When my daughter was younger (She’s a teenager now. Where did time go?), she participated in a couple of after school programs, but they were always hard to budget for since we were a low income family. My mom was gracious enough to pay for her to be in karate and get involved in the local children’s theater (something she still loves). I didn’t know of the options out there available for lower income families other than typical things such as the Boys and Girls club. She wanted to be in active things, and I had a hard time making that happen. That’s why I am super excited to let my readers here in the Pacific Northwest know about the Tennis Afterschool Zone from RecTennis! Read on for more information.
The Perfect After School Program for Low Income Families
Before I continue, I want to be clear that TAZ (Tennis Afterschool Zone) is NOT just for low income families, but they have such an amazing program that makes this fun after school activity accessible for all and I want to highlight that.
What it is:
TAZ is an after school program that is highly affordable from RecTennis. The program teaches your child how to play tennis with games, easy to use racquets and balls just for beginners and kids. Not only will your child get some physical activity in and make new friends, they will also learn important life skills such as leadership and teamwork. Your child needs absolutely no equipment for you to buy or uniforms. They also don’t need any experience. Sessions are immediately after school and are for 60 minutes.
Who it’s for:
TAZ is for kids in grades K-5. It is being offered at 9 Spokane schools this year and is also offered in other cities in OR, WA and AK. Check out the RecTennis website to find programs for Tennis Afterschool Zone in your city. Just click on the “Find Programs” tab that’s purple on the right hand side of the top of the page.
Cost of doing the program:
This really is the amazing part. Full cost is only $8 per session with 8 sessions for a total of $64. If your child attends a Title 1 school, they get to join the fun for as little as $8 for the entire program (just $1 a session!). PLUS, There are partial and full scholarships available for anyone at any school the program is offered at so it really is fully accessible to everyone and every kid! Since I am in the Spokane area, here are the schools participating in the program in my area:
Moran Prairie Elementary, Arlington Elementary, Mullan Road Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Finch Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, Indian
Trail Elementary, Balboa Elementary, and Lidgerwood Elementary.
I really think this program is the perfect opportunity for kids in the Pacific Northwest to get involved in a fun and high energy after school program. I can say from my experience with the Friends and Family program that it was a lot of fun . Even if you aren’t sure how you feel about tennis, you will definitely find out how much fun it can be with RecTennis’s fun programs.