Olentangy Lesson Logs
Every week, we will post a brief summary of that days lesson
For any questions about the Olentangy Branch, email olentangytop2020@gmail.com
2/5/21: Today's clinic was amazing! We warmed up with the usual Jumping Jakes, then went into Wormjakes. After that we did Squat Jumps to warm our legs up and get those ready for tennis. We then introduced Forehand and Backhand volleys which are a little bit different from the Forehand and Backhand groundstrokes that they learned. The kids weren't tired at all, so we did 2 minutes of wall sits to try to tire them out, but it didn't happen. So then we did burpees, but they were still super energetic so we ended with some games and saw coach Aryaman get pied in the face!
1/29/21: Today we started off with the usual Jumping Jakes, then went into some Arm Circles and Squat Jumps to get the kids warmed up. Since the kids were tired already, we had an early water break while the kids told jokes then moved on to Forehands, Highknees, and Buttkicks followed by some Backhands. Afterwards, we reviewed some Volleys and Serves going into another water break and finished the clinic off with Would You Rather and Count to 10. This week the kids got to 10 so next week they get to see Coach Aryaman get pied in the face!
1/22/21: This week we had a show and tell where the kids brought something special to them to the clinic and share about it. After we had show and tell, we did some Jumping Jakes, Star Jumps, and Spider Jumps. We then did some review of groundstrokes and overheads before finishing the clinic off with some Count to 50 as a fun cooldown!
1/15/21: This week we had lots of newcomers so we introduced them to some simple drills and exercises to welcome them. We started off with our usual Jumping Jakes and followed up with some Spider Jumps. Next we played a couple games of Simon Says on one foot and showed the kids how to hit forehands, backhands and volleys. Then we stretched out with some Skyreaches and Frankensteins. We then took a quick water break and moved onto a drill which combined forehands, volleys and lots of running. After that we showed the kids how to Crab Walk and Bear Crawl and then followed up with a couple games of Tennis Man. Finally we introduced the game Count to 10 to the kids and had a couple rounds of that.
12/17/20: This clinic we started with Jumping Jakes to get the kids ready to go! With the holidays coming up, we balanced on one foot and did Santa Says instead of Simon says. After that we did our Coin Toss game and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. After a quick water break, we headed back into exercises such as Rudolph Crawls, and Candy Cane Stretches. Finishing with a big groundstroke drill and a few games, the clinic came to an end! We’ll see you next year!
12/10/20: This week we once again started with some Jumping Jakes and continued with Crab Walks and Bear Crawls as a warm up. Next, we played some Simon Says - but the kids had to stand on one foot the entire time to practice their balance. After a quick water break, we went right into some Forehands and a quick minute of Wall Sits. We then did some WormJakes and revisited the coin flip drill that we introduced a few weeks ago with Star Jumps and Burpees. Afterwards, we did some forehand and backhand Volleys. We then went into some Frankensteins and Overheads. and finished off the clinic with Would You Rather and Count to 10!
12/3/20: This week we started off warming up with Jumping Jakes. We then reviewed our groundstrokes. After that we did some push ups so the kids could get a little tired. Proceeding to volley, the kids started to become tired so we took a quick waterbreak. Then we practiced some of our overheads and serves. Towards the end of the clinic, we did exercises to get the kids tired out and ended with games such as Count to 10!
11/20/20: This clinic we dove right in with some Jumping Jakes and Sky Reaches. Right after we reviewed forehands and backhands and then introduced the Crab Walk and Bear Crawl. We then did some burpees and had a quick water break. Afterwards, we tried another new fun game that involves flipping a coin to decide between doing the kids’ favorite or least favorite drill. We then did some serves and overheads followed by a drill involving the forehand, backhand, serve, and overhead. Since the kids got to 10 last week, we finished the clinic with Coach Bryan getting pied!
11/13/20: Today we again started off the clinic with Jumping Jakes. Next, we went right into some lunges and opening/closing the gate. We then went into some spider jumps and butt kicks/high knees. Incredibly, the kids managed to do over 100 seconds of butt kicks and high knees this week. Afterwards we did some groundstrokes and serves then continued on with more exercises. The kids were very energetic this week, and although we kept adding on more drills, they still never got tired. We even tried wall sits and push ups to get them settled, but they powered through them. Unfortunately we ran out of time so we had to conclude the clinic with some Count to 10 and the kids once again got to 10 this week!
