs, festivals, airshows, retail environments and city centers.

SmashZone Mobile includes a 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tennis courts for youth play. Courts will feature games such as Xerox Rally Court, racquet drills and activities, as well as a Target Challenge. The trailer, which is handicap accessible, also features a Tennis magazine Green Screen Cover Shoot, Wii Tennis and touch-screen kiosks.

"The SmashZone Mobile Tour is a great platform to bring tennis to the masses through an interactive experience," said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. "It provides an opportunity for kids to try tennis for the first time, allowing them to experience the fun and excitement that comes with playing the game."

SmashZone began as the premier fan interactive attraction anchored on-site at the US Open, on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, before hitting the road to be showcased across the country. Since its inception in 2011, SmashZone Mobile has attracted more than 2 million people to its youth courts.

For the latest, up-to-date schedule, click here.

For more information on Youth Tennis, please visit YouthTennis.com.