Merging the sports of tennis and beach volleyball, beach tennis — now also known as All-Volley Tennis — continues to grow in popularity, both competitively and recreationally.
Beach tennis courts have permanent nets in Hermosa Beach (14th St.), Manhattan Beach (7th St.) and Santa Monica.
Donny Young, a Hermosa Beach resident and founder and president of the Beach Tennis Association, is excited about the growth of the sport.
“We have many adults playing beach tennis for the first time,” said Donny Young, a Hermosa Beach resident and founder and president of the Beach Tennis Association. “But we’ve conducted surveys and found that a lot of kids ages 8-11 and even high school students are extremely interested in beach tennis.”
Young is in the process of attempting to gain permits from the City of Hermosa Beach that will enable him to expand competition.
“We hope to introduce seniors to the game this year, moving the lines up three feet making it easier to volley in the deep sand ” Young said.
Beach Tennis was first played in Ravenna, Italy in the beginning of the 20th century. The first beach tournament was held in 1978.
In 2004, Beach Tennis USA (BTUSA) was founded and six years later announced a partnership with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the world governing body of tennis. BTUSA was named the governing body of beach tennis in the United States.
Upcoming events include the Memorial Day Round Robin Social (May 28, Hermosa Beach), 4th of July Mixer/Potluck (July 4, Hermosa Beach), Endless Summer Tournament (Aug. 6, Manhattan Beach) and Labor Day Round Robin (Sept. 3, Hermosa Beach). (310) 753-2834.