11/6/20: Today we had a very fun clinic! The kids reached 10 last week and we actually got to see Coach Frank get pied twice! First, we warmed up with Jumping Jakes. Then, we warmed up our legs with some squats. The kids were tired after that so we reviewed our groundstrokes. We then tried to get the kids to break a little bit more of sweat so we did arm circles. After that the kids were tired again, so we practiced our volleys and went into a quick water break to give the kids some rest. With the time running a little short, we finished our exercises with wormjakes then quickly moved onto some games. We played Would you Rather and that concluded a great clinic and hope to see you all next week!
10/30/20: Today we began the clinic with some casual conversation about what the kids’ trick or treat experiences this past week. Afterwards, we started off with some Jumping Jakes and knee pulls. Next, we did some butt kicks and high knees in speedy mode to keep the kids moving. Keeping with the halloween theme, we did some Frankensteins and followed up with some serves and overheads. We went into some spider jumps with a brief water break then some groundstrokes. We introduced a fitness mode, where the kids do double reps for increased endurance, with Worm Jakes. Finally, we played some Count to 10, and the kids got to 10 this week!
10/23/20: Today's clinic was awesome! We started off with our weekly Jumping Jakes. Then, we reviewed the Serve. After that, we dived into some High knees and Butt kicks with a new mode where we do these drills intensely. We then took a quick water break since the kids were tired. Next we reviewed our ground strokes.Then, we gave the kids some freedom to choose whatever drill they wanted to do. We then tried to simulate a real point by testing their reaction times by shouting out a stroke and them doing it. After a brief water break, we played tennis man and ended it off with Count to 10 like always!
10/16/20: Today we had a small clinic so it was very laid back! Due to this, we dropped the schedule and asked the kids for any drills they wanted to do to keep the clinic entertaining! We covered a wide variety of both tennis strokes and conditioning drills and finished off the clinic with a few games of Charades, Simon Says, and Count to 10!
10/9/20: This week we had the same agenda as the Dublin Branch: We started off with some classic Jumping Jakes to practice split step and ready position. Next, we warmed up with the Burpees and stretched out with the Open and Close gate exercise. After that, we practiced a new drill where the students ran up and down with their toes and split-stepped into Forehand or Backhand. After a quick water break, we reviewed our serves and jumped into a drill that included all the stokes we learned so far including volleys, serves, overheads, and groundstrokes. We decided to have some fun after the drill, and we had the kids decide what exercise they wanted to do. Following a quick stretch-out with the knee pulls, we played the Would you Rather and Simon Says game. We ended off the clinic with the famous Count to 10 game!
10/2/20: Today we started off another clinic as normal with some classic Jumping Jakes. Since it was pretty chilly, we did some high knees and butt kicks to get the kids warmed up. Next, we did some serves and groundstrokes to review from previous weeks. Afterwards, we cooled with some Worm Jakes and then jumped right into some volleys and overheads. After a quick water break, we did a big drill involving every stroke we learned and then did some drills that the kids wanted. Finally, we finished off the clinic with some Simon Says and Count to 10 for another great week!
9/25/20: Today marks the second week of the Olentangy Branch’s independent clinic!. This week, we started off with some usual Jumping Jakes to get the kids ready to split step in our big drill. Next, we reviewed some overheads and introduced a new exercise that involves the kids jump roping with an imaginary jump rope to test their cardio. We then went into some forehands and backhand and once again challenged their cardio with some butt kicks and high knees. Afterwards, we did some forehand and backhand volleys and then some burpees which left the kids absolutely winded! Following a short water break, we did our big drill combining every stroke and finished off the clinic with another few games of Count to 10. Good work everyone!
9/18/20: Today was the first day of the Olentangy Branch of the Dublin Tennis Outreach Program operating independently! We are so excited to have expanded past the reaches of Dublin and into another city to continue to spread our mission and purpose! For this monumental clinic, we began by reviewing all the strokes before a big combo drill at the end of the clinic. Next, we reviewed the overhead, then went to forehands and backhands. Next, we warmed up with some spider jumps and then went over the forehand/backhand volley. The kids did some sky reaches for a quick break and we continued with some serves. Our last drill of the clinic was the kids’ favorite: Worm Jakes! Afterwards, we did the big drill where we start with a serve, do both groundstrokes, both volleys, and finish off with an overhead. Finally, we finished off with a few games of Count to 10 for a solid first clinic!